Open AccessMichio Yanai and Tropical Waves
Author(s) -
Yukari N. Takayabu,
George N. Kiladis,
Víctor Magaña
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
meteorological monographs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.32
H-Index - 3
eISSN - 1943-3646
pISSN - 0065-9401
DOI - 10.1175/amsmonographs-d-15-0019.1
Subject(s) - climatology , tropical atlantic , atmosphere (unit) , scale (ratio) , meteorology , oceanography , environmental science , geology , physics , sea surface temperature , quantum mechanics
Insights by Professor Michio Yanai on tropical waves, which have been vital ingredients for progress in tropical meteorology over the last half-century, are recollected. This study revisits various aspects of research on tropical waves over the last five decades to examine, in Yanai’s words, “the nature of ‘A-scale’ tropical wave disturbances and the interaction of the waves and the ‘B-scale’ phenomena (cloud clusters),” the fundamental problem posed by Yanai at the design phase of the GARP Atlantic Tropical Experiment (GATE) in 1971. The various contributions of Michio Yanai to the current understanding of the dynamics of the tropical atmosphere are briefly reviewed to show how his work has led to several current theories in this field.