Sea surface temperature associations with the late Indian summer monsoon

Recent gridded and historical data are used in order to assess the relationships between interannual variability of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) and sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly patterns over the Indian and Pacific oceans. Interannual variability of ISM rainfall and dynamical indices for the traditional summer monsoon season (June–September) are strongly influenced by rainfall and circulation anomalies observed during August and September, or the late Indian summer monsoon (LISM). Anomalous monsoons are linked to well-defined LISM rainfall and large-scale circulation anomalies. The east-west Walker and local Hadley circulations fluctuate during the LISM of anomalous ISM years. LISM circulation is weakened and shifted eastward during weak ISM years. Therefore, we focus on the predictability of the LISM. Strong (weak) (L)ISMs are preceded by significant positive (negative) SST anomalies in the southeastern subtropical Indian Ocean, off Australia, during boreal winter. These SST anomalies are mainly linked to south Indian Ocean dipole events, studied by Besera and Yamagata (2001) and to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon. These SST anomalies are highly persistent and affect the northwestward translation of the Mascarene High from austral to boreal summer. The southeastward (northwestward) shift of this subtropical high associated with cold (warm) SST anomalies off Australia causes a weakening (strengthening) of the whole monsoon circulation through a modulation of the local Hadley cell during the LISM. Furthermore, it is suggested that the Mascarene High interacts with the underlying SST anomalies through a positive dynamical feedback mechanism, maintaining its anomalous position during the LISM. Our results also explain why a strong ISM is preceded by a transition in boreal spring from an El Niño to a La Niña state in the Pacific and vice versa. An El Niño event and the associated warm SST anomalies over the southeastern Indian Ocean during boreal winter may play a key role in the development of a strong ISM by strengthening the local Hadley circulation during the LISM. On the other hand, a developing La Niña event in boreal spring and summer may also enhance the east–west Walker circulation and the monsoon as demonstrated in many previous studies.     

Role of the southern Indian Ocean in the transitions of the monsoon-ENSO system during recent decades

The focus of this study is to document the possible role of the southern subtropical Indian Ocean in the transitions of the monsoon-ENSO system during recent decades. Composite analyses of sea surface temperature (SST) fields prior to El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Indian summer monsoon (ISM), Australian summer monsoon (AUSM), tropical Indian Ocean dipole (TIOD) and Maritime Continent rainfall (MCR) indices reveal the southeast Indian Ocean (SEIO) SSTs during late boreal winter as the unique common SST precursor of these various phenomena after the 1976–1977 regime shift. Weak (strong) ISMs and AUSMs, El Niños (La Niñas) and positive (negative) TIOD events are preceded by significant negative (positive) SST anomalies in the SEIO, off Australia during boreal winter. These SST anomalies are mainly linked to subtropical Indian Ocean dipole events, recently studied by Behera and Yamagata (Geophys Res Lett 28:327–330, 2001). A wavelet analysis of a February–March SEIO SST time series shows significant spectral peaks at 2 and 4–8 years time scales as for ENSO, ISM or AUSM indices. A composite analysis with respect to February–March SEIO SSTs shows that cold (warm) SEIO SST anomalies are highly persistent and affect the westward translation of the Mascarene high from austral to boreal summer, inducing a weakening (strengthening) of the whole ISM circulation through a modulation of the local Hadley cell during late boreal summer. At the same time, these subtropical SST anomalies and the associated SEIO anomalous anticyclone may be a trigger for both the wind-evaporation-SST and wind-thermocline-SST positive feedbacks between Australia and Sumatra during boreal spring and early summer. These positive feedbacks explain the extraordinary persistence of the SEIO anomalous anticyclone from boreal spring to fall. Meanwhile, the SEIO anomalous anticyclone favors persistent southeasterly wind anomalies along the west coast of Sumatra and westerly wind anomalies over the western Pacific, which are well-known key factors for the evolution of positive TIOD and El Niño events, respectively. A correlation analysis supports these results and shows that SEIO SSTs in February–March has higher predictive skill than other well-established ENSO predictors for forecasting Niño3.4 SST at the end of the year. This suggests again that SEIO SST anomalies exert a fundamental influence on the transitions of the whole monsoon-ENSO system during recent decades.     

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.     

