Tropical response to extratropical eastward propagating waves

Abstract

Abstract. Space–time spectral analysis of ERA-interim winds and temperature at 200 hPa for December 2012–February 2013 shows the presence of eastward propagating waves with period near 18 days in mid-latitude meridional winds at 200 hPa. The 18 day waves of k = 1–2 are dominantly present at latitudes greater than 80°, whereas the waves of k = 3–4 are dominant at 60° of both Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Though the 18 day wave of smaller zonal wavenumbers (k = 1–2) are confined to high latitudes, there is an equatorward propagation of the 18 day wave of k = 4 and 5. The wave amplitude of k = 5 is dominant than that of k = 4 at tropical latitudes. In the Northern Hemisphere (NH), there is a poleward tilt in the phase of the wave of k = 5 at mid-latitudes, as height increases indicating the baroclinic nature of the wave, whereas in the Southern Hemisphere (SH), the wave has barotropic structure as there is no significant phase variation with height. At the NH subtropics, the wave activity is confined to 500–70 hPa with moderate amplitudes. It is reported for the first time that the wave of similar periodicity (18 day) and zonal structure (k = 5) as that of extratropical wave disturbance has been observed in tropical OLR, a proxy for tropical convection. We suggest that the selective response of the tropical wave forcing may be due to the lateral forcing of the eastward propagating extratropical wave of similar periodicity and zonal structure.