Articles | Volume 2, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-311-2021
https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-311-2021
Research article
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12 Apr 2021
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 12 Apr 2021

African easterly waves in an idealized general circulation model: instability and wave packet diagnostics

Joshua White and Anantha Aiyyer

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AR by Anantha Aiyyer on behalf of the Authors (03 Feb 2021)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish subject to technical corrections (07 Feb 2021) by Peter Knippertz
AR by Anantha Aiyyer on behalf of the Authors (18 Feb 2021)  Author's response   Manuscript 
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Short summary
Using a simple general circulation model, we examine the structure of waves in the mid-tropospheric jet over North Africa. We show that waves occur in near-stationary groups or wave packets. As they are not swept out of the jet, this may provide the opportunity for the packets to amplify via feedback from other energy sources like rain-producing cloud complexes and mineral dust that are known to operate here. Our results address the criticism that the easterly jet is too short to sustain waves.