Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI)

Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Metadata:

• Identification_Information
• Data_Quality_Information
• Spatial_Reference_Information
• Distribution_Information
• Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: NOAA/OAR/ESRL/PSD

Publication_Date: ongoing

Title: Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI)

Edition:

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form:

Series_Information:

Series_Name: NOAA Indices and Forecasts

Issue_Identification:

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Boulder, CO, USA

Publisher: NOAA/OAR/ESRL/PSD

Other_Citation_Details:

Online_Linkage: http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd//people/klaus.wolter/MEI/

Description:

Abstract:

[Text Source: Klaus Wolter, http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd//people/klaus.wolter/MEI/ Refer to: Wolter and Timlin, 1993, 1998, http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd//people/klaus.wolter/MEI/#ref_wt1 ] El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the most important coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon to cause global climate variability on interannual time scales. Here we attempt to monitor ENSO by basing the Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI) on the six main observed variables over the tropical Pacific. These six variables are: sea-level pressure (P), zonal (U) and meridional (V) components of the surface wind, sea surface temperature (S), surface air temperature (A), and total cloudiness fraction of the sky (C). These observations have been collected and published in COADS for many years. The MEI is computed separately for each of twelve sliding bi-monthly seasons (Dec/Jan, Jan/Feb,..., Nov/Dec). After spatially filtering the individual fields into clusters (Wolter, 1987), the MEI is calculated as the first unrotated Principal Component (PC) of all six observed fields combined. This is accomplished by normalizing the total variance of each field first, and then performing the extraction of the first PC on the co-variance matrix of the combined fields (Wolter and Timlin, 1993). In order to keep the MEI comparable, all seasonal values are standardized with respect to each season and to the 1950-93 reference period. The MEI is extended during the first week of the following month based on near-real time marine ship and buoy observations (courtesy of Diane Stokes at NCEP) summarized into COADS-compatible 2-degree monthly statistics at NOAA-ESRL PSD. Caution should be exercised when interpreting the MEI on a month-to-month basis, since the input data for updates are not as reliable as COADS, and the MEI has been developed mainly for research purposes. Negative values of the MEI represent the cold ENSO phase, a.k.a.La Niña, while positive MEI values represent the warm ENSO phase (El Niño). See: http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd//people/klaus.wolter/MEI/

Purpose:

Not Available

Supplemental_Information:

REFERENCE: Wolter, K., and M.S. Timlin, 1998: Measuring the strength of ENSO - how does 1997/98 rank? Weather, 53, 315-324 Rasmusson, E.G., and T.H. Carpenter, 1982: Variations in tropical sea surface temperature and surface wind fields associated with the Southern Oscillation/El NiC1o. Mon. Wea. Rev., 110, 354-384.

Supplemental_Information:

REFERENCE: Wolter, K., 1987: The Southern Oscillation in surface circulation and climate over the tropical Atlantic, Eastern Pacific, and Indian Oceans as captured by cluster analysis. J. Climate Appl. Meteor., 26, 540-558.

Supplemental_Information:

REFERENCE: Wolter, K., and M.S. Timlin, 1993: Monitoring ENSO in COADS with a seasonally adjusted principal component index. Proc. of the 17th Climate Diagnostics Workshop, Norman, OK, NOAA/N MC/CAC, NSSL, Oklahoma Clim. Survey, CIMMS and the School of Meteor., Univ. of Oklahoma, 52-57.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 19500101

Ending_Date: Unknown

Currentness_Reference:Unknown

Status:

Progress: In Work

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed

Spatial_Domain:

Description_of_Geographic_Extent:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -170.0

East_Bounding_Coordinate: -120.0

North_Bounding_Coordinate: 5.0

South_Bounding_Coordinate: -5.0

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD SCIENCE PARAMETERS

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ANCILLARY KEYWORDS

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO TOPIC CATEGORY

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: DATA SET LANGUAGE

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN TEMPERATURE > SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE > SST

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > CLIMATE INDICATORS > ATMOSPHERIC/OCEAN INDICATORS > TELECONNECTIONS > EL NINO SOUTHERN OSCILLATION (ENSO) > MULTIVARIATE ENSO INDEX

Theme_Keyword: Mei

Theme_Keyword: Multivariate Enso Index

Theme_Keyword: Climate Index

Theme_Keyword: Climate Indices

Theme_Keyword: Sst

Theme_Keyword: Enso

Theme_Keyword: Climate Change

Theme_Keyword: CLIMATOLOGY/METEOROLOGY/ATMOSPHERE

Theme_Keyword: ENGLISH

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD

Place_Keyword: OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN

Temporal:

Temporal_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD

Temporal_Keyword: Monthly

Temporal_Keyword: Monthly - < Annual

Access_Constraints: Not Available

Use_Constraints:

Not Available

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: KLAUS WOLTER

Contact_Position: TECHNICAL CONTACT

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Klaus.Wolter@noaa.gov

Data_Quality_Information:

Attribute_Accuracy:

Attribute_Accuracy_Report:

Not Available

Logical_Consistency_Report:

Not Available

Completeness_Report:

Not Available

Lineage:

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

Not Available

Process_Date: Unknown

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: DOC/NOAA/OAR/ESRL/PSD > Physical Sciences Division, Earth System Research Laboratory, OAR, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce

Contact_Person: ESRL/PSD DATA INQUIRIES

Contact_Position: DATA CENTER CONTACT

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: esrl.psd.data@noaa.gov

Resource_Description: MEI Index

Distribution_Liability:

Not Available

Standard_Order_Process:

Digital_Form:

Digital_Transfer_Information:

Format_Name: ascii

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/

Access_Instructions:

DATA CENTER URL

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/data/correlation/mei....

Access_Instructions:

Access to monthly MEI index data since 1950

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd//people/klaus.wolter/...

Access_Instructions:

Current MEI time series

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd//people/klaus.wolter/...

Access_Instructions:

Access to additional MEI data, plots and documentation.

Fees: None

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 20051213

Metadata_Review_Date: 20091102

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: SCOTT A. RITZ

Contact_Position: DIF AUTHOR

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Address: Global Change Master Directory

City: Greenbelt

State_or_Province: Maryland

Postal_Code: 20771

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 301-614-5126

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 301-614-5268

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Scott.A.Ritz@nasa.gov

Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

Metadata_Time_Convention: local time