140:). Easterly phases of the QBO often coincide with more sudden stratospheric warmings, a weaker Atlantic jet stream, and cold winters in Northern Europe and the Eastern U.S. In contrast, westerly phases of the QBO often coincide with mild winters in the Eastern U.S. and a strong Atlantic jet stream with mild, wet winters in Northern Europe. In addition, the QBO has been shown to affect hurricane frequency during hurricane seasons in the Atlantic. Research has also been conducted investigating a possible relationship between ENSO (
238:
158:
44:. Downward motion of the easterlies is usually more irregular than that of the westerlies. The amplitude of the easterly phase is about twice as strong as that of the westerly phase. At the top of the vertical QBO domain, easterlies dominate, while at the bottom, westerlies are more likely to be found. At the
254:
The first significant observed deviation from the normal QBO since its discovery in early 1950s was noted beginning in
February 2016, when the transition to easterly winds was disrupted by a new band of westerly winds that formed unexpectedly. The lack of a reliable QBO cycle deprives forecasters of
63:
led to visual tracking of subsequent volcanic ash in the stratosphere. This visual tracking led to the discovery of easterly winds between 25 and 30 km above the surface. The winds were then called the
Krakatau easterlies. In 1908, data balloons launched above
72:. These findings, at the time, were thought to contradict the 1883 findings. However, the winds that would become known as the QBO were discovered to oscillate between westerly and easterly in the 1950s by researchers at the UK
39:
with a mean period of 28 to 29 months. The alternating wind regimes develop at the top of the lower stratosphere and propagate downwards at about 1 km (0.6 mi) per month until they are dissipated at the
760:
Baldwin, M.P.; Gray, L.J.; Dunkerton, T.J.; Hamilton, K.; Haynes, P.H.; Randel, W.J.; Holton, J.R.; Alexander, M.J.; Hirota, I.; Horinouchi, T.; Jones, D.B.A. (2001). "The quasi-biennial oscillation".
51:
level, with regards to monthly mean zonal winds, the strongest recorded easterly was 29.55 m/s in
November 2005, while the strongest recorded westerly was only 15.62 m/s in June 1995.
245:) in m/s between about 20 and 35 km (22 mi) altitude above sea level over a ten-year period. Positive values denote westerly winds and the contour line is at 0 m/s.
995:
381:
Scaife, A.A.; Butchart, N.; Warner, C.D.; Stainforth, D.; Norton, W.; Austin, J. (2000). "Realistic quasi-biennial oscillations in a simulation of the global climate".
850:
650:
Osprey, Scott M.; Butchart, Neal; Knight, Jeff R.; Scaife, Adam A.; Hamilton, Kevin; Anstey, James A.; Schenzinger, Verena; Zhang, Chunxi (23 September 2016).
271:, or some other factor might be involved. They are trying to determine whether this is more of a once-in-a-generation event or a sign of the changing climate.
815:
The Berlin QBO data series since 2024 provided by the
Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (1953–present)
179:
571:
750:
935:
424:
Giorgetta, M.; Manzini, E.; Roeckner, E. (2002). "Forcing of the quasi-biennial oscillation from a broad spectrum of atmospheric waves".
141:
940:
843:
1051:
930:
915:
900:
311:
205:
264:
259:
and thereby north
European weather, scientists speculated that the coming winter could be warmer and stormier in that region.
183:
955:
539:"Anomalously short duration of the easterly wind phase of the QBO at 50hPa in 1987 and its relationship to an El Nino event"
1056:
1046:
1041:
836:
137:
920:
719:
985:
346:
Takahashi, M. (1996). "Simulation of the stratospheric Quasi-Biennial
Oscillation using a general circulation model".
651:
168:
970:
875:
280:
256:
187:
172:
975:
477:
Ebdon, R.A. (1975). "The quasi-biennial oscillation and its association with tropospheric circulation patterns".
219:
60:
522:
497:
112:
have come to be seen as a major contributor and the QBO is now simulated in a growing number of climate models.
