Upscale effects in simulations of tropical convection on an equatorial beta-plane

A cloud-resolving model is configured to span the full meridional extent of the tropical atmosphere and have sufficient zonal extent to permit the representation of tropical cloud super-clusters. This is made computationally feasible by the use of anisotropic horizontal grids where one horizontal coordinate direction has over an order of magnitude finer resolution than the other direction. Typically, the meridional direction is chosen to have the coarser resolution (40 km grid spacing) and the zonal direction has enough resolution to ‘permit’ crude convective squall line ascent (1 km grid spacing). The aim was to run in cloud-resolving model (CRM) mode yet still have sufficient meridional resolution and extent to capture the equatorial trapped waves and the Hadley circulation. The large-scale circulation is driven by imposed uniform tropospheric cooling in conjunction with a fixed sea surface temperature distribution. At quasi-equilibrium the flow is characterized by sub-tropical jetstreams, tropical squall line systems that form eastward-propagating super-clusters, tropical depressions and even hurricanes.Two scientific issues are briefly addressed by the simulations: what forces the Hadley circulation and the nature of stratospheric waves appearing in the simulation. It is found that the presence of a meridional sea surface temperature gradient is not sufficient on its own to force a realistic Hadley circulation even though convection communicates the underlying temperature gradient to the atmosphere. It is shown in a simulation that accounts for the observed time and zonal-mean momentum forcing effect of large-scale eddies (originating in middle latitudes) that the heaviest precipitation is concentrated near the equator in association with moisture flux convergence driven by the Trade winds.A spectral analysis of the stratospheric waves found on the equator using the dispersion relation for equatorially-trapped waves provides strong evidence for the existence of a domain-scale Kelvin wave together with eastward and westward propagating inertia-gravity waves. The eastward-propagating stratospheric waves appear to be part of a convectively coupled wave system travelling at about 15 ms⁻¹.     

Momentum flux of stratospheric gravity waves generated by Typhoon Ewiniar(2006)

The momentum flux of stratospheric gravity waves generated by Typhoon Ewiniar (2006) is examined using a Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. In the stratosphere, zonal momentum flux with a positive sign by eastward-propagating waves is significant during the northward moving of the typhoon, while both zonal and meridional momentum fluxes with positive signs are significant during the typhoon decaying stage in which the typhoon moves northeastward. The magnitude of the momentum flux is greater during the mature stage of the typhoon than the decaying stage, and the phase speeds of the dominant momentum flux are less than 30 m s^?1 with a peak at 10–16 m s^?1. Positive momentum flux decreases with height overall in the stratosphere for both zonal and meridional components. The resultant gravity-wave drag forcing plays a role to decelerate the easterly background wind in the stratosphere. This drag forcing is relatively large above z = 40 km and below z = 20 km, and lower stratospheric wave drag is expected to affect the typhoon dynamics by modifying the background wind shear and inducing the secondary circulation in the troposphere.     

DIAGNOSTIC ANALYSIS OF MEAN MERIDIONAL CIRCULATION ANOMALY IN LOW LATITUDES IN RELATION TO ZONAL MEAN SST ANOMALY

The mass stream function of zonal mean meridional circulation is calculated in terms of NCEP/NCAR monthly meridional wind speed and vertical velocity, and the climatic and anomalous features of zonal mean SST and meridional circulation are investigated. Results show that (1) a joint ascending branch of Northern and Southern Hadley circulation is on the side of the summer hemisphere near the equator ,being well consistent with the extremum of [SST ],and a strong descending by the winter-hemispheric side.(2)El Nino-related [SST] in low latitudes is an important outer-forcing source for anomaly meridional circulation, which is affected by seasonal variation of basic airflow and [SST ], and interannual and interdecadal changes of [SST] .     

