The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO): Operational Monitoring, Prediction, and Impacts

The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) is a tropical disturbance that propagates eastward around the global tropics with a cycle on the order of 30-60 days. The MJO has wide ranging impacts on the patterns of tropical and extratropical precipitation, atmospheric circulation, and surface temperature around the global tropics and subtropics. There is evidence that the MJO influences the ENSO cycle. It does not cause El Niño or La Niña, but can contribute to the speed of development and intensity of El Niño and La Niña episodes.Jon currently works at the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) within NOAA's National Weather Service.

Jon Gottschalck has worked at CPC since 2004. During this time, Jon served as CPC Head of Forecast Operations where he was responsible for overseeing day-to-day routine production and dissemination of CPC's operational forecast products. More recently, he was named Chief of the Operational Prediction Branch within CPC, and is now responsible for outlining the overall direction of operational forecast-related activities. Jon earned both a B.S. and M.S. degree in meteorology from the Pennsylvania State University in 1994 and 1996, respectively.