EGU21-16107
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-16107
EGU General Assembly 2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

The 2019/2020 QBO Disruption in ADM-Aeolus Wind Lidar Observations

Timothy Banyard1, Corwin Wright1, Neil Hindley1, Gemma Halloran2, and Scott Osprey3
Timothy Banyard et al.
  • 1Centre for Space, Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
  • 2Met Office, Exeter, United Kingdom
  • 3National Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom

The quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) is a regular cycle of alternating winds which dominates the behaviour of the tropical stratosphere. It is extremely technically challenging to model, and for this reason wind observations are vital to understand it fully. Characterised by downward propagating easterly and westerly regimes, the QBO progressed uninterrupted for more than 60 years until a highly anomalous deviation from its normal pattern in 2016. During 2019/2020, the start of a second disruption was seen in atmospheric analyses and radiosonde observations. Here, we exploit novel data from ESA's ADM-Aeolus satellite to demonstrate its ability to measure the QBO in unprecedented detail. A special adjustment of Aeolus' onboard range bin settings was implemented to observe this new disruption as it happened, providing a unique platform for studying the evolution of the event and the broader atmospheric effects triggered by it. In this presentation, we will show results from this special mode, highlighting how it has helped study the disruption, and how Aeolus and similar satellites can deepen our understanding of the QBO more generally.

How to cite: Banyard, T., Wright, C., Hindley, N., Halloran, G., and Osprey, S.: The 2019/2020 QBO Disruption in ADM-Aeolus Wind Lidar Observations, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-16107, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-16107, 2021.

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