Topics of Interest

Normal-mode function theory 

1. Derivation of normal modes in pressure, sigma and other coordinates. 
2. Top and bottom boundary conditions 
3. Analytical solutions of the vertical structure equation 
4. Numerical solutions of the vertical structure equation
5. The role of traditional approximations 
6. Tropical normal modes in spherical versus equatorial-beta plane equations

Application of normal-mode functions for the initialization of NWP models 

1. Nonlinear normal mode initialization (NNMI)
2. Adiabatic and diabatic NNMI
3. NNMI and tropical motions 
4. NNMI-based constraints in modern data assimilation systems for NWP (variational assimilation and ensemble Kalman filter)
5. Diagnosis of present-day data assimilation systems by using normal modes

Application of normal-mode functions for global atmospheric dynamics 

1. The role of inertia-gravity waves in mid-latitude dynamics 
2. Atmospheric energy spectra
3. Scale-dependent energy distribution of Rossby and inertio-gravity modes
4. Quantification of tropical variability in terms of normal modes

General session on modes of atmospheric variability 

1. Mid-latitude modes of variability  (e.g. North Atlantic Oscillation, Southern Annular Mode,  Pacific-North America pattern)
2. Modes of tropical variability (e.g. Madden-Julian Oscillation, Quasi-Bieannual Oscillation) 
3. Coupled atmosphere-ocean modes (e.g. El Nino-Southern Oscillation, Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation)