Spectrum analysis of easterly waves in the tropical Pacific during two contrasting periods of sea-surface temperature anomalies

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dc.contributor.authorChang, C.-P.
dc.contributor.authorMiller, Charles Robert
dc.contributor.corporateOperations Research (OR)
dc.contributor.corporateGraduate School of Operational and Information Sciences (GSOIS)
dc.date1976-07
dc.date.accessioned2013-02-27T23:29:01Z
dc.date.available2013-02-27T23:29:01Z
dc.date.issued1976-07
dc.description.abstractThe structure and properties of the tropical easterly waves has been found to vary considerably between different regimes and time periods. This study investigates the possible roles played by the temporal and spatial sea-surface temperature (SST) variations on the waves. Time series of tropical western pacific radiosonde data during two contrasting eight-month periods of SST anomalies, May-December 1972, which has abnormally high SST in the central and eastern Pacific, and May-December 1973 which has below normal SST in the same region, are analyzed. In both periods, the waves have the same periodicity of 4-5 days and a lower tropospheric zonal wavelength on the order of 3300 km, but their vertical phase and amplitude distributions as well as the thermal structures are different. The results are discussed in terms of two possible influences the SST variations may have on the waves: 1) direct effect, the warmer SST represents stronger thermal control through cumulus heating; and 2) indirect effect, the variation of SST changes the large-scale mean wind circulation which, in turn, has a strong impact on the wave vertical structure and the relative importance of energy sources other than cumulus heating. Finally, a schematic model of these influences is proposed which may be applied to both the temporal and the spatial variations of SSTen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipPrepared for: National Environmental Satellite Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Washington, D. C. 20233en_US
dc.description.urihttp://archive.org/details/spectrumanalysis00chan
dc.format.extent46 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.en_US
dc.identifier.npsreportNPS-63Cj76071
dc.identifier.oclcocn429904958
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10945/29108
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherMonterey, California. Naval Postgraduate Schoolen_US
dc.rightsThis publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.en_US
dc.subject.authortropical meteorologyen_US
dc.subject.authortropical wavesen_US
dc.subject.authoreasterly wavesen_US
dc.subject.authorsea-surface temperature anomalies.en_US
dc.subject.lcshOcean-atmosphere interactionen_US
dc.titleSpectrum analysis of easterly waves in the tropical Pacific during two contrasting periods of sea-surface temperature anomaliesen_US
dc.typeTechnical Reporten_US
dspace.entity.typePublication
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relation.isOrgUnitOfPublicationdd7f1b97-9c92-402d-b910-27f080946cde
relation.isOrgUnitOfPublication.latestForDiscoverydd7f1b97-9c92-402d-b910-27f080946cde
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