Interactions between the Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation and Higher-Frequency Tropical Wave Activity Straub, K. H., and G. N. Kiladis, 2003: Interactions.

Presentation on theme: "Interactions between the Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation and Higher-Frequency Tropical Wave Activity Straub, K. H., and G. N. Kiladis, 2003: Interactions."— Presentation transcript:

1 Interactions between the Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation and Higher-Frequency Tropical Wave Activity Straub, K. H., and G. N. Kiladis, 2003: Interactions between the Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation and Higher-Frequency Tropical Wave Activity. Mon. Wea. Rev., 131,

2 1. Introduction The boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation (ISO) is a slowly northward- and eastward-propagating oscillation in cloudiness and circulation with a period of approximately days (Yasunari 1979, 1980, 1981; Krishnamurti and Subrahmanyam 1982; Knutson et al. 1986; Lau and Chan 1986; Knutson and Weickmann 1987; Madden and Julian 1994; Kemball-Cook and Wang 2001; Lawrence and Webster 2002). The primary convective signal of the ISO is localized to the Indian Ocean and western Pacific regions, while circulation anomalies extend throughout the Tropics and into the extratropics. Observations suggest that the low-frequency ISO signal may represent a moving envelope of higher-frequency convective activity, rather than a slowly migrating band of enhanced mean cloudiness (Nakazawa 1988; Hendon and Liebmann 1994; Dunkerton and Crum 1995).

3 1. Introduction A portion of submonthly (<30 day) convective variability in the Tropics can be explained by zonally propagating convective disturbances corresponding to the linear equatorial wave modes predicted by Matsuno (1966) (Wheeler and Kiladis 1999; Wheeler et al. 2000). This study wants to understand how convectively coupled, equatorially trapped waves are affected by the slowly varying circulation fields of the ISO.

4 1. Introduction Two convectively coupled wave types
Mixed Rossby-gravity (MRG) waves are westward-propagating disturbances with zonal wavelengths of km and phase speeds of m s-1 (Liebmann and Hendon 1990; Hendon and Liebmann 1991; Dunkerton 1993; Dunkerton and Baldwin 1995; WKW00). MRG waves have been documented to evolve into off-equatorial tropical depression (TD)-type disturbances in the western Pacific (Lau and Lau 1992; Takayabu and Nitta 1993; Dunkerton and Baldwin 1995; Sobel and Bretherton 1999; Dickinson and Molinari 2002).

5 1. Introduction Two convectively coupled wave types
Kelvin waves are eastward-propagating convective disturbances that are similar in scale (zonal wavelengths of km) and phase speed (15 m s-1) to the super cloud clusters discussed by Nakazawa (1988) and Takayabu and Murakami (1991). These two wave classes (MRG-TD and Kelvin) together represent about 25% of the convective variability in the Pacific during boreal summer (Wheeler et al. 2000; Straub and Kiladis 2002).

6 2. Data and methodology NOAA OLR is used as a proxy for deep tropical convection (Matthews and Kiladis 1999; Wheeler and Kiladis 1999; Wheeler et al. 2000; Straub and Kiladis 2002; Straub and Kiladis 2003). The atmospheric circulation is represented by NCEP-NCAR reanalysis wind fields. Both datasets are available on a global 2.5o grid, extend from 1979 to 2000, have been avaeraged to daily temporal resolution.

7 2. Data and methodology The OLR data are filtered in wavenumber-frequency space to extract signals associated with the ISO and convectively coupled waves. The ISO index is the daily value of the ISO-filtered OLR, averaged over a 5o X 5o box around the point of its maximum climatological variance (7.5o o N, 100o - 105o E) during JJA. Direction Period Zonal wavenumbers ISO Eastward 30-96 days 0-5 Kelvin wave days 1-14 MRG wave westward 3-7.5 days 0-10

8 2. Data and methodology Regressing method
The modulation of higher-frequency waves by the slowly varying ISO OLR signal is determined in a similar manner, by regressing the variance of the filtered OLR datasets (Kelvin, MRG–TD), as represented by the square of the daily value at each grid point, against the ISO index. This method requires a clear separation between the timescale of the ISO index and that of the tropical waves. All ISO regression results are scaled to a -1.5 standard deviation anomaly in the ISO OLR index on day 0, which corresponds to an OLR anomaly of approximately -20 W m-2, averaged over the 5o X 5o base area.

9 3. Statistical results a. ISO convection and circulation anomalies
One cycle of the boreal summer ISO strengthening & westward shift of SH as a break monsoon period Strong monsoon trough and weaker SH as an active monsoon period

10 3. Statistical results b. MRG waves─TD-type disturbances
The broad spectrum of westward-propagating disturbances in this region is often categorized into three wave types: easterly waves, mixed Rossby–gravity waves, and tropical depression-type disturbances. The observed disturbances may display characteristics of more than one type, or represent a transition between types. Previous studies agree that large-scale, westward-propagating disturbances often behave like theoretical MRG waves in the central Pacific (near the date line), with enhanced (suppressed) convection in the region of lower tropospheric off-equatorial convergence (divergence) associated with cross-equatorial flow.

11 3. Statistical results b. MRG waves─TD-type disturbances
As these waves propagate westward into the western Pacific, however, they tend to lose their equatorial antisymmetry in convection and their symmetry in the meridional wind field, and evolve into off-equatorial vertical structures whose centers fill with convection (Takayabu and Nitta 1993; Dickinson and Molinari 2002). These disturbances are generally referred to as tropical depression–type disturbances, as they often serve as the precursors to tropical cyclones in the western Pacific (Lau and Lau 1992; Takayabu and Nitta 1993; Sobel and Bretherton 1999; Dickinson and Molinari 2002).

