The Madden-Julian Oscillation

A tropical channel model was constructed to study the
long-standing problem of the initiation of the
Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO). Two MJO cases were
studied through numerous sensitivity tests. These
tests demonstrated that the simulated MJO initiation
was critically dependent on the time dependent
lateral boundary conditions from the reanalysis. The
mechanisms of extratropical influences were further
explored, which showed the importance of momentum
transport at the lower troposphere and wave
activities at the upper troposphere. The dynamics of
the MJO and its dependence on the mean state were
also studied using multi-year simulation of a nested
regional climate model. In short, this study has
shown that the extratropical influences can be an
efficient mechanism for the MJO initiation and calls
for further research attention to this mechanism that
has been somewhat neglected by mainstream MJO
research. This work should be useful to researchers
in tropical dynamics and thermodynamics and numerical
modeling. It would also be helpful to students who
are studying Meteorology, Atmospheric Sciences, or
Physical Oceanography.

Autorentext

Pallav Ray received his Ph.D. in Meteorology and PhysicalOceanography from the Rosenstiel School of Marine and AtmosphericSciences, University of Miami, Florida. He utilizes observations,theory and numerical simulations to study the tropicalocean-atmosphere system including the Madden-Julian Oscillation.

Klappentext

A tropical channel model was constructed to study thelong-standing problem of the initiation of theMadden-Julian Oscillation (MJO). Two MJO cases werestudied through numerous sensitivity tests. Thesetests demonstrated that the simulated MJO initiationwas critically dependent on the time dependentlateral boundary conditions from the reanalysis. Themechanisms of extratropical influences were furtherexplored, which showed the importance of momentumtransport at the lower troposphere and waveactivities at the upper troposphere. The dynamics ofthe MJO and its dependence on the mean state werealso studied using multi-year simulation of a nestedregional climate model. In short, this study hasshown that the extratropical influences can be anefficient mechanism for the MJO initiation and callsfor further research attention to this mechanism thathas been somewhat neglected by mainstream MJOresearch. This work should be useful to researchersin tropical dynamics and thermodynamics and numericalmodeling. It would also be helpful to students whoare studying Meteorology, Atmospheric Sciences, orPhysical Oceanography.