Tropical Atmospheric Madden–Julian Oscillation: A Strongly Nonlinear Free Solitary Rossby Wave?

Tropical Atmospheric Madden–Julian Oscillation: A Strongly Nonlinear Free Solitary Rossby Wave? AbstractThe Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO), a planetary-scale eastward-propagating coherent structure with periods of 30–60 days, is a prominent manifestation of intraseasonal variability in the tropical atmosphere. It is widely presumed that small-scale moist cumulus convection is a critical part of its dynamics. However, the recent results from high-resolution modeling as well as data analysis suggest that the MJO may be understood by dry dynamics to a leading-order approximation. Simple, further theoretical considerations presented herein suggest that if it is to be understood by dry dynamics, the MJO is most likely a strongly nonlinear solitary Rossby wave. Under a global quasigeostrophic equivalent-barotropic formulation, modon theory provides such analytic solutions. Stability and the longevity of the modon solutions are investigated with a global shallow-water model. The preferred modon solutions with the greatest longevities compare well overall with the observed MJO in scale and phase velocity within the factors. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences American Meteorological Society

Tropical Atmospheric Madden–Julian Oscillation: A Strongly Nonlinear Free Solitary Rossby Wave?

17 pages
Read Article

Loading next page...
 
/lp/ams/tropical-atmospheric-madden-julian-oscillation-a-strongly-nonlinear-DErUVxx6Ic
Publisher
American Meteorological Society
Copyright
Copyright © American Meteorological Society
ISSN
1520-0469
D.O.I.
10.1175/JAS-D-16-0319.1
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

AbstractThe Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO), a planetary-scale eastward-propagating coherent structure with periods of 30–60 days, is a prominent manifestation of intraseasonal variability in the tropical atmosphere. It is widely presumed that small-scale moist cumulus convection is a critical part of its dynamics. However, the recent results from high-resolution modeling as well as data analysis suggest that the MJO may be understood by dry dynamics to a leading-order approximation. Simple, further theoretical considerations presented herein suggest that if it is to be understood by dry dynamics, the MJO is most likely a strongly nonlinear solitary Rossby wave. Under a global quasigeostrophic equivalent-barotropic formulation, modon theory provides such analytic solutions. Stability and the longevity of the modon solutions are investigated with a global shallow-water model. The preferred modon solutions with the greatest longevities compare well overall with the observed MJO in scale and phase velocity within the factors.

Journal

Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences – American Meteorological Society

