Li, H., Taschetto, A. S., Sen Gupta, A., & Ummenhofer, C. C. (2025). Global Mean Sea Level Changes to ENSO-Related Regional Land Water Storage. Geophysical Research Letters, 52(14), e2025GL115799. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL115799
Land water mass changes during ENSO. (a) Global land water mass anomalies (60°S-60°N) from April 2002 to June 2023 (GRACE, left y-axis) and reconstructed terrestrial water storage anomalies excluding Greenland and Antarctica from April 2002 to December 2022 (gray dashed line, right y-axis). Light blue (yellow) shading backgrounds mark La Nina (El Nino) events. Blue (red) shading indicates above (below) average GRACE anomalies. Composite GRACE terrestrial water thickness during (b) four La Nina and (c) five El Nino (exclude missing months). Stippling marks where most La Nina (3/4) and El Nino (4/5) events match the composite sign. [Figure adapted from Li et al. 2025]
The 2010-2011 La Nina caused a sharp but temporary drop in global sea level due to increased rainfall and terrestrial water storage primarily in Australia. However, whether similar responses occurred in other La Nina events remains unclear. Here we investigate analogous impacts during other El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events using available sea level height observations during 1993-2022. We find that ENSO consistently drives changes in terrestrial and oceanic precipitation, land water storage, and sea surface salinity. These changes cause temporary global sea level declines during La Nina and increases during El Nino, with the most pronounced variations occurring during the build-up phase of ENSO. A strong negative relationship between terrestrial precipitation and global mean sea level underscores the critical role of ENSO-driven global water redistribution. Northern South America consistently experienced water storage gains during La Nina and declines during El Nino, whereas water storage changes in Australia were inconsistent.
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