Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-966
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-966
04 Apr 2024
 | 04 Apr 2024

Time-varying Atmospheric Waveguides – Climatologies and Connections to Quasi-Stationary Waves

Rachel H. White

Abstract. Atmospheric waveguides have been linked to amplified atmospheric Rossby waves and therefore to extreme weather events in the mid-latitudes. Waveguides have often been calculated on zonal-mean data, and/or on timescales of a month or longer. Here, I develop an objective algorithm to detect barotropic waveguides, and create a dataset of time- and spatially-varying waveguides in both summer and winter for both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere (NH/SH), including a metric of waveguide depth. In this dataset, waveguides for waves of zonal wavenumber 5 exist in the extra-tropics on more than 40 % of days across many longitudes, with the frequency of occurrence reducing for higher zonal wavenumbers. Waveguides tend to be more frequent, and deeper, in summer than in winter, and more frequent in the NH than the SH. Composites of days with high spatial mean waveguide depth over particular regions show a double jet structure associated with strong waveguide occurrence, consistent with previous research. Significant positive correlations exist between waveguide depth and the presence/strength of quasi-stationary waves. In the SH these correlations are strong across much of the mid-latitudes in both seasons, whilst in the NH significant correlations are found only over the Atlantic, Europe and Asia during NH summer, with the strongest correlations over the Atlantic and western Europe, a region notable for its strong positive trend in extreme heat temperature events in recent decades.

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Rachel H. White

Status: final response (author comments only)

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-966', Anonymous Referee #1, 26 Apr 2024
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Rachel White, 13 Jun 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-966: Some serious issues', Volkmar Wirth, 06 May 2024
    • AC3: 'Reply on RC2', Rachel White, 14 Jun 2024
  • RC3: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-966', Anonymous Referee #3, 06 May 2024
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC3', Rachel White, 13 Jun 2024
Rachel H. White
Rachel H. White

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Short summary
Mid-latitude atmospheric jet streams sometimes create 'waveguides', thought to increase the chance of quasi-stationary waves — atmospheric circulation patterns that lead to extreme weather events. I describe a new algorithm for identifying atmospheric waveguides, and show maps of waveguide frequency and strength. Waveguide strength is associated with an increased probability of quasi-stationary waves, although not in all regions; the connection is particularly strong over Europe during summer.