The Resonant Response of Interannual Baroclinic Rossby Waves to Wind Forcing in the Eastern Midlatitude North Pacific

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Abstract
During the four year period 1976–80, mesoscale anomalies of 300 m temperature in the eastern midlatitude North Pacific were observed propagating westward from the coast of North America to 165°W at approximately 2 cm s−1, with characteristics similar to baroclinic, nondispersive Rossby waves. These mesoscale anomalies had a dominant period scale of approximately two years and a dominant wavelength scale of approximately 1000 km. In this study, a baroclinic, nondispersive Rossby wave model is driven by the observed wind stress curl in an attempt to simulate the amplitude and phase of these observed mesoscale anomalies over this period of time. Model/data intercomparison finds the frequency/zonal wavenumber spectra of model 300 m temperature to be similar in pattern to that observed for waves of periods greater than one year, with peak spectral energy density in both occurring at zonal wavelengths of 1000–1200 km and periods of 2–3 years. These spectral peaks occur on the Rossby wave dispersion cur... Abstract During the four year period 1976–80, mesoscale anomalies of 300 m temperature in the eastern midlatitude North Pacific were observed propagating westward from the coast of North America to 165°W at approximately 2 cm s−1, with characteristics similar to baroclinic, nondispersive Rossby waves. These mesoscale anomalies had a dominant period scale of approximately two years and a dominant wavelength scale of approximately 1000 km. In this study, a baroclinic, nondispersive Rossby wave model is driven by the observed wind stress curl in an attempt to simulate the amplitude and phase of these observed mesoscale anomalies over this period of time. Model/data intercomparison finds the frequency/zonal wavenumber spectra of model 300 m temperature to be similar in pattern to that observed for waves of periods greater than one year, with peak spectral energy density in both occurring at zonal wavelengths of 1000–1200 km and periods of 2–3 years. These spectral peaks occur on the Rossby wave dispersion cur...

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