Science Use Cases Example 8: Identifying the SST Variability Associated with ENSO (El Nino and La Nina)

Services Used: Empirical Orthogonal Function

Datasets used: ECMWF-Interim Sea Surface Temperature (SST)

Scientific Merit: The first-order Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) spatial structure shows stronger signal extending further east along the equatorial Pacific, demonstrative of a more traditional El Nino. The two strong El Ninos, 1982-83 and 1997-98, are apparent in the first EOF mode (see the EOF1 plot below).