Simulated sensitivity of tropical cyclone track to the moisture in an idealized monsoon gyre

In this study, the sensitivity of tropical cyclone (TC) track to the moisture condition in a nearby monsoon gyre (MG) is investigated. Numerical simulations reveal that TC track is highly sensitive to the spatial distribution of relative humidity (RH). In an experiment conducted with higher (lower) RH in the eastern (western) semicircle of an MG, the TC experiences a sharp northward turning. In contrast, when the RH pattern is reversed, the simulated TC does not show a sharp northward turning. The RH distribution modulates the intensity and structure of both the TC and MG, so that when the TC is initially embedded in a moister environment, convection is enhanced in the outer core, which favors an expansion of the outer core size. A TC with a larger outer size has greater beta-effect propagation, favoring a faster westward translational speed. Meanwhile, higher RH enhances the vorticity gradient within the MG and promotes a quicker attraction between the TC and MG centers through vorticity segregation process. These cumulative effects cause the TC to collocate with the MG center. Once the coalescence process takes place, the energy dispersion associated with the TC and MG is enhanced, which rapidly strengthens southwesterly flows on the eastern flanks. The resulting steering flow leads the TC to take a sharp northward track.     

The summer circulation over the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East: influence of the South Asian monsoon

The summer circulation over the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East (EMME) is dominated by persistent northerly winds (Etesians) whose ventilating effect counteracts the adiabatic warming induced by large scale subsidence. The ERA40 dataset is used to study the vertical distribution of these circulation features, which both appear to be reconciled manifestations of the South Asian monsoon influence. As predicted by past idealized modeling studies, in late spring a westward expanding upper level warm structure and subsidence areas are associated with Rossby waves excited by the monsoon convection. Steep sloping isentropes that develop over the EMME facilitate further subsidence on the western and northern periphery of the warm structure, which is exposed to the midlatitude westerlies. The northerly flow and descent over the eastern Mediterranean have maxima in July that are strikingly synchronous to the monsoon convection over northern India, where the weaker easterly jet favors a stronger Rossby wave response and consequent impact on the EMME circulation. The pronounced EMME topography modifies the monsoon induced structure, firstly, by inducing orographically locked summer anticyclones. These enhance the mid and low level northwesterly flow at their eastern flanks, leading to distinct subsidence maxima over the eastern Mediterranean and Iran. Secondly, topography amplifies the subsidence and the northerly flow over the Aegean, Red Sea, the Iraq—Gulf region and to the east of the Caspian Sea.     

Influence of soil moisture in eastern China on the East Asian summer monsoon

The sensitivity of the East Asian summer monsoon to soil moisture anomalies over China was investigated based on ensembles of seasonal simulations(March–September) using the NCEP GCM coupled with the Simplified Simple Biosphere Model(NCEP GCM/SSi B). After a control experiment with free-running soil moisture, two ensembles were performed in which the soil moisture over the vast region from the lower and middle reaches of the Yangtze River valley to North China(YRNC) was double and half that in the control, with the maximum less than the field capacity. The simulation results showed significant sensitivity of the East Asian summer monsoon to wet soil in YRNC. The wetter soil was associated with increased surface latent heat flux and reduced surface sensible heat flux. In turn, these changes resulted in a wetter and colder local land surface and reduced land–sea temperature gradients, corresponding to a weakened East Asian monsoon circulation in an anomalous anticyclone over southeastern China, and a strengthened East Asian trough southward over Northeast China. Consequently, less precipitation appeared over southeastern China and North China and more rainfall over Northeast China. The weakened monsoon circulation and strengthened East Asian trough was accompanied by the convergence of abnormal northerly and southerly flow over the Yangtze River valley, resulting in more rainfall in this region.In the drier soil experiments, less precipitation appeared over YRNC. The East Asian monsoon circulation seems to show little sensitivity to dry soil anomalies in NCEP GCM/SSi B.     

IMPACT OF CONVECTION OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA ON TROPICAL CYCLONE MOTION OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC DURING SUMMER MONSOON

The intraseasonal oscillation(ISO) of the South China Sea(SCS, 105-120°E, 5-20°N) convection and its influences on the genesis and track of the western North Pacific(WNP) tropical cyclones(TCs) were explored, based on the daily average of NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data, the OLR data and the western North Pacific tropical cyclone best-track data from 1979 to 2008. The mechanism of the influences of ISO on TC movement and the corresponding large-scale circulation were discussed by a trajectory model. It was found as follows.(1) During the SCS summer monsoon, the SCS convection exhibits the ISO features with active phases alternating with inactive phases. The monsoon circulation patterns are significantly different during these two phases. When the SCS convection is active(inactive), the SCS-WNP monsoon trough stretches eastward(retreats westward) due to the activity(inactivity) of SCS monsoon, and the WNP subtropical high retreats eastward(stretches westward), which enhances(suppresses) the monsoon circulation.(2) The amount of TC genesis in the active phase is much more than that in the inactive phase. A majority of TCs form west of 135 °E during the active phases but east of 135 °E in the inactive phases.(3) The TCs entering the area west of 135 °E and south of 25 °N would move straight into the SCS in the active phase, or recurve northward in the inactive phase.(4) Simulation results show that the steering flow associated with the active(inactive)phases is in favor of straight-moving(recurving) TCs. Meanwhile, the impacts of the locations of TC genesis on the characteristics of TC track cannot be ignored. TCs that occurred father westward are more likely to move straight into the SCS region.     

Re-examination of tropical cyclone formation in monsoon troughs over the western North Pacific

The monsoon trough(MT) is one of the large-scale patterns favorable for tropical cyclone(TC) formation over the western North Pacific(WNP). This study re-examines TC formation by treating the MT as a large-scale background for TC activity during May–October. Over an 11-year(2000–10) period, 8.3 TC formation events on average per year are identified to occur within MTs, accounting for 43.1% of the total TC formation events in the WNP basin. This percentage is much lower than those reported in previous studies. Further analysis indicates that TC formation events in monsoon gyres were included at least in some previous studies. The MT includes a monsoon confluence zone where westerlies meet easterlies and a monsoon shear line where the trade easterlies lie north of the monsoon westerlies. In this study, the large-scale flow pattern associated with TC formation in the MT is composited based on the reference point in the confluence zone where both the zonal and meridional wind components are zero with positive vorticity. While previous studies have found that many TCs form in the confluence zone, the composite analysis indicates that nearly all of the TCs formed in the shear region, since the shear region is associated with stronger low-level relative vorticity than the confluence zone. The prevailing easterly vertical shear of zonal wind and barotropic instability may also be conducive to TC formation in the shear region, through the development of synoptic-scale tropical disturbances in the MT that are necessary for TC formation.     

中国东部季风区夏季四类雨型的水汽输送特征及差异

利用1951~2015年NCEP/NCAR再分析逐日资料和中国160站月降水观测资料,及中国东部季风区夏季四类雨型（北方型、中间型、长江型和华南型）的划分结果,分析了东亚水汽输送与中国东部季风区夏季降水的关系,比较了四类雨型的水汽输送、收支特征及其差异,结果表明:（1）夏季影响中国东部季风区的水汽通道主要有以下6条:印度洋通道,表征印度季风区偏南的西风水汽输送;高原南侧通道,表征印度季风区偏北的西风水汽输送;太平洋通道,表征由西太平洋副热带高压（副高）带来的西太平洋的水汽;西风带通道,表征西风带的水汽输送;孟加拉湾通道,表征来自孟加拉湾向北的水汽输送;南海通道,表征来自印度洋和孟加拉湾在中南半岛转向及来自南海的水汽;与中国东部不同地区降水异常相联系的水汽通道存在明显的差异,且同一条水汽通道在夏季不同阶段与降水的关系也不尽相同。（2）四类雨型的水汽输送和收支特征有明显的差异,华北盛夏降水主要受亚洲季风水汽输送的影响,其次是西风带水汽输送,北方型年二者往往偏强,尤其是季风水汽输送增加一倍以上,贡献也明显增加,20世纪70年代中期之后,季风水汽输送显著减弱,西风带水汽输送的重要性相对增大;淮河流域夏季降水异常主要受太平洋通道水汽输送异常的主导,其次是高原南侧通道水汽输送,二者偏强并在淮河流域辐合时,淮河流域降水偏多形成中间型年;长江中下游地区夏季降水主要受太平洋通道水汽输送异常的主导,长江型年,副高西北侧的西南水汽输送异常加强,并与北方冷空气异常在长江中下游地区辐合,区域为正的水汽净收支;华南地区夏季降水则受印度洋通道、太平洋通道及南海通道的共同影响,当三条通道异常偏强,水汽与北方冷空气在华南地区辐合,形成华南型年。本研究所得结论加深了我们对四类雨型形成机理的认识,并为汛期主雨带的预测提供了参考。     

