The Mysterious MJO: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow! (Invited Presentation)

Since its discovery in 1971, the MJO has fascinated and challenged meteorologists. Its structure, propagation characteristics and intermittency all involve coupled interactions across time and space scales, between atmospheric physics and dynamics, and with the upper ocean. It has proved remarkably difficult to simulate and predict, and yet it is fundamental to tropical climate variability - on occasions influencing the onset and evolution El Nino - and its effects reach around the world. This talk will review the ideas that have shaped our current understanding of the MJO, including its role in tropical variability and predictability across time and space scales, and it will consider the potential opportunities for future progress.