895:
301:
108:. The precise nature of the waves responsible for this effect was heavily debated; in recent years, however,
990:
777:
885:
880:
125:
73:
498:"Atlantic Seasonal Hurricane Frequency. Part I: El Nino and 30mb Quasi-Biennial Oscillation Influences"
84:, as is the case for many other stratospheric circulation patterns. In the 1970s it was recognized by
769:
666:
616:
509:
433:
390:
355:
32:
960:
950:
859:
782:
133:
890:
795:
700:
632:
459:
406:
823:
1020:
746:
692:
307:
105:
787:
682:
674:
624:
579:
550:
517:
449:
441:
398:
363:
93:
28:
980:
454:
85:
773:
670:
620:
513:
437:
394:
359:
268:
1035:
925:
636:
410:
223:
65:
799:
704:
572:"Unprecedented disruption to atmosphere's pacemaker foretells wet winter for Europe"
463:
1005:
109:
101:
89:
81:
36:
327:
Graystone, P. (1959). "Meteorological office discussion on tropical meteorology".
237:
818:
740:
1015:
157:
97:
910:
905:
814:
555:
538:
77:
69:
47:
41:
678:
583:
231:
696:
241:
Time–height plot of monthly-mean, zonal-mean equatorial zonal wind (
791:
628:
445:
402:
227:
652:"An unexpected disruption of the atmospheric quasi-biennial oscillation"
965:
945:
828:
687:
129:
367:
1010:
68:
in Africa recorded westerly winds in the stratospheric levels of the
604:
222:
supplies a QBO data set that comprises radiosonde observations from
603:
Newman, P. A.; Coy, L.; Pawson, S.; Lait, L. R. (28 August 2016).
236:
121:
76:. The cause of these QBO winds remained unclear for some time.
263:
scientists have been researching to test if the extremely strong
260:
132:
precipitation, and an influence on stratospheric circulation in
832:
739:
Andrews, David G.; Holton, James R.; Leovy, Conway B. (1987).
151:
255:
a valuable tool. Since the QBO has a strong influence on the
523:
10.1175/1520-0493(1984)112<1649:ashfpi>2.0.co;2
136:
winter (mediated partly by a change in the frequency of
35:
wind between easterlies and westerlies in the tropical
80:
soundings showed that its phase was not related to the
866:
120:Effects of the QBO include mixing of stratospheric
234:. The plot below shows the QBO during the 1980s.
306:. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. p. 229.
605:"The anomalous change in the QBO in 2015–2016"
543:Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan
100:that travel upwards and are dissipated in the
92:that the periodic wind reversal was driven by
996:Pacific–North American teleconnection pattern
844:
8:
721:A Strange Thing Happened in the Stratosphere
148:Observation of the QBO with weather balloons
300:Rohli, Robert V.; Vega, Anthony J. (2012).
186:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
851:
837:
829:
781:
686:
554:
521:
453:
206:Learn how and when to remove this message
824:NASA Goddard QBO web page (1980-present)
292:
7:
184:adding citations to reliable sources
941:Equatorial Indian Ocean oscillation
718:Lynch, Patrick (2 September 2016),
537:Maruyama, T.; Tsuneoka, Y. (1988).
128:caused by the QBO, modification of
14:
931:Diurnal air temperature variation
916:Cataclysmic pole shift hypothesis
901:Atlantic multidecadal oscillation
156:
455:11858/00-001M-0000-0012-027C-1
31:oscillation of the equatorial
1:
138:sudden stratospheric warmings
936:El Niño–Southern Oscillation
142:El Niño–Southern Oscillation
96:emanating from the tropical
986:Pacific decadal oscillation
570:Mason, Betsy (2016-09-07).
1073:
1001:Quasi-biennial oscillation
971:North Atlantic oscillation
876:Antarctic Circumpolar Wave
742:Middle Atmosphere Dynamics
281:North Atlantic oscillation
257:North Atlantic Oscillation
21:quasi-biennial oscillation
976:North Pacific Oscillation
956:Madden–Julian oscillation
556:10.2151/jmsj1965.66.4_629
496:Gray, William M. (1984).
