Quasi-Biennial Oscillation

Book section : Chapter

The Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) is one of the most cyclic phenomena in the atmosphere except for the annular and diurnal cycles, which provide the predictability source for subseasonal-to-seasonal forecasts on the globe. The QBO is generated by the interaction between the background circulation and the equatorial waves, which cover a wide spectrum consisting of those that are eastward- and westward-propagating. The QBO can affect the climate in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres through at least three dynamic pathways, including the stratospheric polar vortex pathway, the subtropical downward-arching zonal wind pathway, and the tropical convection pathway. The impact of the QBO on the extratropics is projected to strengthen in future scenario experiments, although the maximum QBO wind magnitude gradually decreased in recent decades. As a newly emerging feature, the QBO disruption during the westerly phase is mainly caused by the extremely active Rossby waves from the extratropics. The QBO disruptions are likely to increase in a warmer climate background.

Authors: Wang, Y; Rao, J; Ju, Z; Osprey, SM

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Host title: Atmospheric oscillations: sources of subseasonal-to-seasonal variability and predictability
• Pages: 253-275
• Chapter number: 13
• Publication date: 2024-10-31
• DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-443-15638-0.00013-7
• ISBN: 9780443156380
• Language: English
• Keywords: Quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO); dynamic pathway; Rossby wave; QBO disruption; polar vortex
• Subtype: Chapter