Interannual and Interdecadal Variations of the Mid-Atlantic Trough and Associated American-Atlantic-Eurasian Climate Anomalies

The mid-Atlantic trough (MAT) is one of the most prominent circulation systems over the subtropical North Atlantic during the boreal summer, and it can be viewed as a bridge linking the climate in the American-Atlantic-Eurasian region. The upper-tropospheric MAT attains its maximum intensity of 200–150?hPa in June and July. An index measuring the variability of MAT intensity is defined, which reveals significant interannual and interdecadal variations of the trough.

On interannual time scales, the variation of MAT is significantly associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation, a southeastward propagating stationary wave that possibly originates from the northeastern Pacific, and the Atlantic Meridional Mode. A stronger trough is associated with warmer surface temperatures and higher pressure over central-northern North America and the extratropical North Atlantic and with colder surface temperatures and lower pressure over the Arctic, the subtropical North Atlantic, and the northeastern Pacific. In the meantime, significant negative precipitation anomalies occur over the north of the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, as well as the northeastern Atlantic because of the anomalous low-level northeasterly winds over these areas. On an interdecadal time scale, the variation of MAT seems to be related to the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation. Warmer surface temperatures appear over almost the entire North Atlantic, southern Europe, East Asia, and the North Pacific during the weak phase of the trough. A weak trough is also associated with the dipole pattern of anomalous precipitation over the extratropical North Atlantic, Greenland, and northeastern North America, corresponding to a dipole of low-level atmospheric circulation over these regions.     

An Atlantic influence on Amazon rainfall

Rainfall variability over the Amazon basin has often been linked to variations in Pacific sea surface temperature (SST), and in particular, to the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). However, only a fraction of Amazon rainfall variability can be explained by ENSO. Building upon the recent work of Zeng (Environ Res Lett 3:014002, 2008), here we provide further evidence for an influence on Amazon rainfall from the tropical Atlantic Ocean. The strength of the North Atlantic influence is found to be comparable to the better-known Pacific ENSO connection. The tropical South Atlantic Ocean also shows some influence during the wet-to-dry season transition period. The Atlantic influence is through changes in the north-south divergent circulation and the movement of the ITCZ following warm SST. Therefore, it is strongest in the southern part of the Amazon basin during the Amazon’s dry season (July–October). In contrast, the ENSO related teleconnection is through anomalous east-west Walker circulation with largely concentrated in the eastern (lower) Amazon. This ENSO connection is seasonally locked to boreal winter. A complication due to the influence of ENSO on Atlantic SST causes an apparent North Atlantic SST lag of Amazon rainfall. Removing ENSO from North Atlantic SST via linear regression resolves this causality problem in that the residual Atlantic variability correlates well and is in phase with the Amazon rainfall. A strong Atlantic influence during boreal summer and autumn is particularly significant in terms of the impact on the hydro-ecosystem which is most vulnerable during the dry season, as highlighted by the severe 2005 Amazon drought. Such findings have implications for both seasonal-interannual climate prediction and understanding the longer-term changes of the Amazon rainforest.     

Uganda rainfall variability and prediction

This study analyzes large-scale controls on Uganda’s rainfall. Unlike past work, here, a May–October season is used because of the year-round nature of agricultural production, vegetation sensitivity to rainfall, and disease transmission. The Uganda rainfall record exhibits steady oscillations of ～3 and 6 years over 1950–2013. Correlation maps at two-season lead time resolve the subtropical ridge over global oceans as an important feature. Multi-variate environmental predictors include Dec–May south Indian Ocean sea surface temperature, east African upper zonal wind, and South Atlantic wind streamfunction, providing a 33% fit to May–Oct rainfall time series. Composite analysis indicates that cool-phase El Niño Southern Oscillation supports increased May–Oct Uganda rainfall via a zonal overturning lower westerly/upper easterly atmospheric circulation. Sea temperature anomalies are positive in the east Atlantic and negative in the west Indian Ocean in respect of wet seasons. The northern Hadley Cell plays a role in limiting the northward march of the equatorial trough from May to October. An analysis of early season floods found that moist inflow from the west Indian Ocean converges over Uganda, generating diurnal thunderstorm clusters that drift southwestward producing high runoff.     

