A characterization of African easterly waves on 2.5-6-day and 6-9-day time scales

Journal of Climate

Volumn 26, Issue 18, 2013, Pages 6750-6774

  Wu, Man Li C ^a   Reale, Oreste ^a   Schubert, Siegfried D ^a  

^a NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

AFRICAN EASTERLY JET; AFRICAN EASTERLY WAVES; ENSEMBLE EMPIRICAL MODE DECOMPOSITION; EXTREME PRECIPITATION; HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM; MEDITERRANEAN REGION; RESEARCH AND APPLICATION; RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS;

PRECIPITATION (METEOROLOGY);

TIME MEASUREMENT;

EASTERLY WAVE; EXTREME EVENT; HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM; INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE; MONSOON;

ATLANTIC OCEAN; ATLANTIC OCEAN (TROPICAL); MEDITERRANEAN REGION;

EID: 84884259426     PISSN: 08948755     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1175/JCLI-D-12-00336.1     Document Type: Article

References (62)

1. Albignat, J. P., and R. J. Reed, 1980: The origin of wave disturbances during phase III of GATE. Mon. Wea. Rev., 108, 1827-1839.
2. Bennett, J. R., and J. A. Young, 1971: The influence of latitudinal wind shear upon large scale wave propagation into the tropics. Mon. Wea. Rev., 99, 202-214.
3. Berry, G. J., and C. Thorncroft, 2005: Case study of an intense African easterly wave. Mon. Wea. Rev., 133, 752-766.
4. Bosilovich, M. G., F. R. Robertson, and J. Chen, 2011: Global energy and water budgets in MERRA. J. Climate, 24, 5721-5739.
5. Burpee, R. W., 1972: The origin and structure of easterly waves in the lower troposphere of North Africa. J. Atmos. Sci., 29, 77-90.
6. Burpee, R. W., 1974: Characteristics of North African easterly waves during the summers of 1968 and 1969. J. Atmos. Sci., 31, 1556-1570.
7. Burpee, R. W., 1975: Some features of synoptic-scale waves based on compositing analysis of GATE data. Mon. Wea. Rev., 103, 921-925.
8. Buzzi, A., and S. Tibaldi, 1978: Cyclogenesis in the lee of the Alps: A case study. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 104, 271-287.
9. Carlson, T. N., 1969: Some remarks on African disturbances and their propagation over the tropical Atlantic. Mon. Wea. Rev., 97, 256-276.
10. Céron, J. P., and J. F. Guérémy, 1999: Validation of the space-time variability of African easterly waves simulated by the CNRM GCM. J. Climate, 12, 2831-2855.
11. Chauvin, F., J.-F. Royer, and D. Herve, 2005: Interannual variability and predictability of African easterly waves in a GCM. Climate Dyn., 24, 523-544.
12. Cornforth, R. J., B. J. Hoskins, and C. D. Thorncroft, 2009: The impact of moist processes on the African easterly jet-African easterly wave system. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 135, 894-913.
13. de Felice, P., D. Monkam, A. Viltard, and C. Ouss, 1990: Characteristics of North African 6-9-day waves during summer 1981. Mon. Wea. Rev., 118, 2624-2633.
14. de Felice, P., D. Monkam, A. Viltard, and C. Ouss, A. Viltard, and J. Oubuih, 1993: A synoptic-scale wave of 6-9-day period in the Atlantic tropical troposphere during summer 1981. Mon. Wea. Rev., 121, 1291-1298.
15. Dickinson, M., and J. Molinari, 2000: Climatology of sign reversals of the meridional potential vorticity gradient over Africa and Australia. Mon. Wea. Rev., 128, 3890-3900.
16. Diedhiou, A., S. Janicot, A. Viltard, and P. de Felice, 1998: Evidence of two regimes of easterly waves over West Africa and the tropical Atlantic. Geophys. Res. Lett., 25 (15), 2805-2808.
17. Diedhiou, A., S. Janicot, A. Viltard, and P. de Felice,, and H. Laurent, 1999: Easterly wave regimes and associated convection over West Africa and tropical Atlantic: Results from the NCEP/NCAR and ECMWF reanalyses. Climate Dyn., 15, 795-822.
18. Diedhiou, A., S. Janicot, A. Viltard, and P. de Felice,, and H. Laurent, 2002: Energetics of easterly wave disturbances over West Africa and the tropical Atlantic. Climate Dyn., 18, 487-500.
19. Duvel, J. P., 1990: Convection over tropical Africa and the Atlantic Ocean during northern summer. Part II: Modulations by easterly waves. Mon. Wea. Rev., 118, 1855-1868.
