A NUMERICAL STUDY OF SHORT-RANGE CLIMATIC OSCILLATION WITH VARIOUS TIME SCALES FORCED BY EL NINO DURING THE NORTHERN SUMMER

The normal mode method is adopted to decompose the differences between simulations with SST(seasurface temperature)anomahes over centra-eastern Pacific and normal SST by use of a nine-layer global spec-tral model in order to investigate short-range climatic oscillation with various time scales forced by ElNino during the northern summer.Investigation shows that El Nino may have the following influence onatmosphere on various space-time scales.Extra-long wave components of Rossby mode forced by convectiveanomaly over equatorial western Pacific resulting from El Nino produce climatic oscillation on monthly(sea-sonal)time scale in middle-high latitudes of Southern and Northern Hemispheres;extra-long wave componentsof Kelvin mode forced by SST anomalies propagate along the equator,resulting in 30—60 day oscillation oftropical and subtropical atmosphere;and its long waves move eastward with westerly,resulting in quasi-biweekoscillation.     

The propagation characteristics of interannual low-frequency oscillations in the tropical air-sea system

The time series of sea surface temperature (SST), sea level pressure (SLP), zonal wind (U) and total cloudiness (CA), for the period of 1950-1979, over a 8o×8o grid-point latitudinal belt between 32oS and 32oN are made from COADS (Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set). The time harmonic analysis and power spectra analysis show that there exist quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), three and half years oscillation (SO), five and half years oscillation (FYO) and eleven years oscillation (EYO) in these time series. The main propagation characteristics of these interannual low-frequency oscillations are as follows:(1) The variance analysis of SST shows that there is an active region of QBO and SO (with maximum variance), coming from the southwestern part of the subtropical Pacific, stretching eastward up to the west coast of South America, and then northward to the eastern equatorial Pacific. The QBO and SO disturbances of SST follow the same route and cause the anomaly of SST (El Nino and period of cold water) in the eastern equatorial Pacific.(2) Either the QBO or SO of SST can cause El Nino events, although it is easier when they are situated in the same phase of warm water at the eastern equatorial Pacific. The FYO of SST seems to be a standing oscillation. It plays an important role on the formation of strong El Nino events or strong cold water events.(3) The QBO and SO of U propagate eastward along the equator. The origin of QBO and SO may at least be traced as far as the western Indian Ocean. While they propagate along the equator, it strengthens two times at 90oE and the western Pacific, respectively. Like SST, the FYO of U is somehow a standing oscillation.(4) The Oscillations of U have a good coupling relationship with those of SST, while they propagate. When the QBO and SO of SST move to the east side of the eastern equatorial Pacific, it is the time for the QBO and SO of U to enter into the east part of the western Pacific.It is clear that, when we do research work on the formation of El Nino events, our consideration would not be confined to the tropics, it should cover the subtropical region in the southern Pacific. The features of the circulation and other oceanic states in this area are very important to the El Nino events.     

Cross-season relation of the South China Sea precipitation variability between winter and summer

The present study reveals cross-season connections of rainfall variability in the South China Sea (SCS) region between winter and summer. Rainfall anomalies over northern South China Sea in boreal summer tend to be preceded by the same sign rainfall anomalies over southern South China Sea in boreal winter (denoted as in-phase relation) and succeeded by opposite sign rainfall anomalies over southern South China Sea in the following winter (denoted as out-of-phase relation). Analysis shows that the in-phase relation from winter to summer occurs more often in El Niño/La Niña decaying years and the out-of-phase relation from summer to winter appears more frequently in El Niño/La Niña developing years. In the summer during the El Niño/La Niña decaying years, cold/warm and warm/cold sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies develop in tropical central North Pacific and the North Indian Ocean, respectively, forming an east–west contrast pattern. The in-phase relation is associated with the influence of anomalous heating/cooling over the equatorial central Pacific during the mature phase of El Niño/La Niña events that suppresses/enhances precipitation over southern South China Sea and the impact of the above east–west SST anomaly pattern that reduces/increases precipitation over northern South China Sea during the following summer. The impact of the east–west contrast SST anomaly pattern is confirmed by numerical experiments with specified SST anomalies. In the El Niño/La Niña developing years, regional air-sea interactions induce cold/warm SST anomalies in the equatorial western North Pacific. The out-of-phase relation is associated with a Rossby wave type response to anomalous heating/cooling over the equatorial central Pacific during summer and the combined effect of warm/cold SST anomalies in the equatorial central Pacific and cold/warm SST anomalies in the western North Pacific during the mature phase of El Niño/La Niña events.     