Northward Shift in Landfall Locations of Tropical Cyclones over the Western North Pacific during the Last Four Decades

This study analyzes landfall locations of tropical cyclones(TCs)over the western North Pacific during 1979–2018.Results demonstrate that the landfall locations of TCs over this region have shifted northward during the last four decades,primarily due to the shift of landfalling TC tracks,with the decreasing/increasing proportion of westward/northward TC tracks.In particular,the northward shift of the landfalling TCs was not related to their formation locations,which have not markedly changed,whereas"no-landed"TCs have significantly shifted northward.TC movement was significantly and positively correlated to the zonal component of the steering flow,while the correlation between TC movement and the meridional component of the steering flow was relatively unobvious.The westward steering flow in the tropical central Pacific that occurred around the formation and early development of the westward TCs was significantly weakened,which was unfavorable for their westward movement,thereby,causing the higher proportions of northward moving tracks.This weakened westward flow was related to the northward shift of the subtropical high ridge,which was caused by significant weakening of the southern part of the subtropical high.The vertical wind shear,sea surface temperature,and convective available potential energy also showed that the northern region of the western North Pacific became more favorable for TC development,whereas the upper divergence,low-layer relative vorticity,and accumulated water vapor content were not obviously related to the northward shift of TCs.     

Idealized Numerical Simulations of Tropical Cyclone Formation Associated with Monsoon Gyres简

Monsoon gyres have been identified as one of the important large-scale circulation patterns associated with tropical cyclone （TC） formation in the western North Pacific.A recent observational analysis indicated that most TCs form near the center of monsoon gyres or at the northeast end of the enhanced low-level southwesterly flows on the southeast-east periphery of monsoon gyres.In the present reported study,idealized numerical experiments were conducted to examine the tropical cyclogenesis associated with Rossby wave energy dispersion with an initial idealized monsoon gyre.The numerical simulations showed that the development of the low-level enhanced southwesterly flows on the southeasteast periphery of monsoon gyres can be induced by Rossby wave energy dispersion.Mesoscale convective systems emerged from the northeast end of the enhanced southwesterly flows with mid-level maximum relative vorticity.The simulated TC formed in the northeast of the monsoon gyre and moved westward towards the center of the monsoon gyre.The numerical experiment with a relatively smaller sized initial monsoon gyre showed the TC forming near the center of the initial monsoon gyre.The results of the present study suggest that Rossby wave energy dispersion can play an important role in TC formation in the presence of monsoon gyres.     

春夏季青藏高原积雪对中国夏末秋初 降水的影响及其可能机制

本文首先利用最大协方差分析方法,探讨青藏高原积雪与中国降水之间的联系,发现中国夏末秋初（8～10月,简称ASO）降水与前期及同期高原积雪有着显著联系,当春夏季青藏高原西部多雪时,其后ASO中国长江及其以南地区多雨,而东部沿海的狭长区域少雨。进一步引入最大响应估计等方法,研究中国区域降水对高原积雪异常的响应及其可能的物理机制,结果表明,冬春季高原多雪异常可持续到夏季,并通过改变地表热力状况,导致ASO南亚高压减弱,同时在高、低空激发出两支波列:高层200 hPa波列沿中高纬西风急流传播,自高原经蒙古到达日本呈现明显的“负—正—负”位势高度异常传播,日本上空为气旋性异常环流;低层850 hPa波列起于高原,经孟加拉湾至中国南海,沿着西南气流传播,导致台湾附近的反气旋性异常环流,其西侧的偏南气流,将南海丰富的水汽输送至中国南部湖南、广西;而高层中心位于日本的气旋性异常环流西侧的偏北气流利于北方天气尺度扰动向南移动,它们为长江中下游及其以南地区多雨提供了有利条件。进一步计算定常波波数也表明,高层西风急流与低层西南季风气流作为波导,有利于高原上空的扰动沿着高、低空2支通道向东传播。由于东部沿海浙江、福建为正位势高度异常区,低层反气旋性异常环流则抑制了该区域的降水。     

江淮梅雨异常空间分布型对比分析

利用国家气候中心整编的中国160个测站的月降水资料,提取1951—2012年江淮流域26站6、7月份的梅雨量距平场资料进行EOF分析,将梅雨雨型分为北涝南旱型和南涝北旱型。利用NCAR/NCEP再分析资料对两种空间分布的典型年大气环流背景特征进行合成分析,结果表明:北涝南旱年,高纬度鄂霍次克海高压阻塞形势偏强,极涡偏弱,西太平洋副热带高压和南亚高压位置偏北,东亚副热带夏季风偏强,水汽辐合中心偏北;南涝北旱年情形基本相反,高纬度鄂霍次克海高压阻塞形势和极涡偏强,西太平洋副热带高压和200 hPa南亚高压位置偏南,东亚副热带夏季风偏弱,水汽辐合中心偏南。     

Impacts of the MJO on Winter Rainfall and Circulation in China

Impacts of the MJO on winter rainfall and circulation in China are investigated using a real-time multivariate MJO index.Composite results using the daily rainfall anomalies and "rainy day" anomalies according to eight different MJO phases show that the MJO has considerable influence on winter rainfall in China. Rainfall anomalies show systematic and substantial changes(enhanced/suppressed) in the Yangtze River Basin and South China with the eastward propagation of the MJO convective center from the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific.When the MJO is in phase 2 and 3(MJO convective center is located over the Indian Ocean),rainfall probability is significantly enhanced.While in phase 6 and 7(MJO convective center is over the western Pacific),rainfall probability is significantly reduced. MJO in winter influences the rainfall in China mainly through modulating the circulation in the subtropics and mid-high latitudes.For the subtropics,MJO influences the northward moisture transport coming from the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea by modulating the southern trough of the Bay of Bengal and the western Pacific subtropical high.For the mid-high latitudes,the propagation of the low frequency perturbations associated with the eastward-propagating MJO convection modulate the circulation in the mid-high latitudes,e.g.the East Asian winter monsoon and the low trough over central Asia.     

The Initial Mesoscale Vortexes Leading to the Formation of Tropical Cyclones in the Western North Pacific

A statistical analysis of the initial vortexes leading to tropical cyclone(TC) formation in the western North Pacific(WNP) is conducted with the ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis data from 1999 to 2018. It is found that TCs in the WNP basically originate from three kinds of vortexes, i.e., a mid-level vortex(MV), a low-level vortex(LV), and a relatively deep vortex with notable vorticity in both the lower and middle troposphere(DV). Among them, LV and DV account for 47.9% and24.2% of tropical cyclogenesis e...     

青藏高原大气热源年际变率及其驱动因子

青藏高原（以下简称高原）大气热源对亚洲夏季风爆发、演变、推进,乃至全球气候系统都有重要影响,因此近年来高原大气热源变异机理也日益受到关注。本文在回顾已有关于不同季节高原热源变异原因的研究基础上,利用1980～2018年日本气象厅再分析数据JRA55（Japanese 55-year Reanalysis）,对逐月高原大气总热源的年际变率进行分类,并进一步探究了影响不同类别高原大气总热源的异常大尺度环流系统及海温驱动因子。除了传统上受关注的“冬季型”和“夏季型”以外,本文还提出了“早春型”和“过渡型”两种高原大气热源变率模态。总体而言,高原大气总热源年际变率以降水引起的凝结潜热异常为主,其中“冬季型”及“早春型”高原大气热源异常中心位于高原西部,主要受到中高纬遥相关波列的影响。此外,“冬季型”还受到厄尔尼诺—南方涛动（El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation, ENSO）及印度洋偶极子（Indian Ocean Dipole, IOD）的影响。“夏季型”高原大气热源呈东西偶极型反相变化,最大异常中心位于高原东南部,主要受北大西洋涛动（North Atlantic Oscillation, NAO）的影响;“过渡型”高原大气热源呈南北偶极型反相变化,受热带太平洋—印度洋海表温度异常的共同影响。因此,不同背景环流下高原热源年际变率的驱动因子存在明显差异。     

冬季华南准静止锋的结构和类型特征研究

利用12年(2000～2011年)逐日的FNL(Final Operational Global Analysis)分析资料和逐日的中国站点降水资料, 定义了一个冬季华南准静止锋强度指数, 并根据该指数挑选出强准静止锋事件, 研究了强事件的结构特征、环流分型及其与降水的关系。结果表明:冬季强准静止锋事件多发于1、2月, 其发生频次在近12年里呈现明显上升趋势。强准静止锋锋区表现为等假相当位温线、等温线的密集带, 但是锋区湿度变化不明显, 并有明显逆温, 锋区由南北风辐合构成, 上升气流主要位于锋区上部, 纬向有两个次级环流与锋区相对应, 伴随正相对涡度和水汽通量辐合。根据850 hPa风场在锋区的辐合情况, 强准静止锋可分为北风辐合型、南北风辐合型、南风辐合型三种类型。在这三种类型中, 北风辐合型对应的北方冷空气最强, 华南降水最少;南风辐合型对应的南支槽最活跃, 华南降水最多;南北风辐合型介于两者之间。冬季华南准静止锋与冬季华南降水有一定相关, 在强准静止锋的背景下, 降水偏多时, 锋区低层的水汽通量辐合和上升运动偏强, 华南处于偏强南支槽前。     

Impact of spectral nudging on the downscaling of tropical cyclones in regional climate simulations

This study investigated the simulations of three months of seasonal tropical cyclone (TC) activity over the western North Pacific using the Advanced Research WRF Model. In the control experiment (CTL), the TC frequency was considerably overestimated. Additionally, the tracks of some TCs tended to have larger radii of curvature and were shifted eastward. The large-scale environments of westerly monsoon flows and subtropical Pacific highs were unreasonably simulated. The overestimated frequency of TC formation was attributed to a strengthened westerly wind field in the southern quadrants of the TC center. In comparison with the experiment with the spectral nudging method, the strengthened wind speed was mainly modulated by large-scale flow that was greater than approximately 1000 km in the model domain. The spurious formation and undesirable tracks of TCs in the CTL were considerably improved by reproducing realistic large-scale atmospheric monsoon circulation with substantial adjustment between large-scale flow in the model domain and large-scale boundary forcing modified by the spectral nudging method. The realistic monsoon circulation took a vital role in simulating realistic TCs. It revealed that, in the downscaling from large-scale fields for regional climate simulations, scale interaction between model-generated regional features and forced large-scale fields should be considered, and spectral nudging is a desirable method in the downscaling method.     

2009—2015年ECMWF热带气旋集合预报的检验及分析

本文从四个方面检验分析了ECMWF 2009—2015年西北太平洋热带气旋集合平均预报性能。结果表明：集合预报对路径的预测能力逐年提高,对强度预报整体偏弱。随着热带气旋强度增强,集合预报对移速和移向的预测能力提高,而移向预报偏左、移速预报偏慢、强度预测偏弱的现象较明显。将影响热带气旋的引导气流分为偏强、中等、偏弱三类,引导气流偏弱时热带气旋移动偏慢,因此移向预报的不确定性大;而引导气流偏强时热带气旋移向明确,只是移速预报不稳定。进入南海的三类路径热带气旋,集合预报对西行、西北行两类的移速、移向预报效果较好,而西行后北折的预报较差,在热带气旋北折前,移向预报发散度很大,向北转折后移向趋于稳定,移速预报的误差相对较大。这几种情形的检验结果,在热带气旋集合预报的业务应用中值得注意。     

Possible role of warm SST bias in the simulation of boreal summer monsoon in SINTEX-F2 coupled model

