Convective Momentum Transport by Rainbands within a Madden–Julian Oscillation in a Global Nonhydrostatic Model with Explicit Deep Convective Processes. Part I: Methodology and General Results

Abstract

Abstract The convective momentum transport (CMT) properties of 13 215 rainbands within a Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) event simulated by a global nonhydrostatic model are examined. CMT vectors, which represent horizontal accelerations to the mean winds due to momentum flux convergences of deviation winds, are derived for each rainband. The CMT vectors are composited according to their locations relative to the MJO center. While a similar number of rainbands are detected in the eastern and western halves of the MJO convective envelope, CMT vectors with large zonal components are most plentiful between 0° and 20° to the west of the MJO center. The zonal components of the CMT vectors exhibit a coherent directionality and have a well-organized three-layer structure: positive near the surface, negative in the low to midtroposphere, and positive in the upper troposphere. In the low to midtroposphere, where the longitudinal difference in the mean zonal wind across the MJO is 10 m s−1 on average, the net acceleration due to CMT contributes about −16 m s−1. Possible roles of the CMT are proposed. First, the CMT delays the eastward progress of the low- to midtroposphere westerly wind, hence delaying the eastward migration of the convectively favorable region and reducing the propagation speed of the entire MJO. Second, the CMT tilts the MJO flow structure westward with height. Furthermore, the CMT counteracts the momentum transport due to large-scale flows that result from the tilted structure.