A dynamic link between the basin-scale and zonal modes in the Tropical Indian Ocean

Summary The interannual variability of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the tropical Indian Ocean is dominated mainly by a basin-scale mode (BM) and partly by an east–west contrast mode (zonal mode, ZM). The BM reflects the basin-scale warming or cooling and is highly correlated with El Nino with 3- to 6-month lags, while the ZM is marginally correlated with El Nino with 9-month lags.During an El Nino, large-scale anomalous subsidence over the maritime continent occurs as a result of an eastward shift in the rising branch of the Walker circulation suppresses convection over the eastern Indian Ocean, allowing more solar radiation over the eastern Indian Ocean. At the same time, the anomalous southeasterly wind over the equatorial Indian Ocean forces the thermocline over the western Indian Ocean to deepen, especially in the southern part. As a result, SST over the whole basin increases. As El Nino decays, the subsidence over the maritime continent ceases and so does the anomalous southeasterly wind. However, the thermocline perturbation does not quickly shoal back to normal because of inertia and it disperses as Rossby waves. These Rossby waves are reflected back as an equatorial Kelvin wave, causing deepening of the thermocline in the eastern Indian Ocean, and preventing SSTs from cooling in that region. Moreover, the weaker wind speed of the monsoon circulation results in less latent heat loss, and thus warms the eastern Indian Ocean. These two processes therefore help to maintain warm SSTs over the eastern Indian Ocean until fall. During the fall, the warm SST over the eastern Indian Ocean and the cold SST over the western Indian Ocean are enhanced by air–sea interaction and the ZM returns. The ZM dissipates through the seasonal reversal of the monsoon atmospheric circulation and the boundary-reflected Kelvin wave. In the same manner, a basin-scale cooling in the tropical Indian Ocean can induce the ZM warming in the west and cooling in the east.     

Understanding Interannual Variations of the Local Rainy Season over the Southwest Indian Ocean

Located at the southern boundary of the tropical rainfall belt within the South Africa monsoon regime, Rodrigues Island, ～2500 km east of East Africa, is ideally located to investigate climatic changes over the southwest Indian Ocean(SWIO). In this study, we investigate the climatic controls of its modern interannual rainfall variability in terms of teleconnection and local effects. We find that increased rainfall over the SWIO tends to occur in association with anomalously warm(cold) SSTs over the equatorial central Pacific(Maritime Continent), resembling the central Pacific El Ni?o, closely linked with the Victoria mode in the North Pacific. Our analyses show that the low-level convergence induced by warm SST over the equatorial central Pacific leads to anomalous low-level divergence over the Maritime Continent and convergence over a large area surrounding the Rodrigues Island, which leads to increased rainfall over the SWIO during the rainy season. Meanwhile, the excited Rossby wave along the tropical Indian Ocean transports more water vapor from the tropical convergence zone into the SWIO via intensified northwest wind. Furthermore, positive feedback induced by the Rossby wave response to the increased rainfall in the region contributes to the large interannual variations over the SWIO.     

1月份两类ENSO的海气环流模态分析

本文对1950～2001年1月份的大气风场和大洋流场做了联合复EOF（Empirical Orthogonal Function）分解,用以探讨1月份两类ENSO（El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation）的海气环流及耦合情况,所得结果主要有:该分解第1、2模态空间场分别相应于东部型、中部型ENSO,前者在赤道太平洋东部和中部都有海温动力异常,并以东部异常最强,后者仅在中部存在此异常,两模态的时间系数都与ENSO有很好相关,为此第1、2模态可分别称为东部型、中部型ENSO的风场流场（异常）模态。东部型ENSO模态具有3～6年的年际变化和13～14年的年代际变化,中部型则有明显的7年年际变化和12、17年的年代际变化,两者中约13年的周期与冬季北太平洋NPGO（North Pacific Gyre Oscillation）的周期相同。东、中部型El Ni?o期间,沃克环流上升支分别从印尼东移至赤道西、中太平洋,并有所减弱;南、北支哈得莱环流则分别位于日界线以东及该线附近,且均有所加强,从而使南、北太平洋副热带高压偏强;而在5°S的南美沿岸则分别有垂直运动上升和下沉异常。在海气耦合上,两类ENSO模态在赤道中太平洋均存在西风异常与海洋赤道Kelvin波和Rossby波的波包解耦合,而海温动力异常对大气的影响则都起到负反馈作用,从而有利于ENSO的维持和稳定。     

