A new index to describe the tropical Asian summer monsoon

We define a new monsoon index (MV) as the product of relative vorticity and equivalent potential temperature using the long-term NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data. The MV index provides new insights into the intraseasonal and interannual variabilities of the broad-scale tropical Asian summer monsoon (TASM), including the South Asian summer monsoon (SASM) and the South China Sea summer monsoon (SCSSM). On the intraseasonal timescale, the pentad-to-pentad MV index bears a close relationship to the broad-scale rainfall in the TASM regions. Among 29 summers from 1979 to 2007, in 23/27 summers the correlation coefficients are higher than 0.7 in the SASM/SCSSM region. However, in fewer than 9 summers, the correlations between the broad-scale rainfall and the existing circulation indices are higher than 0.7. On the interannual timescale, various existing SASM circulation indices are moderately or well correlated with all-India summer monsoon rainfall, whereas their correlations with broad-scale SASM rainfall are weak. In contrast, the summer mean MV index correlates well with the broad-scale SASM rainfall and all-India summer monsoon rainfall (correlation of 0.73 and 0.65, respectively). In the SCSSM region, the summer mean MV index also bears a close relationship to the SCSSM rainfall, although some discrepancies exist during certain years. The composite strong TASM shows a stronger low-tropospheric low pressure in association with the enhanced westerly winds and moisture transfer, stronger convection, and upper-tropospheric easterly winds, which indicate that the MV index can well capture the features of TASM. Supported by National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2006CB400500), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 20070410133), Open Foundation of Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster (Grant No. KLME0704)     

Climate control on summer precipitation in the Source Region of Three Rivers,China: East or South Asian summer monsoon?

ABSTRACT

The Source Region of Three Rivers (SRTR) has experienced wetter summer seasons than before in recent decades due to climate change. As the most important source of surface water, precipitation plays a key role in supplying the three largest rivers. This study investigates the impacts of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) and the South Asian summer monsoon (SASM) on precipitation in the SRTR. Using wavelet analysis tools, we found that: (i) summer precipitation in the SRTR showed notably different responses to the monsoon variability among the 14 stations studied; (ii) the influence of the EASM and SASM on summer precipitation was stronger in the southern and eastern SRTR; but (iii) this influence quickly dampened from southeast to northwest and became almost indiscernible in the northwestern SRTR. This research may help to increase the accuracy of long-term monsoon-rainfall prediction and improve water resource management in the SRTR.     

基于WRF模式的青藏高原斜坡和平台加热影响亚洲夏季风的模拟研究

青藏高原大地形的热力强迫作用对亚洲夏季风的形成和发展具有重要的影响.本文利用较高分辨率的WRF区域模式,探讨了高原不同区域(斜坡和平台)的地形加热分别对南亚夏季风和东亚夏季风的影响.结果表明:高原南部喜马拉雅山脉的斜坡地形加热对其周围局地的环流形势和降水影响十分明显,是南亚夏季风北支分量形成和维持的主导因子,也是斜坡上气流爬坡和降水发生的必要条件.斜坡加热对东亚夏季风也有明显的增强作用,它不仅加强了中国东部低空西南季风环流,还会造成北部南下的异常干冷空气的响应.斜坡上的地形加热作用也是对流层高层暖中心位置维持在斜坡上空的一个重要原因.而高原平台加热对季风环流和降水的影响虽然没有喜马拉雅山脉斜坡加热那么显著,但是对南亚夏季风的影响范围更广,对经向哈得来环流影响更明显,能够调控高原以外更远处热带洋面上的西南季风环流.通过比较高原不同区域地形加热条件下的多种季风指数,进一步表明了高原地形加热对南亚和东亚夏季风均有增强作用,但是高原不同区域的地形加热对两类夏季风子系统又会产生不一样的影响.     

