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Surface anticyclones connected to the ridge of an upper‐tropospheric Rossby wave are the main dynamical drivers of mid‐latitude summer heatwaves. It is, however, unclear to what extent an anomalously low zonal phase speed of the wave in the upper troposphere is necessary for persistent temperature extremes at the surface. Here, we use spectral decomposition to separate fast and slow synoptic‐scale waves. A composite analysis of ERA5 reanalysis data reveals that, while in some regions heatwaves become more frequent during episodes of weak or no phase propagation, temperature extremes in other regions are commonly associated with more rapidly eastward propagating Rossby waves. Reflected in the mean heatwave duration as well, this relationship is possibly linked to a longitudinal phase preference of slow and fast waves or a meridional storm track shift. These findings open up new questions about the influence of mid‐latitude dynamics on temperature extremes. Plain Language Summary High pressure systems tend to be associated with mid‐latitude summer heatwaves, defined as multiple consecutive hot days. The persistence of heatwaves raises the question whether the associated high pressure system has to be anomalously persistent as well to cause a heatwave. Using a combination of observational data and atmospheric model output that is commonly regarded as ground truth for prediction purposes we find that this is not the case. By re‐distributing the location of on‐average high air pressure, some regions experience an increased heatwave frequency even if the atmospheric circulation is less persistent than usual. Understanding the link between persistent surface temperature extremes and the atmospheric circulation is important for the prediction and projection of extreme events in a warming climate. Key Points Phase speed of synoptic‐scale waves is crucial for where, but less important for whether heatwaves occur A longitudinal phase preference of slow and fast waves is reflected in the mean heatwave duration Changes in phase speed are linked to a meridional storm track shift

The eastward‐moving large‐scale convective system associated with the Madden‐Julian Oscillation (MJO) significantly impact global weather and climate. Recent decades have seen notable changes in the MJO's lifecycle due to non‐uniform tropical ocean warming, with the roles of natural climate variability and anthropogenic influence still requiring quantification. This study examines observed and projected long‐term changes in the MJO phase speed using four twentieth‐century reanalyses and CMIP6 simulations. We find a substantial increase in MJO phase speed in three reanalyses during the twentieth century (0.6–1.2 m s⁻1 century⁻1) and further increase in MJO phase speed during the twenty‐first century (0.3–1.5 m s⁻1 century⁻1), with notable multidecadal fluctuations. We attribute the overall acceleration of the MJO to the global warming‐driven increase in the meridional moisture gradient around the warm pool while attributing the multidecadal variability in the MJO phase speed to changes in the zonal moisture gradient associated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. Plain Language Summary The Madden‐Julian Oscillation (MJO) is a crucial phenomenon in the tropics that impacts weather and climate globally. Although earlier research has discussed the observed changes in the MJO lifecycle due to tropical ocean warming, we still need to understand the role of natural climate variability associated with the MJO lifecycle. This study uses twentieth century reanalyses and future climate model projections to investigate how the speed of the MJO propagation has changed over time. We find that the speed of the MJO's eastward propagation has increased significantly in three of the reanalyses during the twentieth century and continues rising in the twenty‐first century. We believe that the overall increase in MJO speed is due to global warming, which enhances the meridional moisture difference around the warm pool area. We also noted significant multidecadal variation in the MJO propagation speed. The multidecadal changes in MJO speed are linked to variations in the zonal moisture difference influenced by the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. Key Points Increasing MJO phase speed is identified in three twentieth‐century reanalyses We attribute the MJO's eastward acceleration to the long‐term changes in the meridional moisture gradient Pacific Decadal Oscillation influences multidecadal variation in the MJO phase speed

In this paper, the governing relations and equations are derived for nonlocal elastic solid with voids. The propagation of time harmonic plane waves is investigated in an infinite nonlocal elastic solid material with voids. It has been found that three basic waves consisting of two sets of coupled longitudinal waves and one independent transverse wave may travel with distinct speeds. The sets of coupled waves are found to be dispersive, attenuating and influenced by the presence of voids and nonlocality parameters in the medium. The transverse wave is dispersive but non-attenuating, influenced by the nonlocality and independent of void parameters. Furthermore, the transverse wave is found to face critical frequency, while the coupled waves may face critical frequencies conditionally. Beyond each critical frequency, the respective wave is no more a propagating wave. Reflection phenomenon of an incident coupled longitudinal waves from stress-free boundary surface of a nonlocal elastic solid half-space with voids has also been studied. Using appropriate boundary conditions, the formulae for various reflection coefficients and their respective energy ratios are presented. For a particular model, the effects of non-locality and dissipation parameter ( τ ) have been depicted on phase speeds and attenuation coefficients of propagating waves. The effect of nonlocality on reflection coefficients has also been observed and shown graphically.

