Diagnosing ISO Forecast from GloSea5 Using Dynamic-Oriented ISO Theory

A Madden-Jillian oscillation (MJO) and boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation (BSISO) are important climate variabilities, which affect a forecast of weather and climate. In this study, the MJO and the BSISO hindcasts from the Global Seasonal Forecast System, version 5 (GS5) were diagnosed using dynamic-oriented theories. We additionally analyzed the GS5 climatological run to identify whether the weakness of the GS5 hindcast results from the model physics or initialization processes. The GS5 hindcast captures three-dimensional dynamics and thermodynamics structure of MJO eastward propagation well in the Indian Ocean. The model produces the boundary layer (BL) moisture convergence anomalies to the east of the MJO deep precipitation with easterly anomalies associated with the Kelvin wave. The enhanced BL moisture convergence increases upward transport of moisture from the surface to the lower troposphere, inducing the moist lower troposphere and the positive convective instability by destabilization of the lower atmosphere and, thus, generating the next convection to the east of MJO deep convection and promoting MJO eastward propagation. However, the signal for eastward propagation is relatively weak in the Maritime Continent (MC) and the Western Pacific (WP). To improve the MJO eastward propagation in the MC and WP, improved heating induced by shallow (or congestus) clouds interacting with enhanced BL dynamics may be required. On the other hand, the GS5 hindcast reproduces the BSISO northward propagation reasonably well in the Indian Ocean, which is attributed to positive vorticity anomalies induced by strong vertical shear.

Automated summary

This study diagnosed and analyzed the hindcasts of MJO and BSISO using the Global Seasonal Forecast System version 5 (GS5), finding that the GS5 hindcast captures well the three-dimensional dynamics and thermodynamics structure of MJO eastward propagation in the Indian Ocean. The study suggests that improved heating induced by shallow clouds interacting with enhanced boundary layer dynamics may be required to improve MJO eastward propagation in the Maritime Continent and Western Pacific regions. The GS5 hindcast reproduces the northward propagation of BSISO reasonably well in the Indian Ocean, attributed to positive vorticity anomalies induced by strong vertical shear.