Simulation and Projection of Changes in Rainy Season Precipitation over China Using the WRF Model

The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is used in a regional climate model configuration to simulate past precipitation climate of China during the rainy season (May-September) of 1981-2000, and to investigate potential future (2041-2060 and 2081-2100) changes in precipitation over China relative to the reference period 1981-2000. WRF is run with initial conditions from a coupled general circulation model, i.e., the high-resolution version of MIROC (Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate). WRF reproduces the observed distribution of rainy season precipitation in 1981-2000 and its interannual variations better than MIROC. MIROC projects increases in rainy season precipitation over most parts of China and decreases of more than 25 mm over parts of Taiwan and central Tibet by the mid-21st century. WRF projects decreases in rainfall over southern Tibetan Plateau, Southwest China, and northwestern part of Northeast China, and increases in rainfall by more than 100 mm along the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau and over the lower reaches of the Yangtze River during 2041-2060. MIROC projects further increases in rainfall over most of China by the end of the 21st century, although simulated rainfall decreases by more than 25 mm over parts of Taiwan, Guangxi, Guizhou, and central Tibet. WRF projects increased rainfall of more than 100 mm along the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau and over the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and decreased rainfall over Southwest China, and southern Tibetan Plateau by the end of the 21st century.     

Influence of the warm pool and cold tongue El Niños on the following Caribbean rainy season rainfall

Caribbean rainfall and associated regional-scale ocean–atmosphere anomalies are analyzed during and after warm pool (WP) and cold tongue (CT) El Niño (EN) events (i.e. from the usual peak of EN events in boreal winter to next summer from 1950 to 2011). During and after a CT event, a north–south dipolar pattern with positive (negative) rainfall anomalies over the northern (southern) Caribbean during the boreal winter tends to reverse in spring, and then to vanish in summer. On the contrary, during and after a WP event, weak rainfall anomalies during the boreal winter intensify themselves from spring, with anomalous wet conditions over most of the Caribbean basin observed during summer, except over the eastern coast of Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The Caribbean rainfall anomalies associated with WP and CT events are shaped by competition between at least four different, but interrelated, mechanisms; (1) the near-equatorial large-scale subsidence anomaly over the equatorial Atlantic linked to the zonal adjustment of the Walker circulation; (2) the extra-tropical wave-like train combining positive phase of the Pacific/North American mode and negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation; (3) the wind-evaporation-sea surface temperature (SST) positive feedback coupling warmer-than-normal SST with weaker-than-normal low level easterlies over the tropical North Atlantic; and (4) the air-sea coupling between the speed of low level easterlies, including the Caribbean low level jet, and the SST anomaly (SSTA) gradient between the Caribbean basin and the eastern equatorial Pacific. It seems that Caribbean rainfall anomalies are shaped mostly by mechanisms (1–3) during CT events from the boreal winter to spring. These mechanisms seem less efficient during WP events when the atmospheric response seems driven mostly by mechanism (4), coupling positive west-east SSTA gradient with weaker-than-normal low level easterlies, and secondary by mechanism (3), from the boreal spring to summer.     

Interannual variability of summer monsoon precipitation over the Indochina Peninsula in association with ENSO

The interannual variability of summer monsoon precipitation (1979–2011) over the Indochina Peninsula (ICP) is characterized using the first empirical orthogonal function of 5-month total precipitation (May to September). The leading mode, with a monopole pattern, accounts for 30.6 % of the total variance. Dynamic composites and linear regression analysis indicate that the rainy season precipitation over the ICP is linked to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on interannual scales. The preceding winter [D(?1)JF(0)] negative sea surface temperature (SST) over the Niño-3.4 region is predominantly correlated with the rainy season precipitation over the ICP. Notably, the simultaneous correlation between remote SST anomalies in the Niño-3.4 region and the rainy season precipitation over the ICP is weak. The interannual variation of tropical cyclones modulated by ENSO is a significant contributing factor to the rainy season precipitation over the ICP. However, this relationship is not homogeneous over the ICP if ENSO is considered. Before removing the ENSO signal, enhanced precipitation is present over the northeastern part of the ICP and reduced precipitation appears in the western ICP, especially in coastal areas. In contrast, after removing ENSO, only a minor significant positive precipitation anomaly occurs over the northeastern part of the ICP and the negative anomaly appears particularly in the western and eastern coastal regions. The results obtained through the present study are useful for our understanding of circulation mechanisms and provide information for assessing the ability of regional and global climate models in simulating the climate of Southeast Asia.     

Climate impacts of recent multidecadal changes in Atlantic Ocean Sea Surface Temperature: a multimodel comparison

During the twentieth century sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean exhibited prominent multidecadal variations. The source of such variations has yet to be rigorously established—but the question of their impact on climate can be investigated. Here we report on a set of multimodel experiments to examine the impact of patterns of warming in the North Atlantic, and cooling in the South Atlantic, derived from observations, that is characteristic of the positive phase of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). The experiments were carried out with six atmospheric General Circulation Models (including two versions of one model), and a major goal was to assess the extent to which key climate impacts are consistent between the different models. The major climate impacts are found over North and South America, with the strongest impacts over land found over the United States and northern parts of South America. These responses appear to be driven by a combination of an off-equatorial Gill response to diabatic heating over the Caribbean due to increased rainfall within the region and a Northward shift in the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) due to the anomalous cross-equatorial SST gradient. The majority of the models show warmer US land temperatures and reduced Mean Sea Level Pressure during summer (JJA) in response to a warmer North Atlantic and a cooler South Atlantic, in line with observations. However the majority of models show no significant impact on US rainfall during summer. Over northern South America, all models show reduced rainfall in southern hemisphere winter (JJA), whilst in Summer (DJF) there is a generally an increase in rainfall. However, there is a large spread amongst the models in the magnitude of the rainfall anomalies over land. Away from the Americas, there are no consistent significant modelled responses. In particular there are no significant changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) over the North Atlantic and Europe in Winter (DJF). Additionally, the observed Sahel drying signal in African rainfall is not seen in the modelled responses. Suggesting that, in contrast to some studies, the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation was not the primary driver of recent reductions in Sahel rainfall.     

Role of the global oceans and land–atmosphere interaction on summertime interdecadal variability over northern Argentina

This study uses experiments with an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) to address the role of the oceans and the effect of land–atmosphere coupling on the predictability of summertime rainfall over northern Argentina focusing on interdecadal time scales during 1901–2006. Ensembles of experiments where the AGCM is forced with historical sea surface temperature (SST) in the global, Pacific and tropical-North Atlantic domains are used. The role of land–atmosphere interaction is assessed comparing the output of simulations with active and climatological soil moisture. A maximum covariance analysis between precipitation and SST reveals the impact of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation and the equatorial–tropical South Atlantic on rainfall over northern Argentina. Model simulations further show that while the dominant influence comes from the Pacific basin, the Atlantic influence can explain a large transition from dry to wet decades over northern Argentina during the beginning of the 1970s. Analysis of anomalies before and after the transition reveals an upper level anticyclonic circulation off the Patagonian coast with barotropic structure. This circulation enhances the moisture transport and convergence in northern Argentina and, together with enhanced evaporation, increased the rainfall after 1970. The SST pattern is dominated by cold conditions in the equatorial Atlantic and warm eastern Pacific and South Atlantic. We also found that land–atmosphere interaction leads to a representation of the long term rainfall evolution over northern Argentina that is closer to the observed one. Moreover, it leads to a smaller dispersion among ensemble members, thus resulting in a larger signal-to-noise ratio.     

An analysis of onset date and rainy season duration over Zambia

Summary This study investigates the onset and cessation dates of the main summer rainy season over Zambia, their interannual variability, and potential relationships with ENSO and regional circulation anomalies. Focus is placed on onset and cessation dates because these rainy season characteristics are often of more relevance than seasonal rainfall totals to user groups such as farmers, water resource managers, health and tourism officials. It is found that there is substantial interannual variability in these parameters with some indications of a relationship between anomalies in onset date and those in Ni?o3.4 SST, particularly over the northern part of the country. A strong gradient exists between the south and the north in terms of rainfall amount, mean onset date and mean cessation date and all areas of the country experience significant variability. Analysis of circulation anomalies for early (late) onset seasons over northern Zambia shows that they are characterised by anomalous ridging (troughing) over and south of South Africa, a weaker (stronger) Angola heat low and enhanced (reduced) low level moisture flux into eastern Zambia from the Indian Ocean. The connection with ENSO during the onset season of austral spring appears to arise both through changes in the amount of subsidence over southern Africa as well as via the so-called Pacific South America pattern that extends across the South Pacific and South Atlantic towards southern Africa. Authors’ address: S. Hachigonta, C. J. C. Reason, M. Tadross, Department of Oceanography, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa.     

Validating the dynamic downscaling ability of WRF for East Asian summer climate

This work aims, as a first step, to analyze rainfall variability in Northern Algeria, in particular extreme events, during the period from 1940 to 2010. Analysis of annual rainfall shows that stations in the northwest record a significant decrease in rainfall since the 1970s. Frequencies of rainy days for each percentile (5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, 95th, and 99th) and each rainfall interval class (1–5, 5–10, 10–20, 20–50, and ≥50 mm) do not show a significant change in the evolution of daily rainfall. The Tenes station is the only one to show a significant decrease in the frequency of rainy days up to the 75th percentile and for the 10–20-mm interval class. There is no significant change in the temporal evolution of extreme events in the 90th, 95th, and 99th percentiles. The relationships between rainfall variability and general atmospheric circulation indices for interannual and extreme event variability are moderately influenced by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation and Mediterranean Oscillation. Significant correlations are observed between the Southern Oscillation Index and annual rainfall in the northwestern part of the study area, which is likely linked with the decrease in rainfall in this region. Seasonal rainfall in Northern Algeria is affected by the Mediterranean Oscillation and North Atlantic Oscillation in the west. The ENSEMBLES regional climate models (RCMs) are assessed using the bias method to test their ability to reproduce rainfall variability at different time scales. The Centre National de Recherches Météorologiques (CNRM), Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI), Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETHZ), and Forschungszentrum Geesthacht (GKSS) models yield the least biased results.     

Evaluation of the CORDEX regional climate models performance in simulating climate conditions of two catchments in Upper Blue Nile Basin

This study was targeted at evaluating the performance of six Regional Climate Models (RCMs) used in Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX). The evaluation is on the bases of how well the RCMs simulate the seasonal mean climatology, interannual variability and annual cycles of rainfall, maximum and minimum temperature over two catchments in western Ethiopia during the period 1990–2008. Observed data obtained from the Ethiopian National Meteorological Agency was used for performance evaluation of the RCMs outputs. All Regional Climate Models (RCMs) have simulated seasonal mean annual cycles of precipitation with a significant bias shown on individual models; however, the ensemble mean exhibited better the magnitude and seasonal rainfall. Despite the highest biases of RCMs in the wet season, the annual cycle showed the prominent features of precipitation in the two catchments. In many aspects, CRCM5 and RACMO22 T simulate rainfall over most stations better than the other models. The highest biases are associated with the highest error in simulating maximum and minimum temperature with the highest biases in high elevation areas. The rainfall interannual variability is less evident in Finchaa with short rainy season experiencing a larger degree of interannual variability. The differences in performance of the Regional Climate Models in the two catchments show that all the available models are not equally good for particular locations and topographies. In this regard, the right regional climate models have to be used for any climate change impact study for local-scale climate projections.     