热带、副热带海陆分布与青藏高原在亚洲夏季风形成中的作用

通过一系列的理想数值试验，研究了亚、非地区热带次尺度的海陆分布和青藏高原大地形在亚洲夏季风形成中的作用.试验结果显示：海陆分布的存在以及海陆分布的几何形状对亚洲夏季风的形成有非常重要的影响.下垫面全是海洋，没有陆地时，无季风现象的存在.当仅有副热带大尺度陆地，而缺乏南亚次尺度陆地和非洲大陆热带陆地时，夏季无明显的越赤道气流，仅在欧亚副热带陆地的东南部有弱的季风，无印度、孟加拉湾和南海夏季风.中南半岛、印度半岛和非洲大陆热带陆地的存在，在夏季引导南半球的东南信风越赤道转向为西南气流，使得南海的北部、中南半岛、孟加拉湾和印度半岛、阿拉伯海上空的低层为强西南气流控制，印度、孟加拉湾和南海夏季风产生.副热带陆地向热带的深入对副热带陆上产生夏季强对流性降水起着至关重要的作用.青藏高原的存在加强了高原东侧的季风，使得季风区向北发展，青藏高原对东亚季风起放大器的作用；减弱了高原西侧的季风，使得季风区向南收缩.     

全球变暖背景下春季Hadley环流与东亚夏季风环流年际对应关系的多模式预估

观测事实揭示,春季Hadley环流在年际时间尺度上与东亚夏季风环流和降水具有密切联系.在未来全球变暖背景下,春季Hadley环流与东亚夏季风环流和降水的这种年际关系是否会发生变化？针对该问题,本文在评估的基础上选取五个气候模式,分析了A1B排放情景下春季北半球Hadley环流年际变率的未来变化及其与东亚夏季风环流和降水的年际关系.多模式集合(MME)预估结果表明,在全球变暖背景下,与20世纪末期(1970—1999年)相比,到21世纪末期(2070—2099年),春季北半球Hadley环流的年际变率强度将减弱,减弱幅度达32%.随着春季Hadley环流年际变率的减弱,其与夏季西太平洋副热带高压和东亚夏季风强度的联系将变弱.MME模拟结果还显示,春季Hadley环流与夏季东亚西风急流和降水的关系也降低,但各单个模式间存在较大差异.     

An exceptionally strengthened East Asian summer monsoon event between 19.9 and 17.1 ka BP recorded in a Hulu stalagmite

A stalagmite-based isotope record (No. H82) from Nanjing Hulu Cave, spanning from 16.5 to 10.3 ka BP, provided strong evidence for a coherence relation between the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) and the North Atlantic climates on millennial time scales. Here we extend the high-resolution δ 18O time series back to 22.1 ka BP with additional 7 230Th dates and 573 stable isotope measurements on the lower part of that sample. The new record with a decadal resolution, piecing together with the previous data, p...     

南太平洋和北太平洋年代际振荡与华北盛夏降水的关系及可能物理机制

利用降水、大气环流和海表温度等多种再分析资料和偏相关方法,研究了1951—2007年南太平洋年代际振荡（SPDO）和北太平洋年代际振荡（即PDO,本文称为NPDO）分别与华北盛夏（7—8月）降水在年代际时间尺度上的关系及其可能物理机制.结果表明：在去除SPDO和NPDO的相关性之前,它们与华北盛夏降水的关系均偏弱;但在去除两者相关性之后,SPDO（NPDO）与华北盛夏降水存在显著正（负）相关关系.去除两者相关性之后,当SPDO处于正位相时,热带西北太平洋海温异常显著偏暖,这将在对流层中下层从热带西太平洋—东亚沿岸激发出"气旋-反气旋-气旋"的负位相东亚—太平洋型遥相关（EAP）波列,该波列导致东亚夏季风异常增强,有利于低纬地区水汽输送至华北地区,从而使得华北盛夏降水异常偏多,反之,当SPDO处于负位相时,华北盛夏降水异常将偏少;对NPDO来说,当其处于正位相时,不仅热带西北太平洋异常显著偏冷,而且印度洋大部分海温异常显著偏暖,在两者共同作用下,对流层中下层从热带西太平洋—东亚沿岸出现"反气旋-气旋-反气旋"的正位相EAP波列,这将引起东亚夏季风异常减弱,不利于低纬地区水汽输送至华北地区,华北盛夏降水异常因此减少,反之,当NPDO处于负位相时,华北盛夏降水异常将偏多.     

耦合模式长期积分中东亚夏季风与ENSO联系的不稳定性

通过对挪威卑尔根全球大气-海洋-海冰耦合模式300a控制积分结果进行交叉子波分析,揭示了东亚夏季风（EASM）与同期Nio3区（90°W～150°W,5°S～5°N）海洋表面温度异常的相关关系在长期变化中是不稳定的,呈现出明显的阶段性特征.气候要素场在二者联系的紧密（HCP）和微弱（LCP）时期差别显著,在HCP时期,西北太平洋对流层低层出现一对耦合的异常气旋和反气旋性环流系统;东南亚地区对流层低层表现为强东风异常,风速的年际变率加大;热带西太平洋对流层温度和位势高度场的年际变率普遍加强.此外,中国夏季降水与同期Nio3区海洋表面温度异常的相关关系在上述两种时期也存在较大差别.     

上新世以来构造隆升对亚洲夏季风气候变化的影响

大量地质证据表明,上新世以来(最近5 MaB.P.)青藏高原北部及非洲东部和南部地区出现过显著的构造隆升,而与此同时亚洲季风也经历了显著变化,这两者之间是否存在着因果联系一直是地学界所关心和争论的一个重要科学问题.本文利用美国国家大气研究中心(NCAR)的公用大气模式(CAM 3.1)就上新世以来青藏高原北部及东-南非高原的构造隆升对亚洲夏季风气候变化的影响进行了数值试验研究.结果表明,上新世以来亚洲夏季风的增强与两地构造隆升密切相关,但两者隆升对于亚洲季风子系统的作用是有区别的.青藏高原北部隆升主要造成东亚北部夏季风的增强及季风降水的增多,但对南亚夏季风的作用较小;东-南非高原的隆升明显增强南亚夏季风,但对东亚北部夏季风的影响有限.     

BCC_CSM1.1(m)模式对于夏季亚洲-太平洋涛动的模拟

亚洲-太平洋涛动是北半球夏季亚洲大陆和北太平洋副热带地区对流层中高层扰动温度场上大尺度的东西反相的遥相关现象,其异常变化与亚洲-太平洋地区夏季风气候有着密切的联系.基于欧洲中心的ERA-40再分析资料和国家气候中心BCC_CSM1.1（m）气候系统模式多年的数值模拟结果,本文主要评估了BCC_CSM1.1（m）模式对于夏季亚洲-太平洋涛动的空间分布、指数的时间演变及与其变化所对应的亚洲地区夏季环流异常等方面的模拟能力,结果表明：BCC_CSM1.1（m）模式能够较好地模拟出北半球夏季对流层中高层扰动温度在亚-太地区中纬度存在的西高东低"跷跷板"现象;模式能够模拟出夏季亚洲-太平洋涛动指数的年际变率,但是不能模拟出该指数在20世纪60-70年代明显下降的年代际趋势;模式还能较好地模拟出亚洲-太平洋涛动高低指数年亚洲-太平洋地区夏季环流的异常：指数偏高年份,南亚高压增强,高空西风急流带和热带东风急流均加强,索马里越赤道气流增强,南亚热带季风和东亚副热带季风均增强,东亚季风低压槽加强,西北太平洋副热带高压增强,南亚和东亚北部降水增加,菲律宾地区、中国长江流域-朝鲜半岛-日本一带地区降水减少,反之亦然.     

亚洲夏季风水汽输送的年际年代际变化与中国旱涝的关系

利用1958～2002年的NCEP-R1和ERA-40逐日再分析资料以及中国160站点月平均降水资料探讨了亚洲夏季风水汽输送的年际年代际变化及其与中国降水异常的关系. 分析结果表明,亚洲夏季风水汽输送和中国夏季降水的异常主模态呈现显著的准两年变化周期. 当南亚夏季风纬向水汽输送偏强（弱）时,东亚—西北太平洋地区水汽输送的偶极型异常有利于长江中下游地区和江淮流域的水汽辐合负（正）异常与华南和华北地区的水汽辐合正（负）异常,从而引起中国东部的经向三极子雨型,即长江中下游地区和江淮流域的偏旱（涝）与华南和华北地区的偏涝（旱）. 1970s年代末之后,亚洲夏季风水汽输送的年代际减弱与西北太平洋地区水汽输送的偶极型异常相配合,导致长江中下游地区的持续偏涝与华南和华北地区的持续偏旱. 从中国夏季降水异常与水汽通量辐合异常的同相对应关系来看,ERA-40资料对亚洲夏季风水汽输送年际年代际变化的描述能力强于NCEP-R1资料.     