20. Grist, J. P., 2002: Easterly waves over Africa. Part I: The seasonal cycle and contrasts between wet and dry years. Mon. Wea. Rev., 130, 197-211.
21. Grist, J. P., S. E. Nicholson, and A. I. Barcilon, 2002: Easterly waves over Africa. Part II: Observed and modeled contrasts between wet and dry years. Mon. Wea. Rev., 130, 212-225.
22. Hall, N. M. J., G. N. Kiladis, and C. D. Thorncroft, 2006: Threedimensional structure and dynamics of African easterly waves. Part II: Dynamical modes. J. Atmos. Sci., 63, 2231-2245.
23. Hodges, K. I., R. W. Lee, and L. Bengtsson, 2011: A comparison of extratropical cyclones in recent reanalyses ERA-Interim, NASA MERRA, NCEP CFSR, and JRA-25. J. Climate, 24, 4888-4906.
24. Hopsch, S. B., C. D. Thorncroft, K. Hodge, and A. Aiyyer, 2007: West African storm tracks and their relationship to Atlantic tropical cyclones. J. Climate, 20, 2468-2483.
25. Hsieh, J.-S., and K. Cook, 2005: Generation of African easterly wave disturbances: Relationship to the African easterly jet. Mon. Wea. Rev., 133, 1311-1327.
26. Hsieh, J.-S., and K. Cook, 2008: On the instability of the African easterly jet and the generation of African waves: Reversal of the potential vorticity gradient. J. Atmos. Sci., 65, 2130-2151.
27. Huang, N. E., and S. S. P. Shen, 2005: Hilbert-Huang Transform and Its Applications. World Scientific, 311 pp.
28. Huang, N. E., and S. S. P. Shen, M. C. Wu, E. H. Shih, Q. Zheng, C. C. Tung, and H. H. Liu, 1998: The empirical mode decomposition and the Hilbert spectrum for nonlinear and non-stationary time series analysis. Proc. Roy. Soc. London, 454A, 903-995.
29. Huang, N. E., and S. S. P. Shen, M. C. Wu, E. H. Shih, Q. Zheng, C. C. Tung, and H. H. Liu, Z. Shen, and S. R. Long, 1999: A new review of nonlinear water waves: The Hilbert spectrum. Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech., 31, 417-457.
30. Kiladis, G. N., C. D. Thorncroft, and N. M. J. Hall, 2006: Threedimensional structure and dynamics of African easterly waves. Part I: Observations. J. Atmos. Sci., 63, 2212-2230.
31. Klotzbach, P. J., 2010: On the Madden-Julian oscillation-Atlantic hurricane relationship. J. Climate, 23, 282-293.
32. Knippertz, P., 2003: Tropical-extratropical interactions causing precipitation in northwest Africa: Statistical analysis and seasonal variations. Mon. Wea. Rev., 131, 3069-3076.
33. Knippertz, P., A. H. Fink, A. Reiner, and P. Speth, 2003: Three late summer/early autumn cases of tropical-extratropical interactions causing precipitation in northwest Africa. Mon. Wea. Rev., 131, 116-135.
34. Lavaysse, C., A. Diedhiou, H. Laurent, and T. Lebel, 2006: African easterly waves and convective activity in wet and dry sequences of the West African monsoon. Climate Dyn., 27, 319-332.
35. Lavaysse, C., A. Diedhiou, H. Laurent, and T. Lebel, C. Flamant, S. Janicot, and P. Knippertz, 2010: Links between African easterly waves, midlatitude circulation and intraseasonal pulsations of the West African heat low. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 136, 141-158.
36. Lee, M.-I., S. D. Schubert, and D. Kim, 2011: Representation of tropical storms in the northwestern Pacific by the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications. Asia- Pac. J. Atmos. Sci., 47, 245-253.
37. Leroux, S., N. M. J. Hall, and G. N. Kiladis, 2011: Intermittent African easterly wave activity in a dry atmosphere model: Influence of the extratropics. J. Climate, 24, 5378-5396.
38. Mekonnen, A., C. D. Thorncroft, and A. R. Aiyyer, 2006: Analysis of convection and its association with African easterly waves. J. Climate, 19, 5405-5421.
39. Nitta, T., and Y. Takayabu, 1985: Global analysis of the lower tropospheric disturbances in the tropics during the northern summer of FGGE year. Part II: Regional characteristics of the disturbances. Pure Appl. Geophys., 123, 272-292.
40. Norquist, D. C., E. E. Recker, and R. J. Reed, 1977: The energetics of African wave disturbances as observed during Phase III of GATE. Mon. Wea. Rev., 105, 334-342.
