Atlantic Equatorial mode
Encyclopedia
The Atlantic Equatorial mode (EM) or Atlantic Niño is a quasiperiodic internnual climate pattern
of the tropical Atlantic Ocean
. It is a similar but weaker phenomenon than the El Niño-Southern Oscillation
and is characterized by two modes of either warmer or cooler than average sea surface temperature
(SST) with accompanying shifts of the atmospheric circulation
.
Climate pattern
A climate pattern is any recurring characteristic of the climate. Climate patterns can last tens of thousands of years, like the glacial and interglacial periods within ice ages, or repeat each year, like monsoons....
of the tropical Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. It is a similar but weaker phenomenon than the El Niño-Southern Oscillation
El Niño-Southern Oscillation
El Niño/La Niña-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, is a quasiperiodic climate pattern that occurs across the tropical Pacific Ocean roughly every five years...
and is characterized by two modes of either warmer or cooler than average sea surface temperature
Sea surface temperature
Sea surface temperature is the water temperature close to the oceans surface. The exact meaning of surface varies according to the measurement method used, but it is between and below the sea surface. Air masses in the Earth's atmosphere are highly modified by sea surface temperatures within a...
(SST) with accompanying shifts of the atmospheric circulation
Atmospheric circulation
Atmospheric circulation is the large-scale movement of air, and the means by which thermal energy is distributed on the surface of the Earth....
.