Resonant Excitation of Kelvin Waves by Interactions of Subtropical Rossby Waves and the Zonal Mean Flow

Abstract

Abstract Equatorial Kelvin waves can be affected by subtropical Rossby wave dynamics. Previous research has demonstrated the Kelvin wave growth in response to subtropical forcing and the resonant growth due to eddy momentum flux convergence. However, the relative importance of the wave–mean flow and wave–wave interactions for the Kelvin wave growth compared to the direct wave excitation by the external forcing has not been made clear. This study demonstrates the resonant Kelvin wave excitation by interactions of subtropical Rossby waves and the mean flow using a spherical shallow-water model. The use of Hough harmonics as basis functions makes Rossby and Kelvin waves prognostic variables of the model and allows the quantification of terms contributing to their tendencies in physical and wave spaces. The simulations show that Kelvin waves are resonantly excited by interactions of Rossby waves and the balanced zonal mean flow in the subtropics, provided the Rossby and Kelvin wave frequencies, which are modified by the mean flow, match. The resonance mechanism is substantiated by analytical expressions. The Kelvin wave tendencies are caused by velocity and depth tendencies: The velocity tendencies due to the meridional advection of the zonal mean velocity can be outweighed by the zonal advection of the Rossby wave velocity or by the depth tendencies due to Rossby wave divergence. Identifying the resonant excitation mechanism in data should contribute to the quantification of Kelvin wave variability originating in the subtropics. Significance Statement This study seeks to understand how Kelvin waves, which are eastward-propagating disturbances in the tropical atmosphere, are connected to Rossby wave dynamics in the subtropics. Using idealized simulations, the Kelvin wave excitation is explained as a resonance effect due to interactions of Rossby waves and the zonal mean flow. The mechanism contributes to the understanding of atmospheric wave interactions and extratropical effects on the tropics. Further work searching for evidence of the new mechanism in atmospheric data may shed a new light on subseasonal variability in the tropics, such as the Madden–Julian oscillation.