A model investigation of recent ENSO impacts over southern Africa

Summary This study investigates the impacts of five recent ENSO events on southern Africa, the associated circulation anomalies and the ability of an atmospheric general circulation model (UKMO HadAM3) to represent these impacts when forced by observed sea-surface temperature (SST). It is found that the model is most successful for the 1997/8 El Niño but does less well for the 1991/2 and 2002/3 El Niños and the 1995/6 and 1999/00 La Niña events. Diagnostics from the model and NCEP re-analyses suggest that modulations to the Angola low, an important centre of tropical convection over southern Africa during austral summer, are often important for influencing the rainfall impacts of ENSO over subtropical southern Africa. Since the model has difficulty in adequately representing this regional circulation feature and its variability, it has problems in capturing ENSO rainfall impacts over southern Africa. During 1997/8, modulations to the Angola low were weak and Indian Ocean SST forcing strong and the model is relatively successful. The implications of these results for dynamical model based seasonal forecasting of the region are discussed.Current affiliation: CSIR Centre for Mathematical Modelling and Computer Simulation, Bangalore, India.     

El Ni?o发展年和La Ni?a年东亚夏季风季节内变化的比较

基于1979~2013年多种再分析资料,合成分析了El Ni?o发展年和La Ni?a年东亚夏季风的季节内变化。结果表明,东亚夏季风在两种情况下呈现出不同的季节内变化特征。在El Ni?o发展年,初夏期间高纬度地区出现偏北风异常,造成东亚地区位势高度场偏低,西太平洋副热带高压偏东,但均不显著。盛夏期间,El Ni?o强迫造成中太平洋对流增强,副热带西太平洋出现气旋异常,位势高度显著降低,副热带高压明显偏东。与此不同的是,La Ni?a年春季暖池海温偏高,造成夏季对流偏强,西太平洋地区位势高度场偏低,副热带高压减弱东退。此外,La Ni?a年东亚夏季风的季节内变化较为复杂,6月异常较弱,7月达到最强,8月又开始减弱。因此,虽然El Ni?o发展年和La Ni?a年夏季平均副高异常有一定的相似性,但季节内变化则有很大差异,其成因也完全不同。     

A possible mechanism for the weakening of El Niño-monsoon relationship during the recent decade

Summary Observational data are used to explore the relationship between surface air temperature anomaly gradients and Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR). The meridional temperature anomaly gradient across Eurasia during January directed towards equator (pole) is a very good precursor of subsequent excess (deficient) Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR). This gradient directed towards equator (pole) indicates below (above) normal blocking activity over Eurasia, which leads to less (more) than normal southward penetration of dry and cold mid latitude westerlies over the Indian monsoon region, which ultimately strengthens (weakens) the normal monsoon circulation. These findings suggest a mechanism for the weakening of relationship between El Niño and ISMR.Though there is a strong fundamental association between El Niño (warm ENSO) and deficient Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR), this relationship was weak during the period 1921–1940 and the recent decade (1991–1998). During the El Niño years of 1921–1940 and 1901–1998, the meridional temperature anomaly gradient across Eurasia (Eurasian forcing) during January was directed towards equator. On the other hand, during the El Niño years of 1901–1920 and 1941–1990 this gradient was directed towards pole. Thus during 1921–1940 and 1991–1998, the adverse impact of El Niño on Indian monsoon was reduced by the favorable Eurasian forcing resulting in the weak association between El Niño and ISMR. This finding disagrees with the hypothesis of winter warming over the Eurasian continent as the reason for the observed weakening of this relationship during recent decade.     

ENSO 与中国东部夏季降水的关联

计算1 月减6 月El Niño 3.4 指数与6—8 月平均200、850 hPa 风场的相关矢量,分析中等或强ElNiño/La Niña 事件后的夏季(6—8 月)中国东部降水异常分布、西太平洋副热带高压异常特征。结果表明,对ENSO 的响应,无论高、底层大气环流还是西太平洋副热带高压,1970 年代中期气候突变后变为更敏感。主要表现在:对衰减的El Niño 的响应,夏季南亚高压偏东,西太平洋副热带高压偏强、偏西、偏南,印度季风、南海季风减弱,黄河下游以南副热带季风增强。黄河中下游及以南形成异常环流辐合带,由El Niño 导致的降水正异常最有可能出现在这一西南-东北的带状区域。对衰减的La Niña 响应大致相反。      

