Predictability of South China Sea Summer Monsoon Onset

Predicting monsoon onset is crucial for agriculture and socioeconomic planning in countries where millions rely on the timely arrival of monsoon rains for their livelihoods. In this study we demonstrate useful skill in predicting year-to-year variations in South China Sea summer monsoon onset at up to a three-month lead time using the GloSea5 seasonal forecasting system. The main source of predictability comes from skillful prediction of Pacific sea surface temperatures associated with El NiÑo and La NiÑa. The South China Sea summer monsoon onset is a known indicator of the broadscale seasonal transition that represents the first stage of the onset of the Asian summer monsoon as a whole. Subsequent development of rainfall across East Asia is influenced by subseasonal variability and synoptic events that reduce predictability, but interannual variability in the broadscale monsoon onset for East Asian summer monsoon still provides potentially useful information for users about possible delays or early occurrence of the onset of rainfall over East Asia.     

论东亚夏季风的特征、驱动力与年代际变化

本文是以新的资料和研究结果对东亚夏季风的基本特征、驱动力和年代际变化所作的重新分析与评估。内容包括四个部分:（1）东亚夏季风的基本特征;（2）东亚夏季风的驱动力;（3）东亚夏季风的年代际变率与原因;（4）东亚夏季风与全球季风的关系。结果表明:东亚夏季风是亚洲夏季风的一个重要有机部分,主要由来源于热带的季风气流组成,并随季节由南向北呈阶段性推进,它是形成夏季东亚天气与气候的主要环流和降水系统。驱动夏季风的主要强迫有三部分:外部强迫、耦合强迫与内部变率,其中人类活动引起的外强迫（气候变暖、城市化、气溶胶增加等）是新出现的外强迫,它正不断改变着东亚夏季风的特征与演变趋势。海洋与陆面耦合强迫作为自然因子是引起东亚夏季风年际和年代际变化的主要原因,其中太平洋年代尺度振荡（PDO）与北大西洋多年代尺度振荡（AMO）的协同作用是造成东亚夏季风30~40年周期振荡的主要原因。1960年代以后,东亚夏季风经历了强—弱—强的年代际变化,相应的中国东部夏季降水型出现了“北多南少”向“南涝北旱”以及“北方渐增”的转变。最近的研究表明,上述东亚夏季风年代际变化与整个亚非夏季风系统的变化趋势是一致的。在本世纪主要受气候变暖的影响,夏季风雨带将持续北移,中国北方和西部地区出现持续性多雨的格局。最后本文指出,亚非夏季风系统相比于其他区域季风系统更适合全球季风的概念。     

Prediction of primary climate variability modes at the Beijing Climate Center

Climate variability modes, usually known as primary climate phenomena, are well recognized as the most important predictability sources in subseasonal–interannual climate prediction. This paper begins by reviewing the research and development carried out, and the recent progress made, at the Beijing Climate Center (BCC) in predicting some primary climate variability modes. These include the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO), and Arctic Oscillation (AO), on global scales, as well as the sea surface temperature (SST) modes in the Indian Ocean and North Atlantic, western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH), and the East Asian winter and summer monsoons (EAWM and EASM, respectively), on regional scales. Based on its latest climate and statistical models, the BCC has established a climate phenomenon prediction system (CPPS) and completed a hindcast experiment for the period 1991–2014. The performance of the CPPS in predicting such climate variability modes is systematically evaluated. The results show that skillful predictions have been made for ENSO, MJO, the Indian Ocean basin mode, the WPSH, and partly for the EASM, whereas less skillful predictions were made for the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and North Atlantic SST Tripole, and no clear skill at all for the AO, subtropical IOD, and EAWM. Improvements in the prediction of these climate variability modes with low skill need to be achieved by improving the BCC’s climate models, developing physically based statistical models as well as correction methods for model predictions. Some of the monitoring/prediction products of the BCC-CPPS are also introduced in this paper.     

