Role of tropical Indian Ocean air–sea interactions in modulating Indian summer monsoon in a coupled model

Abstract

While the importance of El Niño to the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) rainfall variability has been widely recognized, the role of tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) is still unclear. Present results based on coupled model sensitivity experiments revealed that the TIO air–sea interaction trims down suppressed rainfall locally over the ISM region by opposing the influence of tropical Pacific Ocean (TPO) during El Niño developing summers. Besides, El Niño-induced TIO basin-wide warming supports positive rainfall anomalies over the ISM region by maintaining local convection. TIO local air–sea interaction opposes the Pacific impact even in the absence of Indian Ocean Dipole.

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