Equatorial wave diagnosis for the Atlantic Niño with an ocean reanalysis

There has been a long-standing need for a rapid-detection method for waves using simulation data for Atlantic Niño events. This study addresses this by utilizing an ocean reanalysis.  The proposed method firstly decomposes the climatological values and anomalies at each grid point are decomposed into the first four baroclinic modes based on their local density profiles, then the wave energy flux is calculated by means of a group-velocity-based scheme.  In the instance during the 2019 Niño event, the decomposed geopotential can well reproduce the displacement of the thermocline during the event. The obtained wave energy fluxes confirm the significant influence of subseasonal Kelvin waves on the event and also suggest that wave energy from off-equatorial regions likely preconditioned the event. This study is thus a useful tool for diagnosing the equatorial waveguide and can support the warning systems for Atlantic Niño events.