The quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) dominates the variability of the equatorial stratosphere (∼16–50 km) and is easily seen as downward propagating easterly and westerly wind regimes, with a variable period averaging approximately 28 months. From a fluid dynamical perspective, the QBO is a fascinating example of a coherent, oscillating mean flow that is driven by propagating waves with periods unrelated to that of the resulting oscillation. Although the QBO is a tropical phenomenon, it affects the stratospheric flow from pole to pole by modulating the effects of extratropical waves. Indeed, study of the QBO is inseparable from the study of atmospheric wave motions that drive it and are modulated by it. The QBO affects variability in the mesosphere near 85 km by selectively filtering waves that propagate upward through the equatorial stratosphere, and may also affect the strength of Atlantic hurricanes. The effects of the QBO are not confined to atmospheric dynamics. Chemical constituents, such as ozone, water vapor, and methane, are affected by circulation changes induced by the QBO. There are also substantial QBO signals in many of the shorter-lived chemical constituents. Through modulation of extratropical wave propagation, the QBO has an effect on the breakdown of the wintertime stratospheric polar vortices and the severity of high-latitude ozone depletion. The polar vortex in the stratosphere affects surface weather patterns, providing a mechanism for the QBO to have an effect at the Earth's surface. As more data sources (e.g., wind and temperature measurements from both ground-based systems and satellites) become available, the effects of the QBO can be more precisely assessed. This review covers the current state of knowledge of the tropical QBO, its extratropical dynamical effects, chemical constituent transport, and effects of the QBO in the troposphere (∼0–16 km) and mesosphere (∼50–100 km). It is intended to provide a broad overview of the QBO and its effects to researchers outside the field, as well as a source of information and references for specialists. The history of research on the QBO is discussed only briefly, and the reader is referred to several historical review papers. The basic theory of the QBO is summarized, and tutorial references are provided.

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/1999RG000073

The quasi-biennial oscillation

[1] The global-scale wave model (GSWM) is used to investigate mesospheric and lower thermospheric migrating and nonmigrating diurnal tidal components that propagate upward from the troposphere, where they are excited by latent heat release associated with deep tropical convection. Our diurnal tidal forcing parameterization is derived from a 7-year database of global cloud imagery. The GSWM migrating response is sufficiently large to modulate the dominant radiatively excited migrating diurnal tide in the middle and upper atmosphere during every month of the year. Five additional nonmigrating diurnal components, the eastward propagating zonal wave numbers 2 and 3, the westward propagating zonal wave number 2, and the standing oscillations, also introduce significant longitudinal variability of the diurnal tide in these regions. The comparative importance of the nonmigrating components evolves from month to month and varies with tidal field. Our GSWM investigation suggests that other dynamical models must account for the tropospheric latent heat source in order to make realistic predictions of the diurnal tide in the middle and upper atmosphere.

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/2001JD001236

Migrating and nonmigrating diurnal tides in the middle and upper atmosphere excited by tropospheric latent heat release

[1] The new Horizontal Wind Model (HWM07) provides a statistical representation of the horizontal wind fields of the Earth's atmosphere from the ground to the exosphere (0–500 km). It represents over 50 years of satellite, rocket, and ground-based wind measurements via a compact Fortran 90 subroutine. The computer model is a function of geographic location, altitude, day of the year, solar local time, and geomagnetic activity. It includes representations of the zonal mean circulation, stationary planetary waves, migrating tides, and the seasonal modulation thereof. HWM07 is composed of two components, a quiet time component for the background state described in this paper and a geomagnetic storm time component (DWM07) described in a companion paper.

/pdf/an-empirical-model-of-the-earth-s-horizontal-wind-fields-vm989vom4t.pdf

An empirical model of the Earth's horizontal wind fields: HWM07

Migrating and nonmigrating semidiurnal tides in the upper atmosphere excited by tropospheric latent heat release: MIGRATING AND NONMIGRATING SEMIDIURNAL TIDES

[1] A stratospheric sudden warming episode was self-consistently generated in the coupled National Center for Atmospheric Research Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere, and Electrodynamics General Circulation Model/Climate Community Model version 3 (TIME-GCM/CCM3). Taking advantage of the unique vertical range of the coupled model (ground to 500 km), we were able to study the coupling of the lower and upper atmosphere in this warming episode. Planetary wave 1 is the dominant wave component in this warming event. Analysis of the wave phase structure and the wave amplitude indicates that the wave may experience resonant amplification prior to the peak warming. The mean wind in the high-latitude winter stratopause and mesosphere decelerates and reverses to westward due to planetary wave forcing and forms a critical layer near the zero wind lines. The wind deceleration and reversal also change the filtering of gravity waves by allowing more eastward gravity waves to propagate into the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT), which causes eastward forcing and reverses the westward jet in the MLT. This also changes the meridional circulation in the upper mesosphere from poleward/downward to equatorward/upward, causing a depletion of the peak atomic oxygen layer at 97 km and significant reduction of green line airglow emission at high latitudes and midlatitudes. Planetary waves forced in situ by filtered gravity waves in the MLT grow in the warming episode. Their growth and interaction with tides create diurnal and semidiurnal variabilities in the zonal mean zonal wind.

