Meridional Atmospheric Teleconnections Over The North Pacific From 1950 to 1972

Abstract The meridional atmospheric teleconnections over the central North Pacific Ocean during winter are investigated by correlating the year-to-year fluctuations in the convective activity at the Equator, mid-latitude pressure/wind system, and subtropical pressure/wind system from 1950 to 1972. To establish fluctuations in these climatological systems, we consider the 23-yr time sequences of the maximum strength of the subtropical ridge, maximum intensity of the Aleutian Low, and strength of convective activity at the Equator, the latter inferred from the rainfall and sea-surface temperature at Canton Island (2°48′S, 171°43′W) observed by numerous authors to be representative of rainfall and sea-surface temperature over the entire central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. Upon cross correlation of these time sequences, we find that, throughout the two decades from 1950 to 1972, the intensity of the subtropical ridge and of the Aleutian Low were significantly correlated with one another (−0.50) as w...