Theories on formation of an anomalous anticyclone in western North Pacific during El Niño: A review

The western North Pacific anomalous anticyclone (WNPAC) is an important atmospheric circulation system that conveys El Niño impact on East Asian climate. In this review paper, various theories on the formation and maintenance of the WNPAC, including warm pool atmosphere–ocean interaction, Indian Ocean capacitor, a combination mode that emphasizes nonlinear interaction between ENSO and annual cycle, moist enthalpy advection/Rossby wave modulation, and central Pacific SST forcing, are discussed. It is concluded that local atmosphere–ocean interaction and moist enthalpy advection/Rossby wave modulation mechanisms are essential for the initial development and maintenance of the WNPAC during El Niño mature winter and subsequent spring. The Indian Ocean capacitor mechanism does not contribute to the earlier development but helps maintain the WNPAC in El Niño decaying summer. The cold SST anomaly in the western North Pacific, although damped in the summer, also plays a role. An interbasin atmosphere–ocean interaction across the Indo-Pacific warm pool emerges as a new mechanism in summer. In addition, the central Pacific cold SST anomaly may induce the WNPAC during rapid El Niño decaying/La Niña developing or La Niña persisting summer. The near-annual periods predicted by the combination mode theory are hardly detected from observations and thus do not contribute to the formation of the WNPAC. The tropical Atlantic may have a capacitor effect similar to the tropical Indian Ocean.     

影响东亚季风环流异常因子的敏感性试验

文章使用改进了的OSU全球气候模式，动态地使用厄尔尼诺年（1972年）实际下垫面温度月距平资料，对太平洋海面温度异常以及太平洋中不同关键区海面温度异常进行了敏感性试验。数值试验结果表明:El Nino实际海温时空异常，特别是关键区海面温度异常，引起了东亚季风环流的异常变化，出现了干旱的环流形势。无论赤道中太平洋或是赤道东太平洋的海面温度异常都是敏感的影响因子，对预报有一定的指示意义。     

两类ENSO事件前期的热带太平洋海温距平场

分析了１９５６年以来两类ＥＮＳＯ事件热带太平洋海温距平场的特征。结果指出,东部型ＥｌＮｉｎｏ事件前期为ＬａＮｉｎａ事件年,热带中东太平洋为强的海温负距平,东部型ＬａＮｉｎａ事件前期为ＥｌＮｉｎｏ事件年,热带中不太平洋为强的海温正距平,中部型ＥｌＮｉｎｏ事件前期热带中西太平洋多为明显的海温正距平,中部型ＬａＮｉｎａ事件前期热带东太平洋多为明显的海渐负距平。两类ＥＮＳＯ事件前期海温距平场特殊基本相反。     

INTERANNUAL LOW-FREQUENCY OSCILLATIONS OF MERIDIONAL WINDS OVER THE EQUATORIAL INDIAN-PACIFIC OCEANS

Based on analysis of the meridional winds over oceanic areas and SST for 1950-1979 extracted from the data sets of COADS, the long-term variability of the meridional winds over the equatorial Indian-Pacific oceans and its relationship to the onset and development of El Nino events have been studied. The major results are as follows:(1) There is a great similarity between ITCZ over the Pacific and SST in the seasonal trend, with ITCZ and high SST found in the Southern Hemisphere in winter and in the Northern Hemisphere in summer.During El Nino years, unusual meridional winds were often observed, with significant convergence of meridional winds occurring over near-equatorial regions.(2) For the near-equatorial meridional winds, there are three types of interannual LFO:QBO, SO, FYO. QBO plays an important role in the unusual behavior of meridional winds for El Nino years, while SO is very important for both El Nino and cold water years. These two oscillations may fit well to the observed variation in the meridional wind. FYO may enhance the variation of meridional winds.(3) Interannual LFO of meridional winds originates in the Indian Ocean-Maritime Continent and coastal area of East Pacific. Unusual activities of winter monsoon in both hemispheres and trade winds off the coastal area of East Pacific are believed to be their major cause.(4) Monsoon-trade interaction shows up in the significant amplification of the disturbances of meridional winds while they propagate eastward from monsoon area to trade wind area.     

