On the sensitivity of the seasonal mean amplitude of convectively coupled waves to the QBO — Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society

On the sensitivity of the seasonal mean amplitude of convectively coupled waves to the QBO (#400)

Harry Hendon 1 , S. Abhik 1
  1. BOM, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

The seasonal mean amplitude of the MJO during austral summer has recently been shown to be significantly (p<5%)  enhanced  during easterly phases of the QBO.  The impact is large, with the mean amplitude increasing by ~50% compared to the westerly phase of the QBO. The question is raised as to whether other convectively coupled waves (CCWs) show a similar impact. We find using OLR observations 1980-2016 that seasonal variations of CCW activity for Kelvin waves, Rossby waves and Rossby-gravity waves, in contrast to the MJO,  are largely insensitive to the QBO. However, convectively coupled Kelvin wave activity shows a modest increase (~10% increase in amplitude) that is marginally significant (p=10%) during easterly phases of the QBO. In contrast to the impact on the MJO that occurs during austral summer when  MJO inactivity is strongest, this impact on the Kelvin waves occurs during austral autumn, when K-wave activity along the equator is seasonally strongest.   The mechanism of impact on the K-waves appears similar for the MJO, but the more tilted vertical structure of the K-waves in the upper troposphere means that the destabilization of the tropopause region by the easterly phase of the QBO is less effective at destabilizing convection for the K-waves as compared to the MJO. Lack of impact on the QBO on the other CCWs is argued to stem from their horizontal structure that results in relatively weak divergent anomalies along the equator, where the expected impact of the QBO will be the greatest.

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