When assessing the scattering of radiation belt electrons by fast magnetosonic (MS) waves, it is traditionally assumed that the waves follow the MS/whistler branch of the cold plasma dispersion relation (CPDR) in magnetohydrodynamics. However, MS waves are essentially ion Bernstein modes following a distinct kinetic dispersion relation. This study calculates the MS wave‐induced electron diffusion rates with the kinetic dispersion relation for the first time and compares the results with that obtained with the CPDR. It is found that the kinetic effects lead to a lower minimum resonant energy around 100 eV and a broader resonant pitch angle range. Kinetic effects also result in power spectral density attenuation when transforming wave frequency spectra into wavenumber spectra, so the diffusion rates are overall smaller than the ones obtained using the CPDR. Our results demonstrate that kinetic effects can significantly affect the role that MS waves play in the radiation belt dynamics. Plain Language Summary Magnetosonic (MS) waves belong to the kinetic ion Bernstein modes essentially. But when the cold plasma is dominating, the waves also approximately follow the MS/whistler branch of the cold plasma dispersion relation (CPDR) in magnetohydrodynamics. Subsequently, studies of the electron scattering by MS waves have traditionally assumed the CPDR for simplicity. Motivated by recent studies which involved both satellite observations and kinetic theory revealing that the lower harmonic MS waves clearly follow the kinetic dispersion relation, we assess how the differences between the kinetic and cold plasma dispersion relations affect the MS wave‐induced electron scattering rates. Our results indicate that the kinetic dispersion relation produces relatively lower parallel phase speeds for MS waves, leading to a lower minimum resonant energy and subsequently a broader resonant pitch angle range for electrons (of a given energy). The kinetic effects also decrease the overall diffusion rates by attenuating the wave power spectral density in wavenumber space when mapped from a given frequency spectrum. Key Points Linear kinetic dispersion relation indicates lower phase speeds and a broader range of group speeds for fast magnetosonic (MS) waves The lower phase speeds of MS waves result in a broader range of resonant pitch angles and lower minimum resonant energies of electrons Kinetic effects reduce the wavenumber power spectral density and thus result in smaller electron diffusion rates

Oceanographic observations have revealed that basin‐scale Rossby waves can travel at speeds systematically exceeding values predicted by linear theory based on the flat‐bottom approximation. Using the recently developed parametric “sandpaper” theory of seafloor roughness, we construct a set of analytical solutions for the vertical structure and dispersion relationship of Rossby waves. We then use simulations to confirm these results and show that baroclinic Rossby waves can be accelerated by irregular small‐scale (3−30km)$(3-30\\,\\text{km})$rough topography by up to a factor of 1.6 relative to their flat‐bottom counterparts. This acceleration is most extreme at high latitudes and wavelengths of approximately 600 km. Our investigation demonstrates the importance of relatively small‐scale processes for the large‐scale flow dynamics in general and baroclinic Rossby waves in particular. Plain Language Summary Rossby waves are planetary waves that operate on spatial scales of up to those of ocean basins and time scales of up to years. They contribute to climate regulation and communicate changes in weather patterns and ocean flows across the globe. These waves have been the subject of continuous interest since their discovery. However, they usually propagate faster than simplified calculations predict. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain this discrepancy, attributing it, for instance, to the waves riding on background flow and to large vortices masquerading as Rossby waves. This investigation offers an alternative explanation. We explore the effect a rough ocean bottom can have on the speed of the waves and bring theoretical estimates of the wave's structure and speed into agreement with measurements. We demonstrate that a rough bottom exerts significant drag on the lower part of the wave and causes its upper portion to move faster. Using numerical simulations, we show this acceleration is significant for a wide range of oceanographically relevant parameters. Key Points Observed phase speeds of Rossby waves systematically exceed the prediction of standard linear theory Taking into account the small‐scale variability in the bottom relief brings theoretical estimates of speed close to measurements The effect is most pronounced for extra‐tropical waves with low viscosity and relatively short wavelengths

Propagation of Rayleigh-type waves is investigated in a half-space composed of nonlocal micropolar thermoelastic material containing void pores. Dispersion relation is derived for a mechanically stress-free and thermally insulated boundary surface of the half-space. The particle motion during the propagation of the waves is found to follow elliptical path. Numerical computations for a specific material are performed to analyze the characteristics of propagating Rayleigh-type waves in detail. Comparison between the phase speed and corresponding attenuation coefficient in some particular cases is also carried out. The effect of various parameters on the characteristics of waves in question is also studied.