Reasonably realistic climatology of atmospheric and oceanic parameters over the Asian monsoon region is a pre-requisite for models used for monsoon studies. The biases in representing these features lead to problems in representing the strength and variability of Indian summer monsoon (ISM). This study attempts to unravel the ability of a state-of-the-art coupled model, SINTEX-F2, in simulating these characteristics of ISM. The coupled model reproduces the precipitation and circulation climatology reasonably well. However, the mean ISM is weaker than observed, as evident from various monsoon indices. A wavenumber–frequency spectrum analysis reveals that the model intraseasonal oscillations are also weaker-than-observed. One possible reason for the weaker-than-observed ISM arises from the warm bias, over the tropical oceans, especially over the equatorial western Indian Ocean, inherent in the model. This warm bias is not only confined to the surface layers, but also extends through most of the troposphere. As a result of this warm bias, the coupled model has too weak meridional tropospheric temperature gradient to drive a realistic monsoon circulation. This in turn leads to a weakening of the moisture gradient as well as the vertical shear of easterlies required for sustained northward propagation of rain band, resulting in weak monsoon circulation. It is also noted that the recently documented interaction between the interannual and intraseasonal variabilities of ISM through very long breaks (VLBs) is poor in the model. This seems to be related to the inability of the model in simulating the eastward propagating Madden–Julian oscillation during VLBs.     

Links between Indo-Pacific climate variability and drought in the Monsoon Asia Drought Atlas

Drought patterns across monsoon and temperate Asia over the period 1877–2005 are linked to Indo-Pacific climate variability associated with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). Using the Monsoon Asia Drought Atlas (MADA) composed of a high-resolution network of hydroclimatically sensitive tree-ring records with a focus on the June–August months, spatial drought patterns during El Niño and IOD events are assessed as to their agreement with an instrumental drought index and consistency in the drought response amongst ENSO/IOD events. Spatial characteristics in drought patterns are related to regional climate anomalies over the Indo-Pacific basin, using reanalysis products, including changes in the Asian monsoon systems, zonal Walker circulation, moisture fluxes, and precipitation. A weakening of the monsoon circulation over the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia during El Niño events, along with anomalous subsidence over monsoon Asia and reduced moisture flux, is reflected in anomalous drought conditions over India, Southeast Asia and Indonesia. When an IOD event co-occurs with an El Niño, severe drought conditions identified in the MADA for Southeast Asia, Indonesia, eastern China and central Asia are associated with a weakened South Asian monsoon, reduced moisture flux over China, and anomalous divergent flow and subsidence over Indonesia. Insights into the relative influences of Pacific and Indian Ocean variability for Asian monsoon climate on interannual to decadal and longer timescales, as recorded in the MADA, provide a useful tool for assessing long-term changes in the characteristics of Asian monsoon droughts in the context of Indo-Pacific climate variability.     

亚洲季风建立及其中期振荡的高空环流特征

本文主要通过对100毫巴散度场、高度场和垂直积分的水汽输送场的分析,着重讨论了1979年整个亚洲季风区季风建立及其振荡中的高空环流特征。发现南亚高压周围不同部位的高空辐散场的建立导致了这些地区夏季风的建立,且南亚高压脊线中部和东部散度场具有不同的分布特点。从而使得印度季风有与长江流域梅雨同时开始而与华南雨季降水反位相的特点.在东亚,南亚高压外围东风对于夏季风的向北推进具有很好的指示性。在印度,伊朗高压(南亚高压环流的一部分)外围的东北气流对于印度季风的爆发具有指示性。100毫巴若干地区高度场和亚洲季风区域大范围水汽输送场的40—50天振荡清楚地显示出向东向北移动,而20—30天的散度场的振荡在印度季风爆发后则有系统地向西移动.      

梅雨前后亚洲季风区平均散度风环流和水汽输送的研究

分析了１９８３年江淮流域梅雨期及其前后亚洲季风区平均散度风环流和垂直积分水汽输送的辐散分量。在入梅前强水汽辐合中心位于华南，出梅后则位于印度季风区，梅雨期这两地区都存在着强水汽辐合中心，并且强水汽辐合区和中国东部雨带的位置变化及热源分布有着密切关系。同时指出，江谁流域梅雨与大尺度辐散环流的变化、热源的配置及水汽辐合的位置有着较好的对应关系。