/pdf/a-study-of-a-self-generated-stratospheric-sudden-warming-and-2padbxnjsx.pdf

A study of a self-generated stratospheric sudden warming and its mesospheric-lower thermospheric impacts using the coupled TIME-GCM/CCM3

We report on new global-scale wave model (GSWM) predictions for the migrating solar tide in the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and lower thermosphere The model revision, hereafter GSWM-98, includes an updated gravity wave (GW) stress parameterization and modifications to the background atmosphere based on 6-year monthly averaged Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) climatologies UARS Halogen Occultation Experiment and Microwave Limb Sounder ozone data are used to define the strato-mesospheric tidal source, while GSWM-98 background winds are based on UARS High Resolution Doppler Interferometer (HRDI) zonal mean zonal wind data We quantify and interpret differences between previous diurnal and semidiurnal predictions, hereafter GSWM-95, and GSWM-98 results The revised GW stress parameterization accounts for the most profound changes and leads to seasonal variability predictions that are consistent with diurnal amplitudes observed in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere Unresolved differences between HRDI and other wind climatologies significantly affect MLT tidal predictions

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/1998JA900125

GSWM-98: Results for migrating solar tides

Observations of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere winds obtained by the High Resolution Doppler Imager (HRDI) on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) during 1991 to 1995 reveal a semiannual variation in the amplitude of the (1,1) diurnal tide. The global-scale wave model (GSWM) represents the first numerical modeling attempt at simulating this seasonal variability, and a preliminary comparison of the GSWM tidal results with HRDI measurements is presented. The results of the comparison and of numerical tests point to some vital and unresolved questions regarding tidal dissipation and tropospheric forcing. In addition to the seasonal variability, HRDI has revealed a strong interannual modulation of the diurnal tide with amplitudes observed to change by nearly a factor of 2 from 1992 to 1994.

/pdf/long-term-variability-in-the-solar-diurnal-tide-observed-by-18yt3h98my.pdf

Long-term variability in the solar diurnal tide observed by HRDI and simulated by the GSWM

The high resolution Doppler imager (HRDI) on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) has provided measurements of the horizontal wind field in the stratosphere, mesosphere, and lower thermosphere since November 1991. This data set, which spans a period of more than 3 years, has facilitated an investigation of the long-term behavior of the background circulation on a nearly global basis. At middle and high latitudes the zonal circulation is characterized by an annual oscillation. At low latitudes (±30°) the most prominent long-term variation above the stratopause is the mesosphere semiannual oscillation (MSAO), which maximizes near the equator at an altitude of between 80 and 85 km. Further analysis of the time series reveals an additional strong variation, with an amplitude near 30 ms−1 and a period of about 2 years. This feature shows the same altitude and latitude structure as the MSAO and exhibits a phase relationship with the stratospheric quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO). Observations from the Christmas Island MF radar (2°N, 130°W) confirm the presence of this mesospheric QBO (MQBO). These observations support recent findings from a modeling study which generates an MQBO via the selective filtering of small-scale gravity waves by the underlying winds they traverse.

Long-term variability in the equatorial middle atmosphere zonal wind

A strong westward traveling oscillation, with a period of 2 days and zonal wave number 3, is observed in the mesospheric and lower thermospheric winds from the High Resolution Doppler Imager (HRDI) on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). The important events happen in January, July, and September/October, of which the occurrence in January is the strongest with an amplitude over 60 m/s. Detailed analyses for the periods of January 1992 and January 1993 reveal a cause-and-effect relationship in the wave developing process at 95 km. The global structures of the wave amplitude and phase are also presented.

/pdf/observations-of-the-quasi-2-day-wave-from-the-high-44we7h1xl1.pdf

M. D. Burrage

Papers

GSWM-98: Results for migrating solar tides

Long-term variability in the solar diurnal tide observed by HRDI and simulated by the GSWM

Long-term variability in the equatorial middle atmosphere zonal wind

Observations of the quasi 2‐day wave from the High Resolution Doppler Imager on Uars

Seasonal variations of the semi-diurnal and diurnal tides in the MLT: multi-year MF radar observations from 2 to 70°N, and the GSWM tidal model