Tropical-Extratropical Interactions
TRMM 3B42 rain-rates (shaded),
MJO-filtered 200 hPa Velocity Potential anomalies (colored-contours; cold-colored if negative; 0.5 STD intervals),
200 hPa Winds (magnitude only; black contours; starts at 40 m/s at 10 m/s intervals),
200 hPa irrotational winds (vectors; winds greater than 4 m/s only plotted)
MJO-filtered 200 hPa Velocity Potential anomalies (colored-contours; cold-colored if negative; 0.5 STD intervals),
200 hPa Winds (magnitude only; black contours; starts at 40 m/s at 10 m/s intervals),
200 hPa irrotational winds (vectors; winds greater than 4 m/s only plotted)
Tropical-Extratropical Regional Plots
o Maps of TRMM 3B42 rain-rates; MJO filtered VP200 anomalies; and 200 hPa Winds
o TMPA rainfall rates and 1° GFS analyses are used for the last 7 days
o Analyses are updated at 0000, 0600, 1200, and 1800 UTC with a 12-hour lag
o Negative (cold-colored contours) MJO Filtered 200 hPa VP anomalies represent upper-level divergence
o Positive (warm-colored contours) MJO Filtered 200 hPa VP anomalies represent upper-level convergence
Latest Analysis Last 7 Days
Pacific Pacific
Atlantic Atlantic
Global Global
o TMPA rainfall rates and 1° GFS analyses are used for the last 7 days
o Analyses are updated at 0000, 0600, 1200, and 1800 UTC with a 12-hour lag
o Negative (cold-colored contours) MJO Filtered 200 hPa VP anomalies represent upper-level divergence
o Positive (warm-colored contours) MJO Filtered 200 hPa VP anomalies represent upper-level convergence
Latest Analysis Last 7 Days
Pacific Pacific
Atlantic Atlantic
Global Global
Kelvin Wave Phase Space Diagram
To construct this diagram, the GFS variables used are anomalies of (Left) Kelvin filtered 200 hPa velocity potential; To see the variance of EOFs 1 and 2, click here.
Regional TRMM 3B42 rain rates, KW filtered 200 hPa VP anomalies, and 200 hPa GFS Wind anomalies
o Maps of 200-hPa winds and rainfall rates
o TMPA rainfall rates and 1° GFS analyses are used for the last 7 days
o Analyses are updated at 0000, 0600, 1200, and 1800 UTC with a 12-hour lag
o Anomaly plots only contain 200 hPa wind standardized anomalies; begin at 1 STD with 0.5 STD intervals
o Negative (cold-colored contours) Kelvin Filtered 200 hPa VP anomalies represent upper-level divergence
o Positive (warm-colored contours) Kelvin Filtered 200 hPa VP anomalies represent upper-level convergence
Latest Analysis Last 7 Days
Pacific Pacific
Atlantic Atlantic
Africa Africa
Indian Indian
Global Global
o TMPA rainfall rates and 1° GFS analyses are used for the last 7 days
o Analyses are updated at 0000, 0600, 1200, and 1800 UTC with a 12-hour lag
o Anomaly plots only contain 200 hPa wind standardized anomalies; begin at 1 STD with 0.5 STD intervals
o Negative (cold-colored contours) Kelvin Filtered 200 hPa VP anomalies represent upper-level divergence
o Positive (warm-colored contours) Kelvin Filtered 200 hPa VP anomalies represent upper-level convergence
Latest Analysis Last 7 Days
Pacific Pacific
Atlantic Atlantic
Africa Africa
Indian Indian
Global Global
Current State (200 hPa Velocity Potential)
Regional Filtered VP200 anomaly Maps
Latest Analysis Last 7 Days
Western Hemisphere Western Hemisphere
Eastern Hemisphere Eastern Hemisphere
Global Global
Western Hemisphere Western Hemisphere
Eastern Hemisphere Eastern Hemisphere
Global Global
Regional filtered VP200 anomaly X-Y Plots
o 1° GFS analyses used
o All plots are averaged over 5S-5N
o Positive Filtered 200 hPa VP anomalies represent upper-level convergence or the suppressed phase of the wave
o Updates once per day
o Forecast is a simple linear extrapolation of the wave filtered VP200 anomalies
o Ends of time series were padded with zeros, therefore the forecast anomalies will be reduced in magnitude
o Anomalies are standardized
Indian West Pacific East Pacific Atlantic Africa
o All plots are averaged over 5S-5N
o Positive Filtered 200 hPa VP anomalies represent upper-level convergence or the suppressed phase of the wave
o Updates once per day
o Forecast is a simple linear extrapolation of the wave filtered VP200 anomalies
o Ends of time series were padded with zeros, therefore the forecast anomalies will be reduced in magnitude
o Anomalies are standardized
Indian West Pacific East Pacific Atlantic Africa
Kelvin Filtered Velocity Potential Time-Longitude Plots (90 Days)
o Global time–longitude GFS VP plots
o Unfiltered VP is shaded
o Negative VP = Divergence
o Kelvin Filtered Velocity Potential Anomalies are contoured and are standardized
CINT: 1 STD
o The convectively active phases of all Kelvin waves are represented by the "blue dashed" lines
o Kelvin Filtering: Wave numbers 1-14; period of 2.5-30 days; equivalent depth of 8-90m.
VP200 VP850
20°N – 30°N total anom 20°N – 30°N total anom
10°N – 20°N total anom 10°N – 20°N total anom
Eq – 10°N total anom Eq – 10°N total anom
5°S – 5°N total anom 5°S – 5°N total anom
10°S – Eq total anom 10°S – Eq total anom
20°S – 10°S total anom 20°S – 10°S total anom
30°S – 20°S total anom 30°S – 20°S total anom
o Unfiltered VP is shaded
o Negative VP = Divergence
o Kelvin Filtered Velocity Potential Anomalies are contoured and are standardized
CINT: 1 STD
o The convectively active phases of all Kelvin waves are represented by the "blue dashed" lines
o Kelvin Filtering: Wave numbers 1-14; period of 2.5-30 days; equivalent depth of 8-90m.
VP200 VP850
20°N – 30°N total anom 20°N – 30°N total anom
10°N – 20°N total anom 10°N – 20°N total anom
Eq – 10°N total anom Eq – 10°N total anom
5°S – 5°N total anom 5°S – 5°N total anom
10°S – Eq total anom 10°S – Eq total anom
20°S – 10°S total anom 20°S – 10°S total anom
30°S – 20°S total anom 30°S – 20°S total anom
Kelvin and MJO Filtered Velocity Potential Time-Longitude Plots (260 Days)
Global time–longitude GFS VP200 plots
o Unfiltered VP is shaded
o Negative VP = Divergence
o Filtered VP anomalies are normalized
o Kelvin Filtering: Wave numbers 1->14; period of 2.5-30 days; equivalent depth of 8-90m.
CINT: 2 STD
o MJO Filtering: Wave numbers 1->5; period of 30-96 days
CINT: 0.5 STD
o Contour Colors: Kelvin Waves = BLACK; MJO = RED
VP200 VP850
20°N – 30°N total anom 20°N – 30°N total anom
10°N – 20°N total anom 10°N – 20°N total anom
Eq – 10°N total anom Eq – 10°N total anom
5°S – 5°N total anom 5°S – 5°N total anom
10°S – Eq total anom 10°S – Eq total anom
20°S – 10°S total anom 20°S – 10°S total anom
30°S – 20°S total anom 30°S – 20°S total anom
o Unfiltered VP is shaded
o Negative VP = Divergence
o Filtered VP anomalies are normalized
o Kelvin Filtering: Wave numbers 1->14; period of 2.5-30 days; equivalent depth of 8-90m.
CINT: 2 STD
o MJO Filtering: Wave numbers 1->5; period of 30-96 days
CINT: 0.5 STD
o Contour Colors: Kelvin Waves = BLACK; MJO = RED
VP200 VP850
20°N – 30°N total anom 20°N – 30°N total anom
10°N – 20°N total anom 10°N – 20°N total anom
Eq – 10°N total anom Eq – 10°N total anom
5°S – 5°N total anom 5°S – 5°N total anom
10°S – Eq total anom 10°S – Eq total anom
20°S – 10°S total anom 20°S – 10°S total anom
30°S – 20°S total anom 30°S – 20°S total anom
Kelvin Filtered TRMM 3B42 Rain Rate Time-Longitude Plots (30 Days)
o Unfiltered TRMM 3B42 rain rates (and anomalies) are shaded
o Negative Kelvin filtered TRMM rain rate anomalies are dashed (Suppressed phase)
o Kelvin Filtering: Wave numbers 1-10; period of 2-20 days; equivalent depth of 8-mis.
Pacific Atlantic Africa
10°N – 15°N total anom total anom total anom
7.5°N – 12°N total anom total anom total anom
5°N – 10°N total anom total anom total anom
5°S – 5°N total anom total anom total anom
10°S – 5°S total anom total anom total anom
12°S – 7.5°S total anom total anom total anom
15°S – 10°S total anom total anom total anom
o Negative Kelvin filtered TRMM rain rate anomalies are dashed (Suppressed phase)
o Kelvin Filtering: Wave numbers 1-10; period of 2-20 days; equivalent depth of 8-mis.
Pacific Atlantic Africa
10°N – 15°N total anom total anom total anom
7.5°N – 12°N total anom total anom total anom
5°N – 10°N total anom total anom total anom
5°S – 5°N total anom total anom total anom
10°S – 5°S total anom total anom total anom
12°S – 7.5°S total anom total anom total anom
15°S – 10°S total anom total anom total anom