南海夏季风爆发与南大洋海温变化之间的联系

利用1979-2009年NCEP第二套大气再分析资料和ERSST海温资料,分析南海夏季风爆发时间的年际和年代际变化特征,考察南海夏季风爆发早晚与南大洋海温之间的联系.主要结果为:(1)南海夏季风爆发时间年际和年代际变化明显,1979-1993年与1994-2009年前后两个阶段爆发时间存在阶段性突变;(2)南海夏季风爆发时间与前期冬季(12-1月)印度洋-南大洋(0-80°E,75°S-50°S)海温、春季(2-3月)太平洋-南大洋(170°E -80°W,75°S-50°S)海温都存在正相关关系,当前期冬、春季南大洋海温偏低(高)时,南海夏季风爆发偏早(晚).南大洋海温信号,无论是年际还是年代际变化,都对南海夏季风爆发具有一定的预测指示作用;(3)南大洋海温异常通过海气相互作用和大气遥相关影响南海夏季风爆发的迟早.当南大洋海温异常偏低(偏高)时,冬季南极涛动偏强(偏弱),同时通过遥相关作用使热带印度洋-西太平洋地区位势高度偏低(偏高)、纬向风加强(减弱),热带大气这种环流异常一直维持到春季4、5月份,位势高度和纬向风异常范围逐步向北扩展并伴随索马里越赤道气流的加强(减弱),从而为南海夏季风爆发偏早(偏晚)提供有利的环流条件.初步分析认为,热带大气环流对南大洋海气相互作用的遥响应与半球际大气质量重新分布引起的南北涛动有关.     

Quaternary clay mineralogy in the northern South China Sea (ODP Site 1146) —— Implications for oceanic current transport and East Asian monsoon evolution

The East Asian monsoon system is a thermodynamic atmospheric circulation induced by the different potential heating between the 揥estern Pacific Warm Pool?(WPWP) and the Asian continent. The circulation patterns dominate seasonal patterns of winds, preci…     

Quaternary clay mineralogy in the northern South China Sea (ODP Site 1146)

Measurement of clay mineralogy at ODP Site 1146 in the northern South China Sea (SCS) indicates that illite, chlorite, and kaolinite contents increased during glacials and smectite content increased during interglacials. The smectite/(illite+chlorite) ratio and the smectite abundance were determined as mineralogical indicators for the East Asian monsoon evolution. At a 10 ka timescale, prevailing southeasterly surface oceanic currents during interglacials transported more smectite from the south and east areas to the north, showing a strengthened summer monsoon circulation, whereas dominated counter-clockwise surface currents during glacials carried more illite and chlorite from Taiwan as well as from the Yangtze River via the Luzon Strait to the northern SCS, indicating a strongly intensified winter monsoon. Based on a 100 ka timescale, a linear correlation between the smectite/(illite+chlorite) ratio and the sedimentation rate reflects that the winter monsoon has prevailed in the northern SCS in the intervals 2000–1200 ka and 400–0 ka and the summer monsoon did the same in the interval 1200–400 ka. The evolution of the summer monsoon provides an almost linear response to the summer insolation of Northern Hemisphere, implying an astronomical forcing of the East Asian monsoon evolution.     

