Tropical Rainfall Variability Accompanying Global Normal Mode Oscillations

Abstract

AbstractUsing global precipitation datasets (GSMaP, TRMM) and the latest reanalysis data (ERA5), we performed a comprehensive analysis of the tropical rainfall variability that accompanies global-scale, low-frequency normal modes: Rossby, Rossby–gravity, and Kelvin modes. Cross-spectral analysis and lag-regression analysis both showed that coherent rainfall variations accompany not only the wavenumber-1 gravest Rossby mode (“5-day” wave) but other low-frequency modes. The normal mode rainfall variations are enhanced in regions such as the Amazon basin, but also include circumglobally traveling structures with substantial amplitude over the open ocean. These results are remarkably consistent among the three datasets including even ERA5 rainfall data. The circumglobal rainfall signals may be considered primarily as a response to the normal mode dynamical variations. We found that the phase relationship between rainfall and dynamical field variability is strongly dependent on the type of mode and even on the zonal wavenumber. We suggest that this is explained by the difference in relative importance of two underlying processes: 1) moisture-flux convergence and 2) rainfall enhancement associated with adiabatic cooling. Our determined rainfall signals are the response to quasi-monochromatic, periodic waves that have a simple vertical structure and represent one special case of tropospheric wave–rainfall coupling. Implications for the mechanism of 12-h rainfall oscillations believed to be forced by the atmospheric tide are also considered.