On 22 August 2019, the latest research article, “Tropical Cyclones Act to Intensify El Niño”, was published online by the internationally renowned journal Nature▪ Communications. The achievement was jointly completed by the climate dynamics research team led by Professor Li Jianping (the corresponding author) of the Key Laboratory of PhysicalOceanography (POL) and Institute for Advanced Ocean Study (IAOS) of Ocean University of China.

       The research reveals for the first time the importance of the impact of the cumulative effect of tropical cyclones in trans-scale effect and establishes a new mechanism for the development of ENSO from this new perspective, providing a theoretical basis for operational departments to improve ENSO climate prediction. Meanwhile, the prediction model can be used by operational department to improve the ability of predicting ENSO intensity, enriching ENSO climate prediction operational products, which in turn would provide decision-making reference for preventing and reducing disasters. Also, the results would expand our theoretical understanding of trans-scale interaction and inverse energy cascade, and provide a new approach to improve climate prediction model as well.

       In recent years, the research team led by Professor Li has made new progresses in trans-scale interaction by emphasizing that cumulative effect is the key link between weather and climate events. This cumulative effect has certain universality in understanding trans-scale dynamics. For example, in physical oceanography, it can deepen the understanding of the inverse energy cascade from meso- and small-scale vortexes to large-scale circulation.

       The first author of this paper, Ms. Wang Qiuyun, is a doctoral candidate under the guidance of Professor Li. The publication of this paper reflects not only the international leading position of the POL and IAOS in the research on interannual climate effect of typhoons on ENSO, but also highlights the attention to the youth talents cultivation.

       Other institutions involved in the study includes Beijing Normal University,  University of Hawaii, City University of Hong Kong, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology/Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and Institute of Atmospheric Physics/CAS.

Schematic Diagram of Cumulative Effect of Western Pacific Tropical Cyclones on El Niño