2018/2019年冬季浙江罕见持续阴雨天气的环流异常与海温强迫

利用NCEP/NCAR全球再分析资料、地面观测资料和自动站降水资料,分析了2018/2019年冬季浙江罕见连续阴雨寡照天气过程中冬季风环流和南支槽等环流异常,并从西风带波动、海温强迫等方面研究了局地环流异常的成因。结果表明:2018/2019年冬季连阴雨事件中雨日、日照破历史记录,雨量较常年同期明显偏多。主要的环流异常为西北太平洋异常反气旋（WNPAC）明显偏北,同时阿留申低压和西伯利亚高压亦偏北,东亚地区40°N以南有强的偏南风异常,冬季风偏弱;南支槽较常年偏强,保证了浙江上空有持续的水汽和扰动输送。对流层中层存在沿欧洲向东亚—西太平洋传播的波动能量,波能在东亚地区一直向南传播至20°N以南,可能导致WNPAC明显北抬和南支槽加强。ENSO是WNPAC的重要强迫源,ENSO暖位相使得海洋性大陆出现异常对流冷却,而浙江上空对流加强,ENSO对南支槽活动强度亦有明显的制约作用。中国近海海温偏高是WNPAC和阿留申低压明显偏北的重要影响因素。2018/2019年冬季局地环流异常可能由ENSO和中国近海海温协同强迫所致。     

The interannual precipitation variability in the southern part of Iran as linked to large-scale climate modes

The interannual variation of precipitation in the southern part of Iran and its link with the large-scale climate modes are examined using monthly data from 183 meteorological stations during 1974–2005. The majority of precipitation occurs during the rainy season from October to May. The interannual variation in fall and early winter during the first part of the rainy season shows apparently a significant positive correlation with the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). However, a partial correlation analysis used to extract the respective influence of IOD and ENSO shows a significant positive correlation only with the IOD and not with ENSO. The southeasterly moisture flux anomaly over the Arabian Sea turns anti-cyclonically and transport more moisture to the southern part of Iran from the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf during the positive IOD. On the other hand, the moisture flux has northerly anomaly over Iran during the negative IOD, which results in reduced moisture supply from the south. During the latter part of the rainy season in late winter and spring, the interannual variation of precipitation is more strongly influenced by modes of variability over the Mediterranean Sea. The induced large-scale atmospheric circulation anomaly controls moisture supply from the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.     

Exploring the climate problems of Brazil’s Nordeste: a review

This article reviews the exploration of the climate dynamics of Brazil’s Nordeste in the course of a century. The drought-prone and semi-arid northern Nordeste of Brazil experiences a short rainy season around March–April, when the interhemispheric gradient of sea surface temperature (SST) in the tropical Atlantic is weakest and the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) reaches its southernmost position in the course of the annual cycle. The recurrent Secas (droughts) have a severe socio-economic impact. During drought years, the interhemispheric SST gradient in the tropical Atlantic is steep and the ITCZ stays far North, while the waters of the eastern equatorial Pacific tend to be anomalously warm. Based on the extensive diagnostic exploration of the circulation mechanisms of interannual climate variability, empirical methods have been developed for the forecasting of the Nordeste rainy season. These have been applied in the real-time prediction of seasonal rainfall anomalies throughout the last decade of the 20th century.     

