The Role of Rossby-Wave Propagation in a North American Extreme Cold Event

The Eliassen–Palm flux and Plumb wave activity flux are calculated using the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts interim reanalysis daily dataset to determine the propagation of Rossby waves before a North American cold wave in January 2014. The results show that the upward wave activ...

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Main Authors: Chunhua Shi, Ting Xu, Hui Li, Yannan Gao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2017-01-01
Series:Advances in Meteorology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/4635849
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author Chunhua Shi
Ting Xu
Hui Li
Yannan Gao
author_facet Chunhua Shi
Ting Xu
Hui Li
Yannan Gao
author_sort Chunhua Shi
collection DOAJ
description The Eliassen–Palm flux and Plumb wave activity flux are calculated using the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts interim reanalysis daily dataset to determine the propagation of Rossby waves before a North American cold wave in January 2014. The results show that the upward wave activity fluxes mainly come from planetary waves 1 and 2, which provide a stable circulation background for the influence of the subplanetary-scale waves 3 and 4. The Rossby-wave propagation anomalies between the troposphere and the stratosphere are due to the modulating effects of waves 3 and 4 on waves 1 and 2. During 9–14 January 2014, the modulating effects helped strengthen upward and eastward wave activity fluxes over the Atlantic region and enhance the Pacific high in the stratosphere in its early stage. Later in 19–24 January, the downward wave activity fluxes over the east Pacific due to the modulating effects were beneficial to downward development of the stratospheric high over the Pacific and the formation of a blocking high over the west coast of North America in the troposphere accompanied by a strong adjacent cold low on the east side. These circulations benefit the southward invasion of polar cold air reaching the lower latitudes of east North America, leading to the cold wave outbreak.
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spelling doaj-art-3fbbcdbfbbeb4d6190eb53b7055c37a12025-08-20T03:55:36ZengWileyAdvances in Meteorology1687-93091687-93172017-01-01201710.1155/2017/46358494635849The Role of Rossby-Wave Propagation in a North American Extreme Cold EventChunhua Shi0Ting Xu1Hui Li2Yannan Gao3Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster, Ministry of Education (KLME)/Joint International Research Laboratory of Climate and Environment Change (ILCEC)/Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, ChinaMeteorological Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, Shenzhen, ChinaKey Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster, Ministry of Education (KLME)/Joint International Research Laboratory of Climate and Environment Change (ILCEC)/Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, ChinaKey Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster, Ministry of Education (KLME)/Joint International Research Laboratory of Climate and Environment Change (ILCEC)/Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, ChinaThe Eliassen–Palm flux and Plumb wave activity flux are calculated using the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts interim reanalysis daily dataset to determine the propagation of Rossby waves before a North American cold wave in January 2014. The results show that the upward wave activity fluxes mainly come from planetary waves 1 and 2, which provide a stable circulation background for the influence of the subplanetary-scale waves 3 and 4. The Rossby-wave propagation anomalies between the troposphere and the stratosphere are due to the modulating effects of waves 3 and 4 on waves 1 and 2. During 9–14 January 2014, the modulating effects helped strengthen upward and eastward wave activity fluxes over the Atlantic region and enhance the Pacific high in the stratosphere in its early stage. Later in 19–24 January, the downward wave activity fluxes over the east Pacific due to the modulating effects were beneficial to downward development of the stratospheric high over the Pacific and the formation of a blocking high over the west coast of North America in the troposphere accompanied by a strong adjacent cold low on the east side. These circulations benefit the southward invasion of polar cold air reaching the lower latitudes of east North America, leading to the cold wave outbreak.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/4635849
spellingShingle Chunhua Shi
Ting Xu
Hui Li
Yannan Gao
The Role of Rossby-Wave Propagation in a North American Extreme Cold Event
Advances in Meteorology
title The Role of Rossby-Wave Propagation in a North American Extreme Cold Event
title_full The Role of Rossby-Wave Propagation in a North American Extreme Cold Event
title_fullStr The Role of Rossby-Wave Propagation in a North American Extreme Cold Event
title_full_unstemmed The Role of Rossby-Wave Propagation in a North American Extreme Cold Event
title_short The Role of Rossby-Wave Propagation in a North American Extreme Cold Event
title_sort role of rossby wave propagation in a north american extreme cold event
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/4635849
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