https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2012-30413-7
Regular Article
Structural evolution of the Tropical Pacific climate network
1
Civil, Surveying and Environmental Engineering. The University of
Newcastle, University Drive, 2308
Callaghan NSW,
Australia
2
LaCCAN/CPMAT – Instituto de Computação, Universidade Federal de
Alagoas BR 104 Norte km 97 57072-970 Maceió, Alagoas,
Brazil
3
Laboratorio de Sistemas Complejos, Facultad de Ingeniería.
Universidad de Buenos Aires, 1063
Av. Paseo Colón 840, Ciudad
Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
4
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Av.
Rivadavia 1917, C1033AAJ, Ciudad
Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
5
Departamento de Engenharia de Produção, Universidade Federal de
Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos,
6627, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901
Belo Horizonte –
MG,
Brazil
a
e-mail: patricia.saco@newcastle.edu.au
Received: 23 May 2012
Received in final form: 8 September 2012
Published online: 29 November 2012
A new methodology based on information theory is used to explore the evolution of the surface air temperature climate network over the Tropical Pacific region. Topological changes over the period 1948–2009 are investigated using windows of one year duration. Alternating states of lower/higher efficiency in information transfer are consistently captured during the opposing phases of ENSO (i.e., El Niño and La Niña years). This cyclic information transfer behavior reflects a higher climatic stability for La Niña years which is in good agreement with current observations. In addition, after the 1976/77 climate shift, a change towards more frequent conditions of decreased information transfer efficiency is detected.
Key words: Statistical and Nonlinear Physics
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag, 2012