ENSO Phase-Locking in an Ocean-tmosphere Coupled Model FGCM-1.0

The mean climatology and the basic characteristics of the ENSO cycle simulated by a coupled model FGCM-1.0 are investigated in this study. Although with some common model biases as in other directly coupled models, FGCM-1.0 is capable of producing the interannual variability of the tropical Pacific, such as the ENSO phenomenon. The mechanism of the ENSO events in the coupled model can be explained by ``delayed oscillator" and ``recharge-discharge" hypotheses. Compared to the observations, the simulated ENSO events show larger amplitude with two distinctive types of phase-locking: one with its peak phase-locked to boreal winter and the other to boreal summer. These two types of events have a similar frequency of occurrence, but since the second type of event is seldom observed, it may be related to the biases of the coupled model. Analysis show that the heat content anomalies originate from the central south Pacific in the type of events peaking in boreal summer, which can be attributed to a different background climatology from the normal events. The mechanisms of their evolutions are also discussed.