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Unveiling the role of South Tropical Atlantic in winter Atlantic Niño inducing La Niña

Author

Listed:
  • Guangli Zhang

    (Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai))

  • Jiepeng Chen

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Hanjie Fan

    (Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai))

  • Lei Zhang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Mengyan Chen

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Xin Wang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Dongxiao Wang

    (Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai))

Abstract

The boreal winter-peaked Atlantic Niño/Niña can influence La Niña/El Niño (the cold/warm phase of El Niño-Southern Oscillation, ENSO) in the following year. However, the Atlantic Niño-La Niña relationship is more uncertain than the Atlantic Niña-El Niño counterpart. Here, we show that this uncertainty arises from two distinct types of Atlantic Niño events: the Equatorial and Expanded types, which differ in their meridional sea surface temperature (SST) warming. The Equatorial type, with SST warming confined to the equator, has a weaker climate impact due to limited influence on local convective heating in spring when the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) shifts southward. In contrast, the Expanded type, with SST warming extending into the southern tropical Atlantic (STA), drive persistent local anomalous convection heating and strong remote atmospheric responses in the tropical Pacific from winter to spring. Our results emphasize the critical role of STA conditions in shaping the influence of winter Atlantic Niño on the Pacific.

Suggested Citation

  • Guangli Zhang & Jiepeng Chen & Hanjie Fan & Lei Zhang & Mengyan Chen & Xin Wang & Dongxiao Wang, 2025. "Unveiling the role of South Tropical Atlantic in winter Atlantic Niño inducing La Niña," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-56874-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56874-y
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Eleftheria Exarchou & Pablo Ortega & Belén Rodríguez-Fonseca & Teresa Losada & Irene Polo & Chloé Prodhomme, 2021. "Impact of equatorial Atlantic variability on ENSO predictive skill," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-8, December.
    2. Dongmin Kim & Sang-Ki Lee & Hosmay Lopez & Gregory R. Foltz & Caihong Wen & Robert West & Jason Dunion, 2023. "Increase in Cape Verde hurricanes during Atlantic Niño," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-8, December.
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