Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Interactions between the tropical ISO and midlatitude low-frequency flow

  • Published:
Climate Dynamics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this study, we investigate the interaction between the tropical Intraseasonal Oscillation (ISO) and midlatitude atmospheric low-frequency variability, using observational data and numerical models, with a special emphasis on the role of the synoptic eddy feedback. A statistical closure for the synoptic eddy-to-low frequency flow feedback is constructed, based on a singular value decomposition (SVD) method with observational data. Applying this statistical closure to a barotropic model and a baroclinic 2½-layer model, we study the role of the synoptic eddy feedback in the midlatitude response to the tropical ISO forcing. Both observational and modeling studies show that the strongest synoptic eddy forcing appears at the Pacific and Atlantic storm-track regions, and the synoptic eddy exerts a positive feedback to the midlatitude low-frequency flow induced by tropical ISO forcing. Our numerical experiments demonstrate the possible role of midlatitude disturbance forcing in the ISO initiation at the equator. The signal of the midlatitude perturbations propagates southeastward in the form of a Rossby wave package. It may reach the equator within several days under either easterly or westerly basic flow regimes. The response at the equator has observed ISO-like structure and eastward propagation characteristics.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bond NA, Vecchi GA (2003) The influence of the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) on precipitation in Oregon and Washington. Wea Forecasting 18:600–613

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bretherton CS, Smith C, Wallace JM (1992) An intercomparison of methods for finding coupled patterns in climate data. J Climate 5:541–560

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Compo GP, Kiladis GN, Webster PJ (1999) The horizontal and vertical structure of east Asian winter monsoon pressure surges. Q J R Meteorol Soc 125:29–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferranti L, Palmer TN, Molteni F, Klinker E (1990) Tropical-extratropical interaction associated with the 30–60 day oscillation. J Atmos Sci 47:2177–2199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frederiksen JS (1983) A unified three-dimensional instability theory of the onset of blocking and cyclogenesis. Part II: Teleconnection patterns. J Atmos Sci 40:2593–2609

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frederiksen JS (2002) Genesis of intraseasonal oscillations and equatorial waves. J Atmos Sci 59:2761–2781

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frederiksen JS, Frederiksen CS (1997) Mechanisms of the formation of intraseasonal oscillations and Australian monsoon disturbances: the role of latent heat, barotropic and baroclinic instability. Contrib Atmos Phys 70:39–56

    Google Scholar 

  • Frederksen JS, Frederiksen CS (1993) Monsoon disturbances, intraseasonal oscillations, teleconnection patterns, blocking, and storm tracks of the global atmosphere during January 1979: linear theory. J Atmos Sci 50:1349–1372

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Held IM, Kang IS (1987) Barotropic models of the extratropical response to El Nino. J Atmos Sci 44:3576–3586

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Held IM, Lyons SW, Nigam S (1989) Transients and the extra-tropical response to El Nino. J Atmos Sci 46:163–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hendon HH, Salby ML (1994) The life cycle of the Madden–Julian oscillation. J Atmos Sci 51:2225–2237

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Higgins RW, Mo KC (1997) Persistent North Pacific circulation anomalies and the tropical intraseasonal oscillation. J Climate 10:223–244

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoskins BJ, Karoly DJ (1981) The steady linear response of a spherical atmosphere to thermal and orographic forcing. J Atmos Sci 38:1179–1196

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoskins BJ, Yang GY (2000) The equatorial response to higher-latitude forcing. J Atmos Sci 57:1197–1213

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsu HH (1996) Global view of the intraseasonal oscillation during northern winter. J Climate 9:2386–2406

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsu HH, Hoskins BJ, Jin FF (1990) The 1985/1986 intraseasonal oscillation and the role of the extratropics. J Atmos Sci 47:823–839

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jin FF, Pan LL, Watanabe M (2006a) Dynamics of synoptic eddy and low-frequency flow interaction. Part I: A dynamical closure. J Atmos Sci 63:1677–1694

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jin FF, Pan LL, Watanabe M (2006b) Dynamics of synoptic eddy and low-frequency flow interaction. Part II: A theory for low-frequency modes. J Atmos Sci 63:1695–1708

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones C (2000) Occurrence of extreme precipitation events in California and relationships with the Madden–Julian Oscillation. J Climate 13:3576–3587

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalnay E, Coauthors (1996) The NCEP/NCAR 40-year reanalysis project. Bull Amer Meteor Soc 77:437–471

  • Kiladis GN, Weickmann KM (1992) Circulation anomalies associated with tropical convection during northern winter. Mon Wea Rev 120:1900–1923

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim BM, Lim GH, Kim KY (2006) A new look at the midlatitude-MJO teleconnection in the Northern Hemisphere winter. Quarter J Roy Soc 132:485–503

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knutson TR, Weickmann KM (1987) 30–60 atmospheric oscillation: Composite life cycles of convection and circulation anomalies. Mon Wea Rev 115:1407–1436

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuo HL (1974) Further studies of the parameterization of the influence of cumulus convection on large-scale flow. J Atmos Sci 31:1232–1240

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lau KM, Phillips TJ (1986) Coherent fluctuations of extratropical geopotential height and tropical convection in intraseasonal time scales. J Atmos Sci 43:1164–1181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li T, Wang B (1994) The influence of sea surface temperature on the tropical intraseasonal oscillation: a numerical study. Mon Wea Rev 122:2349–2362

