Global patterns of ENSO-induced precipitation

Although there have been many analyses of El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENS O) induced precipitation anomalies, global patterns from these analyses rem ain incomplete. Here we combine recent satellite estimates of oceanic preci pitation and historical rain-gauge records to derive a global climatology o f ENSO-induced precipitation anomalies using empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analyses. The patterns suggest that the re-arrangement of convection centers of the Walker circulation during ENSO events induces large precipit ation anomalies in the tropics, while associated changes in the monsoon sys tems (through the Hadley cell) over the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans , and their interactions with midlatitude westerlies generate coherent anom aly patterns over the extratropics. Our results can be used to evaluate cli mate models and forecast ENSO-induced precipitation anomalies.