A NUMERICAL STUDY FOR THE EFFECT OF TROPICAL 40-50 DAY OSCILLATION ON ASIAN SUMMER MONSOON

By using a five-layer primitive equation model with P-sigma coordinates,the effect of convective heating source with the oscillation of a dipole pattern over the tropical Indian Ocean-Western Pacific on Asian summer monsoon is investigated.The results from simulations show that the oscillatary heating source may cause oscillations in east-west zonal circulation at the equator,in cross-equatorial flow,in meridional monsoon circulation and in the phase of high-low level circulation over Asia,with period same as that of the oscillating heat source.Furthermore,the influence mechanism of the tropical heating source associated with oscillations on Asian summer monsoon circulation is also studicd.It is clearly shown that the westward propagation of thermally-forced Rossy waves to the west of the oscillatary heating source and the northward propagation of disturbances can give rise to oscillations of the equatorial east-west zonal circulation and monsoonal meridional circulation.Finally,the oscillation of all the Asian summer monsoon circulation is formed.     

A study on the physical processes of the formation of the ENSO cycle

The physical processes involved in the formation of the ENSO cycle,as well as the possible roles of the Hadley circulation （HC）,Walker circulation （WC）,and the propagating waves of the Southern Oscillation/Northern Oscillation （SO/NO） in its formation,were studied using composite and regression methods.The analysis showed that the convection and heat release triggered by ENSO in the central-eastern equatorial Pacific are the primary drivers for the 3-5 year cycle of the HC,WC and the meridional/zonal circulation.The HC plays a key role in the influence of ENSO on the circulation outside the tropics through angular momentum transportation.Meanwhile,the feedback effects of the anomalous circulation in the mid-high latitudes on ENSO are accomplished by the propagating waves of SO/NO associated with the evolutions of HC and WC.These propagating waves are the main agents of the connections among the meridional/zonal circulation outside the tropics,the Asian/Australian monsoon,the anomalous easterly/westerly winds over the tropical Pacific,and ENSO events.It was found that the 3-5 year cycle of the meridional/zonal circulation forced by ENSO is quite different from the several-week variation of the circulation index triggered by the inner dynamic processes of the atmosphere.The former occurs at the global scale with a definite flow pattern,while the latter occurs only in a wide area without a definite flow pattern.Finally,a physical model for the formation of the ENSO cycle composed of two fundamental processes at the basin and global scale,respectively,is proposed.     

平均经圈环流型的转变与长期天气过程

本文揭露,热带太平洋地区的平均经圈环流存在着两种最基本的类型:经典哈得来环流圈和哈得来反环流圈。它们的出现,不仅具有明显的季节特点,而且还存在着一类值得重视的非季节性的长期变化。平均经圈环流强度,具有周期大约48个月的长期振荡。这一振荡与赤道纬圈平面上垂直环流的变化有密切关系,并能对该地区大气的水平环流产生重要的影响。     

热带大气垂直环流对海表温度异常的响应——一个初步的理论分析

本文提出了一个β平面定常的线性二维模式,并考虑了海面边界层和赤道侧向边界层,讨论了热带海表温度异常对大气所产生的垂直环流——经向环流和纬向环流。结果表明:热带大洋东部(例如太平洋)海表温度比平均状态暖而西部较冷时,其上空经向环流(Hadley环流)比平均状态强,而纬向环流(如在太平洋上,称Walker环流)弱。相反,当热带大洋西部暖而东部冷时,经向环流减弱,纬向环流加强。这些是与观测事实比较一致的。     

