The performance of the Hadley Centre Global Environmental Model version 3 regional climate model (HadGEM3-RA) in simulating the West African monsoon (WAM) is investigated. We focus on performance for monsoon onset timing and for rainfall totals over the JuneJuly-August (JJA) season and on the model's representation of the underlying dynamical processes.

The West African Monsoon (WAM) system is the main source of rainfall in the agriculturally based region of the Sahel. Understanding transport across the WAM is of crucial importance due to the strong impact of humidity and dust pathways on local cloud formation. However, the description of this transport is challenging due to its 3D complex nature. Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCS) simplify transport description across the WAM by providing a geometrical partition of the troposphere into domains. Air parcels within each domain have similar dynamical characteristics. LCS make it possible to achieve an integrated vision of transport pathways across this system. Using this approach we unveil new connections in the WAM system. In particular, we identify transport pathways between the Tropical Easterly Jet (TEJ) and the African Easterly Jet (AEJ). Furthermore, the clockwise circulation associated with the divergent upper part of the Sahara heat low is clearly delimitated. Additionally, we show the presence of mixing regions in the AEJ and the lower part of the TEJ that are linked to pathways to sources of dust and humidity.

Abstract. The present paper introduces an algorithm for the visualization, analysis and verification of transport and mixing processes in three-dimensional atmospheric flows. This algorithm is based on the methodology of Lagrangian descriptors (LDs), a technique from Dynamical Systems Theory. The algorithm is applied to reanalysis data in order to illustrate the evolution of the flow above Antarctica during a period of rapid changes in the southern spring of 1979. The evolution of Lagrangian coherent structures is discussed and connections with the stratosphere is examined. The results suggest that the cyclonic stratospheric polar vortex during late winter appears to extend down to the troposphere. The results are also indicative of features related to invariante manifolds that can act as deep vertical barriers to transport between vortices.