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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Hayley Fowler, Dr Nathan Forsythe
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2025The Western Tibetan Vortex (WTV) is a large-scale atmospheric circulation pattern recognized from monthly data. It has a quasi-barotropic structure, with its center located over the western Tibetan Plateau (TP) and provides the leading mode of variability of the western TP atmospheric circulation. However, existing research on the WTV mainly focuses on its interannual and seasonal variability, lacking detailed examination of synoptic scale processes. We utilize the daily ERA-Interim reanalysis to assess the intrinsic timescale of WTV activity, and the lifecycle of WTV events, at the synoptic scale. We find that the temporal evolution of the WTV at the synoptic scale can be interpreted as a red-noise (First-order Markov) process with an e-folding timescale ranging from 4.6 to 6.9 days, with a relatively longer duration in spring and summer and shorter duration during autumn and winter. The composite lifecycle of synoptic WTV events is characterized by a three-center wave train-like pattern across Eurasia (Scandinavia-West Siberia-western TP) during the developing and peak phases, while transitioning to a two-center dipole pattern (West Siberia-western TP) during the dissipating phase. During the developing and peak phases, intensity changes propagate eastward, accompanied by the eastward movement of nearly all three centers. In contrast, during the dissipating phase, the intensity of the two centers shows minimal propagation, with the West Siberia center shifting westward in position. Our results indicate that wave activity may differ between the developing-peak stages and the dissipation stage. This provides a foundation for further exploration on the dynamical characteristics of the WTV.
Author(s): Lei B, Li X-F, Li Y, Yang S, Fowler HJ, Forsythe N
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Atmospheric Research
Year: 2025
Volume: 325
Print publication date: 15/10/2025
Online publication date: 20/05/2025
Acceptance date: 19/05/2025
Date deposited: 02/06/2025
ISSN (print): 0169-8095
ISSN (electronic): 1873-2895
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2025.108232
DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosres.2025.108232
Data Access Statement: The data supporting the findings of this study are available from ERA-Interim daily reanalysis dataset at http://apps.ecmwf. int/datasets/
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