TY - CONF TI - Quantitative assessment of the different methods addressing the endmember variability AU - Rao, Yuhan AU - Chen, Jin AU - Chen, Xuehong AU - Wang, Jianmin AB - Spectral mixture analysis is an important technique to extract desired information from the mixed remotely sensed data. However, current spectral mixture analysis techniques suffered from the endmember variability. Quantitative assessment of SMA techniques with simulated data is critical to understand the influence of endmember variability. For that reason, this study has compared five typical spectral mixture analysis addressing endmember variability issue with simulated data. The comparison result shows that MESMA seems to be the best in unmixing accuracy. However, sensitive to noise and large computation loads also made MESMA less satisfactory, while other methods could supersede MESMA at specific situations. C2 - 2013/// C3 - International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS) DA - 2013/// DO - 10.1109/IGARSS.2013.6723537 SP - 3317-3320 PB - IEEE UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84894273818&partnerID=MN8TOARS KW - SMA KW - endmember variability KW - simulated data KW - quantitative ER - TY - CONF TI - The SURFA Project: Towards Near-Real-Time Quality Monitoring of NWP Forecasts and Historical Analysis AU - Zhang, H.-M. AU - Peng, G. AU - Vasquez, L. AU - Hankins, W. AU - Fairall, C.W. AU - Weller, R. AU - Brown, A. C2 - 2013/4// C3 - 4th WGNE workshop on systematic error in weather and climate models DA - 2013/4// ER - TY - JOUR TI - Evaluation of Various Surface Wind Products with OceanSITES Buoy Measurements T2 - Weather and Forecasting AB - Abstract To facilitate evaluation and monitoring of numerical weather prediction model forecasts and satellite-based products against high-quality in situ observations, a data repository for collocated model forecasts, a satellite product, and in situ observations has been created under the support of various World Climate Research Program (WCRP) working groups. Daily measurements from 11 OceanSITES buoys are used as the reference dataset to evaluate five ocean surface wind products (three short-range forecasts, one reanalysis, and one satellite based) over a 1-yr intensive analysis period, using the WCRP community weather prediction model evaluation metrics. All five wind products correlate well with the buoy winds with correlations above 0.76 for all 11 buoy stations except the meridional wind at four stations, where the satellite and model performances are weakest in estimating the meridional wind (or wind direction). The reanalysis has higher cross-correlation coefficients (above 0.83) and smaller root-mean-square (RMS) errors than others. The satellite wind shows larger variability than that observed by buoys; contrarily, the models underestimate the variability. For the zonal and meridional winds, although the magnitude of biases averaged over all the stations are mostly <0.12 m s−1 for each product, the magnitude of biases at individual stations can be >1.2 m s−1, confirming the need for regional/site analysis when characterizing any wind product. On wind direction, systematic negative (positive) biases are found in the central (east central) Pacific Ocean. Wind speed and direction errors could induce erroneous ocean currents and states from ocean models driven by these products. The deficiencies revealed here are useful for product and model improvement. DA - 2013/// PY - 2013/// DO - http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/WAF-D-12-00086.1 UR - http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/WAF-D-12-00086.1 ER - TY - JOUR TI - A long-term and reproducible passive microwave sea ice concentration data record for climate studies and monitoring AU - Peng, G. AU - Meier, W. N. AU - Scott, D. J. AU - Savoie, M. H. T2 - Earth System Science Data AB - Abstract. A long-term, consistent, and reproducible satellite-based passive microwave sea ice concentration climate data record (CDR) is available for climate studies, monitoring, and model validation with an initial operation capability (IOC). The daily and monthly sea ice concentration data are on the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) polar stereographic grid with nominal 25 km × 25 km grid cells in both the Southern and Northern Hemisphere polar regions from 9 July 1987 to 31 December 2007. The data files are available in the NetCDF data format at http://nsidc.org/data/g02202.html and archived by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the satellite climate data record program (http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cdr/operationalcdrs.html). The description and basic characteristics of the NOAA/NSIDC passive microwave sea ice concentration CDR are presented here. The CDR provides similar spatial and temporal variability as the heritage products to the user communities with the additional documentation, traceability, and reproducibility that meet current standards and guidelines for climate data records. The data set, along with detailed data processing steps and error source information, can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.7265/N55M63M1. DA - 2013/// PY - 2013/// DO - 10.5194/essd-5-311-2013 VL - 5 IS - 2 SP - 311-318 UR - http://www.earth-syst-sci-data.net/5/311/2013/ ER - TY - CONF TI - Development of a failure criterion for asphalt mixtures under fatigue loading AU - Zhang, J. AU - Sabouri, M. AU - Guddati, M. N. AU - Kim, Y. R. C2 - 2013/// C3 - Asphalt paving technology 2013, vol 82 DA - 2013/// VL - 82 SP - 1-22 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Which MJO Events Affect North American Temperatures? AU - Schreck, Carl J., III AU - Cordeira, Jason M. AU - Margolin, David T2 - MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW AB - Abstract Tropical convection from the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) excites and amplifies extratropical Rossby waves around the globe. This forcing is reflected in teleconnection patterns like the Pacific–North American (PNA) pattern, and it can ultimately result in temperature anomalies over North America. Previous studies have not explored whether the extratropical response might vary from one MJO event to another. This study proposes a new index, the multivariate PNA (MVP), to identify variations in the extratropical waveguide over the North Pacific and North America that might affect the response to the MJO. The MVP is the first combined EOF of 20–100-day OLR, 850-hPa streamfunction, and 200-hPa streamfunction over the North Pacific and North America. The North American temperature patterns that follow each phase of the MJO change with the sign of the MVP. For example, real-time multivariate MJO (RMM) phase 5 usually leads to warm anomalies over eastern North America. This relationship was only found when the MVP was negative, and it was not associated with El Niño or La Niña. RMM phase 8, on the other hand, usually leads to cold anomalies. Those anomalies only occur if the MVP is positive, which happens somewhat more frequently during La Niña years. Composite analyses based on combinations of the MJO and the MVP show that variability in the Pacific jet and its associated wave breaking play a key role in determining whether and how the MJO affects North American temperatures. DA - 2013/11// PY - 2013/11// DO - 10.1175/mwr-d-13-00118.1 VL - 141 IS - 11 SP - 3840-3850 SN - 1520-0493 KW - Madden-Julian oscillation KW - Pacific-North American pattern KW - oscillation KW - Statistical forecasting KW - Intraseasonal variability ER - TY - JOUR TI - Mapping the world's tropical cyclone rainfall contribution over land using the TRMM Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis AU - Prat, Olivier AU - Nelson, B. R. T2 - Water Resources Research AB - A study was performed to characterize over land precipitation associated with tropical cyclones (TCs) for basins around the world based upon the International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS). From 1998 to 2009, data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multi‐satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) product 3B42, showed that TCs accounted for 5.5%, 7.5%, 6%, 9.5%, and 8.9% of the annual precipitation for impacted over land areas of the Americas, East Asia, South and West Asia, Oceania, and East Africa respectively, and that TC contribution decreased significantly within the first 150 km from the coast. Locally, TCs contributed on average to more than 25% and up to 61% of the annual precipitation budget over very different climatic areas with arid or tropical characteristics. East Asia represented the higher and most constant TC rain (118 mm yr −1 ±19%) normalized over the area impacted, while East Africa presented the highest variability (108 mm yr −1 ±60%), and the Americas displayed the lowest average TC rain (65 mm yr −1 ±24%) despite a higher TC activity. Furthermore, the maximum monthly TC contribution (8–11%) was found later in the TC season and depended on the peak of TC activity, TC rainfall, and the domain transition between dry and wet regimes if any. Finally, because of their importance in terms of rainfall amount, the contribution of TCs was provided for a selection of 50 urban areas experiencing cyclonic activity. Results showed that for particularly intense years, urban areas prone to cyclonic activity received more than half of their annual rainfall from TCs. DA - 2013/// PY - 2013/// DO - 10.1002/wrcr.20527 VL - 49 IS - 11 SP - 7236-7254 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Large-Scale Atmospheric and Oceanic Conditions during the 2011-12 DYNAMO Field Campaign AU - Gottschalck, Jon AU - Roundy, Paul E. AU - Schreck, Carl J., III AU - Vintzileos, Augustin AU - Zhang, Chidong T2 - MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW AB - Abstract An international field campaign, Dynamics of the Madden Julian Oscillation (DYNAMO), took place in the Indian Ocean during October 2011–March 2012 to collect observations for the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO), especially its convective initiation processes. The large-scale atmospheric and oceanic conditions during the campaign are documented here. The ENSO and the Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) states, the monthly mean monsoon circulation and its associated precipitation, humidity, vertical and meridional/zonal overturning cells, and ocean surface currents are discussed. The evolution of MJO events is described using various fields and indices that have been used to subdivide the campaign into three periods. These periods were 1) 17 September–8 December 2011 (period 1), which featured two robust MJO events that circumnavigated the global tropics with a period of less than 45 days; 2) 9 December 2011–31 January 2012, which contained less coherent activity (period 2); and 3) 1 February–12 April 2012, a period that featured the strongest and most slowly propagating MJO event of the campaign (period 3). Activities of convectively coupled atmospheric Kelvin and equatorial Rossby (ER) waves and their interaction with the MJO are discussed. The overview of the atmospheric and oceanic variability during the field campaign raises several scientific issues pertaining to our understanding of the MJO, or lack thereof. Among others, roles of Kelvin and ER waves in MJO convective initiation, convection-circulation decoupling on the MJO scale, applications of MJO filtering methods and indices, and ocean–atmosphere coupling need further research attention. DA - 2013/12// PY - 2013/12// DO - 10.1175/mwr-d-13-00022.1 VL - 141 IS - 12 SP - 4173-4196 SN - 1520-0493 KW - Madden-Julian oscillation KW - Intraseasonal variability ER - TY - JOUR TI - Evaluation of Various Surface Wind Products with OceanSITES Buoy Measurements AU - Peng, Ge AU - Zhang, Huai-Min AU - Frank, Helmut P. AU - Bidlot, Jean-Raymond AU - Higaki, Masakazu AU - Stevens, Scott AU - Hankins, William R. T2 - WEATHER AND FORECASTING AB - Abstract To facilitate evaluation and monitoring of numerical weather prediction model forecasts and satellite-based products against high-quality in situ observations, a data repository for collocated model forecasts, a satellite product, and in situ observations has been created under the support of various World Climate Research Program (WCRP) working groups. Daily measurements from 11 OceanSITES buoys are used as the reference dataset to evaluate five ocean surface wind products (three short-range forecasts, one reanalysis, and one satellite based) over a 1-yr intensive analysis period, using the WCRP community weather prediction model evaluation metrics. All five wind products correlate well with the buoy winds with correlations above 0.76 for all 11 buoy stations except the meridional wind at four stations, where the satellite and model performances are weakest in estimating the meridional wind (or wind direction). The reanalysis has higher cross-correlation coefficients (above 0.83) and smaller root-mean-square (RMS) errors than others. The satellite wind shows larger variability than that observed by buoys; contrarily, the models underestimate the variability. For the zonal and meridional winds, although the magnitude of biases averaged over all the stations are mostly <0.12 m s−1 for each product, the magnitude of biases at individual stations can be >1.2 m s−1, confirming the need for regional/site analysis when characterizing any wind product. On wind direction, systematic negative (positive) biases are found in the central (east central) Pacific Ocean. Wind speed and direction errors could induce erroneous ocean currents and states from ocean models driven by these products. The deficiencies revealed here are useful for product and model improvement. DA - 2013/12// PY - 2013/12// DO - 10.1175/waf-d-12-00086.1 VL - 28 IS - 6 SP - 1281-1303 SN - 1520-0434 UR - http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcAuth=ORCID&SrcApp=OrcidOrg&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=WOS_CPL&KeyUT=WOS:000328520200001&KeyUID=WOS:000328520200001 KW - Wind KW - In situ atmospheric observations KW - Satellite observations KW - Forecast verification KW - skill KW - Model evaluation KW - performance ER - TY - JOUR TI - A Modified Multivariate Madden-Julian Oscillation Index Using Velocity Potential AU - Ventrice, Michael J. AU - Wheeler, Matthew C. AU - Hendon, Harry H. AU - Schreck, Carl J., III AU - Thorncroft, Chris D. AU - Kiladis, George N. T2 - MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW AB - Abstract A new Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) index is developed from a combined empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis of meridionally averaged 200-hPa velocity potential (VP200), 200-hPa zonal wind (U200), and 850-hPa zonal wind (U850). Like the Wheeler–Hendon Real-time Multivariate MJO (RMM) index, which was developed in the same way except using outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) data instead of VP200, daily data are projected onto the leading pair of EOFs to produce the two-component index. This new index is called the velocity potential MJO (VPM) indices and its properties are quantitatively compared to RMM. Compared to the RMM index, the VPM index detects larger-amplitude MJO-associated signals during boreal summer. This includes a slightly stronger and more coherent modulation of Atlantic tropical cyclones. This result is attributed to the fact that velocity potential preferentially emphasizes the planetary-scale aspects of the divergent circulation, thereby spreading the convectively driven component of the MJO’s signal across the entire globe. VP200 thus deemphasizes the convective signal of the MJO over the Indian Ocean warm pool, where the OLR variability associated with the MJO is concentrated, and enhances the signal over the relatively drier longitudes of the equatorial Pacific and Atlantic. This work provides a useful framework for systematic analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of different MJO indices. DA - 2013/12// PY - 2013/12// DO - 10.1175/mwr-d-12-00327.1 VL - 141 IS - 12 SP - 4197-4210 SN - 1520-0493 KW - Indices KW - Madden-Julian oscillation KW - Empirical orthogonal functions KW - Intraseasonal variability KW - Tropical variability ER - TY - JOUR TI - U.S. climate reference network soil moisture and temperature observations AU - Bell, J. E. AU - Palecki, M. A. AU - Baker, C. B. AU - Collins, W. G. AU - Lawrimore, J. H. AU - Leeper, R. D. AU - Hall, M. E. AU - Kochendorfer, J. AU - Meyers, T. P. AU - Wilson, T. AU - Diamond, H. J. T2 - Journal of Hydrometeorology DA - 2013/// PY - 2013/// VL - 14 IS - 3 SP - 977-988 ER - TY - JOUR TI - HIRS channel 12 brightness temperature dataset and its correlations with major climate indices AU - Shi, L. AU - Schreck, C. J., III AU - John, V. O. T2 - ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS AB - Abstract. A new version of the High-Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS) upper tropospheric water vapor channel (channel 12) brightness temperature dataset is developed using intersatellite calibrated data. In this dataset, only those pixels affected by upper tropospheric clouds are discarded. Compared to the previous version that was based on column-clear-sky data, the new version has much better daily spatial coverage. The HIRS observation patterns are compared to microwave sounder measurements. The differences between the two types of sounders vary with respect to brightness temperature with larger differences for higher (dry) values. Correlations between the HIRS upper tropospheric water vapor channel brightness temperatures and several major climate indices show strong signals during cold seasons. The selected climate indices track climate variation signals covering regions from the tropics to the poles. Qualitatively, moist signals are correlated with troughs and ascending branches of the circulation, while dry signals occur with ridges and descent. These correlations show the potential of using the upper tropospheric water vapor channel brightness temperature dataset together with a suite of many atmospheric variables to monitor regional climate changes and locate global teleconnection patterns. DA - 2013/// PY - 2013/// DO - 10.5194/acp-13-6907-2013 VL - 13 IS - 14 SP - 6907-6920 SN - 1680-7316 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Directional viewing effects on satellite land surface temperature products over sparse vegetation canopies-a multisensor analysis AU - Guillevic, P. C. AU - Bork-Unkelbach, A. AU - Gottsche, F. M. AU - Hulley, G. AU - Gastellu-Etchegorry, J. P. AU - Olesen, F. S. AU - Privette, J. L. T2 - IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters DA - 2013/// PY - 2013/// VL - 10 IS - 6 SP - 1464-1468 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Probable maximum precipitation and climate change AU - Kunkel, Kenneth E. AU - Karl, Thomas R. AU - Easterling, David R. AU - Redmond, Kelly AU - Young, John AU - Yin, Xungang AU - Hennon, Paula T2 - GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS AB - Probable maximum precipitation (PMP) is the greatest accumulation of precipitation for a given duration meteorologically possible for an area. Climate change effects on PMP are analyzed, in particular, maximization of moisture and persistent upward motion, using both climate model simulations and conceptual models of relevant meteorological systems. Climate model simulations indicate a substantial future increase in mean and maximum water vapor concentrations. For the RCP8.5 scenario, the changes in maximum values for the continental United States are approximately 20%–30% by 2071–2100. The magnitudes of the maximum water vapor changes follow temperature changes with an approximate Clausius‐Clapeyron relationship. Model‐simulated changes in maximum vertical and horizontal winds are too small to offset water vapor changes. Thus, our conclusion is that the most scientifically sound projection is that PMP values will increase in the future due to higher levels of atmospheric moisture content and consequent higher levels of moisture transport into storms. DA - 2013/4/16/ PY - 2013/4/16/ DO - 10.1002/grl.50334 VL - 40 IS - 7 SP - SN - 1944-8007 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Quantifying Plant Age and Available Water Effects on Soybean Leaf Conductance AU - Matthews, Jessica L. AU - Fiscus, Edwin L. AU - Smith, Ralph C. AU - Heitman, Joshua L. T2 - AGRONOMY JOURNAL AB - Given the ever‐present threat of drought and the knowledge that water availability is the strongest limiting factor in vegetation growth, it is important to characterize the effect of water limitations on agricultural production. In this study, a small field plot technique for controlling soil moisture content suitable for physiological research in moist, humid areas was tested. We characterized the effect of water stress on total leaf conductance ( g l ) for two distinct determinate soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] genotypes. Based on these findings, a model of g l as a function of plant age and soil moisture content was formulated and validated. The dependency of g l on plant age was well represented by a parabolic function that increased throughout the vegetative period, peaked around anthesis, and decreased throughout the reproductive period and senescence. A sigmoidal function explained the relation of g l to plant‐available soil water content. This new empirical model effectively quantifies the response of g l to plant‐available soil water and plant age with a functional form similar to the abscisic acid related Tardieu–Davies model. DA - 2013/// PY - 2013/// DO - 10.2134/agronj2012.0263 VL - 105 IS - 1 SP - 28-36 SN - 1435-0645 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Precipitation Contribution of Tropical Cyclones in the Southeastern United States from 1998 to 2009 Using TRMM Satellite Data AU - Prat, Olivier P. AU - Nelson, Brian R. T2 - JOURNAL OF CLIMATE AB - Abstract The objective of this paper is to characterize the precipitation amounts originating from tropical cyclones (TCs) in the southeastern United States during the tropical storm season from June to November. Using 12 years of precipitation data from the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM), the authors estimate the TC contribution on the seasonal, interannual, and monthly precipitation budget using TC information derived from the International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS). Results derived from the TRMM Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) 3B42 showed that TCs accounted for about 7% of the seasonal precipitation total from 1998 to 2009. Rainfall attributable to TCs was found to contribute as much as 8%–12% for inland areas located between 150 and 300 km from the coast and up to 15%–20% for coastal areas from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, southern Florida, and coastal Carolinas. The interannual contribution varied from 1.3% to 13.8% for the period 1998–2009 and depended on the TC seasonal activity, TC intensity, and TC paths as they traveled inland. For TCs making landfall, the rainfall contribution could be locally above 40% and, on a monthly basis, TCs contributed as much as 20% of September rainfall. The probability density functions of rainfall attributable to tropical cyclones showed that the percentage of rainfall associated with TC over land increased with increasing rain intensity and represent about 20% of heavy rainfall (>20 mm h−1), while TCs account for less than 5% of all seasonal precipitation events. DA - 2013/2// PY - 2013/2// DO - 10.1175/jcli-d-11-00736.1 VL - 26 IS - 3 SP - 1047-1062 SN - 1520-0442 ER - TY - JOUR TI - LAND SURFACE ALBEDO FROM GEOSTATIONARY SATELLITES: A Multiagency Collaboration within SCOPE-CM AU - Lattanzio, Alessio AU - Schulz, Joerg