The 1997–98 El Niño was both unusually strong and terminated unusually. Warm eastern equatorial Pacific (EEqP) sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) exceeded 4°C at the event peak and lasted well into boreal spring of 1998, even though subsurface temperatures began cooling in December 1997. The oceanic processes that controlled this unusual termination are explored here and can be character...

Climate sensitivity to the representation of tropical anvil is investigated in a version of the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate Model. Common features of tropical anvil generation and structure, consistent with observations and cloud resolving models, are incorporated into a simple prognostic anvil parameterization. These features include anvil convective origin, vert...