scholarly journals Observations of Seven African Easterly Waves in the East Atlantic during 2006

2010 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Zawislak ◽  
Edward J. Zipser

Abstract The African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (AMMA) experiment and its downstream NASA extension, NAMMA, provide an unprecedented detailed look at the vertical structure of consecutive African easterly waves. During August and September 2006, seven easterly waves passed through the NAMMA domain: two waves developed into Tropical Cyclones Debby and Helene, two waves did not develop, and three waves were questionable in their role in the development of Ernesto, Florence, and Gordon. NCEP Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS) analyses are used to describe the track of both the vorticity maxima and midlevel wave trough associated with each of the seven easterly waves. Dropsonde data from NAMMA research flights are used to describe the observed wind structure and as a tool to evaluate the accuracy of the GDAS to resolve the structure of the wave. Finally, satellite data are used to identify the relationship between convection and the organization of the wind structure. Results support a necessary distinction between the large-scale easterly wave trough and smaller-scale vorticity centers within the wave. An important wave-to-wave variability is observed: for NAMMA waves, those waves that have a characteristically high-amplitude wave trough and well-defined low-level circulations (well organized) may contain less rainfall, do not necessarily develop, and are well resolved in the analysis, whereas low-amplitude (weakly organized) NAMMA waves may have stronger vorticity centers and large persistent raining areas and may be more likely to develop, but are not well resolved in the analysis.

2019 ◽  
Vol 147 (5) ◽  
pp. 1679-1698
Author(s):  
Travis J. Elless ◽  
Ryan D. Torn

Abstract Although there have been numerous studies documenting the processes/environments that lead to the intensification of African easterly waves (AEWs), only a few of these studies investigated the effect of those processes or the environment on the predictability of AEWs. Here, the large-scale modulation of AEW intensity predictability is evaluated using the 51-member ECMWF ensemble prediction system (EPS) during an active AEW period (July–September 2011–13). Forecasts are stratified based on the 72-h AEW intensity standard deviation (SD) to evaluate hypotheses for how different processes contribute to large forecast SD. While large and small SD forecasts are associated with similar baroclinic and barotropic energy conversions, forecasts with large SD are characterized by higher relative humidity values downstream of the AEW trough. These areas of higher humidity are also associated with higher precipitation and precipitation SD, suggesting that uncertainty associated with diabatic processes could be linked with large AEW intensity SD. Although water vapor is a strong function of longitude and phase of convectively coupled equatorial waves, the cases with large and small SD are characterized by similar longitude and wave phase, suggesting that AEWs occurring in certain locations or convectively coupled equatorial wave phases are not more or less predictable.


2011 ◽  
Vol 139 (9) ◽  
pp. 2704-2722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Ventrice ◽  
Chris D. Thorncroft ◽  
Paul E. Roundy

The influence of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) over tropical Africa and Atlantic is explored during the Northern Hemisphere summer months. The MJO is assessed by using real-time multivariate MJO (RMM) indices. These indices divide the active convective signal of the MJO into 8 phases. Convection associated with the MJO is enhanced over tropical Africa during RMM phases 8, 1, and 2. Convection becomes suppressed over tropical Africa during the subsequent RMM phases (phases 3–7). African convective signals are associated with westward-propagating equatorial Rossby waves. The MJO modulates African easterly wave (AEW) activity. AEW activity is locally enhanced during RMM phases 1–3 and suppressed during RMM phases 6–8. Enhanced AEW activity occurs during periods of enhanced convection over tropical Africa, consistent with stronger or more frequent triggering of AEWs as well as more growth associated with latent heat release. Enhanced AEW activity occurs during the low-level westerly wind phase of the MJO, which increases the cyclonic shear on the equatorward side of the AEJ, increasing its instability. Atlantic tropical cyclogenesis frequency varies coherently with the MJO. RMM phases 1–3 show the greatest frequency of tropical cyclogenesis events whereas phases 7 and 8 show the least. RMM phase 2 is also the most likely phase to be associated with a train of three or more tropical cyclones over the tropical Atlantic. This observed evolution of tropical cyclogenesis frequency varies coherently with variations in AEW activity and the large-scale environment.


