The interaction between local factors and the Convectively Coupled Equatorial Waves over Indonesia during the Western North Pacific and Australian monsoon phase

A large scale perturbation by the Convectively Coupled Equatorial Waves (CCEW) is often observed in the tropics as a precursor to influence weather condition, for example over the Indonesian archipelago (Maritime Continent (MC)). This study examines the interaction between local factors and CCEW with regard to convection and vertical interferences on a local scale over Indonesia during extreme Western North Pacific (WNP) and Australian (AU) monsoon phases. Through space-time spectra analysis of a 15 year (2001-2015) Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) 3B42 dataset, the propagation of CCEW, i.e. Kelvin, Equatorial Rossby (ER) and Mixing Rossby-Gravity (MRG) waves was assessed. An Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) 1 and 2 for each wave evolution across the region of Indonesia, was then compared with daily precipitation anomalies and multilevel wind observations from seven locations in Indonesia to assess the interaction between local factors and CCEW. Results suggest there is evidence of local convection associated with Kelvin waves in the afternoon through to the evening in Tangerang, Surabaya and Makassar during WNP monsoon phases. Local convection associated with MRG waves only occurred in Makassar at the last evolution day during the same period, while there is no clear evidence for an interaction between local factors for ER waves. Low-level westerly winds appear to be significantly coupled with convection from Kelvin waves in Tangerang, Surabaya, and Makassar during the WNP monsoon phase, while the interaction is less significant for MRG-coupled convections (except in Makassar during the same monsoon phase) and absent for ER waves. This study suggests that the global scale phenomena of the Kelvin wave is associated with local scale factors in controlling convection, particularly during an extreme WNP phase in Indonesia.