El Nino and the Delayed Action Oscillator
Abstract
We study the dynamics of the El Nino phenomenon using the mathematical model of delayed-action oscillator (DAO). Topics such as the influence of the annual cycle, global warming, stochastic influences due to weather conditions and even off-equatorial heat-sinks can all be discussed using only modest analytical and numerical resources. Thus the DAO allows for a pedagogical introduction to the science of El Nino and La Nina while at the same time avoiding the need for large-scale computing resources normally associated with much more sophisticated coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation models. It is an approach which is ideally suited for student projects both at high school and undergraduate level.
Cite
@article{arxiv.physics/0603083,
title = {El Nino and the Delayed Action Oscillator},
author = {Ian Boutle and Richard H. S. Taylor and Rudolf A. Roemer},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:physics/0603083},
year = {2007}
}
Comments
13 RevTeX pages, 14 .eps figures included, submitted to the American Journal of Physics