The quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) and global-scale tropical waves in Aeolus wind observations, radiosonde data, and reanalyses

Abstract m  s - 1, with somewhat larger differences during some periods. Differently from zonal averages, radiosonde stations provide only local observations and are therefore biased by global-scale tropical waves, which limits their use as a QBO standard. While reanalyses perform well on zonal average, there can be considerable local biases between reanalyses and radiosondes. We also find that, in the tropical UTLS, zonal wind variances of stationary waves and the most prominent global-scale traveling equatorial wave modes, such as Kelvin waves, Rossby-gravity waves, and equatorial Rossby waves, are in good agreement between Aeolus and all three reanalyses (in most cases better than 20 % of the peak values in the UTLS). On zonal average, this supports the use of reanalyses as a reference for comparison with free-running climate models, while locally, certain biases exist, particularly in the QBO wind shear zones and around the 2019–2020 QBO disruption.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: The quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) and global-scale tropical waves in Aeolus wind observations, radiosonde data, and reanalyses ; volume:23 ; number:16 ; year:2023 ; pages:9549-9583 ; extent:35 ; Atmospheric chemistry and physics ; 23, Heft 16 (2023), 9549-9583 (gesamt 35)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Ern, Manfred ; Diallo, Mohamadou ; Khordakova, Dina ; Krisch, Isabell ; Preusse, Peter ; Reitebuch, Oliver ; Ungermann, Jörn ; Riese, Martin

Further information

• DOI: 10.5194/acp-23-9549-2023
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2023083104190769354718
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 14.08.2025, 10:48 AM CEST