The SST response to global warming in the tropical Indo-Pacific

Through a suite of partial coupling experiments, the SST response to global warming have been examined in the tropical Indo-Pacific and the roles has been separated of wind-driven dynamical changes, the surface feedback through Wind-Evaporation-Sea surface temperature (WES), and ocean dynamics without the antecedent wind-related feedbacks in causing such SST response. In the tropical Pacific, an El Nino-like SST warming is generated, with an overall shoaling of the thermocline. The wind stress change plays the leading role in weakening the surface westward currents as well as for the oceanic changes in the equatorial thermocline; the effect of the wind speed change is mainly confined to the surface and its contribution to the subsurface changes is negligible. In the tropical Indian Ocean, an Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) like warming pattern is generated, which is primarily caused by the change of wind stress via ocean dynamics.