INTERDECADAL VARIABILITY OF QUASI-BIENNIAL OSCILLATION OF STRATOSPHERIC ZONAL WIND

This study investigates the interdecadal variability of Quasi-biennial Oscillation (QBO) based on the sounding data in the stratosphere, ERA-40 and ERA-interim reanalysis data in the past 62 years. The QBO periodicity experiences a significant interdecadal variability; the longer (shorter) the mean period, the smaller (larger) the amplitude of variation is. The QBO amplitude varies in a cycle around 10 to 15 years and in an out-of-phase correlation with the period. In addition, there is an increasing trend of the QBO amplitude in 30 to 10 hPa, while a little declining trend in 70 to 40 hPa. The deviation of the QBO zonal wind extremum centers from the equator also shows interdecadal variability. The deviation location of the easterly core is generally in the reverse side to the westerly core, which means that when the easterly core is on one side of a hemisphere, the westerly core is on the other side.