Impacts of boundary layer parameterization schemes and air-sea coupling on WRF simulation of the East Asian summer monsoon

The planetary boundary layer(PBL)scheme in the regional climate model(RCM)has a significant impact on the interactions and exchanges of moisture,momentum,and energy between land,ocean,and atmosphere;however,its uncertainty will cause large systematic biases of RCM.Based on the four different PBL schemes(YSU,ACM2,Boulac,and MYJ)in Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF)model,the impacts of these schemes on the simulation of circulation and precipitation during the East Asian summer monsoon(EASM)are investigated.The simulated results of the two local turbulent kinetic energy(TKE)schemes,Boulac and MYJ,are more consistent with the observations than those in the two nonlocal closure schemes,YSU and ACM2.The former simulate more reasonable low-level southwesterly flow over East China and west pacific subtropical high(WPSH)than the latter.As to the modeling of summer monsoon precipitation,both the spatial distributions and temporal evolutions from Boulac and MYJ are also better than those in YSU and ACM2 schemes.In addition,through the comparison between YSU and Boulac experiments,the differences from the results of EASM simulation are more obvious over the oceanic area.In the experiments with the nonlocal schemes YSU and ACM2,the boundary layer mixing processes are much stronger,which lead to produce more sea surface latent heat flux and enhanced convection,and finally induce the overestimated precipitation and corresponding deviation of monsoon circulation.With the further study,it is found that the absence of air-sea interaction in WRF may amplify the biases caused by PBL scheme over the ocean.Consequently,there is a reduced latent heat flux over the sea surface and even more reasonable EASM simulation,if an ocean model coupled into WRF.     

东亚夏季风年代际变化的若干重要特征及两份大气再分析资料的异同

本文利用ERA和NCEP/NCAR再分析资料，以及部分观测资料，研究了东亚夏季风年代际变化的若干重要特征. 结果表明，东亚夏季风在20世纪70年代末减弱这一现象是普遍存在的，主要表现为江淮地区表面温度降低，海平面气压升高，出现偏北风异常. 研究发现，这次年代际变化还体现在与东亚季风环流密切相关的重要环流因子，如西太平洋副热带高压、欧亚西风、澳大利亚高压、南极涛动等，它们在20世纪70年代末以后都进入高指数时期. 此外，文章还揭示：ERA和NCEP/NCAR再分析资料在东亚夏季风年代际变化上基本吻合，但也有很多差别.     

Teleconnection between the Indian summer monsoon onset and the Meiyu over the Yangtze River Valley

Based on the Indian and Chinese precipitation data and the NCEP-NCAR reanalysis circulation data, the relationship between the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) onset and the Meiyu over the Yangtze River Valley has been discussed by the methods of correlation analysis and composite analysis. The results show that the date of ISM onset over Kerala in the southwestern coast of the Indian Peninsula is about two weeks earlier than the beginning of the Meiyu over the Yangtze River Valley. After the outbreak of ISM, the teleconnection mode sets up from the western coast of India via the Bay of Bengal (BOB) to the Yangtze River Valley and southern Japan. It is different both in time and space from the telecon- nection mode which is from the northwest of India via the Tibetan Plateau to northern China. The for- mer mode is defined as the "south" teleconnection of the Asian summer monsoon, forming in the pe- riod of ISM onset; while the latter mode is called the "north" teleconnection, mainly occurring in the Asian monsoon culminant period. During the process of the "south" teleconnection’s formation, the Asian monsoon circulation has experienced a series of important changes: ISM onset, the northward movement of the south Asia high (SAH), the onset vortex occurrence, the eastward extension of the stronger tropical westerly belt, and the northeastward jump of the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH), etc. Consequently, since ISM sets up over Kerala, the whole Asian continent is covered by the upper SAH after about two weeks, while in the mid- and lower troposphere, a strong wind belt forms from the Arabian Sea via the southern India, BOB and the South China Sea (SCS), then along the western flank of WPSH, to the Yangtze River Valley and southern Japan. With the northward moving of the subtropical jet streams, the upper westerly jet stream and the low level jet have been coupled ver- tically over east Asia, while the Yangtze River Valley happens to locate in the ascending motion area between the upper jet stream and the low level jet, i.e. right of the entrance of the upper jet stream and left of the low level jet. Such a structure of the vertical circulation can trigger the Meiyu onset over the Yangtze River Valley.     

A Study on Climatological Features of the Asian Summer Monsoon: Dynamics, Energetics and Variability

A continuing goal in the diagnostic studies of the atmospheric general circulation is to estimate various quantities that cannot be directly observed. Evaluation of all the dynamical terms in the budget equations for kinetic energy, vorticity, heat and moisture provide estimates of kinetic energy and vorticity generation, diabatic heating and source/sinks of moisture. All these are important forcing factors to the climate system. In this paper, diagnostic aspects of the dynamics and energetics of the Asian summer monsoon and its spatial variability in terms of contrasting features of surplus and deficient summer monsoon seasons over India are studied with reanalysis data sets. The daily reanalysis data sets from the National Centre for Environmental Prediction/National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) are used for a fifty-two year (1948–1999) period to investigate the large-scale budget of kinetic energy, vorticity, heat and moisture. The primary objectives of the study are to comprehend the climate diagnostics of the Asian summer monsoon and the role of equatorial convection of the summer monsoon activity over India.It is observed that the entrance/exit regions of the Tropical Easterly Jet (TEJ) are characterized by the production/destruction of the kinetic energy, which is essential to maintain outflow/inflow prevailing at the respective location of the TEJ. Both zonal and meridional components contribute to the production of kinetic energy over the monsoon domain, though the significant contribution to the adiabatic generation of kinetic energy originates from the meridional component over the Bay of Bengal in the upper level and over the Somali Coast in the low level. The results indicate that the entire Indian peninsula including the Bay of Bengal is quite unstable during the summer monsoon associated with the production of vorticity within the domain itself and maintain the circulation. The summer monsoon evinces strong convergence of heat and moisture over the monsoon domain. Also, considerable heat energy is generated through the action of the adiabatic process. The combined effect of these processes leads to the formation of a strong diabatic heat source in the region to maintain the monsoon circulation. The interesting aspect noted in this study is that the large-scale budgets of heat and moisture indicate excess magnitudes over the Arabian Sea and the western equatorial Indian Ocean during surplus monsoon. On the other hand, the east equatorial Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal region show stronger activity during deficient monsoon. This is reflected in various budget terms considered in this study.     

亚洲夏季平流层-对流层水汽交换年际变化与亚洲夏季风的联系

亚洲地区是物质由对流层向平流层输送的主要通道,在平流层-对流层交换中扮演着积极的角色. 本文主要利用卫星资料和欧洲中心ERA40再分析资料,借助Wei诊断模式研究亚洲地区夏季上对流层-下平流层(UTLS)水汽分布和平流层-对流层水汽交换特征,重点着眼于水汽交换的年际变化,并探讨其与亚洲夏季风的联系. 结果表明,季风区UTLS水汽较赤道地区偏多,且通过磁带记录信号的传播,可穿越对流层顶影响下平流层水汽的多寡. 夏季平流层-对流层水汽交换表现出明显的年际特征,其年际变化与亚洲季风强弱变化有密切联系,尤其与南亚夏季风的关系更为显著. 在亚洲夏季风影响下,亚洲地区出现异常的大气环流和垂直运动,从而影响平流层-对流层之间水汽的交换. 这些结果对认识其它大气成分的输送过程也具有重要的指示意义.     

春季Hadley环流异常对夏季西北太平洋热带气旋频数影响的数值模拟试验

观测事实揭示出春季Hadley环流与夏季西北太平洋热带气旋频数之间存在显著的负相关关系.由春季Hadley环流异常引起的西北太平洋地区夏季纬向风垂直切变、大气辐合辐散等的异常变化是这一关系存在的内在原因.本文通过数值试验对这一关系的真实性进行了验证,即利用中国科学院大气物理研究所发展的9层大气环流模式（IAP9L-AGCM）模拟了春季Hadley环流异常偏强情景,并分析了该情景下影响西北太平洋热带气旋生成的环境场的响应.结果表明,在春季Hadley环流偏强情景下,夏季西北太平洋地区纬向风垂直切变幅度加大,低空大气异常辐散,高空大气异常辐合,东亚夏季风减弱,这种环流背景不利于热带气旋生成和发展,因此,西北太平洋热带气旋频数异常偏少.数值模拟结果与已有的诊断结果相吻合,进而证实了春季Hadley环流与夏季西北太平洋热带气旋频数负相关关系的存在.因此,春季Hadley环流信号可以用于西北太平洋热带气旋活动的气候预测.