Abstract
Data from the first five years of the TOPEX/Poseidon mission are used to investigate the reflec
tion of Kelvin waves from the eastern boundary of the Pacific Ocean. Sea level anomaly data from
TOPEX/Poseidon are projected onto long equatorial waves. If Kelvin waves are reflecting at the
eastern boundary, then their wave coefficients should exhibit high correlation with the Rossby
wave coefficients at the appropriate lag. Correlations are performed with the full Rossby coeffi
cients, and also with Rossby coefficients that have had their annual signal removed. It is demon
strated that certain apparent reflections of Kelvin waves may be due to coincidental timing of the
Kelvin wave with the normal annual Rossby signal, and not due to the production of intraseasonal
waves. The analysis indicates only two examples of intraseasonal Rossby waves produced by re
flection of a Kelvin wave at the eastern boundary. The hypothesis is put forward that some Kelvin
waves do not reflect due to interactions with easterly winds, which modify their strength and shape.
