El Nino and the Tropical Maximum Sea Surface Temperature (SST)

这项计划中的工作将研究西太平洋热带海面温度(SST)存在上限的原因。将研究厄尔尼诺现象在调节海温中的作用。需要检验的假设是：一旦热带最高海温足够温暖，足以维持厄尔尼诺现象，并且耦合系统发现自己处于振荡状态，那么调节热带最高海温的就是厄尔尼诺。PI将使用两个耦合模式来验证他的假设，一个是热带太平洋地区的简单耦合模式，另一个是NCAR CSM TOGA模式(NCAR CCM3耦合到一个高分辨率的热带太平洋盆地模式)。这项工作还将解决厄尔尼诺现象是否会因应全球变暖而变得更加活跃的问题。这项工作很重要，因为它将增进我们对涉及厄尔尼诺和热带海温的相互作用和反馈机制的理解。

The planned work will examine the reasons why there exists an upper bound for tropical Sea Surface Temperature (SST) in the western Pacific. The role of El Nino in regulating the SST will be studied. The hypothesis to be tested is the following: once the tropical maximum SST is sufficiently warm to sustain El Nino, and the coupled system finds itself in an oscillatory state, it is El Nino that regulates the tropical maximum SST. The PI will test his hypothesis using two coupled models, a simple coupled model for the tropical Pacific region and the NCAR CSM TOGA model (NCAR CCM3 coupled to a fine resolution tropical Pacific basin model). The work will also address the issue of whether El Ninos will become more energetic in response to global warming. The work is important because it will increase our understanding of interaction and feedback mechanisms involving El Nino and tropical SSTs.