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liebmann B, Hartmann DL (1984) An observational study of tropical-midlatitude interaction on intraseasonal time scales during winter. J Atmos Sci 41:3333–3350

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lim H, Chang CP (1981) A theory for midlatitude forcing of tropical motions during winter monsoons. J Atmos Sci 38:2377–2392

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin JWB, Neelin JD, Zeng N (2000) Maintenance of tropical intraseasonal variability: impact of evaporation-wind feedback and midlatitude storms. J Atmos Sci 57:2793–2823

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madden RA (1986) Seasonal variations of the 40–50 day oscillation in the tropics. J Atmos Sci 43:3138–3158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madden RA, Julian PR (1971) Detection of a 40–50 day oscillation in the zonal wind in the tropical Pacific. J Atmos Sci 28:702–708

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madden RA, Julian PR (1972) Description of global-scale circulation cells in the tropics with a 40–50 day period. J Atmos Sci 29:1109–1123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madden RA, Julian PR (1994) Observation of the 40–50 day tropical oscillation—A review. Mon Wea Rev 122:814–837

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matthews AJ (2004) Intraseasonal variability over tropical Africa during northern summer. J Climate 17:2427–2440

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meehl GA, Kiladis GN, Weickmann KM, Wheeler M, Gutzler DS, Compo GP (1996) Modulation of equatorial subseasonal convective episodes by tropical-extratropical interaction in the Indian and Pacific Ocean regions. J Geophys Res 101:15033–15049

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Navarra A (1993) A new set of orthonormal modes for linearized meteorological problems. J Atmos Sci 50:2569–2583

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nogues-Paegle J, Lee BC, Kousky VE (1989) Observed modal characteristics of the intraseasonal oscillation. J Climate 2:496–507

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nogues-Paegle J, Byerle LA, Mo KC (2000) Intraseasonal modulation of South American summer precipitation. Mon Wea Rev 128:837–850

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan LL (2003) A study of dynamic mechanisms of Annular Modes. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Hawaii, 194 pp

  • Pan LL, Jin FF (2005) Seasonality of synoptic eddy feedback and the AO/NAO. Geophys Res Lett 32:L21708. doi:10.1029/2005GL024133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan LL, Jin FF, Watanabe M (2006) Dynamics of synoptic eddy and low-frequency flow (SELF) interaction. Part III: Baroclinic model results. J Atmos Sci 63:1709–1725

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plumb RA (1985) On the three-dimensional propagation of stationary waves. J Atmos Sci 42:1228–1251

    Google Scholar 

  • Schubert SD (1985) A statistical–dynamical study of empirically determined modes of atmospheric variability. J Atmos Sci 42:3–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schubert SD, Park CK (1991) Low-frequency intraseasonal tropical–extratropical interactions. J Atmos Sci 48:629–650

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simmons AJ, Wallace JM, Branstator GW (1983) Barotropic wave propagation and instability and atmospheric teleconnection patterns. J Atmos Sci 40:1363–1392

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Straus DM, Lindzen RS (2000) Planetary-scale baroclinic instability and the MJO. J Atmos Sci 57:3609–3626

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang B, Li T (1993) A simple tropical atmospheric model of relevance to short-term climate variation. J Atmos Sci 50:260–284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang B, Li T (1994) Convective interaction with boundary-layer dynamics in the development of a tropical intraseasonal system. J Atmos Sci 51:1386–1400

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang B, Rui H (1990) Synoptic climatology of transient tropical intraseasonal convection anomalies. Meteor Atmos Phys 44:43–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang B, Xie X (1996) Low-frequency equatorial waves in vertically shear flow. Part I: Stable waves. J Atmos Sci 53:449–467

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weickmann KM (1983) Intraseasonal circulation and outgoing longwave radiation modes during Northern Hemisphere winter. Mon Wea Rev 111:1838–1858

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weickmann KM, Lussky GR, Kutzbach JE (1985) Intraseasonal (30–60 day) fluctuations of outgoing longwave radiation and 250 mb streamfunction during northern winter. Mon Wea Rev 113:941–961

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wheeler M, Kiladis GN (1999) Convectively coupled equatorial waves: analysis of clouds and temperature in the wavenumber-frequency domain. J Atmos Sci 56:374–399

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wheeler M, Kiladis GN, Webster PJ (2000) Large-scale dynamical fields associated with convectively coupled equatorial waves. J Atmos Sci 57:613–640

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang C (2005) Madden–Julian oscillation. Rev Geophys 43:1–36

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by NSF and ONR grants N000140710145, N00014-021-0532 and N00173-06-1-G031. The International Pacific Research Center is partially sponsored by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). The authors are thankful for valuable comments from two anonymous reviewers and from Drs. Bin Wang, Shang-Ping Xie, Xiouhua Fu, and Richard Grotjahn. Thanks also go to Diane Henderson for her editorial assistance. This is SOEST contribution number 6973 and IPRC contribution number 453.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Pacific Research Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA

    Lin-Lin Pan & Tim Li

  2. Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Lin-Lin Pan

Authors
  1. Lin-Lin Pan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tim Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lin-Lin Pan.

Additional information

This paper is a contribution to the AMIP-CMIP Diagnostic Sub-project on General Circulation Model Simulation of the East Asian Climate, coordinated by W.-C. Wang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pan, LL., Li, T. Interactions between the tropical ISO and midlatitude low-frequency flow. Clim Dyn 31, 375–388 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-007-0272-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-007-0272-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation