That the midlatitude atmosphere affects and, in turn, is affected by the tropics is well known, but the mechanisms by which this occurs are not well understood. The objective of this research project is to expand our understanding of the atmospheric dynamics of the interactions between the tropics and midlatitudes. The research involves three major topics. The first is a study of heating over the Tibetan Plateau. Dr. Yanai and his colleagues intend to determine the seasonal heating patterns over the Plateau and the surrounding regions, the mechanisms responsible for that heating, and the effect of the heating on the Asian monsoon. The second broad area involves studies of equatorial waves and the so-called 30-50 day oscillation. The group is focusing on the roles of cumulus convection and midlatitude disturbances in initiation and/or maintaining these two phenomena. Finally, the group is investigating the statistical representation of cumulus cloud ensembles and how downdrafts and mesoscale convective organization affect the ensemble characteristics. This work should significantly advance our understanding of the large-scale atmosphere. The last topic also has important implications for the representation of physical processes in numerical models of the atmosphere.