On the Mechanism of the Locking of the El Nino Event Onset Phase to Boreal Spring

The mechanism of the locking of the E1 Nino event onset phase to boreal spring （from April to June） in an intermediate coupled ocean-atmosphere model is investigated. The results show that the seasonal variation of the zonal wind anomaly over the equatorial Pacific associated with the seasonal variation of the ITCZ is the mechanism of the locking in the model. From January to March of the E1 Nino year, the western wind anomaly over the western equatorial Pacific can excite the downwelling Kelvin wave that propagates eastward to the eastern and middle Pacific by April to June. From April to December of the year before the E1 Nifio year, the eastern wind anomaly over the equatorial Pacific forces the downwelling Rossby waves that modulate the ENSO cycle. The modulation and the reflection at the western boundary modulate the time of the transition from the cool to the warm phase to September of the year before the E1 Nifio year and cause the strongest downwelling Kelvin wave from the reflected Rossby waves at the western boundary to arrive in the middle and eastern equatorial Pacific by April to June of the E1 Nino year. The superposition of these two kinds of downwelling Kelvin waves causes the El Nino event to tend to occur from April to June.     

The Role of the Halted Baroclinic Mode at the Central Equatorial Pacific in El Nino Event

The role of halted "baroclinic modes" in the central equatorial Pacific is analyzed. It is found that dominant anomaly signals corresponding to "baroclinic modes" occur in the upper layer of the equatorial Pacific, in a two-and-a-half layer oceanic model, in assimilated results of a simple OGCM and in the ADCP observation of TAO. A second "baroclinic mode" is halted in the central equatorial Pacific corresponding to a positive SST anomaly while the first "baroclinic mode" propagates eastwards in the eastern equatorial Pacific. The role of the halted second "baroclinic mode" in the central equatorial Pacific is explained by a staged ocean-atmosphere interaction mechanism in the formation of El Nino: the westerly bursts in boreal winter over the western equatorial Pacific generate the halted second "baroclinic mode" in the central equatorial Pacific, leading to the increase of heat content and temperature in the upper layer of the central Pacific which induces the shift of convection from over the western equatorial Pacific to the central equatorial Pacific; another wider, westerly anomaly burst is induced over the western region of convection above the central equatorial Pacific and the westerly anomaly burst generates the first "baroclinic mode" propagating to the eastern equatorial Pacific, resulting in a warm event in the eastern equatorial Pacific. The mechanism presented in this paper reveals that the central equatorial Pacific is a key region in detecting the possibility of ENSO and, by analyzing TAO observation data of ocean currents and temperature in the central equatorial Pacific, in predicting the coming of an El Nino several months ahead.     

On the Mechanism of the Locking of the El Nio Event Onset Phase to Boreal Spring

1. Introduction The observed facts show that the ENSO cycle has obvious phase-locking and oscillates irregularly (An and Wang, 2001; Kaplan et al., 1998). Based on Zibiak and Cane's (1987) model (hereafter, the Z-C model) and simple, coupled ocean-atmosph…     

A FURTHER STUDY ON INTERACTION BETWEEN ANOMALOUS WINTER MONSOON IN EAST ASIA AND EL NINO*

The interaction between anomalous winter monsoon in East Asia and El Nino is further studied in this paper.The new results still more proved a previous conclusion:there are clear interactions between El Nino and winter monsoon in East Asia.The continual westerly burst andstronger cumulus convection over the equatorial central-western Pacific caused by stronger wintermonsoon in East Asia can respectively excite anomalous oceanic Kelvin wave and stronger atmospheric intraseasonal oscillation in the tropics,then excite the El Nino event through air-sea interction.In El Nino winter,there are warmer and weaker winter monsoons in East Asia.The El Nino will still reduce the intensity of intraseasonal oscillation and leads it to be barotropic structure.     