Published: Oct 6, 2017

References

  • The MJO as a dispersive, convectively coupled moisture wave: Theory and observations
    Adames, Á. F.; Kim, D.
  • The contribution of extratropical waves to the MJO wind field
    Adames, Á. F.; Patoux, J.; Foster, R. C.
  • Global-scale convective aggregation: Implications for the Madden-Julian Oscillation
    Arnold, N. P.; Randall, D. A.
  • On complete filtering of gravity modes through nonlinear initialization
    Baer, F.; Tribbia, J. J.
  • Structure of the Madden–Julian oscillation in the superparameterized CAM
    Benedict, J. J.; Randall, D. A.
  • Equatorial solitary waves. Part I: Rossby solitons
    Boyd, J. P.
  • A note on large-scale motions in the tropics
    Charney, J. G.
  • Is asymptotic non-divergence of the large-scale tropical atmosphere consistent with equatorial wave theories?
    Delayen, K.; Yano, J.-I.
  • An air–sea interaction model of intraseasonal oscillations in the tropics
    Emanuel, K. A.
  • The decay of modons due to Rossby wave radiation
    Flierl, G. R.; Haines, K.
  • A simple, vertically resolved model of tropical disturbances with a humidity closure
    Fuchs, Ž.; Raymond, D. J.
  • Vertical normal mode transforms: Theory and application
    Fulton, S. R.; Schubert, W. H.
  • Solitary waves of a coupled Korteweg–de Vries system
    Grimshaw, R.; Iooss, G.
  • MM5 modeling of the Madden–Julian oscillation in the Indian West Pacific Oceans: Model description and control run results
    Gustafson, W. I.; Weare, B. C.
  • Thermodynamics of the Madden–Julian oscillation in a regional model with constrained moisture
    Hagos, S.; Leung, R. L.; Dudhia, J.
  • Advection, moistening, and shallow-to-deep convection transitions during the initiation and propagation of Madden-Julian Oscillation
    Hagos, S.; Feng, Z.; Landu, K.; Long, C. N.
  • Resolving an atmospheric enigma
    Hartmann, D. L.; Hendon, H. H.
  • A theory of large-scale equatorial waves generated by condensation heat and accelerating the zonal wind
    Hayashi, Y.
  • The life cycle of the Madden–Julian oscillation
    Hendon, H. H.; Salby, M. L.
  • The effects of explicit versus parameterized convection on the MJO in a large-domain high-resolution tropical case study. Part I: Characterization of large-scale organization and propagation
    Holloway, C. E.; Woolnough, S. J.; Lister, G. M. S.
  • Vertical structure and physical processes of the Madden–Julian oscillation: Exploring key model physics in climate simulations
    Jiang, X.
  • Numerical integration of the global barotropic primitive equations with Hough harmonic expansions
    Kasahara, A.
  • Nonlinear normal mode initialization and the bounded derivative method
    Kasahara, A.
  • Interaction of a hurricane with the steering flow and its effect upon the hurricane trajectory
    Kasahara, A.; Platzman, G. W.
  • Spectral representation of three-dimensional global data by expansion in normal mode functions
    Kasahara, A.; Puri, K.
  • Zonal and vertical structure of the Madden–Julian oscillation
    Kiladis, G. N.; Straub, K. H.; Haertel, P. T.
  • Instraseasonal variability in a dry atmospheric model
    Lin, H.; Brunet, G.; Derome, J.
  • Wave-CISK in the tropics
    Lindzen, R. S.
  • Moisture tendency equation in a tropical atmosphere
    López Carrillo, C.; Raymond, D. J.
  • Description of global-scale circulation cells in the tropics with a 40–50 day period
    Madden, R. A.; Julian, P. R.
  • The skeleton of tropical intraseasonal oscillations
    Majda, A. J.; Stechmann, S. N.
  • Quasi-geostrophic motions in the equatorial area
    Matsuno, T.
  • A Madden–Julian oscillation event realistically simulated by a global cloud-resolving model
    Miura, H.; Satoh, M.; Nasuno, T.; Noda, A. T.; Oouchi, K.
  • Analytic representation of the large-scale organization of tropical convection
    Moncrieff, M. W.
  • The Madden–Julian oscillation wind–convection coupling and the role of moisture processes in the MM5 model
    Monier, E.; Weare, B. C.; Gustafson, W. I.
  • Linear stability of modons on a sphere
    Neven, E. C.
  • Observational study on the 30-60 day variations in the geopotential and temperature fields in the equatorial region
    Nishi, N.
  • Causal evidence that rotational moisture advection is critical to the superparameterized Madden–Julian oscillation
    Pritchard, M. S.; Bretherton, C. S.
