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AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Keywords

  • MJO
  • MLS
  • Madden-Julian Oscillation

Index Terms

  • Atmospheric Processes: Tropical meteorology
  • Atmospheric Processes: Convective processes
  • Atmospheric Processes: Synoptic-scale meteorology
  • Atmospheric Processes: Stratosphere/troposphere interactions
  • Atmospheric Processes: Tides and planetary waves

Abstract

Characterization of MJO-related upper tropospheric hydrological processes using MLS

Michael J. Schwartz

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA

Duane E. Waliser

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA

Baijun Tian

Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA

Dong L. Wu

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA

Jonathan H. Jiang

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA

William G. Read

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA

This study quantifies Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO)-related hydrological variability in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UT/LS) using Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) cloud ice water content (IWC) and water vapor (H2O). In a composite of six boreal-winter MJO events, the UT/LS IWC anomaly is strongly positively correlated with the convection (TRMM rainfall) anomaly. IWC anomalies range from ±2 mg/m3 at 215 hPa to ±0.08 mg/m3 at 100 hPa. The UT/LS H2O anomaly has an eastward-tilting structure similar to the previous-documented temperature structure, but the H2O maximum lags the temperature maximum by about a week. The H2O anomaly is positively correlated with the convection anomaly in the UT (261 hPa) and LS (68 hPa) but negatively correlated with the convection anomaly near the tropopause (100 hPa). This analysis provides a multi-parameter construct useful in validating and improving the parameterization of convection, clouds and cloud microphysics in MJO modeling.

Received 15 February 2008; accepted 24 March 2008; published 26 April 2008.

Citation: Schwartz, M. J., D. E. Waliser, B. Tian, D. L. Wu, J. H. Jiang, and W. G. Read (2008), Characterization of MJO-related upper tropospheric hydrological processes using MLS, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L08812, doi:10.1029/2008GL033675.

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