Propagation of planetary-scale zonal mean wind anomalies and polar oscillations

• Published in: Chinese science bulletin 2012-07, Vol.57 (20), p.2606-2614
• Main Authors: Qian, WeiHong, Liang, HaoYuan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemistry/Food Science; Earth Sciences; El Nino; Engineering; ENSO循环; Humanities and Social Sciences; latitude; Life Sciences; multidisciplinary; Physics; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); subtropics; tropopause; wind; 中纬度地区; 传播; 平均风; 振荡; 极地; 纬向风异常; 行星尺度
• ISSN: 1001-6538; 1861-9541
• DOI: 10.1007/s11434-012-5168-1

Global atmospheric variables can be physically decomposed into four components: (1) the zonal time averaged climate symmetric component, (2) the time averaged climate asymmetric, (3) the zonal-mean transient symmetric anomaly, and (4) the transient asymmetric anomaly. This study analyzes the relationships between the intra-seasonal and inter-annual variability of planetary scale decomposed zonal and meridional winds in the tropopause, and oscillations such as those from the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and the Antarctic Oscillation (AAO). The tropical inter-annual zonal mean wind anomalies in the tropopause are linked with the ENSO cycle and can propagate into the subtropics, mid-latitudes, and polar front regions via abnormal meridional vertical cells. Similarly, tropical intra-seasonal (40–60-d) zonal wind anomalies can reach the subtropics and mid-latitudes. The polar intra-seasonal zonal wind anomalies in the tropopause can propagate toward high-latitude areas. Thus, the AO and the AAO are the result of the interaction and propagation of these planetary scale zonal wind anomalies.