2017 ◽  
Vol 145 (2) ◽  
pp. 599-616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdou L. Dieng ◽  
Saidou M. Sall ◽  
Laurence Eymard ◽  
Marion Leduc-Leballeur ◽  
Alban Lazar

In this study, the relationship between trains of African easterly waves (AEWs) and downstream tropical cyclogenesis is studied. Based on 19 summer seasons (July–September from 1990 to 2008) of ERA-Interim reanalysis fields and brightness temperature from the Cloud User Archive, the signature of AEW troughs and embedded convection are tracked from the West African coast to the central Atlantic. The tracked systems are separated into four groups: (i) systems originating from the north zone of the midtropospheric African easterly jet (AEJ), (ii) those coming from the south part of AEJ, (iii) systems that are associated with a downstream trough located around 2000 km westward (termed DUO systems), and (iv) those that are not associated with such a close downstream trough (termed SOLO systems). By monitoring the embedded 700-hPa-filtered relative vorticity and 850-hPa wind convergence anomaly associated with these families along their trajectories, it is shown that the DUO generally have stronger dynamical structure and statistically have a longer lifetime than the SOLO ones. It is suggested that the differences between them may be due to the presence of the previous intense downstream trough in DUO cases, enhancing the low-level convergence behind them. Moreover, a study of the relationship between system trajectories and tropical depressions occurring between the West African coast and 40°W showed that 90% of tropical depressions are identifiable from the West African coast in tracked systems, mostly in the DUO cases originating from the south zone of the AEJ.


2010 ◽  
Vol 36 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 1379-1401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula A. Agudelo ◽  
Carlos D. Hoyos ◽  
Judith A. Curry ◽  
Peter J. Webster

Bradygastrias are low-frequency electrogastrogram (EGG) waves that range from approximately 1.0 to 2.5 cycles per minute (cpm) . Some bradygastria waves are high amplitude and occupy the full scale of the EGG recording channel; others are very low amplitude and appear to be almost flatline. Bradygastrias have been recorded in patients with functional dyspepsia, diabetic and idiopathic gastropathy, and nausea of pregnancy. These patients have symptoms of abdominal discomfort, fullness, nausea, and vomiting. In this chapter, the causes of bradygastria patterns are reviewed and examples of bradygastrias are shown. EGGs also may have increased bradygastria and tachygastria waves, a pattern termed a mixed dysrhythmia. The exact origin of bradygastrias has been difficult to determine. In certain circumstances, the antrum contracts at 1.5 to 1.8 contractions per minute rather than the more recognized 3-per-minute contractions. Figure 8.1 indicates the relationship between EGG waves and low-frequency antral peristaltic contractions recorded from an intraluminal pressure sensing device during fasting and after infusion of erythromycin in healthy individuals. The antral contractions were recorded 3 and 1.5 cm from the pylorus. During fasting, 2-cpm EGG waves were present and correlated with 2-per-minute antral contractions. Each of these low-frequency contractions was associated with a low-frequency EGG wave (a negative deflection followed by a positive deflection). Irregular antral attractions also occur during fasting and may be reflected in the EGG as 1- to 2-cpm EGG waves. After erythromycin infusion, the EGG waves occurred at 1.0 to 1.5cpm and correlated with stronger antral contractions that occurred at the same frequency: 1.0 to 1.5 per minute. Thus, the bradygastria EGG frequencies correlated with the low-frequency antral contractions during fasting and after infusion of erythromycin. These studies indicate that, under certain conditions, bradygastria waves reflect low-frequency antral contractions. The fundus of the stomach normally contracts slowly at a rate from 0.5 to 1 contraction per minute.15 Thus, the low-frequency contractile activity of the fundus may also be reflected in the low frequency EGG signals in certain situations.


2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (18) ◽  
pp. 6750-6774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Man-Li C. Wu ◽  
Oreste Reale ◽  
Siegfried D. Schubert

Abstract This study shows that the African easterly wave (AEW) activity over the African monsoon region and the northern tropical Atlantic can be divided in two distinct temporal bands with time scales of 2.5–6 and 6–9 days. The results are based on a two-dimensional ensemble empirical mode decomposition (2D-EEMD) of the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA). The novel result of this investigation is that the 6–9-day waves appear to be located predominantly to the north of the African easterly jet (AEJ), originate at the jet level, and are different in scale and structure from the well-known low-level 2.5–6-day waves that develop baroclinically on the poleward flank of the AEJ. Moreover, they appear to interact with midlatitude eastward-propagating disturbances, with the strongest interaction taking place at the latitudes where the core of the Atlantic high pressure system is located. Composite analyses applied to the mode decomposition indicate that the interaction of the 6–9-day waves with midlatitude systems is characterized by enhanced southerly (northerly) flow from (toward) the tropics. This finding agrees with independent studies focused on European floods, which have noted enhanced moist transport from the ITCZ toward the Mediterranean region on time scales of about a week as important precursors of extreme precipitation.


