Ocean Salinity Aspects of the Ningaloo Niño

A significant discovery regarding the Ningaloo Niño reveals that this interannual warming event in the southeast Indian Ocean (SEIO) induces substantial sea surface salinity (SSS) freshening of 0.15–0.20 practical salinity units (psu) during its warm phase, primarily driven by increased local precipitation (~68%) and enhanced freshwater transport from the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF; ~28%). This SSS freshening, particularly pronounced near Western Australia, shows a stronger correlation with El Niño–Southern Oscillation indices than sea surface temperature. The study employed observational data analysis and eddy-resolving regional ocean model simulations to elucidate these processes, while an idealized model experiment demonstrated that salinity has minimal feedback effects on the warming of Ningaloo Niño.

Guo, Y., Li, Y., Wang, F., & Wei, Y. (2021). Ocean Salinity Aspects of the Ningaloo Niño. Journal of Climate, 34(15), 6141–6161. https://doi.org/10.1175/jcli-d-20-0890.1