QBO and Tropical Waves
Contact: Marco Giorgetta (marco.giorgetta@zmaw.de)
Summary: The aim of this DynVar Research Topic is to understand better the many aspects of the wave mean flow interaction, which results in the known Quasi Biennial Oscillation (QBO) in equatorial zonal wind in the stratosphere. Major questions concern (a) the connection between tropical weather, the wave spectrum in the troposphere and the stratospheric wave spectrum contribution to the QBO, (b) to which degree these wave spectra and the QBO can be simulated in climate models, such as those used in CMIP5 and SHFP and (c) how the QBO may change under external forcing.