Climatology of stratospheric gravity waves and their interaction with zonal mean wind over the tropics using GPS RO and ground-based measurements in the two phases of QBO

Abstract

The present manuscript deals with the spatial distribution of gravity wave activity over the tropics using ten years (2001–2010) of CHAllenging Mini Payloads (CHAMP) and Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) Global Positioning System (GPS) Radio Occultation (RO) data and ground-based radiosonde measurements over an equatorial station Singapore (1.36°N, 103.98°E) and four tropical stations, Guam (13.48°N, 144.80°E), Palau (7.33°N, 134.48°E) in the northern hemisphere, Darwin (12.41°S, 130.88°E) and Pago-Pago (14.33°S, 170.71°W) in the southern hemisphere from January 2001–December 2010. It also aims to quantify the difference in wave activity in the two phases of QBO, climatologically. Space-time spectra have been constructed over a latitude band of ±10° and decomposing the CHAMP/COSMIC temperature perturbations into symmetric and antisymmetric modes about the equator. Clear signature of equatorial waves with higher wavelength and a constant background of gravity waves (GW) with inertial frequency are prominent in the spectra. Strong GW and mean flow interaction can be seen in the lower stratosphere potential energy density (EP) and momentum flux with enhanced wave activity during the westerly (eastward wind) phase of quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) (WQBO) over the equatorial and tropical stations like Singapore and Palau/Darwin, respectively. From the latitudinal distribution of energy density, the occurrence of two-peak structure in energy density can be seen in the middle and lower latitudes with an enhancement during the WQBO phase. The EP associated with GWs are calculated at lower stratospheric (19–26 km) heights and are compared with outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) to correlate the wave events with tropical deep convection during the easterly, i.e. westward wind (EQBO) and WQBO phases of QBO. Clear coherence of convection due to Asian summer monsoon with localized enhancement of wave activity over Western Pacific, South America and African region during the WQBO phase is observed at the lower stratospheric heights. Significant enhancement is observed during Northern Hemisphere winter months and minimum during summer. The longitudinally elongated portion of EP over the equator is partially affected by Kelvin wave (KW) like disturbances with short vertical scales and also by inertia GW.