Climate Oscillations influence on GOM Circulation

Abstract. Atmosphere-ocean interactions are understood to significantly modulate climate variability and ocean circulation patterns. In this study, the influence of climate oscillations, particularly the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), on the circulation dynamics of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) is investigated. Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis was used to identify the principal modes of variability in the GoM circulation, and cross-spectral analysis was conducted to examine the coherence between the GoM circulation, NAO, and ENSO indices. The results reveal that Gulf of Mexico circulation patterns share significant frequencies with both NAO and ENSO. These shared frequencies suggest synchronization phenomena between NAO, ENSO, and the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), indicating a strong influence of these climate oscillations on the GoM’s circulation. Key frequencies observed include a near 7-year period aligning with ENSO’s natural variability and semiannual periods linked to NAO and the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO). These climate oscillations are found to modulate heat transfer intensity in the GoM, influencing large-scale ocean-atmosphere interactions. The findings highlight the critical role of NAO-ENSO teleconnections in shaping GoM circulation variability and their broader implications for global oceanic heat transport mechanisms.