A zonal wave 3 index for the Southern Hemisphere
Author:
- 15 December 2004
- journal article
- Published by American Geophysical Union (AGU) in Geophysical Research Letters
- Vol. 31 (23)
Abstract
In this study 500 hPa geopotential heights from the NCAR‐NCEP Reanalysis are used to calculate an index describing the spatial and temporal characteristics of zonal wave three (ZW3) in the high latitude Southern Hemisphere atmosphere. The index spans the period 1958–2001. Wavelet analysis of the index shows the strong interannual variation which is characteristic of ZW3 and also reveals significant, high amplitude decadal‐scale variation. This interannual variation takes the form of marked fluctuation in sign and magnitude of the index. It appears to occur when there are rapid changes from strongly meridional to strongly zonal flow or vice versa. Initial indications are that some of this variability may be associated with ENSO events.Keywords
This publication has 16 references indexed in Scilit:
- Artificial Surface Pressure Trends in the NCEP–NCAR Reanalysis over the Southern Ocean and Antarctica*Journal of Climate, 2000
- Southern Mid- to High-Latitude Variability, a Zonal Wavenumber-3 Pattern, and the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave in the CSIRO Coupled ModelJournal of Climate, 1999
- The NCEP/NCAR 40-Year Reanalysis ProjectBulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 1996
- Decadal atmosphere-ocean variations in the PacificClimate Dynamics, 1994
- Southern Hemisphere Circulation Features Associated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation EventsJournal of Climate, 1989
- Teleconnections in the Southern HemisphereMonthly Weather Review, 1985
- Persistence of Daily Geopotential Heights over the Southern HemisphereMonthly Weather Review, 1985
- Interannual variations in the half-yearly cycle of pressure gradients and zonal wind at sea level on the Southern HemisphereTellus, 1984
- Interannual variations in the half-yearly cycle of pressure gradients and zonal wind at sea level on the Southern HemisphereTellus, 1984
- The zonal harmonic standing waves in the southern hemisphereJournal of Geophysical Research, 1972