Variations of the summer Somali and Australia cross-equatorial flows and the implications for the Asian summer monsoon

The temporal variations during 1948-2010 and vertical structures of the summer Somali and Australia cross-equatorial flows(CEFs) and the implications for the Asian summer monsoon were explored in this study.The strongest southerly and northerly CEFs exist at 925 hPa and 150 hPa level,respectively.The low-level Somali(LLS) CEFs were significantly connected with the rainfall in most regions of India(especially the monsoon regions),except in a small area in southwest India.In comparison to the climatology,the lowlevel Australia(LLA) CEFs exhibited stronger variations at interannual time scale and are more closely connected to the East Asian summer monsoon circulation than to the LLS CEFs.The East Asian summer monsoon circulation anomalies related to stronger LLA CEFs were associated with less water vapor content and less rainfall in the region between the middle Yellow River and Yangtze River and with more water vapor and more rainfall in southern China.The sea-surface temperature anomalies east of Australia related to summer LLA CEFs emerge in spring and persist into summer,with implications for the seasonal prediction of summer rainfall in East Asia.The connection between the LLA CEFs and East Asian summer monsoon rainfall may be partly due to its linkage with El Nino-Southern Oscillation.In addition,both the LLA and LLS CEFs exhibited interdecadal shifts in the late 1970s and the late 1990s,consistent with the phase shifts of Pacific Decadal Oscillation(PDO).     

The East Asian subtropical summer monsoon: Recent progress

The East Asian subtropical summer monsoon (EASSM) is one component of the East Asian summer monsoon system, and its evolution determines the weather and climate over East China. In the present paper, we firstly demonstrate the formation and advancement of the EASSM rainbelt and its associated circulation and precipitation patterns through reviewing recent studies and our own analysis based on JRA-55 (Japanese 55-yr Reanalysis) data and CMAP (CPC Merged Analysis of Precipitation), GPCP (Global Precipitation Climatology Project), and TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) precipitation data. The results show that the rainy season of the EASSM starts over the region to the south of the Yangtze River in early April, with the establishment of strong southerly wind in situ. The EASSM rainfall, which is composed of dominant convective and minor stratiform precipitation, is always accompanied by a frontal system and separated from the tropical summer monsoon system. It moves northward following the onset of the South China Sea summer monsoon. Moreover, the role of the land–sea thermal contrast in the formation and maintenance of the EASSM is illustrated, including in particular the effect of the seasonal transition of the zonal land–sea thermal contrast and the influences from the Tibetan Plateau and midlatitudes. In addition, we reveal a possible reason for the subtropical climate difference between East Asia and East America. Finally, the multi-scale variability of the EASSM and its influential factors are summarized to uncover possible reasons for the intraseasonal, interannual, and interdecadal variability of the EASSM and their importance in climate prediction.     

The interannual variability of East Asian Monsoon and its relationship with SST in a coupled Atmosphere-Ocean-Land climate model

1.IntroductionThelargestinterannualvariabilityassociatedwiththeENSOcycleexistsinmonsoonregionsliketheAfricanmonsoon,Australianmonsoon,Pan--AmericanmonsoonandAsianmonsoon(RopelewskiandHalpert,1987;WebsterandYang,1992;JuandSlingo,1995).OnebasicquestionishowtorepresenttheAsianmonsoonanditsvariability.WebsterandYang(1992)foundareasonableindexbyaveragingthezonalwindshearbetween850hpaand200hpaovertheSouthAsianregion(40--110E,0--20N)todescribetheSouthAsianmonsooncirculationanditsvariability.…     

大样本初始化十年际预测试验（CESM-DPLE）对东亚夏季气候预测的评估

基于气温和降水观测资料以及美国国家环境预报中心/国家大气研究中心（NCEP/NCAR）大气再分析资料,系统评估了大样本初始化十年际预测试验（CESM-DPLE）对1959—2016年东亚夏季气候预测的能力。结果表明,CESM-DPLE能较好地模拟东亚夏季气候以及相关主要大气环流系统的基本态特征,在年际尺度上对东亚气温有很高的预测技巧但对降水几乎没有预测能力。CESM-DPLE再现了北大西洋多年代际振荡（AMO）经由激发遥相关波列所引起的中高纬度大气环流、东亚夏季风和气候的异常。20世纪90年代末之后,北大西洋多年代际振荡由冷位相转为暖位相,遥相关波列位相调整,东亚受异常低压控制,东亚夏季风偏强,夏季气温偏高、降水偏多。总体上,尽管还存在着不足,但CESM-DPLE对东亚夏季温度年际变化以及与20世纪90年代末北大西洋多年代际振荡位相转变相联的东亚夏季气候年代际变化具备一定的预测能力,是目前研究和预测东亚气候变化的一套较好试验数据。      