  • A case study of the mechanics of extratropical influence on the initiation of the Madden–Julian oscillation
    Ray, P.; Zhang, C.
  • Relative roles of circumnavigating waves and extratropics on the MJO and its relationship with the mean state
    Ray, P.; Li, T.
  • A numerical case study on the initiation of the Madden–Julian oscillation
    Ray, P.; Zhang, C.; Dudhia, J.; Chen, S. S.
  • Role of the atmospheric mean state on the initiation of the Madden–Julian oscillation in a tropical channel model
    Ray, P.; Zhang, C.; Moncrieff, M. W.; Dudhia, J.; Caron, J. M.; Leung, L. R.; Bruyere, C.
  • Convectively coupled gravity and moisture modes in a simple atmospheric model
    Raymond, D. J.; Fuchs, Ž.
  • Moisture modes and the Madden–Julian oscillation
    Raymond, D. J.; Fuchs, Ž.
  • Global transport calculations with an equivalent barotropic system
    Salby, M. L.; Garcia, R. R.; O’Sullivan, D.; Tribbia, J. J.
  • Planetary-scale baroclinic instability and the MJO
    Straus, D. M.; Lindzen, R. S.
  • A skeleton model for the MJO with refined vertical structure
    Thual, S.; Majda, A. J.
  • Modons in spherical geometry
    Tribbia, J. J.
  • A simple scheme for high-order nonlinear normal mode initialization
    Tribbia, J. J.
  • The construction of barotropic modons on a sphere
    Verkley, W. T. M.
  • Impact of the northern hemisphere extratropics on the skill in predicting the Madden Julian Oscillation
    Vitart, F.; Jung, T.
  • A nonlinear perspective on the dynamics of the MJO: Idealized large-eddy simulations
    Wedi, N. P.; Smolarkiewicz, P. K.
  • Formation of tropical cyclones
    Yanai, M.
  • The Madden–Julian oscillation observed during the TOGA COARE IOP: Global view
    Yanai, M.; Chen, B.; Tung, W.-W.
  • Testing the hypothesis that the MJO is a mixed Rossby–gravity wave packet
    Yang, D.; Ingersoll, A. P.
  • Triggered convection, gravity waves, and the MJO: A shallow-water model
    Yang, D.; Ingersoll, A. P.
  • An improved model of the equatorial troposphere and its coupling with the stratosphere
    Yano, J.-I.; Emanuel, K. A.
  • Jupiter’s Great Red Spot: Compacting conditions, stabilities
    Yano, J.-I.; Flierl, G. R.
  • Scale analysis for the large-scale tropical atmospheric dynamics
    Yano, J.-I.; Bonazzola, M.
  • Hierarchical tropical cloud systems in an analog shallow-water model
    Yano, J.-I.; McWilliams, J. C.; Moncrieff, M. W.; Emanuel, K. A.
  • Tropical large-scale circulations: Asymptotically non-divergent?
    Yano, J.-I.; Mulet, S.; Bonazzola, M.
  • Systematic decomposition of the Madden-Julian Oscillation into balanced and inertio-gravity composition
    Žagar, N.; Franzke, C. L. E.
  • Balanced tropical data assimilation based on a study of equatorial waves in ECMWF short-range forecast errors
    Žagar, N.; Andersson, E.; Fisher, M.
  • Madden–Julian oscillation
    Zhang, C.
  • Potential vorticity of the Madden–Julian oscillation
    Zhang, C.; Ling, J.
  • Precursor signals and processes associated with MJO initiation over the tropical Indian Ocean
    Zhao, C.; Li, T.; Zhou, T.

You’re reading a free preview. Subscribe to read the entire article.

Try 2 weeks free now

DeepDyve is your
personal research library

It’s your single place to instantly
discover and read the research
that matters to you.

Enjoy affordable access to
over 18 million articles from more than
15,000 peer-reviewed journals.

All for just $49/month

Explore the DeepDyve Library

or browse the journals available

Search

Query the DeepDyve database, plus search all of PubMed and Google Scholar seamlessly

Organize

Save any article or search result from DeepDyve, PubMed, and Google Scholar... all in one place.

Access

Get unlimited, online access to over 18 million full-text articles from more than 15,000 scientific journals.

Your journals are on DeepDyve

Read from thousands of the leading scholarly journals from SpringerNature, Elsevier, Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford University Press and more.

All the latest content is available, no embargo periods.

See the journals in your area

DeepDyve

Freelancer

DeepDyve

Pro

Price

FREE

$49/month
$360/year

Save searches from
Google Scholar,
PubMed

Create lists to
organize your research

Export lists, citations

Read DeepDyve articles

Abstract access only

Unlimited access to over
18 million full-text articles

Print

20 pages / month

PDF Discount

20% off

Sign up
for free
Start 14 day
Free Trial