How the tropics are responsible for one of the most important weather patterns much further south

What is it about?

In the Southern Hemisphere, a prominent wave-like pattern influences the weather: The zonal wave-3. This pattern is centered over the Southern Ocean, but has influence on Antarctic sea ice on one side, and extreme weather over the southern hemisphere continents on the other side. This paper looks into the origins of this pattern, and finds that it is a result of wave propagation from the tropics towards the poles.

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Why is it important?

The zonal wave-3 pattern influences Antarctic sea ice and extreme weather in the Southern Hemisphere. Understanding where it comes from is important to understand how it varies, when it might become weak or strong, and how it might change in the future.