海气耦合气候模式对大气中水汽输送、辐散辐合与海气间水通量交换的模拟

基于ECMWF再分析结果对LASG第三代全球海洋-大气-陆地耦合系统模式(GOALS)的两个版本和第四代耦合气候模式初始版(FGCM-0)所模拟的大气水汽输送与辐散辐合特征、海气间水通量交换,进行了评估分析.结果表明:(1)对垂直积分的水汽通量场的流函数及其对应的无辐散水汽通量矢量的模拟,三个耦合模式都能够较为合理地再现副热带大洋的涡旋结构、中纬度西风带的东向水汽输送、赤道东风带的西向水汽输送和东亚夏季风水汽输送等行星尺度特征及其季节变化,只是GOALS的涡旋位置、FGCM-0的涡旋中心强度,较之实际略有偏差.(2)反映在垂直积分的水汽通量场的势函数和对应的无旋水汽矢量上,对南北半球副热带大洋水汽辐散区、热带辐合带(ITCZ)、东亚夏季风区强烈的水汽辐合特征等的模拟,FGCM-0的结果相对合理.GOALS的热带辐合中心过于集中在印度尼西亚群岛附近,东亚夏季风水汽辐合中心偏南.(3)关于海气水通量交换,FGCM-0较为理想地再现了副热带的净蒸发、ITCZ和中高纬度的净降水特征以及夏季ITCZ的季节性北移,但对南太平洋辐合带(SPCZ)、副热带南大西洋的净蒸发特点,以及阿拉伯海和盂加拉湾季节变化的差异,模拟结果不理想.FGCM-0在模拟SPCZ上的偏差,是由海气耦合过程造成的.GOALS未能合理再现ITCZ和SPCZ降水大于蒸发的特点,其净降水集中在西太平洋暖池区;但对副热带南大西洋、北印度洋水通量季节变化的模拟相对合理.     

耦合海-气环流模式中双热带辐合带现象及其热收支分析

文中研究了耦合海-气环流模式中的双热带辐合带(Double ITCZ)现象,并对这一现象的成因从海洋热量收支的角度进行了初步分析。Double ITCZ现象是在热带太平洋赤道南北两侧各出现一条ITCZ的现象,这是耦合海-气环流模式中的较为普遍的一种异常现象,与实际气候中出现的Double ITCZ现象并非指同一问题。文中对比观测和模式结果,指出了Double ITCZ现象的主要特征,针对它的出现过程进行细致分析,再利用模式输出的热量收支各项进行统计,得到了从海洋热收支分析得到的海表温度变化原因。与观测到的正常模态相比,Double ITCZ是一个异常的模态,它的特征突出地表现为西太平洋暖池区的降温和东南太平洋10°S附近的升温。海洋热量收支分析表明,暖池区的降温主要是受到扩散的作用,而表层平流的异常增暖在决定异常辐合带区升温过程中占第一位的作用。     

Nonlinear precipitation response to El Niño and global warming in the Indo-Pacific

Precipitation changes over the Indo-Pacific during El Niño events are studied using an Atmospheric General Circulation Model forced with sea-surface temperature (SST) anomalies and changes in atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. Linear increases in the amplitude of the El Niño SST anomaly pattern trigger nonlinear changes in precipitation amounts, resulting in shifts in the location and orientation of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ). In particular, the maximum precipitation anomaly along the ITCZ and SPCZ shifts eastwards, the ITCZ shifts south towards the equator, and the SPCZ becomes more zonal. Precipitation in the equatorial Pacific also increases nonlinearly. The effect of increasing CO₂ levels and warming SSTs is also investigated. Global warming generally enhances the tropical Pacific precipitation response to El Niño. The precipitation response to El Niño is found to be dominated by changes in the atmospheric mean circulation dynamics, whereas the response to global warming is a balance between dynamic and thermodynamic changes. While the dependence of projected climate change impacts on seasonal variability is well-established, this study reveals that the impact of global warming on Pacific precipitation also depends strongly on the magnitude of the El Niño event. The magnitude and structure of the precipitation changes are also sensitive to the spatial structure of the global warming SST pattern.     