The mechanical properties of the sclera play a critical role in supporting the ocular structure and maintaining its shape. However, non-invasive measurements to quantify scleral biomechanics remain challenging. Recently introduced multi-directional optical coherence elastography (OCE) combined with an air-coupled ultrasound transducer for excitation of elastic surface waves was used to estimate phase speed and shear modulus in ex vivo rabbit globes (n = 7). The scleral phase speed (12.1 ± 3.2 m/s) was directional-dependent and higher than for corneal tissue (5.9 ± 1.4 m/s). In the tested locations, the sclera proved to be more anisotropic than the cornea by a factor of 11 in the maximum of modified planar anisotropy coefficient. The scleral shear moduli, estimated using a modified Rayleigh-Lamb wave model, showed significantly higher values in the circumferential direction (65.4 ± 31.9 kPa) than in meridional (22.5 ± 7.2 kPa); and in the anterior zone (27.3 ± 9.3 kPa) than in the posterior zone (17.8 ± 7.4 kPa). The multi-directional scanning approach allowed both quantification and radial mapping of estimated parameters within a single measurement. The results indicate that multi-directional OCE provides a valuable non-invasive assessment of scleral tissue properties that may be useful in the development of improved ocular models, the evaluation of potential myopia treatment strategies, and disease characterization and monitoring.

Based on the Complex Empirical Orthogonal Functions (CEOFs) of bandpass-filtered daily streamfunction fields, a quantitative method of detecting transient (synoptic) Rossby wave phase speed (RWPhS) is presented. The transient RWPhS can be objectively calculated by the distance between a high (or low) center in the real part of a CEOF mode and its counterpart in the imaginary part of the same CEOF mode divided by the time span between two adjacent peaks (or bottoms) of two principal component curves for the real and imaginary parts of that CEOF mode. The new detection method may partly reveal the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of Rossby wave prorogation. Although the mean westerly jet at 200 hPa doubles the speed of its counterpart at 500 hPa, the estimated RWPhS at both levels are around 1000 km d −1 and quantitatively consistent with the quasigeostrophic-theory-based RWPhS, confirming that the meridional potential vorticity gradient induced by the barotropic and baroclinic shears of mean flow, together with the β effect, play an essential role in Rossby wave propagation. Both observations over the past four decades and a 150-year historical simulation suggest no evidence for slowing wintertime transient Rossby waves in the Northern Hemisphere, but possible regional changes are not excluded. We emphasize that not only the mean flow speed, but also the barotropic and baroclinic shears of the mean flow, and their associated contributions to the meridional potential vorticity (PV) gradient, should be considered in investigating the possible change of Rossby waves with global warming.

Significance: Real-time monitoring of the heart rate and blood flow is crucial for studying cardiovascular dysfunction, which leads to cardiovascular diseases. Aim: This study aims at in-depth understanding of high-speed cardiovascular dynamics in a zebrafish embryo model for various biomedical applications via frequency-comb-referenced quantitative phase imaging (FCR-QPI). Approach: Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) has emerged as a powerful technique in the field of biomedicine but has not been actively applied to the monitoring of circulatory/cardiovascular parameters, due to dynamic speckles and low frame rates. We demonstrate FCR-QPI to measure heart rate and blood flow in a zebrafish embryo. FCR-QPI utilizes a high-speed photodetector instead of a conventional camera, so it enables real-time monitoring of individual red blood cell (RBC) flow. Results: The average velocity of zebrafish’s RBCs was measured from 192.5 to 608.8  μm  /  s at 24 to 28 hour-post-fertilization (hpf). In addition, the number of RBCs in a pulsatile blood flow was revealed to 16 cells/pulse at 48 hpf. The heart rates corresponded to 94 and 142 beats-per-minute at 24 and 48 hpf. Conclusions: This approach will newly enable in-depth understanding of the cardiovascular dynamics in the zebrafish model and possible usage for drug discovery applications in biomedicine.

The Radon and Hilbert transform and their applications to convectively coupled waves (CCWs) are reviewed. The Hilbert Transform is used to compute the wave envelope, whereas the Radon transform is used to estimate the phase and group velocities of CCWs. Together, they provide an objective method to understand CCW propagation. Results reveal phase speeds and group velocities for fast waves (mixed Rossby‐gravity, westward and eastward inertio‐gravity, and Kelvin) that are consistent with previous studies and with Matsuno's equatorial wave dispersion curves. However, slowly‐propagating tropical depression‐like systems and equatorial Rossby waves exhibit wave envelopes that propagate faster than the individual wave crests, which is not predicted by dry shallow water theory. Schematic depicting the application of the Radon Transform for estimating the phase speed and group velocity of tropical waves. In the top image, a Hovmoller diagram projects onto a plane with an angle (θ) relative to the x‐axis. The bottom image illustrates the density distribution of the sum‐of‐squares of the Radon Transform as a function of projection (θ). The dominant direction, marked by a gray dashed line (phase speed) and a red dashed line (group velocity), corresponds to the maximum value of 1. The light red and grey shading indicates the uncertainty at a 95% probability of the occurrence of maximum variance.