The effect of ENSO activity on lower stratospheric water vapor

Abstract. Using the ECMWF/NCEP reanalysis data, satellite observations from AURA MLS and UARS HALOE, and Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) data, the effects of El Niño and La Niña events on the stratospheric water vapor changes are investigated. Overall, El Niño events tend to moisten the lower stratosphere but dry the middle stratosphere. La Niña events are likely to dry the lower stratosphere over a narrow band of tropics (5° S–5° N) but have a moistening effect on the whole stratosphere when averaged over a broader region of tropics between 25° S–25° N. The moistening effect of La Niña events mainly occurs in lower stratosphere in the Southern Hemisphere tropics where a significant 20% increase in the tropical upwelling is caused by La Niña events. El Niño events have a more significant effect on the tropical upwelling in the Northern Hemisphere extratropics than in Southern Hemisphere extratropics. The net effect of ENSO activities on the lower stratospheric water vapor is stronger in the Southern Hemisphere tropics than in the Northern Hemisphere tropics.