Coherent Synoptic Disturbances in the Australian Monsoon

Abstract

Abstract Coherent synoptic-scale weather systems within the Australian monsoon are identified and tracked in the isentropic potential vorticity (PV) field from the ECMWF Interim Reanalysis (ERA-Interim) dataset during the Southern Hemisphere summer. The resulting dataset is then used to compile statistics and synoptic composites of Australian monsoon disturbances. On average, a synoptic system is found in the region every 2.5 days. However, the time interval between consecutive events is highly variable, meaning that the synoptic activity in the Australian monsoon is not well represented by commonly employed spectral techniques. The analysis reveals that most synoptic systems originate within the Australian monsoon, but at the 315-K level (approximately 700 hPa) a significant proportion of systems are first detected near the east coast of the continent where extratropical Rossby waves are observed to frequently break. The average Australian monsoon weather system propagates from east to west at approximately 6 m s−1 and has a characteristic length scale of 2000 km. Synoptic composite structures show some resemblance to African easterly waves; they move along a midtropospheric (approximately 700 hPa) easterly wind maximum and have peak meridional winds at this level. Composite rainfall shows that rainfall is significantly enhanced ahead (west) of the synoptic PV maximum and suppressed behind. It is estimated that in some parts of northwestern Australia 40%–50% of the summertime rainfall occurs with a tracked monsoon disturbance in the vicinity.