On the relationship of regional meteorological drought with SOI and NAO over southwest Iran

A fuzzy hierarchical clustering technique using the pairwise similarity matrix is employed to find the homogenous climate subregions over southwest Iran, based on the similarity of meteorological drought characteristics (i.e., duration, intensity, onset, and ending dates). The representative subregions are recognized for different rainy seasons; for each, the regional rainfall anomalies are computed. To find appropriate drought predictors, the lag relationships of regional rainfall with seasonal Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) are examined using a conditional probability approach. The results suggest a significant negative correlation between autumn rainfall and June–August SOI. The NAO is also negatively correlated with autumn rainfall such that it is least likely for an extreme autumn drought to occur when June–August NAO is negative. A spring drought is preceded by an October–December NAO greater than 0.5. However, winter droughts do not appear to be lag-correlated with either SOI or NAO. In addition to the findings for droughts, these indices also emerged having considerable influence on wet seasons. A wet autumn tends to occur when either May–July SOI is less than ?0.5 or June–August NAO is less than about ?0.3. It is also apparent that the extreme wet springs are absent when October–December NAO is positive. This season is influenced most by NAO in both dry and wet spells. However, similar to droughts, the wet winter seasons are not found to be associated with either SOI or NAO.     

Caribbean Sea rainfall variability during the rainy season and relationship to the equatorial Pacific and tropical Atlantic SST

The present study investigates the Caribbean Sea rainfall variability during the early and late rainy seasons and its association with sea surface temperature (SST) and air?Csea interaction based on observational estimates, the NCEP Climate Forecast System (CFS) and Global Forecast System (GFS) simulations, and the CFS retrospective forecasts. Analysis of the observational estimates indicates that air?Csea interaction is important over the Caribbean Sea, whereas the atmospheric forcing of SST dominates over the Gulf of Mexico. The CFS simulation captures the basic elements of this observed air?Csea relationship. The GFS simulation produces spurious SST forcing of the atmosphere over the Gulf of Mexico largely due to prescribing SST. The CFS forecasts capture the air?Csea relationship in the late rainy season (August?COctober), but cannot reproduce the SST forcing of atmosphere over the Caribbean Sea in the early rainy season (May?CJuly). An empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis indicates that the leading modes of percent anomalies of the rainy season precipitation have the largest loading in the southern Caribbean Sea in observations. The model simulations and forecasts skillfully reproduce the spatial pattern, but not the temporal evolution. The Caribbean Sea rainfall variability in the early rainy season is mainly due to the tropical North Atlantic (TNA) SST anomalies in observations, is contributed by both the TNA and eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) SST anomalies in the CFS simulation, and has an overly large impact from the EEP SST anomalies in the GFS simulation and the CFS forecasts. The observed Caribbean Sea rainfall variability in the late rainy season has a leading impact from the EEP SST anomalies, with a secondary contribution from the TNA SST anomalies. In comparison, the model simulations and forecasts overestimate the impacts of the EEP SST anomalies due to an earlier development and longer duration of the El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation in the CFS compared to observations.     

Atmospheric bridge on orbital time scales

Large-scale atmospheric patterns are examined on orbital timescales using a climate model which explicitly resolves the atmosphere–ocean–sea ice dynamics. It is shown that, in contrast to boreal summer where the climate mainly follows the local radiative forcing, the boreal winter climate is strongly determined by modulation of circulation modes linked to the Arctic Oscillation/North Atlantic Oscillation (AO/NAO) and the Northern/Southern Annular Modes. We find that during a positive phase of the AO/NAO the convection in the tropical Pacific is below normal. The related atmospheric circulation provides an atmospheric bridge for the precessional forcing inducing a non-uniform temperature anomalies with large amplitudes over the continents. We argue that this is important for mechanisms responsible for multi-millennial climate variability and glacial inception.     

Inter-Relationships Between Groundnut Yield in Senegal, Interannual Rainfall Variability and Sea-Surface Temperatures