41. Oppenheim, A. V., and R. W. Schafer, 1975: Digital Signal Processing. Prentice-Hall, 585 pp.
42. Pytharoulis, I., and C. Thorncroft, 1999: The low-level structure of African easterly waves in 1995. Mon. Wea. Rev., 127, 2266-2280.
43. Reale, O., L. Feudale, and B. Turato, 2001: Evaporative moisture sources during a sequence of floods in the Mediterranean region. Geophys. Res. Lett., 28 (10), 2085-2088.
44. Reed, R. J., D. C. Norquist, and E. E. Recker, 1977: The structure and properties of African wave disturbances as observed during phase III of GATE. Mon. Wea. Rev., 105, 317-333.
45. Reed, R. J., D. C. Norquist, and E. E. Recker, A. Hollingsworth, W. A. Heckley, and F. Delsol, 1988: An evaluation of the performance of the ECMWF operational system in analyzing and forecasting easterly wave disturbances over Africa and the tropical Atlantic. Mon. Wea. Rev., 116, 824-865.
46. Reichle, R. H., R. D. Koster, G. J. M. De Lannoy, B. A. Forman, Q. Liu, S. P. P. Mahanama, and A. Touré, 2011: Assessment and enhancement of MERRA land surface hydrology estimates. J. Climate, 24, 6322-6338.
47. Rienecker, M. M., and Coauthors, 2011: MERRA: NASA's Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications. J. Climate, 24, 3624-3648.
48. Ross, R. S., and T. N. Krishnamurti, 2007: Low-level African easterly wave activity and its relation to Atlantic tropical cyclogenesis in 2001. Mon. Wea. Rev., 135, 3980-3964.
49. Schepanski, K., and P. Knippertz, 2011: Soudano-Saharan depressions and their importance for precipitation and dust: A new perspective on a classical synoptic concept. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 137, 1431-1445.
50. Stohl, A., C. Forster, and H. Sodemann, 2008: Remote sources of water vapor forming precipitation on the Norwegian west coast at 608N-A tale of hurricanes and an atmospheric river. J. Geophys. Res., 113, D05102, doi:10.1029/2007JD009006.
51. Thompson, R. M., S. P. Payne, E. E. Recker, and R. J. Reed, 1979: Structure and properties of synoptic-scale wave disturbances in the intertropical convergence zone of the eastern Atlantic. J. Atmos. Sci., 36, 53-72.
52. Thorncroft, C. D., and K. Hodges, 2001: African easterly wave variability and its relationship to Atlantic tropical cyclone activity. J. Climate, 14, 1166-1179.
53. Thorncroft, C. D., and K. Hodges, J. Hall, and G. N. Kiladis, 2008: Three-dimensional structure and dynamics of African easterly waves. Part III: Genesis. J. Atmos. Sci., 65, 3596-3607.
54. Turato, B., O. Reale, and F. Siccardi, 2004: Water vapor sources of the October 2000 Piedmont flood. J. Hydrometeor., 5, 693-712.
55. Ulbrich, U., T. Bruecher, A. H. Fink, G. C. Leckesbusch, A. Krueger, and J. G. Pinto, 2003: The central European floods of August 2002: Part 1-Rainfall periods and flood development. Weather, 58, 371-376.
56. Vizy, E. K., and K. H. Cook, 2009: A mechanism for African monsoon breaks: Mediterranean cold air surges. J. Geophys. Res., 114, D01104, doi:10.1029/2008JD010654.
57. Wu, M.-L. C., S. D. Schubert, and N. E. Huang, 1999: The development of the South Asian summer monsoon and the intraseasonal oscillation. J. Climate, 12, 2054-2075.
58. Wu, M.-L. C., S. D. Schubert, and N. E. Huang, O. Reale, S. Schubert, M. J. Suarez, R. Koster, and P. Pegion, 2009a: African easterly jet: Structure and maintenance. J. Climate, 22, 4459-4480.
59. Wu, M.-L. C., S. D. Schubert, and N. E. Huang, S. D. Schubert, and N. E. Huang, 2009b: An analysis of moisture fluxes into the Gulf of California. J. Climate, 22, 2216-2239.
60. Wu, M.-L. C., S. D. Schubert, and N. E. Huang, O. Reale, S. Schubert, M. Suarez, and C. Thorncroft, 2012: African easterly jet: Barotropic instability, waves, and cyclogenesis. J. Climate, 25, 1489-1510.
61. Wu, Z., N. E. Huang, and X. Chen, 2009: The multi-dimensional ensemble empirical mode decomposition method. Adv. Adapt. Data Anal., 1 (3), 339-372, doi:10.1142/S1793536909000187.
62. Yi, Y., J. S. Kimball, L. A. Jones, R. H. Reichle, and K. C. McDonald, 2011: Evaluation of MERRA land surface estimates in preparation for the soil moisture active passive mission. J. Climate, 24, 3797-3816.