全球水循环的海洋分量研究

利用ＮＣＥＰ／ＮＣＡＲ再分析月平均和逐日资料,采用“余差”方法,计算了１９８４～１９９４年全球海气淡水通量,分析了全球水汽输送的特点。主要结果有：（１）在全球水循环中,副热带大洋是重要的水汽辐散区,热带辐合带、南太平洋辐合带和南太平洋东南海域是集中的水汽辐合区,赤道东风带是夏季印度洋季风环流的主要水汽通道;（２）再现了全球海气淡水通量的分布,例如副热带“海洋沙漠”带、热带辐合带和南太平洋辐合带净降水区等;展示了细节特征,如黑潮区的净蒸发特点等;（３）发现了北大西洋中高纬度地区存在一东北—西南向的净蒸发带,而前人结果中则为净降水带;（４）分析了各大洋海气淡水通量的季节、年际变化特征,讨论了太平洋相对于大西洋作为水汽汇的特点;指出热带辐合带和南太平洋辐合带是海气淡水通量变率最大的海域     

Simulations of two types of El Niño events by an optimal forcing vector approach

In this paper, an optimal forcing vector (OFV) approach is proposed. The OFV offsets tendency errors and optimizes the agreement of the model simulation with observation. We apply the OFV approach to the well-known Zebiak–Cane model and simulate several observed eastern Pacific (EP) El Niño and central Pacific (CP) El Niño events during 1980–2004. It is found that the Zebiak–Cane model with a proper initial condition often reproduces the EP-El Niño events; however, the Zebiak–Cane model fails to reproduce the CP-El Niño events. The model may be much more influenced by model errors when simulating the CP-El Nino events. As expected, when we use the OFV to correct the Zebiak–Cane model, the model reproduces the three CP-El Niño events well. Furthermore, the simulations of the corresponding winds and thermocline depths are also acceptable. In particular, the thermocline depth simulations for the three CP-El Niño events lead us to believe that the discharge process of the equatorial heat content associated with the CP-El Niño is not efficient and emphasizes the role of the zonal advection in the development of the CP-El Nino events. The OFVs associated with the three CP-El Niño events often exhibit a sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) tendency with positive anomalies in the equatorial eastern Pacific; therefore, the SST tendency errors occurring in the equatorial eastern Pacific may dominate the uncertainties of the Zebiak–Cane model while simulating CP-El Nino events. A further investigation demonstrates that one of the model errors offset by the OFVs is of a pattern similar to the SST cold-tongue cooling mode, which may then provide one of the climatological conditions for the frequent occurrence of CP-El Nino events. The OFV may therefore be a useful tool for correcting forecast models and then for helping improve the forecast skill of the models.     

THE CLIMATIC JUMP OF THE WESTERN PACIFIC WARM POOL AND ITS CLIMATIC EFFECTS

1INTRODUCTIONTropicalwesternPacificOceanisanareathathasthehighestoceantemperatureacrosstheglobe.Asmostofthewarmwaterconcentratesintheregion,itisknownasthe搘esternPacificwarmpool?Asshowninsomestudies[1-5],thegeneralcirculationandshort-termclimaticchangeswillbeseriouslyaffectedifthermodynamicconditionchangesinthewaters,whichthenhaveanimportantroletoplayintheonsetofanyENSOepisodes.Therehasnotbeenanyunifieddefinitionoftheindexforthewarmpool.FollowingthecriterionofWyrtki[4],however,theareae…     

在1982/1983 ENSO过程中暖池和赤道辐合带相互作用对大气表面风的影响

利用一个耦合海气模式,用数值试验方法分析了1982/1983 ENSO期间的暖池和赤道辐合带(ITCZ和SPCZ)的相互作用对大气表面流场和散度场的影响。结果指出,ENSO高峰期和成熟期SPCZ比ITCZ更重要(即ENSO高峰期和成熟期SPCZ与暖池相互作用比ITCZ与暖池相互作用更强烈);ENSO的形成初期和衰减期SPCZ和ITCZ同样重要。      

SEASONAL DEPENDENCE OF LOCAL AIR-SEA INTERACTION OVER THE TROPICAL WESTERN PACIFIC WARM POOL

Based on the air-sea interface heat fluxes and related meteorological variables datasets recently released by Objectively Analyzed Air-Sea Fluxes (OA Flux) Project of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, as well as the outgoing longwave radiation and surface wind datasets from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the seasonal dependence of local air-sea interaction over the tropical western Pacific warm pool (referred to the region (1o-6oN, 144o-154oE)) is revealed and the probable impacts of remote forcing on the air-sea interaction are examined. The results indicated the dominance of oceanic forcing with the significant impact of ENSO in March and that of atmospheric feedback without notable influence of remote forcing in June. While the interannual variability of sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) is larger than that of SSTA tendency when oceanic forcing is dominant, the opposite is true when atmospheric feedback is dominant. The magnitude of the oceanic forcing of the atmosphere tends to decrease in March with the occurrence of ENSO, though ENSO has little influence on the atmospheric feedback to the ocean in June. The local air-sea interaction is substantially the same before and after the removal of the effect of Indian Oceanic Dipole. The reduction of shortwave radiation fluxes into the western Pacific warm pool, due to the enhanced overlaying convection in March associated with ENSO, leads to the decline of SST tendency that will weaken the oceanic forcing of the atmosphere.     