An Index Measuring the Interannual Variation of the East Asian Summer Monsoon ——The EAP Index

Based on the EAP (East Asia/Pacific) teleconnection in the summer circulation anomalies over ther Northern Hemisphere, an index measuring the strength of the East Asian summer monsoon, i.e., the so-called EAP index, is defined in this paper. From the analyses of observed data, it is clearly shown that the EAP index defined in this study can well describe the interannual variability of summer rainfall and surface air temperature in East Asia, especially in the Yangtze River valley and the Huaihe River valley, Korea,and Japan. Moreover, this index can also reflect the interannual variability of the East Asian summer monsoon system including the monsoon horizontal circulation and the vertical-meridional circulation cell over East Asia. From the composite analyses of climate and monsoon circulation anomalies for high EAP index and for low EAP index, respectively, it is well demonstrated that the EAP index proposed in this study can well measure the strength of the East Asian summer monsoon.     

The East Asian Subtropical Summer Monsoon:Recent Progress

The East Asian subtropical summer monsoon(EASSM) is one component of the East Asian summer monsoon system,and its evolution determines the weather and climate over East China.In the present paper,we firstly demonstrate the formation and advancement of the EASSM rainbelt and its associated circulation and precipitation patterns through reviewing recent studies and our own analysis based on JRA-55(Japanese 55-yr Reanalysis) data and CMAP(CPC Merged Analysis of Precipitation),GPCP(Global Precipitation Climatology Project),and TRMM(Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) precipitation data.The results show that the rainy season of the EASSM starts over the region to the south of the Yangtze River in early April,with the establishment of strong southerly wind in situ.The EASSM rainfall,which is composed of dominant convective and minor stratiform precipitation,is always accompanied by a frontal system and separated from the tropical summer monsoon system.It moves northward following the onset of the South China Sea summer monsoon.Moreover,the role of the land-sea thermal contrast in the formation and maintenance of the EASSM is illustrated,including in particular the effect of the seasonal transition of the zonal land-sea thermal contrast and the influences from the Tibetan Plateau and midlatitudes.In addition,we reveal a possible reason for the subtropical climate difference between East Asia and East America.Finally,the multi-scale variability of the EASSM and its influential factors are summarized to uncover possible reasons for the intraseasonal,interannual,and interdecadal variability of the EASSM and their importance in climate prediction.     

CMIP5多模式对东亚地区地面气温年际变率的回报研究

对CMIP5全球气候模式中年代际回报试验的气温资料及其简单集合平均(Multi-model ensemble mean,EMN)和贝叶斯模式平均的结果(Bayesian Model Averaging,BMA)进行经验正交函数(Empirical Orthogonal Function,EOF)分解和Morlet小波分析,检验评估各个模式及其EMN和BMA对东亚地面气温的方差、气温时空分布特征及周期变化的回报能力。结果表明,10个模式、EMN、BMA都能很好地回报出1981—2010年东亚地面气温的方差分布,其中BMA回报效果最好。EOF分析表明,BMA能较好地回报出东亚地面气温第一模态的时空分布。MIROC5能较好地回报出第二模态的趋势变化,但却不能回报出气温的年际变率。绝大多数模式和EMN、BMA虽然能回报出东亚地面气温的变化趋势,但是对气温年际变率的回报仍然是比较困难的。CMCC-CM对气温变化主模态的3~5 a的周期变化特征回报效果最好,和NCEP资料的结果最为接近。     

南极海冰的年际变化对中国东部夏季降水的影响

根据Hadley中心提供的1969—1998年的南极海冰再分析资料和其它多种观测资料，分析了南极海冰的年际和季节变化，指出南极海冰具有显著的年际变化，但与ENSO的关系则较为复杂。南极海冰维持了南半球高纬地区大气环流的季节持续性，因而对短期气候预测有较大帮助。相关分析和时间序列分析均证实中国东部夏季降水与南极海冰的年际变化有关，当北半球春夏季南极海冰增多时，华北降水增多而华南和东北降水减少。研究还表明，此种雨型分布与南极海冰变化引起的东亚夏季风环流变化有关。     