THE FOUNDATION AND MOVEMENT OF TROPICAL SEMI-GEOSTROPHIC ADAPTATION

The breakdown and foundation of geostrophic balance is one of the important movements inthe mid-and high-latitude atmosphere and oceans.In the tropical area,the value of Coriolis pa-rameter is so small that it is difficult to satisfy the bi-geostrophic equilibrium between the pressureand velocity fields.However,in the tropical area,the zonal velocity of some motions in the atmo-sphere and oceans is large,so the Coriolis force is not small,geostrophic balance can exist in zonaldirection,i.e.semi-geostrophic balance.Furthermore,in the dominant area of Hadley circulationin the atmosphere or the area near the ocean meridional boundary,the meridional velocity is large,so geostrophic balance can also exist in meridional direction.In this paper,the process of the dis-persion of inertial gravity wave and the foundation of semi-geostrophic balance are first discussed.Second,the adjustment process between the velocity and pressure fields after adaptation is alsoviewed,and the scale criterion of the semi-geostrophic adaptation is discussed,i.e.for the motionwith meridional scale greater than the equatorial Rossby radius of deformation,the velocity andpressure fields after adaptation change to fit the initial pressure field;on the contrary,the fieldschange to fit the initial zonal velocity field,and the strength of the fields after adaptation dependson the zonal scale.     

Upper-bound general circulation of coupled ocean–atmosphere: Part 1. Atmosphere

We consider the general atmospheric circulation within the deductive framework of our climate theory. The preceding three parts of this theory have reduced the troposphere to the tropical and polar air masses and determined their temperature and the surface latitude of their dividing boundary, which provide the prior thermal constraint for the present dynamical derivation. Drawing upon its similar material conservation as the thermal property, the (columnar) potential vorticity (PV) is assumed homogenized as well in air masses, which moreover has a zero tropical value owing to the hemispheric symmetry. Inverting this PV field produces an upper-bound zonal wind that resembles the prevailing wind, suggesting that the latter may be explained as the maximum macroscopic motion extractable by random eddies – within the confine of the thermal differentiation.With the polar front determined in conjunction with the zonal wind, the approximate leveling of the isobars at the surface and high aloft specifies the tropopause, which is colder and higher in the tropics than in the polar region. The zonal wind drives the meridional circulation via the Ekman dynamics, and the preeminence of the Hadley cell stems from the singular Ekman convergence at the equator that allows it to supply the upward mass flux in the ITCZ demanded by the global energy balance.     

Implementation of a non-hydrostatic, adaptive-grid dynamics core in CAM3. Part II: dynamical influences on ITCZ behavior and tropical precipitation

Previous aqua-planet simulations reported in the literature have shown the existence of both single and double inter-tropical convergence zones (ITCZs). In this study, horizontal grid resolution strongly affects ITCZ morphology as well as the amount of tropical precipitation through its influence on resolved dynamics. The grid adaptation capability of our global model enables simulations that separate the influence of tropical and extra-tropical dynamics on both the ITCZ and tropical precipitation. The presence of single versus double ITCZs in our aqua-planet simulations depends on the resolution of convectively coupled equatorial waves. When the tropical resolution is sufficiently high to resolve prominent equatorial waves a double ITCZ occurs, otherwise a single ITCZ occurs. In contrast, tropical resolution does not affect the magnitude of tropical precipitation in our aqua-planet simulations. Instead the magnitude is sensitive to extra-tropical resolution, through its influence on the strength of baroclinic eddies and their forcing of the Hadley circulation.     

Quasi-periodic, global oscillations in sea level pressure on intraseasonal timescales

The sea level pressure (SLP) variability in 30–60 day intraseasonal timescales is investigated using 25 years of reanalysis data addressing two issues. The first concerns the non-zero zonal mean component of SLP near the equator and its meridional connections, and the second concerns the fast eastward propagation (EP) speed of SLP compared to that of zonal wind. It is shown that the entire globe resonates with high amplitude wave activity during some periods which may last for few to several months, followed by lull periods of varying duration. SLP variations in the tropical belt are highly coherent from 25°S to 25°N, uncorrelated with variations in mid latitudes and again significantly correlated but with opposite phase around 60°S and 65°N. Near the equator (8°S–8°N), the zonal mean contributes significantly to the total variance in SLP, and after its removal, SLP shows a dominant zonal wavenumber one structure having a periodicity of 40 days and EP speeds comparable to that of zonal winds in the Indian Ocean. SLP from many of the atmospheric and coupled general circulation models show similar behaviour in the meridional direction although their propagation characteristics in the tropical belt differ widely.     

The impact of natural versus anthropogenic aerosols on atmospheric circulation in the Community Atmosphere Model

The equilibrium response of atmospheric circulation to the direct radiative effects of natural or anthropogenic aerosols is investigated using the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM3) coupled to two different ocean boundary conditions: prescribed climatological sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and a slab ocean model. Anthropogenic and natural aerosols significantly affect the circulation but in nearly opposite ways, because anthropogenic aerosols tend to have a net local warming effect and natural aerosols a net cooling. Aerosol forcings shift the Intertropical Convergence Zone and alter the strength of the Hadley circulation as found in previous studies, but also affect the Hadley cell width. These effects are due to meridional gradients in warming caused by heterogeneous net heating, and are stronger with interactive SST. Aerosols also drive model responses at high latitudes, including polar near-surface warming by anthropogenic aerosols in summer and an Arctic Oscillation (AO)-type responses in winter: anthropogenic aerosols strengthen wintertime zonal wind near 60°N, weaken it near 30°N, warm the troposphere, cool the stratosphere, and reduce Arctic surface pressure, while natural aerosols produce nearly opposite changes. These responses are shown to be due to modulation of stratospheric wave-driving consistent with meridional forcing gradients in midlatitudes. They are more pronounced when SST is fixed, apparently because the contrast in land-ocean heating drives a predominantly wavenumber-2 response in the northern hemisphere which is more efficient in reaching the stratosphere, showing that zonal heating variations also affect this particular response. The results suggest that recent shifts from reflecting to absorbing aerosol types probably contributed to the observed decadal variations in tropical width and AO, although studies with more realistic temporal variations in forcing would be needed to quantify this contribution.     

四川地形扰动对降水分布影响

引入一维加权平均的谱分析方法定量研究四川地形强迫对该区域降水分布的影响。结果表明:纬向地形和冬季降水谱峰锁相于同一波长（475.8 km）,呈共振关系,地形与其他季节降水呈漂移关系,这与经向和纬向上环流变动有关,即冬季纬向环流占主导,纬向地形触发的大气波动对冬季降水策动作用大;夏季降水是各种不同尺度系统相互作用的结果,地形是重要因素之一。经向和纬向地形特征尺度分别为296.8 km和475.8 km,反映了地形强迫的中尺度特征,且纬向地形谱峰比经向大1个数量级,纬向强迫更明显。夏季降水谱峰比冬季大2个数量级,降水系统纬向特征尺度比冬季小约150 km,说明夏季在纬向地形强迫下,降水系统尺度减小的同时其强度大大增加,这在一定程度上可以解释中尺度对流性降水在夏季偏多。四川夏季最大降水位于雅安地区,其地形扰动比四川整体扰动更明显,故产生的降水也更大。夏季降水和经向地形锁相于同一波长（37.1 km）,经向地形对雅安夏季强降水起关键作用。     

Long-Term Integration of a Global Non-Hydrostatic Atmospheric Model on an Aqua Planet

A global non-hydrostatic atmospheric model, i.e., GRAPES_YY (Global/Regional Assimilation and Prediction System on the Yin–Yang grid), with a semi-implicit semi-Lagrangian (SISL) dynamical core developed on the Yin–Yang grid was coupled with the physical parameterization package of the operational version of GRAPES. A 3.5-yr integration was carried out on an aqua planet to assess the numerical performance of this non-hydrostatic model relative to other models. Specific aspects of precipitation and general circulation under two different sea surface temperature (SST) conditions (CONTROL and FLAT) were analyzed. The CONTROL SST peaked at the equator. The FLAT SST had its maximum gradient at about 20° latitude, giving a broad equatorial SST maximum in the tropics and flat profile approaching the equator. The tropical precipitation showed different propagation features in the CONTROL and FLAT simulations. The CONTROL showed tropical precipitation bands moving eastward with some envelopes of westward convective-scale disturbance. Less organized westward-propagating rainfall cells and bands were seen in the FLAT and the propagation of the tropical wave varied with the SST gradient. The Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), Hadley cell, and westerly jet core were weaker and more poleward as the SST profile flattened from the CONTROL to FLAT. The climatological structures simulated by GRAPES_YY, such as the distribution of precipitation and the large-scale circulation, fell within the bounds from other models. The stronger ITCZ precipitation, accompanied with stronger Hadley cells and convective heating in the CONTROL simulation, may be summed up as a result of stronger parameterized convection and the non-hydrostatic effects in GRAPES_YY. In addition, mechanism of the zonal mean circulation maintaining is analyzed for the different SST patterns referring the transient eddy flux.     

