The lack of a QBO-MJO connection in climate models with a nudged stratosphere

The observed stratospheric quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) and the tropospheric Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO) are strongly connected in boreal winter, with stronger MJO activity when lower-stratospheric winds are easterly. However, the current generation of climate models with internally generated representations of the QBO and MJO do not simulate the observed QBO-MJO connection, for reasons that remain unclear. This study builds on prior work exploring the QBO-MJO link in climate models whose stratospheric winds are relaxed toward reanalysis, reducing stratospheric biases in the model and imposing a realistic QBO. A series of ensemble experiments are performed using four state-of-the-art climate models capable of representing the MJO over the period 1980-2015, each with similar nudging in the stratosphere. In these four models, nudging leads to a good representation of QBO wind and temperature signals, however no model simulates the observed QBO-MJO relationship. Biases in MJO vertical structure and cloud-radiative feedbacks are investigated, but no conclusive model bias or mechanism is identified that explains the lack of a QBO-MJO connection.

To Access Resource:

Questions? Email Resource Support Contact:

  • opensky@ucar.edu
    UCAR/NCAR - Library

Resource Type publication
Temporal Range Begin N/A
Temporal Range End N/A
Temporal Resolution N/A
Bounding Box North Lat N/A
Bounding Box South Lat N/A
Bounding Box West Long N/A
Bounding Box East Long N/A
Spatial Representation N/A
Spatial Resolution N/A
Related Links

Related Dataset #1 : MJO-QBO Model Inter-comparison Data

Related Service #1 : Cheyenne: SGI ICE XA Cluster

Additional Information N/A
Resource Format PDF
Standardized Resource Format PDF
Asset Size N/A
Legal Constraints

Copyright 2023 American Geophysical Union (AGU).


Access Constraints None
Software Implementation Language N/A

Resource Support Name N/A
Resource Support Email opensky@ucar.edu
Resource Support Organization UCAR/NCAR - Library
Distributor N/A
Metadata Contact Name N/A
Metadata Contact Email opensky@ucar.edu
Metadata Contact Organization UCAR/NCAR - Library

Author Martin, Z. K.
Simpson, Isla R.
Lin, P.
Orbe, C.
Tang, Q.
Caron, Julie
Chen, Chih-Chieh
Kim, H.
Leung, L. R.
Richter, Jadwiga H.
Xie, S.
Publisher UCAR/NCAR - Library
Publication Date 2023-09-16T00:00:00
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) Not Assigned
Alternate Identifier N/A
Resource Version N/A
Topic Category geoscientificInformation
Progress N/A
Metadata Date 2025-07-11T15:14:30.996825
Metadata Record Identifier edu.ucar.opensky::articles:26613
Metadata Language eng; USA
Suggested Citation Martin, Z. K., Simpson, Isla R., Lin, P., Orbe, C., Tang, Q., Caron, Julie, Chen, Chih-Chieh, Kim, H., Leung, L. R., Richter, Jadwiga H., Xie, S.. (2023). The lack of a QBO-MJO connection in climate models with a nudged stratosphere. UCAR/NCAR - Library. https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7df6w8z. Accessed 01 August 2025.

Harvest Source