Asian summer monsoon prediction in ECMWF System 4 and NCEP CFSv2 retrospective seasonal forecasts

The seasonal prediction skill of the Asian summer monsoon is assessed using retrospective predictions (1982–2009) from the ECMWF System 4 (SYS4) and NCEP CFS version 2 (CFSv2) seasonal prediction systems. In both SYS4 and CFSv2, a cold bias of sea-surface temperature (SST) is found over the equatorial Pacific, North Atlantic, Indian Oceans and over a broad region in the Southern Hemisphere relative to observations. In contrast, a warm bias is found over the northern part of North Pacific and North Atlantic. Excessive precipitation is found along the ITCZ, equatorial Atlantic, equatorial Indian Ocean and the maritime continent. The southwest monsoon flow and the Somali Jet are stronger in SYS4, while the south-easterly trade winds over the tropical Indian Ocean, the Somali Jet and the subtropical northwestern Pacific high are weaker in CFSv2 relative to the reanalysis. In both systems, the prediction of SST, precipitation and low-level zonal wind has greatest skill in the tropical belt, especially over the central and eastern Pacific where the influence of El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is dominant. Both modeling systems capture the global monsoon and the large-scale monsoon wind variability well, while at the same time performing poorly in simulating monsoon precipitation. The Asian monsoon prediction skill increases with the ENSO amplitude, although the models simulate an overly strong impact of ENSO on the monsoon. Overall, the monsoon predictive skill is lower than the ENSO skill in both modeling systems but both systems show greater predictive skill compared to persistence.     

BCC二代气候系统模式的季节预测评估和可预报性分析

本文利用国家气候中心（BCC）第二代季节预测模式系统历史回报数据,从确定性预报和概率预报两个方面系统地评估了该模式对气温、降水和大气环流的季节预报性能,并与BCC一代气候预测模式的结果进行了对比,重点分析了二代模式的季节可预报性问题。结果显示,BCC二代模式对全球气温、降水和环流的预报性能整体上优于一代模式,特别在热带中东太平洋、印度洋和海洋大陆地区的温度和降水的预报效果改进尤为明显。这些热带地区降水预报的改进,可以通过激发太平洋—北美型（PNA）、东亚—太平洋型（EAP）等遥相关波列提升该模式在中高纬地区的季节预报技巧。分析表明,厄尔尼诺和南方涛动（ENSO）信号在热带和热带外地区均是模式季节可预报性的重要来源,BCC二代模式能够较好把握全球大气环流对ENSO信号的响应特征,从而通过对ENSO预报技巧的改进有效地提升了模式整体的预报性能。从概率预报来看,BCC二代模式对我国冬季气温和夏季降水具备一定的预报能力,特别是对我国东部大部分地区冬季气温正异常和负异常事件预报的可靠性和辨析度相对较高。因此,进一步提高模式对热带大尺度异常信号和大气主要模态的预报能力、加强概率预报产品释用对提高季节气候预测水平具有重要意义。     

Predicting Western Pacific Subtropical High Using a Combined Tropical Indian Ocean Sea Surface Temperature Forecast

Weather and climate in East China are closely related to the variability of the western Pacific subtropical high（WPSH）, which is an important part of the Asian monsoon system. The WPSH prediction in spring and summer is a critical component of rainfall forecasting during the summer flood season in China. Although many attempts have been made to predict WPSH variability, its predictability remains limited in practice due to the complexity of the WPSH evolution. Many studies have indicated that the sea surface temperature（SST） over the tropical Indian Ocean has a significant effect on WPSH variability. In this paper, a statistical model is developed to forecast the monthly variation in the WPSH during the spring and summer seasons on the basis of its relationship with SST over the tropical Indian Ocean. The forecasted SST over the tropical Indian Ocean is the predictor in this model, which differs significantly from other WPSH prediction methods. A 26-year independent hindcast experiment from 1983 to 2008 is conducted and validated in which the WPSH prediction driven by the combined forecasted SST is compared with that driven by the persisted SST. Results indicate that the skill score of the WPSH prediction driven by the combined forecasted SST is substantial.     

