Who Does the Vertical Transport of Heat in the Tropical Pacific: ENSO or Hurricanes?

Hurricanes have been hypothesized as an effective mechanism by which heat is mixed downward in the tropical oceans. Here we suggest that for the tropical Pacific, ENSO could be another effective mechanism. Recent advances in understanding the role of ENSO in the long-term heat balance of the tropical Pacific will be reviewed, together with causes of the strengthening of the ENSO activity over the recent decades.