AU - Matthews, Jessica AU - Okuyama, Arata AU - Theodore, Bertrand AU - Bates, John J. AU - Knapp, Kenneth R. AU - Kosaka, Yuki AU - Schueller, Lothar T2 - BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY AB - Climate has been recognized to have direct and indirect impact on society and economy, both in the long term and daily life. The challenge of understanding the climate system, with its variability and changes, is enormous and requires a joint long-term international commitment from research and governmental institutions. An important international body to coordinate worldwide climate monitoring efforts is the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) has the mission to provide coordination and the requirements for global observations and essential climate variables (ECVs) to monitor climate changes. The WMO-led activity on Sustained, Coordinated Processing of Environmental Satellite Data for Climate Monitoring (SCOPE-CM) is responding to these requirements by ensuring a continuous and sustained generation of climate data records (CDRs) from satellite data in compliance with the principles and guidelines of GCOS. SCOPE-CM represents a new partnership between operational space agencies to coordinate the generation of CDRs. To this end, pilot projects for different ECVs, such as surface albedo, cloud properties, water vapor, atmospheric motion winds, and upper-tropospheric humidity, have been initiated. The coordinated activity on land surface albedo involves the operational meteorological satellite agencies in Europe [European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT)], in Japan [the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)], and in the United States [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)]. This paper presents the first results toward the generation of a unique land surface albedo CDR, involving five different geostationary satellite positions and approximately three decades of data starting in the 1980s, and combining close to 30 different satellite instruments. DA - 2013/2// PY - 2013/2// DO - 10.1175/bams-d-11-00230.1 VL - 94 IS - 2 SP - 205-214 SN - 1520-0477 ER - TY - JOUR TI - U.S. climate reference network soil moisture observations with triple redundancy: Measurement variability AU - Palecki, M. A. AU - Bell, J. E. T2 - Vadose Zone Journal DA - 2013/// PY - 2013/// VL - 12 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Objective determination of feature resolution in two sea surface temperature analyses AU - Reynolds, R. W. AU - Chelton, D. B. AU - Roberts-Jones, J. AU - Martin, M. J. AU - Menemenlis, D. AU - Merchant, C. J. T2 - Journal of Climate DA - 2013/// PY - 2013/// VL - 26 IS - 8 SP - 2514-2533 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Identifying the MJO, Equatorial Waves, and Their Impacts Using 32 Years of HIRS Upper-Tropospheric Water Vapor AU - Schreck, Carl J., III AU - Shi, Lei AU - Kossin, James P. AU - Bates, John J. T2 - JOURNAL OF CLIMATE AB - Abstract The Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) and convectively coupled equatorial waves are the dominant modes of synoptic-to-subseasonal variability in the tropics. These systems have frequently been examined with proxies for convection such as outgoing longwave radiation (OLR). However, upper-tropospheric water vapor (UTWV) gives a more complete picture of tropical circulations because it is more sensitive to the drying and warming associated with subsidence. Previous studies examined tropical variability using relatively short (3–7 yr) UTWV datasets. Intersatellite calibration of data from the High Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS) has recently produced a homogeneous 32-yr climate data record of UTWV for 200–500 hPa. This study explores the utility of HIRS UTWV for identifying the MJO and equatorial waves. Spectral analysis shows that the MJO and equatorial waves stand out above the low-frequency background in UTWV, similar to previous findings with OLR. The fraction of variance associated with the MJO and equatorial Rossby waves is actually greater in UTWV than in OLR. Kelvin waves, on the other hand, are overshadowed in UTWV by horizontal advection from extratropical Rossby waves. For the MJO, UTWV identifies subsidence drying in the subtropics, poleward of the convection. These dry anomalies are associated with the MJO’s subtropical Rossby gyres. MJO events with dry anomalies over the central North Pacific Ocean also amplify the 200-hPa flow pattern over North America 7 days later. These events cannot be identified using equatorial OLR alone, which demonstrates that UTWV is a useful supplement for identifying the MJO, equatorial waves. DA - 2013/2// PY - 2013/2// DO - 10.1175/jcli-d-12-00034.1 VL - 26 IS - 4 SP - 1418-1431 SN - 1520-0442 ER -