北半球冬季行星波的传播及其输运作用

利用变换欧拉平均方程讨论了行星波动力学。观测和模拟结果都表明,在北半球冬季准定常行星波的经向传播存在两支波导。一支为高纬度波导,另一支则为低纬度波导。这些结果与理论分析相当一致。通过对EP通量进一步的研究表明,平流层爆发性增温是沿高纬度波导传播的异常行星波与平均气流相互作用的结果。而热带风场的准两年周期振荡（QBO）是低纬度平流层下层大气纬向平均流的一个重要年际变化,它可以影响行星波沿低纬度波导的传播;此外,由一个行星波一平均流耦合模式模拟的结果表明,这个热带风场的变化还可以通过波流相互作用调制行星波沿高纬度波导的传播。 行星波对臭氧的输运作用在文中也进行了分析。行星波强迫出的剩余平均环流表明,耗散的行星波有强的输运作用;向北的涡动热量输送可以强迫出一个正的输运环流,其在低纬度上升并在高纬度下沉。同时研究还表明,热带风场的QBO对行星波传播的调制对输运环流也有重要影响,模式结果表明,在QBO的东风位相期间行星波引起的输运作用明显增强,其结果可用于解释平流层高纬度臭氧的年际变化。     

On the low-frequency,planetary-scale motion in the tropical atmosphere and oceans

Scale analyses for long wave, zonal ultralong wave (with zonal scale of disturbance L1~104 km and meridional scale L2~103 km) and meridional ultralong wave (L1~103 km, L2~104 km) are carried out and a set of approximate equations suitable for the study of these waves in a dry tropical atmosphere is obtained. Under the condition of sheared basic current, frequency analyses for the equations are carried out. It is found that Rossby waves and gravity waves may be separated for n ≥ l where n is the meridional wave number, whereas for n = 0 and L1~1000 km, the mixed Rossby-gravity wave will appear. Hence it is confirmed that the above results of scale analyses are correct. The consistency be-tween frequency analysis and scale analysis is established.The effect of shear of basic current on the equatorial waves is to change their frequencies and phase velocities and hence their group velocities. It increases the velocity of westward travelling Rossby waves and inertia-gravity and mixed waves, but decelerates the eastward inertia-gravity waves and the Kelvin wave. The recently observed low-frequency equatorial ocean wave may be interpreted as an eastward Kelvin wave in a basic current with shear.     

Some dynamical properties of idealized thermally-forced meridional circulations in the tropics

Summary Through the use of a zonal balance model we investigate the properties of the tropical meridional circulation to a range of specified diabatic forcing fields for climatologically observed zonal winds. As in earlier studies, the solutions show that latent heat release away from the equator forces an asymmetric meridional circulation in response the anisotropy in the inertial stability parameter with respect to the meridional location of the forcing. The presence of strong zonal flows appears to play a relatively minor role in determining the magnitude and asymmetry of the meridional circulation, whereas the structure of the diabatic heating, particularly the meridional breadth, proves to be of much greater importance.A dynamic efficiency factor, which provides an analytic measure of the efficacy of diabatic heating at generating zonal kinetic energy, generally exhibits a meridionally symmetric structure except during Northern Hemisphere summer. This asymmetry gives rise to a pronounced sensitivity of zonal kinetic energy generation to the meridional location of ITCZ convection. Further examination of the flow pattern suggests that for zonal flows representative of those over the Indian Ocean during the Northern Hemisphere summer months, meridional displacements of the heating of less than 20° latitude can result in as much as an order of magnitude difference in the rate of kinetic energy generation. Solution of the balance system also implies the existence of a feedback mechanism, between zonally-organized convection and the energetics properties of the large-scale flow, that is highly sensitive to the meridional location of the convection.With 11 FiguresThe National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.     