La Niña diversity and Northwest Indian Ocean Rim teleconnections

The differences in tropical Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) expressions of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events of the same phase have been linked with different global atmospheric circulation patterns. This study examines the dynamical forcing of precipitation during October–December (OND) and March–May (MAM) over East Africa and during December–March (DJFM) over Central-Southwest Asia for 1950–2010 associated with four tropical Pacific SST patterns characteristic of La Niña events, the cold phase of ENSO. The self-organizing map method along with a statistical distinguishability test was used to isolate La Niña events, and seasonal precipitation forcing was investigated in terms of the tropical overturning circulation and thermodynamic and moisture budgets. Recent La Niña events with strong opposing SST anomalies between the central and western Pacific Ocean (phases 3 and 4), force the strongest global circulation modifications and drought over the Northwest Indian Ocean Rim. Over East Africa during MAM and OND, subsidence is forced by an enhanced tropical overturning circulation and precipitation reductions are exacerbated by increases in moisture flux divergence. Over Central-Southwest Asia during DJFM, the thermodynamic forcing of subsidence is primarily responsible for precipitation reductions, with moisture flux divergence acting as a secondary mechanism to reduce precipitation. Eastern Pacific La Niña events in the absence of west Pacific SST anomalies (phases 1 and 2), are associated with weaker global teleconnections, particularly over the Indian Ocean Rim. The weak regional teleconnections result in statistically insignificant precipitation modifications over East Africa and Central-Southwest Asia.     

Intraseasonal and interannual zonal circulations over the Equatorial Indian Ocean

El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and given phases of the Madden?CJulian Oscillation (MJO) show similar regional signatures over the Equatorial Indian Ocean, consisting in an enhancement or reversing of the convective and dynamic zonal gradients between East Africa and the Maritime Continent of Indonesia. This study analyses how these two modes of variability add or cancel their effects at their respective timescales, through an investigation of the equatorial cellular circulations over the central Indian Ocean. Results show that (1) the wind shear between the lower and upper troposphere is related to marked regional rainfall anomalies and is embedded in larger-scale atmospheric configurations, involving the Southern Oscillation; (2) the intraseasonal (30?C60?days) and interannual (4?C5?years) timescales are the most energetic frequencies that modulate these circulations, confirming the implication of the MJO and ENSO; (3) extreme values of the Indian Ocean wind shear result from the combination of El Ni?o and the MJO phase enhancing atmospheric convection over Africa, or La Ni?a and the MJO phase associated with convective activity over the Maritime Continent. Consequences for regional rainfall anomalies over East Africa and Indonesia are then discussed.     

Intraseasonal atmospheric variability and its interannual modulation in Central Africa

The spatial and temporal structures of the intraseasonal atmospheric variability over central Africa is investigated using 2.5°?×?2.5° daily outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) and National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Reanalysis zonal winds for the period 1980–2010. The study begins with an overview of the Central African rainfall regime, noting in particular the contrast amongst Western and Eastern parts, with different topography and surface conditions features. The annual mean rainfall and OLR over the region revealed a zone of intense convective activity centered on the equator near 30°E, which extends southward and covers almost all the Congo forest. The annual cycle of rainfall reflects the classical bi-annual shift of Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone across the equatorial belt, between 10°S and 10°N. The result of the empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) analysis has shown that the three leading EOF modes explain about 45?% of total intraseasonal variability. The power spectra of all the three corresponding principal components (PCs) peak around 45–50?days, indicating a Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) signal. The first mode exhibits high positive loadings over Northern Congo, the second over Southern Ethiopia and the third over Southwestern Tanzania. The PCs time series revealed less interannual modulation of intraseasonal oscillations for the Congo mode, while Ethiopian and Tanzanian modes exhibit strong interannual variations. H?vmoller plots of OLR, 200 and 850?hPa NCEP zonal winds found the eastward propagating features to be the dominant pattern in all the three times series, but this propagation is less pronounced in the OLR than in the 850 and 200?hpa zonal wind anomalies. An index of MJO strength was built by averaging the 30–50?day power for each day. A plot of MJO indices and El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle confirm a strong interannual modulation of MJO over Eastern central Africa partially linked with the ENSO events (El Ni?o and La Ni?a). Strong MJO activity is observed during La Ni?a years or during ENSO-neutral years, while weak or absent MJO activity is typically associated with strong El Ni?o episodes.     

ENSO位相转换对华北雨季降水的影响

利用国家气候中心华北地区站点雨季降水数据及美国国家环境预报中心和大气研究中心（NCEP/NCAR）的再分析数据等资料,采用统计诊断方法,分析了1961~2014年华北雨季降水异常偏多（少）年对应的Ni?o3.4指数变化特征,发现华北雨季降水异常偏多年通常发生在El Ni?o结束且当年转为La Ni?a的年份,而华北雨季降水异常偏少年通常发生在赤道中东太平洋冷水位相结束且当年发展成El Ni?o事件的年份。并且在华北雨季降水异常偏多年,7~8月华北平均日降水量超过10 mm的天数约占25%,日降水量在4~10 mm的天数也约占25%,两者所占比率远高于华北雨季降水异常偏少年。对华北雨季降水异常偏多年的同期环流特征分析显示:西北太平洋副热带高压（副高）北跳偏早且有明显阶段性偏北情况,同时东亚高空副热带西风急流北移,从而造成华北雨季天气过程频繁、降水偏多。进一步诊断环流特征与ENSO位相转换的关系发现:相比El Ni?o衰减年,在El Ni?o转为La Ni?a的年份,7~8月500 hPa日本海到渤海正位势高度距平加强,更符合华北雨季降水偏多年的典型环流特征;同时热带沃克环流显著加强,造成东亚高空副热带西风急流北移更为显著,从而更有利于华北盛夏和雨季降水偏多。文中揭示的现象启示我们在做华北盛夏降水和雨季降水的预测时,需要关注ENSO事件前期的变化速度以及未来的演变特征。     

ENSO,the IOD and the intraseasonal prediction of heat extremes across Australia using POAMA-2

The simulation and prediction of extreme heat over Australia on intraseasonal timescales in association with the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is assessed using the Bureau of Meteorology’s Predictive Ocean Atmosphere Model for Australia (POAMA). The analysis is based on hindcasts over 1981–2010 and focuses on weeks 2 and 3 of the forecasts, i.e. beyond a typical weather forecast. POAMA simulates the observed increased probabilities of extreme heat during El Niño events, focussed over south eastern and southern Australia in SON and over northern Australia in DJF, and the decreased probabilities of extreme heat during La Niña events, although the magnitude of these relationships is smaller than observed. POAMA also captures the signal of increased probabilities of extreme heat during positive phases of the IOD across southern Australia in SON and over Western Australia in JJA, but again underestimates the strength of the relationship. Shortcomings in the simulation of extreme heat in association with ENSO and the IOD over southern Australia may be linked to deficiencies in the teleconnection with Indian Ocean SSTs. Forecast skill for intraseasonal episodes of extreme heat is assessed using the Symmetric Extremal Dependence Index. Skill is highest over northern Australia in MAM and JJA and over south-eastern and eastern Australia in JJA and SON, whereas skill is generally poor over south-west Western Australia. Results show there are windows of forecast opportunity related to the state of ENSO and the IOD, where the skill in predicting extreme temperatures over certain regions is increased.     

Dynamics of the Indian monsoon and ENSO relationships in the SINTEX global coupled model

