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The influence of subseasonal wind variability on tropical instability waves in the Pacific
Author(s) -
Benestad R. E.,
Sutton R. T.,
Allen M. R.,
Anderson D. L. T.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2000gl012563
Subject(s) - forcing (mathematics) , climatology , gcm transcription factors , environmental science , atmosphere (unit) , atmospheric sciences , momentum (technical analysis) , instability , sea surface temperature , geology , climate change , meteorology , oceanography , general circulation model , physics , mechanics , finance , economics
Tropical Instability Waves are a prominent feature in analyses of tropical Pacific sea surface temperature and sea level height variability, and may play a significant role in the heat, salt and momentum budgets of the equatorial oceans. Here we show that they may be strongly influenced by forcing from the atmosphere. In experiments with an ocean GCM we find that a phase shift in the subseasonal wind forcing gives rise to a corresponding phase shift in the TIWs, indicating a systematic influence of the high frequency wind forcing.