中国业务动力季节预报的进展

利用动力模式开展季节到年际的短期气候预测 ,是目前国际上气候预测的发展方向。自 1996年以来 ,经过 8a多的研制和发展 ,国家气候中心已建立起第 1代动力气候模式预测业务系统 ,其中包括 1个全球大气 海洋耦合模式 (CGCM )、1个高分辨率东亚区域气候模式 (RegCM_NCC)和 5个简化的ENSO预测模式 (SAOMS) ,可用于季节—年际时间尺度的全球气候预测 ;全球海气耦合模式与区域气候模式嵌套 ,可以提供高分辨率的东亚区域气候模式制做季节预测。CGCM对 1982～ 2 0 0 0年夏季的历史回报试验表明 ,该模式对热带太平洋海表面温度和东亚区域的季节预测具有较好的预测能力。RegCM NCC的 5a模拟基本上能再现东亚地区主要雨带的季节进展。利用嵌套的区域气候模式RegCM NCC对 1991～ 2 0 0 0年的夏季回报表明 ,在预报主要季节雨带方面有一定技巧。 2 0 0 1～ 2 0 0 3年 ,CGCM和RegCM NCC的实时季节预报与观测相比基本合理。特别是 ,模式成功地预报了 2 0 0 3年梅雨季节长江和黄河之间比常年偏多的降水。SAOMS模式系统的回报试验表明 ,该系统对热带太平洋海表面温度距平有一定的预报能力 ,模式超前 6～ 12个月的回报与观测的相关系数明显高于持续预报。 1997～ 2 0 0 3年 ,SAOMS多模式集合实时预报与观测的相关系数达到     

The East Asian summer monsoon: an overview

Summary The present paper provides an overview of major problems of the East Asian summer monsoon. The summer monsoon system over East Asia (including the South China Sea (SCS)) cannot be just thought of as the eastward and northward extension of the Indian monsoon. Numerous studies have well documented that the huge Asian summer monsoon system can be divided into two subsystems: the Indian and the East Asian monsoon system which are to a greater extent independent of each other and, at the same time, interact with each other. In this context, the major findings made in recent two decades are summarized below: (1) The earliest onset of the Asian summer monsoon occurs in most of cases in the central and southern Indochina Peninsula. The onset is preceded by development of a BOB (Bay of Bengal) cyclone, the rapid acceleration of low-level westerlies and significant increase of convective activity in both areal extent and intensity in the tropical East Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. (2) The seasonal march of the East Asian summer monsoon displays a distinct stepwise northward and northeastward advance, with two abrupt northward jumps and three stationary periods. The monsoon rain commences over the region from the Indochina Peninsula-the SCS-Philippines during the period from early May to mid-May, then it extends abruptly to the Yangtze River Basin, and western and southern Japan, and the southwestern Philippine Sea in early to mid-June and finally penetrates to North China, Korea and part of Japan, and the topical western West Pacific. (3) After the onset of the Asian summer monsoon, the moisture transport coming from Indochina Peninsula and the South China Sea plays a crucial “switch” role in moisture supply for precipitation in East Asia, thus leading to a dramatic change in climate regime in East Asia and even more remote areas through teleconnection. (4) The East Asian summer monsoon and related seasonal rain belts assumes significant variability at intraseasonal, interannual and interdecadal time scales. Their interaction, i.e., phase locking and in-phase or out-phase superimposing, can to a greater extent control the behaviors of the East Asian summer monsoon and produce unique rythem and singularities. (5) Two external forcing i.e., Pacific and Indian Ocean SSTs and the snow cover in the Eurasia and the Tibetan Plateau, are believed to be primary contributing factors to the activity of the East Asian summer monsoon. However, the internal variability of the atmospheric circulation is also very important. In particular, the blocking highs in mid-and high latitudes of Eurasian continents and the subtropical high over the western North Pacific play a more important role which is quite different from the condition for the South Asian monsoon. The later is of tropical monsoon nature while the former is of hybrid nature of tropical and subtropical monsoon with intense impact from mid-and high latitudes.     