Author(s):  
Kelly M. Núñez Ocasio ◽  
Alan Brammer ◽  
Jenni L. Evans ◽  
George S. Young ◽  
Zachary L. Moon

AbstractEastern Africa is a common region of African easterly wave (AEW) onset and AEW early-life. How the large-scale environment over east Africa relates to the likelihood of an AEW subsequently undergoing tropical cyclogenesis in a climatology has not been documented. This study addresses the following hypothesis: AEWs that undergo tropical cyclogenesis (i.e., developing AEWs) initiate and propagate under a more favorable monsoon large-scale environment over eastern Africa when compared to non-developing AEWs. Using a 21-year August-to-September (1990-2010) climatology of AEWs, differences in the large-scale environment between developers and non-developers are identified and are propose to be used as key predictors of subsequent tropical cyclone formation and could informtropical cyclogenesis prediction. TC precursors when compared to non-developing AEWs experience: an anomalously active West African Monsoon, stronger northerly flow, more intense zonal Somali jet, anomalous convergence over the Marrah Mountains (region of AEW forcing), and a more intense and elongated African easterly jet (AEJ). These large-scale conditions are linked to near-trough attributes of developing AEWs which favor more moisture ingestion, vertically aligned circulation, a stronger initial 850-hPa vortex, deeper wave pouch, and arguably more AEW and Mesoscale convective systems interactions. AEWs that initiate over eastern Africa and cross the west coast of Africa are more likely to undergo tropical cyclogenesis than those initiating over central or west Africa. Developing AEWs are more likely to be southern-track AEWs than non-developing AEWs.


2011 ◽  
Vol 24 (20) ◽  
pp. 5378-5396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Leroux ◽  
Nicholas M. J. Hall ◽  
George N. Kiladis

Abstract A dynamical model is constructed of the northern summertime global circulation, maintained by empirically derived forcing, based on the same dynamical code that has recently been used to study African easterly waves (AEWs) as convectively triggered perturbations (Thorncroft et al.; Leroux and Hall). In the configuration used here, the model faithfully simulates the observed mean distributions of jets and transient disturbances, and explicitly represents the interactions between them. This simple GCM is used to investigate the origin and intraseasonal intermittency of AEWs in an artificially dry (no convection) context. A long integration of the model produces a summertime climatology that includes a realistic African easterly jet and westward-propagating 3–5-day disturbances over West Africa. These simulated waves display intraseasonal intermittency as the observed AEWs also do. Further experiments designed to discern the source of this intermittency in the model show that the simulated waves are mainly triggered by dynamical precursors coming from the North Atlantic storm track. The model is at least as sensitive to this remote influence as it is to local triggering by convective heating.


2013 ◽  
Vol 316-317 ◽  
pp. 795-798 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Teng ◽  
Yan Bin Yao ◽  
Da Meng Liu ◽  
Zhi Qiang Liu ◽  
Bei Liu

Coal petrologic structure is important for the prediction of coal and the associated coalbed methane outburst during coal mining. This paper discusses the relationship between the response characteristics of natural gamma (GR), laterlog deep (LLD) and compensation density curve (RHOB), and the coal structures. Results show that the tectonic-coals (the coals with high breakage degree by tectonic structures) can be identified by the logging characteristics of low amplitude of GR (20-90 API), high amplitude of LLD (300-1800 Ωm), and low amplitude of RHOB (1.25-1.5g/cm3). It was found that with increasing degree of the breakage, coal pores and fractures become well developed, and thus reduce the bulk density of coal and the content of radioelement but more gas within the coal. This is the reason for logging performances of low amplitude of GR and RHOB, as well as high amplitude of LLD for the tectonic-coals.


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