The South Pacific Convergence Zone in CMIP5 simulations of historical and future climate

The South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) is evaluated in historical simulations from 26 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) models, and compared with previous generation CMIP3 models. A subset of 24 CMIP5 models are able to simulate a distinct SPCZ in the December to February (DJF) austral summer, although the position of the SPCZ in these models is too zonal compared with observations. The spatial pattern of SPCZ precipitation is improved in CMIP5 models relative to CMIP3 models, although the spurious double ITCZ precipitation band in the eastern Pacific is intensified in many CMIP5 models. All CMIP5 models examined capture some interannual variability of SPCZ latitude, and 19 models simulate a realistic correlation with El Niño–Southern Oscillation. In simulations of the twenty-first century under the RCP8.5 emission scenario, no consistent shift in the mean position of the DJF SPCZ is identified. Several models simulate significant shifts northward, and a similar number of models simulate significant southward shifts. The majority of CMIP5 models simulate an increase in mean DJF SPCZ precipitation, and there is an intensification of the eastern Pacific double ITCZ precipitation band in many models. Most models simulate regions of increased precipitation in the western part of the SPCZ and near the equator, and regions of decreased precipitation at the eastern edge of the SPCZ. Decomposition of SPCZ precipitation changes into dynamic and thermodynamic components reveals predominantly increased precipitation due to thermodynamic changes, while dynamic changes lead to regions of both positive and negative precipitation anomalies.     

THE EFFECT OF WARM POOL THERMAL STATES ON TROPICAL CYCLONES IN THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC

The influence of thermal states in the warm pool on tropical cyclones (TCs) in the western North Pacific (WNP) is investigated. There are fewer typhoons during warm years of the warm pool in which tropical storms tend to form in the northwest quadrant and move westward. Inversely, typhoons tend to recurve northeastward to the southeast of Japan and increase in number in the southeast quadrant during cold years. Based on composite analyses, circulation-induced dynamic factors rather than thermal factors are identified as being responsible for TCs activities. During the warm state, the monsoon trough retreats westwards, which leads to anomalous vorticity in low-level and divergence in high-level in the western part of west Pacific. Above-normal TCs activity is found in this area. Furthermore, wind anomalies at 500 hPa determine the main track types. On the contrary, when the warm pool is in cold state, the atmospheric circulation is responsible for the formation of more TCs in the southeast quadrant and recurving track.     

Interannual variability of the South Pacific Convergence Zone and implications for tropical cyclone genesis

The interannual variability of the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) and its influence on tropical cyclone (TC) genesis in the South Pacific are investigated using observations and ERA40 reanalysis over the 1979?C2002 period. In austral summer, the SPCZ displays four typical structures at interannual timescales. The first three are characterized by a diagonal orientation of the SPCZ and account for 85% of the summer seasons. One is close to climatology and the other two exhibit a 3° northward or southward departure from the SPCZ climatological position. In contrast, the fourth one, that only encompasses three austral summer seasons (the extreme 1982/1983 and 1997/1998 El Ni?o events and the moderate 1991/1992 El Ni?o event), displays very peculiar behaviour where the SPCZ largely departs from its climatological position and is zonally oriented. Variability of the western/central Pacific equatorial sea surface temperature (SST) is shown to modulate moisture transport south of the equator, thereby strongly constraining the location of the SPCZ. The SPCZ location is also shown to strongly modulate the atmospheric circulation variability in the South Pacific with specific patterns for each class. However, independently of its wide year-to-year excursions, the SPCZ is always collocated with the zero relative vorticity at low levels while the maximum vorticity axis lies 6° to the south of the SPCZ position. This coherent atmospheric organisation in the SPCZ region is shown to constrain tropical cyclogenesis to occur preferentially within 10° south of the SPCZ location as this region combines all the large-scale atmospheric conditions that favour the breeding of TCs. This analysis also reveals that cyclogenesis in the central Pacific (in the vicinity of French Polynesia) only occurs when the SPCZ displays a zonal orientation while this observation was previously attributed to El Ni?o years in general. Different characteristics of El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-related Pacific equatorial warming are shown to impact differently on the SPCZ position, suggesting that for regional scales, such as the South Pacific, the SPCZ classification is more appropriate than a simple ENSO index to characterize TC interannual variability. These findings suggest that forecasting the strength of El Ni?o through SST variations in the eastern Pacific may not be sufficient to accurately predict cyclogenesis in the South Pacific, especially east of the dateline.     

