Dynamics of tropical waves and monsoons

Description

Asian monsoons represent a substantial portion of the energy of the global atmospheric circulation. This research studies the large scale motions of the monsoons, in terms of their structure, development, maintenance and the interrelationships between them. The research includes: (1) Synoptic scale diagnostic studies of the winterr monsoon--The main results suggest the importance of cold surge-forced low level convergence in the enhancement of organized convection in synoptic disturbances; (2) Planetary scale diagnostic studies of the winte monsoon--Results suggest a coherent variation of the local Hadley and Walker circulations, and East and West Asia jet stream during cold surges; (3) Linear theoretical studies of waves in a variable mean flow--Results show the importance of barotropical growth of linear waves downstream from the most unstable part of the summer monsoon easterly jet; (4) East Asia monsoon trough during early summer--Structure and dynamic differences are diagnosed between different segments (more tropical vs. more mid-latitude) of this subtropical system; and (5) Simple modeling studies of monsoon variations--Domain-averaged, atmosphere-ocean coupled model simulation demonstrates the strong interplay that influences the active and break cycles of the monsoons.

Subjects