Parameterization of the inertial gravity waves and generation of the quasi‐biennial oscillation

Abstract

In this work we extend the gravity wave parameterization scheme currently used in the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM), which is based upon Lindzen's linear saturation theory, by including the Coriolis effect to better describe the inertia‐gravity waves (IGW). We perform WACCM simulations to study the generation of equatorial oscillations of the zonal mean zonal winds by including a spectrum of IGWs, and the parametric dependence of the wind oscillation on the IGWs and the effect of the new scheme. These simulations demonstrate that the parameterized IGW forcing from the standard and the new scheme are both capable of generating equatorial wind oscillations with a downward phase progression in the stratosphere using the standard spatial resolution settings in the current model. The period of the oscillation is dependent on the strength of the IGW forcing, and the magnitude of the oscillation is dependent on the width of the wave spectrum. The new parameterization affects the wave breaking level and acceleration rates mainly through changing the critical level. The quasi‐biennial oscillations (QBO) can be internally generated with the proper selection of the parameters of the scheme. The characteristics of the wind oscillations thus generated are compared with the observed QBO. These experiments demonstrate the need to parameterize IGWs for generating the QBO in General Circulation Models (GCMs).