Eastward-moving cloud clusters in a super cloud cluster in January 2007

MJO consists of eastward-moving super cloud clusters, which also consist of westward-moving cloud clusters, by GMS images (Nakazawa, 1988). Nowadays we can get a huge amount of satellite data easily. Thus in this study we will report an internal structure of a super cloud cluster from late 2006 to early 2007 over the Indian Ocean/western Pacific. We found that the cloud cluster slowly and constantly moved further eastward about 15-20 m/s, which is different from the previous study.

From the characteristics of the cloud clusters, predominant zonal flow and confined activity near the equator, we identify the cloud clusters are closely related with moist Kelvin waves.