Dynamics of African easterly Wave storm track

Several aspects of African easterly wave (AEW) storm track are still poorly understood. These include the mechanism of AEW generation and the large year-to-year differences in the storm track structure. Recent studies have emphasized wave generation triggered by convective forcing. These and other related features of the AEW storm track will be examined from the perspective of streamwise varying waveguide. The evolution of AEWs within this waveguide will be investigated using observations and idealized numerical simulations. Of particular interest is the generation and decay of the waves and the role of the large scale circulation in determining the storm track structure.