Tropical ocean basins do not vary in isolation but influence each other on seasonal and longer timescales. It is long known that the El Niño Southern Oscillation influences the tropical Atlantic and Indian Oceans on interannual timescales, and there is increasing evidence that the reverse occurs. On longer timescales, variations in Atlantic sea-surface temperature (SST), such as the Atlantic multi-decadal variability (AMV), can drive changes in the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans via atmospheric teleconnections, even modulating global warming. Despite the importance of AMV and tropical basin interaction (TBI) in modulating regional and global weather and climate, large uncertainties still exist about its governing mechanisms. Changes in external forcing (e.g., aerosols) and internal variability (e.g., the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and the North Atlantic Oscillation), as well as dynamical and thermodynamical ocean-atmosphere feedbacks, have been proposed as possible mechanisms and sources of predictability.
The aim of this workshop is to explore four fundamental questions:
- What controls tropical basins interactions (TBIs) at different timescales and their modulation
- What is the relative role of AMOC in setting AMV spatial patterns and timescale
- How do climate models simulate the AMV/AMOC interaction and TBIs
- How do AMV/AMOC and TBIs evolve in a warming climate
