The Madden-Julian Oscillation
Hai Lin
Abstract
There are rich variabilities in the global atmosphere and climate system on the intraseasonal time scale. This review article focuses on the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), which is the dominant mode of tropical intraseasonal variability. The MJO has a tremendous global impact and represents a major source of skill for subseasonal to seasonal predictions. Our knowledge on the MJO has been advanced in recent decades, but challenges remain in understanding, simulating and predicting the MJO and its global influence. Here we review the basic observed features of the MJO, possible mechanisms, the related teleconnections and tropical-extratropical interactions, its interannual variation, and its simulation and predictions.
Topics & Concepts
Madden–Julian oscillationClimatologyTeleconnectionExtratropical cycloneEnvironmental scienceOscillation (cell signaling)Atmospheric sciencesMeteorologyEl Niño Southern OscillationConvectionGeographyGeologyBiologyGeneticsClimate variability and modelsAtmospheric Ozone and ClimateMeteorological Phenomena and Simulations