北极涛动的纬向对称结构

运用NCEP／NCAR再分析月资料,分季节研究了北极涛动的纬向结构,以及与之相对应的纬向平均纬向风和经圈环流异常的空间结构特征,并初步探讨了北极涛动的维持机制。结果表明,北极涛动在水平方向上主要呈纬向对称的环形模态,且这种结构在冬季北极涛动的活跃期表现更为显著;而夏季纬向对称型随季节风带的北移和极涡的减弱,其节点也相应向极地移动。与北极涛动纬向对称型相联系的纬向平均纬向风在冬季表现为明显的偶极型,向上延伸到平流层;而夏季这种形态明显减弱,并只限于对流层中。与冬、夏季北极涛动纬向对称型相对应的平均经圈环流异常均表现为增强的费雷尔环流和哈得来环流,这种形势有利于北极涛动形成正反馈机制,使之得以长期维持。     

El Niño事件发生对南北半球大气环流异常的对称及非对称性影响及其机理分析

利用合成分析方法, 分析了1971～2003年间7个El Niño事件发生时南、北半球大气环流异常的对称与反对称特性。分析结果表明, El Niño事件发生期间, 在热带地区15°S～15°N大气环流异常以对称性为主, 但也有一定的反对称分量: 高度场异常和纬向风异常的对称性较强, 而经向风异常的反对称较强; 同时在El Niño事件演变的各阶段, 高度场异常和纬向风异常的变化较明显, 而经向风的变化较小, 高度场和风场异常在低层 (700 hPa) 和高层 (200 hPa) 呈明显的反位相分布。并且, 为探讨El Niño事件对南、北半球大气环流异常的非对称性影响的机理, 本研究进一步利用ERA－40逐日资料, 应用Hough函数分析了El Niño事件发生期间这些赤道波动的演变特征。结果表明, El Niño事件发生期间, 热带地区大气环流异常对称性较强的主要原因是对称性Rossby波异常较强, 而Rossby重力混合波异常对经向风场的反对称分量有重要作用; 并且, 研究结果还表明, 在El Niño事件发生期间, 热带东太平洋的海温正异常能够激发由对称性Rossby波和Kelvin波组成的Gill型环流异常。此外, 分析表明Hough函数在分析热带大气波动的对称性及反对称性上具有明显的优越性。     

Vertical circulation in the tropical atmosphere during extreme El Niño-Southern Oscillation events

Scenarios for the development of large-scale vertical circulation anomalies during warm and cold phases of El Niño-Southern Oscillation are generalized based on the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data for 1958-1998. Composite models of the cells of vertical circulation in the monsoon and trade-wind regions of the tropical Pacific are obtained for the first time for El Niño and La Niña separately. An unprecedented shift of the ascending branch of the zonal Walker circulation from the “maritime continent” of Indonesia to the east, to the central and eastern Pacific, was observed during the warm phase over the tropical Pacific; this shift was accompanied by an abrupt increase in the tropical cyclogenesis activity in the southern Pacific zone of convergence. On the contrary, during the cold phase, the ascending motions in the region of the summer Australian monsoon are subject to abrupt intensification. The reconstruction of the vertical meridional circulation during the warm phase manifested itself in the almost complete disappearance of the Hadley classic circulation over the central Pacific, characteristic of the trade-wind intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), and in its replacement by the latitudinal monsoon circulation typical of the ITCZ over the Indian Ocean. During a cold phase, the Hadley circulation is both restored and intensified.