A DIAGNOSTIC STUDY OF THE TELECONNECTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE WARM POOL OF THE WESTERN PACIFIC AND ASIAN MONSOON DURING EL NINO AND NON-EL NINO YEARS

Based on the monthly mean OLR, geopotential height and wind data from the NCEP/NCAR reanalyzed data sets for 1982-1996, the atmospheric teleconnection associated with the warm pool of the tropical western Pacific and Asian monsoon region during E1 Nino and non-El Niño years are studied diagnostically in this paper. It is found that, the teleconnection pattern caused by the activity of the Asian summer monsoon (ASM) emanates from the Asian monsoon region to the tropical eastern Pacific via the Aleutians in summer of the El Niño years. In the non-El Niño years, however, the ASM-related teleconnection pattern stretches northward and westward from the Asian monsoon region, exerting its influences mainly on the circulation over middle and high latitude rather than that over the tropical eastern Pacific. Evidences also show that the anomalous convection over the tropical western Pacific warm pool leads to the East Asia/Pacific(EAP) teleconnection pattern during the non-El Niño years. It is interesting to note that the teleconnection in the 500 height field associated with the warm pool convection disappears in the El Niño years. The differences of the teleconnection pattern between the El Niño years and the non-El Niño years suggest that the activities of the ASM and the convection over the warm pool of the tropical western Pacific, the most energetic weather events in boreal summer, are intertwined and interactive with other global-scale circulation in different ways under different climate backgrounds.     

广东省汛期旱涝成因和前期影响因子探讨

根据广东省８６个气象站降水量资料，用正态化Ｚ指数对前，后汛期旱涝等级进行了划分，前汛期旱涝年对比分析表明：西太平洋副高造成的南海地区较强偏南风和较强东亚大槽以及较强垲支西风急流（有利于中纬度冷空气南侵）之间的相互作用是影响广东前汛期降水偏多的直接原因，广东前汛期偏早的主要原因是冷空气偏弱，西太平洋暖池海温变化是这种相互作用的重要影响因子，暖池海温偏高（低），广东前汛期正常偏旱（涝）。前期１２－２月西太平洋暖池海温是前汛期旱涝变化的重要强信号之一，预测前汛期旱涝时应特别关注两极极涡的强度变化和中纬度地区位势高度变化，后汛期旱斩份对比分析表明：亚洲夏季风系统偏强（弱）是造成广东省后污期偏涝（旱）的最重要因素，登陆广东的热带气施个数对后污期降水的影响也比较大，还探讨了后汛期旱涝的预测问题，提出前期５月份北太平洋东部地区５００hPa位势高度距平是预测后汛期旱涝的重要强信号，其位势高度为正距平，则广东后汛期偏早，负距平则偏涝，南半球中高纬地区大气环流变化通过对印度夏季风的影响从而影响后汛期旱涝的变化。     

基于交叉小波分析方法的西太平洋副热带高压年际变率与热带海温及大气环流异常的相关性研究

西太平洋副热带高压的年际变率受热带多个关键海区的海-气相互作用过程调控, 但彼此间的因果关联和影响机制尚不清楚。为揭示西太平洋副热带高压的年际变率与热带海温及大气环流异常之间的内在关联特性, 定义了三个关键海区以及赤道纬向西风区的特征指数, 并分别与西太平洋副热带高压强度、脊线指数进行了交叉小波和相干小波分析。研究发现:西太平洋副热带高压指数存在显著的2~3年和准5年的周期振荡, 20世纪八九十年代后, 由于暖池区海温及赤道纬向西风区的Hadley环流强迫加强, 致使副热带高压特征指数的2~3年周期振荡加强; 从位相关系看, 先是西太平洋副热带高压减弱南撤导致纬向西风加强, 其后影响赤道东太平洋海温升高, 同时暖水向东传, 使赤道中太平洋以及暖池区海温逐渐升高, 在Hadley环流作用下使副高加强北抬。基于上述西太平洋副热带高压的年际变率与热带海温及大气环流异常变化相关性诊断研究, 进一步探讨了造成这种相关性的影响机理和因果关联, 为揭示西太平洋副热带高压年际变率与热带海温及大气环流异常的相关性做探索研究。      