220:Free University of Berlin
16:Tropical wind alternation
1052:Regional climate effects
921:Dansgaard–Oeschger event
896:Atlantic Equatorial mode
991:Pacific Meridional Mode
679:10.1126/science.aah4156
584:10.1126/science.aah7277
502:Monthly Weather Review
246:
886:Arctic dipole anomaly
881:Antarctic oscillation
240:
126:secondary circulation
74:Meteorological Office
1057:Climate oscillations
1047:Atmospheric dynamics
1042:Tropical meteorology
860:Climate oscillations
792:10.1029/1999RG000073
629:10.1002/2016GL070373
446:10.1029/2002GL014756
403:10.1029/2000GL011625
180:improve this section
61:eruption of Krakatoa
961:Milankovitch cycles
951:Indian Ocean Dipole
774:2001RvGeo..39..179B
671:2016Sci...353.1424O
621:2016GeoRL..43.8791N
514:1984MWRv..112.1649G
438:2002GeoRL..29.1245G
395:2000GeoRL..27.3481S
360:1996GeoRL..23..661T
250:Recent observations
134:northern hemisphere
906:Earth's axial tilt
891:Arctic oscillation
817:also available as
745:. Academic Press.
609:Geophys. Res. Lett
426:Geophys. Res. Lett
383:Geophys. Res. Lett
348:Geophys. Res. Lett
247:
1029:
1028:
1021:True polar wander
1016:Solar variability
752:978-0-12-058576-2
368:10.1029/95GL03413
265:2014–2016 El Niño
216:
215:
208:
106:radiative cooling
94:atmospheric waves
1064:
853:
846:
839:
830:
819:netcdf on zenodo
803:
785:
756:
725:
724:
715:
709:
708:
690:
665:(6306): 1424–7.
656:
647:
641:
640:
600:
594:
593:
591:
590:
567:
561:
560:
558:
534:
528:
527:
525:
508:(9): 1649–1668.
493:
487:
486:
474:
468:
467:
457:
421:
415:
414:
378:
372:
371:
343:
337:
336:
324:
318:
317:
297:
211:
204:
200:
197:
191:
160:
152:
50:
1072:
1071:
1067:
1066:
1065:
1063:
1062:
1061:
1032:
1031:
1030:
1025:
981:Orbital forcing
868:
862:
857:
811:
806:
759:
753:
738:
734:
732:Further reading
729:
728:
717:
716:
712:
654:
649:
648:
644:
602:
601:
597:
588:
586:
569:
568:
564:
536:
535:
531:
495:
494:
490:
476:
475:
471:
423:
422:
418:
380:
379:
375:
345:
344:
340:
326:
325:
321:
314:
299:
298:
294:
289:
277:
252:
212:
201:
195:
192:
177:
161:
150:
144:) and the QBO.
118:
86:Richard Lindzen
57:
45:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1070:
1068:
1060:
1059:
1054:
1049:
1044:
1034:
1033:
1027:
1026:
1024:
1023:
1018:
1013:
1008:
1003:
998:
993:
988:
983:
978:
973:
968:
963:
958:
953:
948:
946:Glacial cycles
943:
938:
933:
928:
923:
918:
913:
908:
903:
898:
893:
888:
883:
878:
872:
870:
864:
863:
858:
856:
855:
848:
841:
833:
827:
826:
821:
810:
809:External links
807:
805:
804:
783:10.1.1.144.305
768:(2): 179–229.
757:
751:
735:
733:
730:
727:
726:
710:
642:
615:(16): 8791–7.
595:
562:
549:(4): 629–634.
529:
488:
469:
416:
389:(21): 3481–4.
373:
338:
319:
312:
291:
290:
288:
285:
284:
283:
276:
273:
269:climate change
251:
248:
214:
213:
164:
162:
155:
149:
146:
117:
114:
56:
53:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1069:
1058:
1055:
1053:
1050:
1048:
1045:
1043:
1040:
1039:
1037:
1022:
1019:
1017:
1014:
1012:
1009:
1007:
1004:
1002:
999:
997:
994:
992:
989:
987:
984:
982:
979:
977:
974:
972:
969:
967:
964:
962:
959:
957:
954:
952:
949:
947:
944:
942:
939:
937:
934:
932:
929:
927:
926:Diurnal cycle
924:
922:
919:
917:
914:
912:
909:
907:
904:
902:
899:
897:
894:
892:
889:
887:
884:
882:
879:
877:
874:
873:
871:
865:
861:
854:
849:
847:
842:
840:
835:
834:
831:
825:
822:
820:
816:
813:
812:
808:
801:
797:
793:
789:
784:
779:
775:
771:
767:
763:
758:
754:
748:
744:
743:
737:
736:
731:
723:
722:
714:
711:
706:
702:
698:
694:
689:
684:
680:
676:
672:
668:
664:
660:
653:
646:
643:
638:
634:
630:
626:
622:
618:
614:
610:
606:
599:
596:
585:
581:
577:
573:
566:
563:
557:
552:
548:
545:. Series II.
