Equatorial Moisture Dynamics of the Quasi‐Biweekly Oscillation in the Tropical Northwestern Pacific During Boreal Summer

Abstract The pronounced summertime quasi‐biweekly oscillation (QBWO) in the tropical northwestern Pacific usually originates from equatorial convective anomalies (ECAs) in the western Pacific. In this study, ECAs in relation to the QBWO are investigated in terms of the equatorial moisture dynamics....

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Main Authors: Kuiping Li, Qin He, Yang Yang, Weidong Yu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-01-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL090929
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author Kuiping Li
Qin He
Yang Yang
Weidong Yu
author_facet Kuiping Li
Qin He
Yang Yang
Weidong Yu
author_sort Kuiping Li
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The pronounced summertime quasi‐biweekly oscillation (QBWO) in the tropical northwestern Pacific usually originates from equatorial convective anomalies (ECAs) in the western Pacific. In this study, ECAs in relation to the QBWO are investigated in terms of the equatorial moisture dynamics. The results show that the development of ECAs is preconditioned by significant moisture anomalies associated with zonal moisture advection along the equator. Prior to initiation, an equatorially westward‐moving moisture precursor at a speed of approximately 5° longitude per day could be traced back to 140°W. A moisture budget analysis indicates that the successive westward movement of the moisture precursor is primarily due to the interaction between the zonal gradient of moisture anomalies and the mean easterly trade winds. The equatorial moisture dynamics likely maintain the quasi‐biweekly variability of ECAs regarding the QBWO in the tropical northwestern Pacific.
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institution DOAJ
issn 0094-8276
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language English
publishDate 2021-01-01
publisher Wiley
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series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-dced188baf974102bb45d7962cfbcce22025-08-20T03:04:21ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072021-01-01482n/an/a10.1029/2020GL090929Equatorial Moisture Dynamics of the Quasi‐Biweekly Oscillation in the Tropical Northwestern Pacific During Boreal SummerKuiping Li0Qin He1Yang Yang2Weidong Yu3First Institute of Oceanography Ministry of Natural Resources Qingdao ChinaFirst Institute of Oceanography Ministry of Natural Resources Qingdao ChinaFirst Institute of Oceanography Ministry of Natural Resources Qingdao ChinaSchool of Atmospheric Sciences Sun Yat‐Sen University Zhuhai Campus Zhuhai ChinaAbstract The pronounced summertime quasi‐biweekly oscillation (QBWO) in the tropical northwestern Pacific usually originates from equatorial convective anomalies (ECAs) in the western Pacific. In this study, ECAs in relation to the QBWO are investigated in terms of the equatorial moisture dynamics. The results show that the development of ECAs is preconditioned by significant moisture anomalies associated with zonal moisture advection along the equator. Prior to initiation, an equatorially westward‐moving moisture precursor at a speed of approximately 5° longitude per day could be traced back to 140°W. A moisture budget analysis indicates that the successive westward movement of the moisture precursor is primarily due to the interaction between the zonal gradient of moisture anomalies and the mean easterly trade winds. The equatorial moisture dynamics likely maintain the quasi‐biweekly variability of ECAs regarding the QBWO in the tropical northwestern Pacific.https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL090929equatorial moisture dynamicsquasi‐biweekly oscillationtropical northwestern Pacific
spellingShingle Kuiping Li
Qin He
Yang Yang
Weidong Yu
Equatorial Moisture Dynamics of the Quasi‐Biweekly Oscillation in the Tropical Northwestern Pacific During Boreal Summer
Geophysical Research Letters
equatorial moisture dynamics
quasi‐biweekly oscillation
tropical northwestern Pacific
title Equatorial Moisture Dynamics of the Quasi‐Biweekly Oscillation in the Tropical Northwestern Pacific During Boreal Summer
title_full Equatorial Moisture Dynamics of the Quasi‐Biweekly Oscillation in the Tropical Northwestern Pacific During Boreal Summer
title_fullStr Equatorial Moisture Dynamics of the Quasi‐Biweekly Oscillation in the Tropical Northwestern Pacific During Boreal Summer
title_full_unstemmed Equatorial Moisture Dynamics of the Quasi‐Biweekly Oscillation in the Tropical Northwestern Pacific During Boreal Summer
title_short Equatorial Moisture Dynamics of the Quasi‐Biweekly Oscillation in the Tropical Northwestern Pacific During Boreal Summer
title_sort equatorial moisture dynamics of the quasi biweekly oscillation in the tropical northwestern pacific during boreal summer
topic equatorial moisture dynamics
quasi‐biweekly oscillation
tropical northwestern Pacific
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL090929
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AT qinhe equatorialmoisturedynamicsofthequasibiweeklyoscillationinthetropicalnorthwesternpacificduringborealsummer
AT yangyang equatorialmoisturedynamicsofthequasibiweeklyoscillationinthetropicalnorthwesternpacificduringborealsummer
AT weidongyu equatorialmoisturedynamicsofthequasibiweeklyoscillationinthetropicalnorthwesternpacificduringborealsummer