ON WESTERLY WIND BURSTS IN EQUATORIAL WESTERN PACIFIC BEFORE AND DURING THE ONSET AND INITIAL DEVELOPMENT PHASES OF ENSO^*

By means of NCEP/NCAR reanalysis dataset,the origins of westerly wind anomalies at low level over equatorial western Pacific Ocean before and during the onset and initial development phase of ENSO are explored.Evidences show that westerly anomalies in the equatorial western Pacific(140-180°E) are characterized by two remarkable enhancements in the spring and summer of the year when El Nine emerges.The enhancements are not only.to some extem.due to the eastward propagation of low-level westerlies in equatorial Indian Ocean.but also predominantly resulting from Ihe intense convergence of the meridional wind from both hemispheres.The latitudinal convergence leads to the local intensification of zonal pressure gradient so as to cause the reinforcement and bursts of westerly wind over warm pool.Besides,by virtue of the effect of earth rotation,the northeasterlies(southeasterlies) from the Northern(Southern) Hemisphere turn into northwesterlies(southwesterlies) progressively in the near-equatorial zone.which directly strengthens the westerly velocity.Comparing the contributions of the meridional wind from both hemispheres to westerly wind bursts,is seems that southeasterlies from the Southern Hemisphere are much stronger and more stable than northwesterlies of Northern Hemisphere.It is evident that the southeasterlies to the east of Australia originate from the southern mid-and high latitudes and are in close association with the Southern Oscillation.