Summary Groundnut production strongly contributes to Senegal’s economy. Interannual variations of groundnut yield for the country as a whole, and their relationship with rainfall amounts, are examined for the 31-yr period 1960–1990. It is shown that on that scale, and after removing decadal trends, almost half of the variance is explained by rainfall variability, especially that of the early part of the rainy season (July–August). Given the high spatial coherence of seasonal rainfall in the region, teleconnections with global- and regional-scale climate dynamics, including sea-surface temperatures, are assessed. Though some features are similar to the rest of the Sahel, others are more specific, such as the higher sensitivity to ENSO (El-Ni?o Southern Oscillation) and to coupled ocean-atmosphere climate anomalies over the nearby Tropical North Atlantic Ocean, which are associated to the latitudinal location of the ITCZ over the ocean. Lag-correlations with pre-season SST are also discussed. Some of these teleconnections are used to define preliminary empirical models for rainfall and groundnut yield prediction for Senegal. Received March 23, 1998 Revised January 11, 1999     

Boreal summer continental monsoon rainfall and hydroclimate anomalies associated with the Asian-Pacific Oscillation

With the twentieth century analysis data (1901–2002) for atmospheric circulation, precipitation, Palmer drought severity index, and sea surface temperature (SST), we show that the Asian-Pacific Oscillation (APO) during boreal summer is a major mode of the earth climate variation linking to global atmospheric circulation and hydroclimate anomalies, especially the Northern Hemisphere (NH) summer land monsoon. Associated with a positive APO phase are the warm troposphere over the Eurasian land and the relatively cool troposphere over the North Pacific, the North Atlantic, and the Indian Ocean. Such an amplified land–ocean thermal contrast between the Eurasian land and its adjacent oceans signifies a stronger than normal NH summer monsoon, with the strengthened southerly or southwesterly monsoon prevailing over tropical Africa, South Asia, and East Asia. A positive APO implies an enhanced summer monsoon rainfall over all major NH land monsoon regions: West Africa, South Asia, East Asia, and Mexico. Thus, APO is a sensible measure of the NH land monsoon rainfall intensity. Meanwhile, reduced precipitation appears over the arid and semiarid regions of northern Africa, the Middle East, and West Asia, manifesting the monsoon-desert coupling. On the other hand, surrounded by the cool troposphere over the North Pacific and North Atlantic, the extratropical North America has weakened low-level continental low and upper-level ridge, hence a deficient summer rainfall. Corresponding to a high APO index, the African and South Asian monsoon regions are wet and cool, the East Asian monsoon region is wet and hot, and the extratropical North America is dry and hot. Wet and dry climates correspond to wet and dry soil conditions, respectively. The APO is also associated with significant variations of SST in the entire Pacific and the extratropical North Atlantic during boreal summer, which resembles the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation in SST. Of note is that the Pacific SST anomalies are not present throughout the year, rather, mainly occur in late spring, peak at late summer, and are nearly absent during boreal winter. The season-dependent APO–SST relationship and the origin of the APO remain elusive.     

Tanzanian rainfall responses to El Niño and positive Indian Ocean Dipole events during 1951–2015

The relative impacts of Indian and Pacific Ocean processes on Tanzanian rainfall was evaluated using composite and correlation analyses. It was found that the seasonal responses of rainfall to positive Indian Ocean Dipole (pIOD) and El Niño events are substantial from September–October–November (SON) to December–January–February (DJF), whereas the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) exerts more control than El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in both seasons. The associated relationship with the sea surface temperature (SST) and large-scale atmospheric circulations revealed distinct features. For the pure pIOD years, there is above-normal rainfall over the entire country. A strong rainfall condition is evident over the Lake Victoria basin and coastal and northeastern highland parts of the country during SON, while areas of the central and southern highlands exhibit substantial rains during DJF. For the pure El-Niño events, Tanzania has suffered from insignificant, weak, and non-coherent rainfall conditions during SON. However, a contrasting insignificant rainfall signature is found between the northern and southern parts of the country during the subsequent DJF season. For the co-occurrence of pIOD and El Niño, significant, excessive rainfall conditions are restricted to over the northern coast and northeastern areas of the country during SON, consistent with the rainfall pattern for pIOD. A weak, positive rainfall condition is observed over the entire country in the following season of DJF. Generally, in terms of Tanzanian rainfall, the IOD/ENSO variability and the associated impacts can be explained by the anomalous SST and circulation anomalies.