This paper uses recent gridded climatological data and a coupled general circulation model (GCM) simulation in order to assess the relationships between the interannual variability of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The focus is on the dynamics of the ISM-ENSO relationships and the ability of the state-of-the-art coupled GCM to reproduce the complex lead-lag relationships between the ISM and the ENSO. The coupled GCM is successful in reproducing the ISM circulation and rainfall climatology in the Indian areas even though the entire ISM circulation is weaker relative to that observed. In both observations and in the simulation, the ISM rainfall anomalies are significantly associated with fluctuations of the Hadley circulation and the 200 hPa zonal wind anomalies over the Indian Ocean. A quasi-biennial time scale is found to structure the ISM dynamical and rainfall indices in both cases. Moreover, ISM indices have a similar interannual variability in the simulation and observations. The coupled model is less successful in simulating the annual cycle in the tropical Pacific. A major model bias is the eastward displacement of the western North Pacific inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ), near the dateline, during northern summer. This introduces a strong semiannual component in Pacific Walker circulation indices and central equatorial Pacific sea surface temperatures. Another weakness of the coupled model is a less-than-adequate simulation of the Southern Oscillation due to an erroneous eastward extension of the Southern Pacific convergence zone (SPCZ) year round. Despite these problems, the coupled model captures some aspects of the interannual variability in the tropical Pacific. ENSO events are phase-locked with the annual cycle as observed, but are of reduced amplitude relative to the observations. Wavelet analysis of the model Niño34 time series shows enhanced power in the 2–4 year band, as compared to the 2–8 year range for observations during the 1950–2000 period. The ISM circulation is weakened during ENSO years in both the simulation and the observations. However, the model fails to reproduce the lead-lag relationship between the ISM and Niño34 sea surface temperatures (SSTs). Furthermore, lag correlations show that the delayed response of the wind stress over the central Pacific to ISM variability is insignificant in the simulation. These features are mainly due to the unrealistic interannual variability simulated by the model in the western North Pacific. The amplitude and even the sign of the simulated surface and upper level wind anomalies in these areas are not consistent with observed patterns during weak/strong ISM years. The ISM and western North Pacific ITCZ fluctuate independently in the observations, while they are negatively and significantly correlated in the simulation. This isolates the Pacific Walker circulation from the ISM forcing. These systematic errors may also contribute to the reduced amplitude of ENSO variability in the coupled simulation. Most of the unrealistic features in simulating the Indo-Pacific interannual variability may be traced back to systematic errors in the base state of the coupled model.     

The signature of ENSO in the Northern Hemisphere midlatitude seasonal mean flow and high-frequency intraseasonal variability

Summary The impact of pronounced positive and negative sea surface temperature (STT) anomalies in the tropical Pacific associated with the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon on the atmospheric circulation in the Northern Hemisphere extratropics during the boreal winter season is investigated. This includes both the impact on the seasonal mean flow and on the intraseasonal variability on synoptic time scales. Moreover, the interaction between the transient fluctuations on these times scales and the mean circulation is examined. Both data from an ensemble of five simulations with the ECHAM3 atmospheric general circulation model at a horizontal resolution of T42 each covering the period from 1979 through 1992 and operational analyses from ECMWF for the corresponding period are examined. In each of the simulations observed SSTs for the period of investigation are given as lower boundary forcing, but different atmospheric initial conditions are prescribed.The simulations with ECHAM3 reveal a distinct impact of the pronounced SST-anomalies in the tropical Pacific on the atmospheric circulation in the Northern Hemisphere extratropics during El Niño as well as during La Niña events. These changes in the atmospheric circulation, which are found to be highly significant in the Pacific/North American as well as in the Atlantic/European region, are consistent with the essential results obtained from the analyses. The pronounced SST-anomalies in the tropical Pacific lead to changes in the mean circulation, which are characterized by typical circulation patterns. These changes in the mean circulation are accompanied by marked variations of the activity of the transient fluctuations on synoptic time scales, that are changes in both the kinetic energy on these time scales and the atmospheric transports of momentum and heat accomplished by the short baroclinic waves. The synoptic disturbances, on the other hand, play also an important role in controlling the changes in the mean circulation associated with the ENSO phenomenon. They maintain these typical circulation patterns via barotropic, but counteract them via baroclinic processes.The hypothesis of an impact of the ENSO phenomenon in the Atlantic/European region can be supported. As the determining factor the intensification (reduction) of the Aleutian low and the simultaneous reduction (intensification) of the Icelandic low during El Niño and during La Niña events respectively, is identified. The changes in the intensity of the Aleutian low during the ENSO-events are accompanied by an alteration of the transport of momentum caused by the short baroclinic waves over the North American continent in such a way that the changes in the intensity of the Icelandic low during El Niño as well as during La Niña events are maintained.With 16 Figures     