CLIMATIC FEATURES OF SEA TEMPERATURE OF WARM POOL AND RELATIONSHIP WITH SST OF ITS ADJACENT REGIONS*

In this paper,climatic features of sea temperature of western Pacific warm pool and the relationship with sea surface temperature (SST) of its adjacent regions are analyzed based on the observed sea temperature on vertical cross section along 137°E in western Pacific,the monthly mean SST of Xisha Station in South China Sea and the global monthly mean SST with resolution of 1°×1° (U.K./GISST2.2).The results indicate that (1) in a sense of correlation.SST of western Pacific warm pool can represent its sea subsurface temperature from surface to 200 m-depth level in winter,and it can only represent sea temperature from surface to 70 m depth in summer.The sea subsurface temperature anomaly of warm pool may be more suitable for representing thermal regime of western Pacific warm pool.The sea subsurface temperature of warm pool has a characteristic of quasi-biennial oscillation.(2)Warm pool and Kuroshio current are subject to different ocean current systems (3)Furthermore,the relationship between SST of Xisha Station and SST of warm pool has a characteristic of negative correlation in winter and positive correlation in summer,and a better lag negative correlation of SST of Xisha Station with sea subsurface temperature of warm pool exists.(4)Additionally,oscillation structure of sea temperature like "a seesaw" exists in between warm pool and Regions Nino3 and Nino4.January (June) maximum (minimum) sea subsurface temperature anomaly of warm pool may serve as a strong signal that indicates maturity phase (development phase) of La Nina (El Nino) event,it also acts as a strong signal which reveals variations of SST of Regions Nino3 and Nino4.     

A plausible reason for changes in El Niño parameters in the 2000s

An attempt is made to find a plausible reason for the weakening of the interrelation between the variability in wind and water volume in the tropical warm pool in the western equatorial Pacific and the onset of El Niño–Southern Oscillation event (ENSO). It is demonstrated that variability in the atmospheric dynamics near the Drake Passage can affect the ENSO development. The weakening of the interrelation between ENSO and the variability in wind together with water volume in the tropical warm pool is caused by the fact that the processes of atmosphere–ocean interaction in the tropical Pacific started exerting smaller influence on the ENSO development (as compared with the processes in the Southern Ocean). This is due to warmer ocean conditions registered since the late 1990s that favored the decrease in the zonal gradient of temperature in the ocean surface layer in the tropics and led to lower atmospheric variability in the tropical Pacific whereas this variability remained the same over the Southern Ocean.     

STUDY OF ANOMALOUS SST FIELD IN TROPICAL PACIFIC IN PRECEDING YEARS OF TWO PATTERNS OF ENSO EVENTS

Analyzing the anomalous field of SST over the tropical Pacific for two kinds of ENSO events after 1956. we find that in the preceding year before the eastern pattern of El Nino event there is the La Nina event and large negative anomalies of SST in the tropical central and eastern Pacific; the preceding year before the eastern pattern of La Nina event witnesses the prevalence of the El Nino event and large positive anomalies of SST in the same waters: the preceding year before the central patterns of the El Nino (La Nina) events are generally marked by significant positive (negative) SST anomalies in central/western (eastern) tropical Pacific. The fields are just the opposite for two patterns of ENSO events. For waters in the warm pool in the western tropical Pacific, the central (eastern) pattern of El Nino event is with a warm (cool) preceding year of the pool. The warmer conditions in the western Pacific warm pool are a necessity for the occurrence of the central pattern of El Nino event.     

