The Madden Julian Oscillation skeleton model with time-dependent observation-based forcing

The Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO) is a planetary-scale wave envelope of convective processes, propagating eastward in the tropics with a period of 30 to 60 days. The convection and circulation anomalies associated with the MJO affect weather and climate in many parts of the world. The MJO skeleton model, a minimal nonlinear oscillator model, has proven capable of reproducing several large-scale features of the MJO. In previous studies, the model's forcing functions were chosen to be independent of time. Here, we present solutions to the model with observation-based, time-dependent forcing functions. We show that several characteristics of the simulated events agree well with the ones of observed MJO events. In addition, we explore the ability of the MJO skeleton model to induce differences in selected MJO characteristics under different phases of the El Niño-Southern oscillation.