The influence of climate regime shift on ENSO

Observations indicated that for the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) there have been eastward displacements of the zonal wind stress (WS) anomalies and surface heat flux (short wave heat flux and latent heat flux) anomalies during El Niño episodes in the 1981–1995 regime relative to the earlier regime of 1961–1975 (without corresponding displacements during La Niña episodes). Our numerical experiments with the Zebiak–Cane coupled model generally reproduced such displacements when the model climatological fields were replaced by the observed climatologies [of sea surface temperature (SST), surface WS and surface wind atmospheric divergence] and simulated climatologies (of oceanic surface layer currents and associated upwelling) for the 1981–1995 regime. Sensitivity tests indicated that the background atmospheric state played a much more important role than the background ocean state in producing the displacements, which enhanced the asymmetry between El Niño and La Niña in the later regime. The later regime climatology state resulted in the eastward shifts in the ENSO system (WS and SST) only during El Niño, through the eastward shift of the atmosphere convergence heating rate in the coupled model. The ENSO period and ENSO predictability were also enhanced in the coupled model under the later regime climatology. That the change in the mean state of the tropical Pacific atmosphere and ocean after the mid 1970s could have produced the observed changes in ENSO properties is consistent with our findings.     

ENSO对印度洋偶极子非对称性的影响及机制研究北大核心

利用海表温度再分析资料、NCEP/NCAR大气环流再分析资料以及MPI-ESM1-2-LR气候模式PI-Control试验输出数据等,通过对不同强度的厄尔尼诺-南方涛动(El Nino-Southern Oscillation, ENSO)事件所对应的印度洋偶极子(Indian Ocean Dipole, IOD)事件的分析,探讨了ENSO对IOD偏度的调制作用。结果表明,伴随着赤道中东太平洋明显的正海温偏度,秋季印度洋海表温度存在西正东负的偏度。IOD与ENSO之间呈现出较强的非线性关系,且大部分强的正IOD事件对应着强El Nino事件。强El Nino位相下,IOD事件相关的海温与风场表现出很强的响应,强于La Nina事件产生的响应,表现为强的非对称性;相比较而言,弱El Nino事件与La Nina事件下引起的印度洋海温和风场的强度相当,并没有显著的非对称性。因此,ENSO可通过激发非对称的大气遥相关对IOD强度非对称性产生调制作用,印度洋海表温度偏度很大程度上是由强El Nino事件导致的强正IOD事件所贡献。     

两个典型ENSO季节演变模态及其与我国东部降水的联系

本文根据1950~2014年月平均海温和大气环流资料以及中国160站降水等资料,利用扩展经验正交函数（EEOF）分析、相关分析以及合成分析等方法,分析了太平洋海温季节演变的主导模态,并探讨了各模态与中国东部降水和东亚环流季节变异的关系及其联系的物理过程。结果表明,ENSO（El Ni?o/Southern Oscillation）季节演变存在2个主导模态,包含4种类型:El Ni?o持续型、La Ni?a持续型、La Ni?a转El Ni?o型和El Ni?o转La Ni?a型。发现不同模态和类型的ENSO季节变化过程我国东部降水距平的分布和强度都有明显差异。El Ni?o持续型和El Ni?o转La Ni?a型,冬春季和初夏均处在El Ni?o背景下,降水异常分布存在一定共性,但盛夏和秋季分别受El Ni?o和La Ni?a影响,降水异常分布差异十分明显,前者雨带北跳慢、位置偏南而后者雨带北跳快、位置偏北。La Ni?a持续型和La Ni?a转El Ni?o型也是如此,冬春季和初夏降水异常分布大致相似,但盛夏和秋季分别受La Ni?a和El Ni?o影响,前者雨带北跳快、位置偏北而后者雨带北跳慢、位置偏南。因此,利用ENSO做我国降水的气候预测时,不能只着眼于前期冬季El Ni?o或La Ni?a事件,还应考虑其未来演变所属的可能模态和类型。对他们之间联系的物理过程分析表明,不同ENSO季节演变模态和类型主要通过影响西太平洋副热带高压以及西风带经向型/纬向型环流调整及伴随的低纬暖湿水汽输送以及中高纬冷空气活动变化来影响我国东部降水。其中,西太平洋菲律宾群岛附近异常反气旋（或气旋）、赤道Walker环流和北半球Hadley环流分别是联系ENSO与西太平洋副热带高压活动和东亚西风带经向型/纬向型环流的重要环节。     