12 3. Statistical results b. MRG waves─TD-type disturbances
antisymmetric MRG waves Low (high) OLR is in the Northern (Southern) Hemisphere in the region of lower-tropospheric convergence (divergence). The streamfunction anomalies are centered on the equator. 70o 20-25 m s-1 off-equatorial TD-type disturbances The OLR anomalies are in phase with the circulation anomalies, with low (high) OLR associated with anomalous cyclonic (anticyclonic) 850-hPa circulations. 35o 5-10 m s-1

13 3. Statistical results b. MRG waves─TD-type disturbances
MRG-TD wave activity field (variance of the filtered MRG-TD dataset) The MRG–TD wave activity fields show a remarkably coherent relationship with the ISO convection and 850-hPa zonal wind fields.

14 3. Statistical results c. Kelvin waves
be collocated with the developing low-frequency ISO OLR anomaly lies in a region of 200-hPa anomalous westerlies (and 850-hPa easterlies) stretches across the entire Pacific basin decreases over the Pacific

15 3. Statistical results The low-frequency ISO OLR signal may initially consist of both MRG–TD and Kelvin wave activity in the Indian Ocean region, but that as the ISO convection moves northward, it no longer represents an enhancement of Kelvin wave (or super cluster) activity. Kelvin waves may be initiated by the active convection within the ISO envelope, and then subsequently propagate eastward across the Pacific.

16 3. Statistical results c. Kelvin waves
Regressed OLR, 200-hPa streamfunction, and wind vectors The variance of <30-day filtered 200-hPa meridional wind is used here as a measure of Rossby wave activity in the jet Kelvin wave filtered OLR vs. (dark positive)

17 3. Statistical results Two possible mechanisms for the enhancement of Kelvin wave activity to the east of an active ISO region. A region of active low-frequency ISO convection may directly excite shorter-timescale Kelvin waves that subsequently propagate eastward across the Pacific. Active ISO convection may indirectly cause an enhancement in Kelvin wave activity through its induced low-frequency extratropical response, which triggers an increase in higher-frequency wave activity in the subtropical jet, consequently exciting tropical Kelvin waves in the Pacific via equatorward-propagating Rossby waves.

18 4. Case study: Jul-Sep 1987 From 2.5o to 15oN

19 4. Case study: Jul-Sep 1987 a. Westward-propagating modes 30-96
formed in association with an MRG-to-TD-type transition.

20 4. Case study: Jul-Sep 1987 a. Westward-propagating modes
The evolution of these westward-propagating modes may be predictable.

21 4. Case study: Jul-Sep 1987 a. Westward-propagating modes
The higher-frequency westerlies associated with the individual storms project onto the lower-frequency ISO filtered band.

22 4. Case study: Jul-Sep 1987 a. Westward-propagating modes
along the shear line in the monsoon trough The eastward movement of low-level westerly anomalies is responsible for the development of the strong monsoon trough circulation and its later breakdown through barotropic instability. The higher-frequency westerlies associated with the individual storms project onto the lower-frequency ISO filtered band.

23 4. Case study: Jul-Sep 1987 a. Westward-propagating modes
If the cyclonic circulation anomalies associated with the tropical cyclones and MRG–TD disturbances are consistently stronger than the anticyclonic anomalies, as might be expected due to the effects of latent heating, a net westerly (easterly) acceleration could be produced to the south (north) of the disturbances. This effect could be responsible for at least a part of the low-frequency westerly acceleration observed to the south of the convective anomalies in the case study. As mentioned, these westerly anomalies may then provide an environment more conducive to the continued development of tropical storms.

24 4. Case study: Jul-Sep 1987 b. Eastward-propagating modes opposite

25 5. Discussion and conclusions
Maloney and Hartmann (2000) argue that ISO convection in the western Pacific induces low-level westerly anomalies that extend across the equatorial Pacific, inducing an anomalous large-scale cyclonic circulation in the northeastern Pacific. This circulation anomaly then provides conditions conducive to tropical cyclone formation in the eastern Pacific. The results of the interaction between MRG–TD disturbances in the western Pacific and the ISO show that westward-propagating MRG–TD activity is enhanced within the ISO convective envelope, allowing MRG–TD convection to project onto the lower-frequency signal of the ISO.

26 5. Discussion and conclusions
The tropical cyclones and their associated MRG–TD-like disturbances may constitute an integral part of the slowly varying ISO convective field, and may be responsible for at least a portion of the low-frequency circulation changes associated with the ISO. It is possible that the eastward dispersion of energy could account for the eastward phase speed of the ISO, which approximates to the observed eastward group velocity of MRG disturbances. The ISO and higher-frequency disturbances such as tropical cyclones may not be independent, but intricately linked in a two-way interactive system.

27 5. Discussion and conclusions
Nakazawa (1988) suggested that the low-frequency ISO convective signal itself consists largely of eastward-propagating super cluster variability. The results presented in this study suggest that it may be appropriate to consider the low-frequency ISO convection and circulation fields as “modulating” Kelvin wave activity in the central Pacific, since the convective signals in the two frequency bands do not geographically overlap to a significant degree. Super cluster activity is more strongly enhanced to the east of the ISO convection than within the envelope itself.