POSSIBLE INFLUENCE OF FEBRUARY-APRIL ARCTIC OSCILLATION ON THE ITCZ ACTIVITY OF WESTERN-CENTRAL PACIFIC

The daily patterns and activity of Intertropical Convergence Zone(ITCZ) in the Western-Central Pacific Ocean are analyzed using NOAA interpolated Outgoing Longwave Radiation dataset during the period from 1979 to 2008, and the relationships between ITCZ patterns and Arctic Oscillation(AO) is investigated in this paper. In accordance with the central activity region the daily ITCZ can be divided into six patterns—north, south, equator, double, full and weak pattern, respectively. The statistic result shows that the north(accounting for 30.98% of the total observations), south(31.11%) and weak(24.05%) ITCZ patterns are the most active daily patterns within a 30-year period, while the other three ITCZ patterns occur infrequently. Results show that the February-April AO index has a significant positive(negative) correlation with the frequency of the north(weak) ITCZ pattern from March-May to August-October, with the strongest correlation in April-June(March-May). At the same time, the lower tropospheric atmosphere circulation(850-hPa wind field) and SST anomalies corresponding to the AO change significantly in the tropical Pacific. When AO is in the positive phase, there is an anomalous westerly from the equator to 15°N and warmer SST in the critical north ITCZ active region, while there is an anomalous easterly and insignificant change of SST from the equator to 15°S. The wind and SST anomalies share the same characteristics of the equatorial asymmetry and thus enlarge the gradient between the south and north of equator, which would help reinforce convection in the north of equator and result in more frequent occurrence of the northern type of ITCZ.     

Revealing the most disturbing tendency error of Zebiak–Cane model associated with El Niño predictions by nonlinear forcing singular vector approach

The nonlinear forcing singular vector (NFSV) approach is used to identify the most disturbing tendency error of the Zebiak–Cane model associated with El Niño predictions, which is most potential for yielding aggressively large prediction errors of El Niño events. The results show that only one NFSV exists for each of the predictions for the predetermined model El Niño events. These NFSVs cause the largest prediction error for the corresponding El Niño event in perfect initial condition scenario. It is found that the NFSVs often present large-scale zonal dipolar structures and are insensitive to the intensities of El Niño events, but are dependent on the prediction periods. In particular, the NFSVs associated with the predictions crossing through the growth phase of El Niño tend to exhibit a zonal dipolar pattern with positive anomalies in the equatorial central-western Pacific and negative anomalies in the equatorial eastern Pacific (denoted as “NFSV1”). Meanwhile, those associated with the predictions through the decaying phase of El Niño are inclined to present another zonal dipolar pattern (denoted as “NFSV2”), which is almost opposite to the NFSV1. Similarly, the linear forcing singular vectors (FSVs), which are computed based on the tangent linear model, can also be classified into two types “FSV1” and “FSV2”. We find that both FSV1 and NFSV1 often cause negative prediction errors for Niño-3 SSTA of the El Niño events, while the FSV2 and NFSV2 usually yield positive prediction errors. However, due to the effect of nonlinearities, the NFSVs usually have the western pole of the zonal dipolar pattern much farther west, and covering much broader region. The nonlinearities have a suppression effect on the growth of the prediction errors caused by the FSVs and the particular structure of the NFSVs tends to reduce such suppression effect of nonlinearities, finally making the NFSV-type tendency error yield much large prediction error for Niño-3 SSTA of El Niño events. The NFSVs, compared to the FSVs, are more applicable in describing the most disturbing tendency error of the Zebiak–Cane model since they consider the effect of nonlinearities. The NFSV-type tendency errors may provide information concerning the sensitive areas where the model errors are much more likely to yield large prediction errors for El Niño events. If the simulation skills of the states in the sensitive areas can be improved, the ENSO forecast skill may in turn be greatly increased.     

A new index for variations in the position of the South Pacific convergence zone 1910/11–2011/2012

Quality controlled and recently homogenised mean sea level pressure records for the South Pacific are used to specify the location and variability of the South Pacific convergence zone (SPCZ) during the austral warm season (November–April). The SPCZ is the world’s largest rainfall band during the austral summer, when it dominates the climate of the South Pacific. A new index called the South Pacific convergence zone index (SPCZI) is derived, and is shown to be coherent with changes in low level wind convergence associated with the SPCZ. This index replaces the earlier SPCZ position index because it uses higher quality mean sea level pressure data than the superseded index and extends the time series further forward in time. The SPCZI allows interannual to decadal variability in the climate of the South Pacific to be tracked for more than a century from 1910/1911 to 2011/2012. During El Niño episodes the SPCZ is displaced by about 1°–3° east, and La Niña events 1°–3° west of the mean position on average. The index indicates a striking movement eastward for the period 1977/78–1998/99, compared with 1944/45–1976/77 in association with the Interdecadal Pacific oscillation (IPO). The eastward movement of the SPCZ in the late twentieth century is related to significant precipitation trends in the South Pacific region. Since 1998/99 the SPCZ has regressed westward with the negative phase change of the IPO. The long-term trend in the SPCZI is very small relative to the interannual to decadal variability and is not statistically significant, suggesting that there has been little overall change in the mean position of the SPCZ over the past century.