On the nature of zonal jet EOFs

Abstract

Analytic results are obtained for the mean and covariance structure of an idealized zonal jet that fluctuates in strength, position, and width. Through a systematic perturbation analysis, the leading empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) and principal component (PC) time series are obtained. These EOFs are built of linear combinations of basic patterns corresponding to monopole, dipole, and tripole structures. The analytic results demonstrate that in general the individual EOF modes cannot be interpreted in terms of individual physical processes. In particular, while the dipole EOF (similar to the leading EOF of the midlatitude zonal mean zonal wind) describes fluctuations in jet position to leading order, its time series also contains contributions from fluctuations in strength and width. No simple interpretations of the other EOFs in terms of strength, position, or width fluctuations are possible. Implications of these results for the use of EOF analysis to diagnose physical processes of variability are discussed. © 2006 American Meteorological Society.