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Effect of boundary layer latent heating on MJO simulations

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Abstract

A latent heating peak in the PBL was detected in a simulation by a global GCM that failed to reproduce Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO). The latent heating peak in the PBL was generated by very shallow convection, which prevented moisture from being transported to the free troposphere. Large amount of moisture was therefore confined to the PBL, leading to a dry bias in the free atmosphere. Suffering from this dry bias, deep convection became lethargic, and MJO signals failed to occur. When the latent heating peak in the PBL was removed in another simulation, reasonable MJO signals, including the eastward propagation and the structure of its large-scale circulation, appeared. We therefore propose that the excessive latent heating peak in the PBL due to hyperactive shallow convection may be a reason for a lack of MJO signals in some simulations by other GCMs as well.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, 33149, USA

    Jian Ling  (凌 健) & Chidong Zhang

  2. The State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modelling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China

    Chongyin Li  (李崇银)

  3. Guy Carpenter Asia-Pacific Climate Impact Centre, School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Wen Zhou  (周 文)

  4. National Climate Center, Climate Prediction Division, Beijing, 100081, China

    Xiaolong Jia  (贾小龙)

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Ling, J., Li, C., Zhou, W. et al. Effect of boundary layer latent heating on MJO simulations. Adv. Atmos. Sci. 30, 101–115 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-012-2031-x

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