Air–Sea Flux Estimates And The 1997–1998 Enso Event

Bulk formulae for wind stress, sensible and latent heat flux are presented that are suitable for strong mesoscale events such as westerly wind bursts that contribute to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Their exchange coefficients for heat and momentum have a simple polynomial dependence on wind speed and a linear dependence on air–sea temperature difference. The accuracy of these formulae are validated with respect to air–sea fluxes estimated using the standard algorithm adopted by the Tropical Ocean-Global AtmosphereCoupled-Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE). The comparison ismade for observations from 96 Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) array and National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) moorings in the equatorial and North Pacific Ocean spanning years 1990–1999. The bulk formulae are shown to have very small median root–mean-square differences with respect to the TOGA COARE estimates: 0.003 N m^-2, 1.0 W m^-2, and 10.0 W m^-2 for the wind stress, sensible heat flux, and latent heat flux, respectively.The variability of air–sea fluxes during the 1997–1998 ENSO is also examined, along with a possible relationship between air–sea fluxes and surface ocean mixed layer depth (MLD). The wind stress and latent heat flux during the 1997 El Niño are found to be greater in the warm pool of the western Pacific than in the central Pacific where the ENSO is most clearly seen. These differences disappear upon the start of La Niña. The MLD in the equatorial Pacific is found to be moderately correlated to air–sea fluxes just before the start of the 1998 La Niña and poorly correlated otherwise.     

强El Niño衰减年东亚夏季风的季节内变化:1998年和2016年的对比分析

本文对比分析了1998年和2016年这两个强El Ni?o衰减年东亚夏季风的季节内变化。结果表明,在6~7月期间,由于热带印度洋海温偏高、对流偏强,造成西太平洋暖池对流偏弱,西太平洋副热带高压（副高）偏西偏强,长江流域降水偏多,华南偏少,东亚夏季风异常具有典型的El Ni?o衰减年特征。但两年的8月份有很大差异,虽然1998年8月与6~7月相似,但2016年8月份则完全不同。受乌拉尔地区异常反气旋的影响,源自西伯利亚东部的北风异常穿越东亚并直抵暖池地区,造成副高分裂并减弱东退,同时激发暖池对流发展,而对流的发展则进一步促使副高减弱。因此,2016年8月东亚夏季风异常与1998年8月相反,中国北方夏季降水异常也呈现很大差异。另外,1998年热带大西洋偏暖,并通过热带环流变化影响到东亚夏季风异常,其强迫作用与热带印度洋类似。而2016年大西洋海温异常较弱,对东亚夏季风影响也较弱。因此,El Ni?o对东亚夏季风的影响不仅与其强度有关,还与El Ni?o衰减之后造成的印度洋和大西洋海温异常有关。本文的分析结果表明,即使在强El Ni?o衰减年夏季,由于El Ni?o之间的个性差异以及其他因子的影响,东亚夏季风季节内变化仍然能呈现出显著差异,特别是在8月份。因此,在预测东亚夏季风异常时,宜将6~7月和8月分别考虑。此外,为进一步提高东亚夏季风预测水平,除传统的季度预测外,还需要进一步加强季节内尺度的预测。     

El Niño- or La Niña-like climate change?

The potential for the mean climate of the tropical Pacific to shift to more El Niño-like conditions as a result of human induced climate change is subject to a considerable degree of uncertainty. The complexity of the feedback processes, the wide range of responses of different atmosphere–ocean global circulation models (AOGCMs) and difficulties with model simulation of present day El Niño southern oscillation (ENSO), all complicate the picture. By examining the components of the climate-change response that projects onto the model pattern of ENSO variability in 20 AOGCMs submitted to the coupled model inter-comparison project (CMIP), it is shown that large-scale coupled atmosphere–ocean feedbacks associated with the present day ENSO also operate on longer climate-change time scales. By linking the realism of the simulation of present day ENSO variability in the models to their patterns of future mean El Niño-like or La Niña-like climate change, it is found that those models that have the largest ENSO-like climate change also have the poorest simulation of ENSO variability. The most likely scenario (p=0.59) in a model-skill-weighted histogram of CMIP models is for no trend towards either mean El Niño-like or La Niña-like conditions. However, there remains a small probability (p=0.16) for a change to El Niño-like conditions of the order of one standard El Niño per century in the 1% per year CO₂ increase scenario.