544:
540:
533:
530:
524:
519:
515:
511:
507:
503:
499:
492:
489:
484:
480:
473:
470:
465:
461:
456:
451:
447:
443:
439:
435:
431:
427:
420:
417:
412:
408:
404:
400:
396:
392:
388:
384:
377:
374:
369:
365:
361:
357:
353:
349:
342:
339:
334:
330:
323:
320:
315:
313:9781449655914
309:
305:
304:
296:
293:
286:
282:
279:
278:
274:
272:
270:
266:
262:
258:
249:
244:
239:
235:
233:
229:
225:
224:Canton Island
221:
210:
207:
199:
189:
185:
181:
175:
174:
170:
165:This section
163:
159:
154:
153:
147:
145:
143:
139:
135:
131:
127:
123:
115:
113:
111:
110:gravity waves
107:
103:
99:
95:
91:
87:
83:
79:
75:
71:
67:
66:Lake Victoria
62:
59:In 1883, the
54:
52:
49:
43:
38:
34:
30:
29:quasiperiodic
26:
22:
1006:Seasonal lag
1000:
869:oscillations
765:
762:Rev. Geophys
761:
741:
720:
713:
662:
658:
645:
612:
608:
598:
587:. Retrieved
575:
565:
546:
542:
532:
505:
501:
491:
482:
478:
472:
432:(8): 861–4.
429:
425:
419:
386:
382:
376:
354:(6): 661–4.
351:
347:
341:
332:
328:
322:
302:
295:
253:
242:
217:
202:
196:October 2021
193:
178:Please help
166:
119:
102:stratosphere
90:James Holton
82:annual cycle
58:
37:stratosphere
24:
20:
18:
688:10125/43740
303:Climatology
98:troposphere
1036:Categories
911:Bond event
589:2016-09-09
485:: 282–297.
287:References
78:Radiosonde
70:atmosphere
42:tropopause
778:CiteSeerX
637:132411820
411:129296437
232:Singapore
167:does not
800:16727059
705:44671549
697:27608666
479:Met. Mag
464:28289267
329:Met. Mag
275:See also
46:30
1011:Seasons
966:Monsoon
867:Climate
770:Bibcode
667:Bibcode
659:Science
617:Bibcode
576:Science
510:Bibcode
434:Bibcode
391:Bibcode
356:Bibcode
188:removed
173:sources
130:monsoon
124:by the
116:Effects
27:) is a
798:
780:
749:
703:
695:
635:
462:
409:
335:: 117.
310:
230:, and
55:Theory
796:S2CID
701:S2CID
655:(PDF)
633:S2CID
460:S2CID
407:S2CID
122:ozone
33:zonal
747:ISBN
693:PMID
308:ISBN
261:NASA
218:The
171:any
169:cite
88:and
19:The
788:doi
683:hdl
675:doi
663:353
625:doi
580:doi
551:doi
518:doi
506:112
483:104
450:hdl
442:doi
399:doi
364:doi
228:Gan
182:by
104:by
25:QBO
1038::
794:.
786:.
776:.
766:39
764:.
699:.
691:.
681:.
673:.
661:.
657:.
631:.
623:.
613:43
611:.
607:.
578:.
574:.
547:66
541:.
516:.
504:.
500:.
481:.
458:.
448:.
440:.
430:29
428:.
405:.
397:.
387:27
385:.
362:.
352:23
350:.
333:88
331:.
267:,
226:,
48:mb
852:e
845:t
838:v
802:.
790::
772::
755:.
707:.
685::
677::
669::
639:.
627::
619::
592:.
582::
559:.
553::
526:.
520::
512::
466:.
452::
444::
436::
413:.
401::
393::
370:.
366::
358::
316:.
243:u
209:)
203:(
198:)
194:(
190:.
176:.
23:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