东亚夏季风次季节变化研究进展

东亚夏季风次季节（10~90 d）变化是中国夏季持续性强降水、高温热浪等高影响天气事件的重要环流载体,处于天气预报上限和气候季节预测下限之间的预报过渡区。研究表明:东亚夏季风次季节变化是东亚夏季风的固有物理特征,它和季节进程之间的时间锁相关系是东亚夏季风次季节变化潜在可预报性的重要来源。东亚夏季风次季节变化与Madden-Julian振荡（MJO）存在显著差异,试图通过MJO来预测东亚夏季风次季节变化的不确定性较大。东亚夏季风次季节预测的另一重要来源是下垫面外强迫,包括欧亚大陆春季积雪、中国东部春季土壤湿度和厄尔尼诺-南方涛动（ENSO）事件。此外,去趋势偏-交叉相关分析统计方法能够分析东亚夏季风多因子和多时间尺度问题。目前,亟需解决的科学问题包括:东亚夏季风次季节模态的客观定量描述、造成东亚夏季风次季节模态年际变化的关键物理过程、不同外强迫因子对东亚夏季风次季节模态的共同影响。     

多模式预报系统对东亚冬季风预测性能的评估

基于哥白尼气候变化服务中心（C3S）提供的五个最先进的季节预报系统输出的1993~2016年回报数据,结合ERA5再分析资料和GPCP降水资料,对其预测东亚冬季风的性能进行评估。结果表明:C3S多模式预报系统能很好地预测东亚冬季风气候态的主要特征,包括西伯利亚高压、阿留申低压、东亚大槽、东亚高空急流及东亚地表气温和降水;SEAS5、GloSea5、MF-Sys7、GCFS2等多个模式均对东亚冬季风指数显示出了预测技巧,同时可以很好地预测与东亚冬季风相关的区域大气环流、地表气温及降水异常;SPSv3模式表现出与观测相反且位置偏西的大气环流、地表气温及降水异常,使得该模式对东亚冬季风指数表现出负技巧。      

亚非夏季风的年代际变化:大西洋多年代际振荡与太平洋年代际振荡的协同作用

亚非夏季风系统包括非洲夏季风、南亚夏季风和东亚夏季风。它是全球季风系统中具有高度整体一致性变化的系统,其主要原因是亚非夏季风系统具有相同的主要驱动力:AMO(Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation,大西洋多年代际振荡)和PDO(Pacific Decadal Oscillation,太平洋年代际振荡)海洋年代际变化模态。在此前提下,本文首先阐述了AMO对亚非夏季风的强迫作用与遥相关作用,特别强调了它在亚非夏季风及其降水年代际转型中的作用;其次讨论了PDO与冬春积雪的年代际变化对东亚夏季风雨带的协同作用;最后综合分析了AMO、PDO与IOBM(Indian Ocean Basin Mode,印度洋海盆一致模态)的协同作用,指出印度洋海洋模态在年代尺度上独立于AMO与PDO的相关组合,主要起着加强东亚夏季风活动的作用。     

The seasonal predictability of the Asian summer monsoon in a two-tiered forecast system

An extensive set of boreal summer seasonal hindcasts from a two tier system is compared with corresponding seasonal hindcasts from two other coupled ocean–atmosphere models for their seasonal prediction skill (for precipitation and surface temperature) of the Asian summer monsoon. The unique aspect of the two-tier system is that it is at relatively high resolution and the SST forcing is uniquely bias corrected from the multi-model averaged forecasted SST from the two coupled ocean–atmosphere models. Our analysis reveals: (a) The two-tier forecast system has seasonal prediction skill for precipitation that is comparable (over the Southeast Asian monsoon) or even higher (over the South Asian monsoon) than the coupled ocean–atmosphere. For seasonal anomalies of the surface temperature the results are more comparable across models, with all of them showing higher skill than that for precipitation. (b) Despite the improvement from the uncoupled AGCM all models in this study display a deterministic skill for seasonal precipitation anomalies over the Asian summer monsoon region to be weak. But there is useful probabilistic skill for tercile anomalies of precipitation and surface temperature that could be harvested from both the coupled and the uncoupled climate models. (c) Seasonal predictability of the South Asian summer monsoon (rainfall and temperature) does seem to stem from the remote ENSO forcing especially over the Indian monsoon region and the relatively weaker seasonal predictability in the Southeast Asian summer monsoon could be related to the comparatively weaker teleconnection with ENSO. The uncoupled AGCM with the bias corrected SST is able to leverage this teleconnection for improved seasonal prediction skill of the South Asian monsoon relative to the coupled models which display large systematic errors of the tropical SST’s.