Open AccessThe Madden‐Julian Oscillation and the Indo‐Pacific Warm Pool
Author(s) -
Raymond David J.,
Fuchs Željka
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of advances in modeling earth systems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.03
H-Index - 58
ISSN - 1942-2466
DOI - 10.1002/2017ms001258
Subject(s) - madden–julian oscillation , oscillation (cell signaling) , flow (mathematics) , climatology , zonal flow (plasma) , environmental science , atmospheric sciences , wavenumber , geology , meteorology , mechanics , physics , convection , plasma , chemistry , biochemistry , quantum mechanics , optics , tokamak
A minimal model of the interaction of the Madden‐Julian oscillation (MJO) with the Indo‐Pacific warm pool is presented. This model is based on the linear superposition of the flow associated with a highly simplified treatment of the MJO plus the flow induced by the warm pool itself. Both of these components parameterize rainfall as proportional to the column water vapor, which in turn is governed by a linearized moisture equation in which WISHE (wind induced surface heat exchange) plays a governing role. The MJO component has maximum growth rate for planetary wavenumber 1 and is equatorially trapped with purely zonal winds. The warm pool component exhibits a complex flow pattern, differing significantly from the classical Gill model as a result of the mean easterly flow. The combination of the two produce a flow that reproduces many aspects of the observed global flow associated with the MJO.