Madden–Julian Oscillation: Bridging Weather and Climate

Chidong Zhang RSMAS, University of Miami, Miami, Florida

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The Madden–Julian oscillation exerts broad influences on global weather and climate as its center of convection moves from the tropical Indian Ocean into the Pacific. Weather events under the influence of the MJO include precipitation, surface temperature, tropical cyclones, tornadoes, flood, wildfire, and lightning, among others. Several climate phenomena are also affected by the MJO. They are the monsoons, El Niño–Southern Oscillation, the North Atlantic Oscillation, the Pacific and North American pattern, the Arctic and Antarctic Oscillations or northern and southern annual modes, the Indian Ocean dipole, the Wyrtki jets, and the Indonesian Through-flow. This article provides a brief summary of the connections between the MJO and these weather and climate phenomena. These connections demonstrate the critical role of the MJO in the weather–climate continuum and its prediction.

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Chidong Zhang, RSMAS/MPO, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33133, E-mail: czhang@rsmas.miami.edu

The Madden–Julian oscillation exerts broad influences on global weather and climate as its center of convection moves from the tropical Indian Ocean into the Pacific. Weather events under the influence of the MJO include precipitation, surface temperature, tropical cyclones, tornadoes, flood, wildfire, and lightning, among others. Several climate phenomena are also affected by the MJO. They are the monsoons, El Niño–Southern Oscillation, the North Atlantic Oscillation, the Pacific and North American pattern, the Arctic and Antarctic Oscillations or northern and southern annual modes, the Indian Ocean dipole, the Wyrtki jets, and the Indonesian Through-flow. This article provides a brief summary of the connections between the MJO and these weather and climate phenomena. These connections demonstrate the critical role of the MJO in the weather–climate continuum and its prediction.

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Chidong Zhang, RSMAS/MPO, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33133, E-mail: czhang@rsmas.miami.edu
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