QBO workshop
27-31 March 2023 in Oxford, UK
A workshop on the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), including its teleconnections and couplings to atmospheric composition, and general developments in wave-mean-flow processes in the atmosphere.
Scientific topics:
Processes driving the QBO, including its recent disruptions and future projections
Tropical gravity waves: observations, high resolution models, and parametrizations
QBO interactions with atmospheric composition, including ozone and stratospheric aerosols from geoengineering and volcanic eruptions
Wave-mean flow interactions and their role in predictability on seasonal to decadal timescales.
Atmospheric teleconnections, including the QBO's links with the MJO and Northern and Southern Annular Modes.
The workshop will consist of invited and submitted scientific talks and posters, plus open discussion in both plenary and smaller groups. It will also be an opportunity to present and discuss first results from new QBOi experiments on sensitivities to ENSO and QBO biases (QBOi nudging experiments).
We are pleased to confirm the following invited speakers: Ewa Bednarz, Martina Bramberger, Mohamadou Diallo, Rolando Garcia, Chaim Garfinkel, Marco Giorgetta, Lesley Gray, Peter Haynes, Peter Hitchcock, Steven Pawson, Kaoru Sato, Adam Scaife, Seok-Woo Son
The workshop is organised by the QBOi (Quasi-Biennial Oscillation initiative) SPARC activity in conjunction with the CCMI (Chemistry-Climate Model Initiative) and GW (Gravity Wave) SPARC activities.
We gratefully acknowledge the Oxford University Physics Department and the UK Met Office for supporting the workshop. We also gratefully acknowledge SPARC for providing travel support for Early Career Scientists to participate.
Programme
The workshop programme is available here. Remote participation is available to registered participants. A map showing the location of workshop rooms in the Physics Department is here, and a map of Lady Margaret Hall is here.
On Wednesday March 29 the David Andrews Memorial Event will take place at Lady Margaret Hall. Workshop in-person attendees are invited to attend, and can register here (deadline: Monday March 13).
Registration and abstract submission
The deadline for registration was February 28 and registration is now officially closed. Anyone requesting late registration should fill out the registration form and then email the workshop organizers; late registration will be at their discretion.
Please note that registration for the David Andrews Memorial Event is separate (see above).
Accommodation
A block booking of rooms has been made at Lady Margaret Hall (LMH). Reservations can be made by following the booking instructions here. Please note that it is essential to follow the instructions for booking "bed & breakfast" (Sun or Fri) and "half board" (Mon-Thurs) separately, otherwise the website may indicate zero availability. The deadline for booking at LMH is Monday March 13.
Note that the workshop dinner will be on Wednesday evening (March 29) at LMH, and those staying at LMH (half board, workshop rate) are automatically registered for the dinner. Those not staying at LMH need to register separately for the dinner (the deadline is also Monday March 13). If you experience problems with the dinner registration page please contact LMH, not the workshop organizers (development.events@lmh.ox.ac.uk).
Rooms at other Oxford colleges can be booked here.
Information on rail & bus links to Oxford
Bus
From Heathrow and Gatwick, there are direct regular buses to Oxford bus station: https://www.theairlineoxford.co.uk/. (These may be faster and easier than the train.) There are also direct regular buses from London which are cheaper and only a bit slower: https://traveloxfordtube.com/
Train
On Sun Mar 26, maintenance work is planned on the rail line connecting Didcot and Oxford, which is the main route to Oxford from the direction of Heathrow and west London. This will require passengers to transfer to a rail-replacement bus from Didcot. Alternatively, from London trains going from Marylebone station, rather than Paddington (the usual main hub) also go to Oxford station (via a different route).
Travellers should be mindful of the possibility of scheduled rail strikes in the UK at this time, and plan accordingly.
Scientific organising committee: James Anstey, Neal Butchart, Clara Orbe, Yoshio Kawatani, Scott Osprey, Yaga Richter, Corwin Wright.
This workshop replaces the QBO@60+ workshop originally scheduled for July 2020 at the Met Office in Exeter, UK.
Latest update time for this site: click the info icon ("i" in a circle) at bottom left.
Image credits at top: schematic of the QBO in context of the global circulation from a recent review; photo of the Radcliffe Camera at Oxford University by Yoshio Kawatani; The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai.