Fast, eastward‐moving disturbances in the surface winds of the equatorial Pacific

ABSTRACT A fast, eastward signal in the surface zonal winds of the equatorial Pacific ocean is identified in ERS‐1 data that coincide with an intraseasonal tropical oscillation during the intensive observing period of TOGA COARE. The fast eastward event is compared with observations for the same tim...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Tellus. Series A, Dynamic meteorology and oceanography Dynamic meteorology and oceanography, 1998-01, Vol.50 (1), p.26-41, Article 26
Main Authors: MILLIFF, RALPH F., HOAR, TIMOTHY J., MADDEN, ROLAND A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
External geophysics
Marine
Meteorology
Winds and their effects
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Summary:ABSTRACT A fast, eastward signal in the surface zonal winds of the equatorial Pacific ocean is identified in ERS‐1 data that coincide with an intraseasonal tropical oscillation during the intensive observing period of TOGA COARE. The fast eastward event is compared with observations for the same time period from the TAO moorings at the equator. Similar events are identified in longer records of the ERS‐1 and TAO data. A composite event is constructed and a lag‐correlation analysis is used to infer basin‐scale propagation speed. The fast eastward events in the ERS‐1 data are consistent with signals in station surface pressure and station profile data quantified by Milliff and Madden and connected with first‐baroclinic mode equatorial Kelvin wave propagation.
ISSN:0280-6495
0040-2826
1600-0870
2153-3490
DOI:10.1034/j.1600-0870.1998.00003.x