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Greening of the Sahara suppressed ENSO activity during the mid-Holocene

Author

Listed:
  • Francesco S. R. Pausata

    (Stockholm University and Bolin Centre for Climate Research
    University of Quebec in Montreal (UQÀM))

  • Qiong Zhang

    (Stockholm University and Bolin Centre for Climate Research)

  • Francesco Muschitiello

    (Stockholm University and Bolin Centre for Climate Research
    Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University
    Uni Research Climate and Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research)

  • Zhengyao Lu

    (LaCOAS, School of Physics, Peking University)

  • Léon Chafik

    (Geophysical Institute and Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research)

  • Eva M. Niedermeyer

    (Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F))

  • J. Curt Stager

    (Paul Smith's College)

  • Kim M. Cobb

    (School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology)

  • Zhengyu Liu

    (LaCOAS, School of Physics, Peking University
    University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Abstract

The evolution of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) during the Holocene remains uncertain. In particular, a host of new paleoclimate records suggest that ENSO internal variability or other external forcings may have dwarfed the fairly modest ENSO response to precessional insolation changes simulated in climate models. Here, using fully coupled ocean-atmosphere model simulations, we show that accounting for a vegetated and less dusty Sahara during the mid-Holocene relative to preindustrial climate can reduce ENSO variability by 25%, more than twice the decrease obtained using orbital forcing alone. We identify changes in tropical Atlantic mean state and variability caused by the momentous strengthening of the West Africa Monsoon (WAM) as critical factors in amplifying ENSO’s response to insolation forcing through changes in the Walker circulation. Our results thus suggest that potential changes in the WAM due to anthropogenic warming may influence ENSO variability in the future as well.

Suggested Citation

  • Francesco S. R. Pausata & Qiong Zhang & Francesco Muschitiello & Zhengyao Lu & Léon Chafik & Eva M. Niedermeyer & J. Curt Stager & Kim M. Cobb & Zhengyu Liu, 2017. "Greening of the Sahara suppressed ENSO activity during the mid-Holocene," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms16020
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms16020
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