The characteristics of 30–60 day oscillation and its relations to the interannual oscillations

The characteristics of 30-60 day oscillation (hereafter called LFO ) of the outgoing longwave radiation data (OLR) and its relations to the interannual oscillations of the sea surface temperature (SST) are investigated by using the daily OLR data for the period from January, 1979 to December, 1987 and the corresponding monthly SST data. II is found that the LFO the band the interannual oscillations of the SST monthly anomaly (SSTA) interact each oth-er and they all relate to the occurrence and development of El Nino events closely. Before El Nino event happens, it contributes to the SST’s warming up and to the SST’s quasi-biennial oscillation (called QBO for brevity) and three and half years oscillation (called SO for short) being in warm water phase in the equatorial central and eastern Pacific (ECP and EEP) that the LFO in the equatorial western Pacific (EWP) enhances and propagates eastward; When El Nino event takes place, the LFO, SSTA and SSTA’s QBO and SO in the EEP interact and strengthen each other; But the warmer SST and the SSTA’s QBO and SO in the warm water phase in the EEP contribute to the LFO's weak-ening in the equatorial Pacific. Moreover, these contribute to the SST in the EEP becoming cold and the SSTA’s QBO and SO in the EWP being in cold water phase and then impel the El Nino event to end.     

The Space and Time Features of Global SST Anomalies Studied by Complex Principal Component Analysis

１ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＰｒｉｎｃｉｐａｌｃｏｍｐｏｎｅｎｔａｎａｌｙｓｉｓｈａｓｂｅｅｎｗｉｄｅｌｙｕｓｅｄｔｏｓｔｕｄｙｔｈｅｔｅｍｐｏｒａｌａｎｄｓｐａｔｉａｌｂｅｈａｖｉｏｕｒｏｆａｔｍｏｓｐｈｅｒｉｃａｎｄｏｃｅａｎｉｃｆｉｅｌｄｓ．...     

A FURTHER STUDY ON INTERACTION BETWEEN ANOMALOUS WINTER MONSOON IN EAST ASIA AND EL NINO

The interaction between anomalous winter monsoon in East Asia and El Nino is further stud-ied in this paper.The new results still more proved a previous conclusion:there are clear interac-tions between El Nino and winter monsoon in East Asia.The continual westerly burst andstronger cumulus convection over the equatorial central-western Pacific caused by stronger wintermonsoon in East Asia can respectively excite anomalous oceanic Kelvin wave and stronger atmo-spheric intraseasonal oscillation in the tropics,then excite the El Nino event through air-sea inter-action.In El Nino winter,there are warmer and weaker winter monsoons in East Asia.The El Ni-no will still reduce the intensity of intraseasonal oscillation and leads it to be barotropic structure.     

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.     

OLR资料所揭示的热带地区低频振荡的变化特征

本文使用1979年1月至1984年12月射出长波辐射(OLR)资料,对热带地区低频振荡的一些特性进行了研究,认为正常年份30—60天振荡的合成功率谱最强,El Nino年最弱。低频波活动冬夏差异较大,其年际变化大值区冬季在赤道地区,夏季位置偏北,位于印度洋和西太平洋。就六年平均而言,低频波在西太平洋及印度洋地区有明显的经向传播,赤道地区低频波的纬向传播主要集中在北半球夏季。此外,30—60天OLR滤波场的强弱与印度季风的爆发和减弱有较好的对应关系。      

ACTIONS OF TYPHOONS OVER THE WESTERN PACIFIC (INCLUDING THE SOUTH CHINA SEA) AND EL NINO

According to me lime cross-section or SSI in me equatorial eastern racing and me historical data on typhoon actions over the western Pacific (including the South China Sea), a composite analysis of the actions of typhoon over the western Pacific in El Nino year (SST in the equatorial eastern Pacific are continuously higher than normal) and in the inverse El Nino year (there are continuative negative anomalies of SST in the equatorial eastern Pacific) is carried out. The results show that the actions of typhoon are in close relation with El Nino: The annual average number of typhoons over the western Pacific and South China Sea is less than normal in El Nino year and more in the inverse El Nino year; The annual average number of the landing typhoon on the continent of China bears the same relationship with El Nino; The anomalies of typhoon actions mainly occur during July-November and their starting are behind the anomaly of SST in the equatorial eastern Pacific.Based on the generation and development co