The Tibetan Plateau Uplift is Crucial for Eastward Propagation of Madden-Julian Oscillation

Abstract

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) and Himalayas have been treated as an essential external factor in shaping Asian monsoon and mid-latitude atmospheric circulation. In this study we perform numerical experiments with different uplift altitudes using the Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology Earth System Model to examine potential impacts of uplift of the TP and Himalayas on eastward propagation of the MJO and the associated mechanisms. Analysis of experimental results with dynamics-based MJO diagnostics indicates two potential mechanisms. First, the uplift considerably enhances low-level mean westerlies in the Indian Ocean and convection in the Maritime Continent, which in turn strengthens boundary layer moisture convergence (BLMC) to the east of the MJO convective center. The increased BLMC reinforces upward transport of moisture and heat from BL to free atmosphere and increases lower tropospheric diabatic heating by shallow and congestus clouds ahead of the MJO center, enhancing the Kelvin-Rossby wave feedback. Second, the uplift increases upper tropospheric mean easterlies and stratiform heating at the west of the MJO center, which contributes to eastward propagation of MJO by generating positive moist static energy at the east of MJO center. This study will contribute to a better understanding of the origin of the MJO and improvement in simulation of MJO propagation. © The Author(s) 2019