Quasi-biennial oscillation signals in outgoing long-wave radiation of the equator Original Research Article

In the present paper, the authors use wavelet transform technique to study time-series of outgoing long-wave radiation (OLR) anomaly at the equator during 1979–2005. The results show that quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) signals exist in the OLR variation and the QBO cycle has remarkable temporal variability in its amplitude and phase. The periodic length of the QBO fluctuation is about 2.2-year before 1986. After that time, the length mainly changes from about 2.4- to 2.6-year. Analyzing the anomaly data set of 850 MB trade wind index (TWI) at west Pacific during this period, we have found that the obvious time-variations characteristics of the QBO cycle also exist in the TWI change at west Pacific and are in good consistence with that of the OLR change. The quasi-biennial fluctuation of the TWI change can explain that of the OLR change to a large extent.