Low Frequency Characteristics of Tropical Pacific Wind Stress Anomalies in Observations and Simulations from a Simple and a Comprehensive Models

Low frequency characteristics of tropical Pacific wind stress anomalies in observation and simulations; from the CZ simple atmospheric model and COLA R15 AGCM are analyzed. The results show that ENSO event may be a multi-scale process, that is, ENSO time scale has the period longer than three yean; biennial oscillation and annual variability Dynamical characteristics are involved in the evolution process of wind stress anomaly with ENSO time scale: 1) the development and eastward movement of a cyclonic anomaly circulation in subtropical northwestern Pacific and weakening of Southern Oscillation result in the eastward propagation of westerly anomaly along the equator, there?fore, interactions between flows in subtropics and in tropics play an important role in the evolution of wind stress anomaly with ENSO time scale; 2) easterly and westerly anomalies with ENSO time scale are one kind of propagating wave, which differs from Barnetts (1991). It is interesting that the evolution of observed and simulated wind stress anomalies with biennial time scale bears a strong resemble to that with ENSO time scale although their period it dif?ferent. Observed annual variability it weak during 1979-1981 and intensified after 1981, especially it reaches to max?imum during 1982-1984, and the spatial structure of the first mode is the ENSO-like pattern.