Interdecadal and Interannnual Variabilities of the Antarctic Oscillation Simulated by CAM3

Based on four sets of numerical simulations prescribed with atmospheric radiative forcing and sea surface temperature（SST） forcing in the Community Atmospheric Model version 3（CAM3）, the interannual and interdecadal variabilities of the Antarctic oscillation（AAO） during austral summer were studied. It was found that the interannual variability is mainly driven by SST forcing. On the other hand, atmospheric radiative forcing plays a major role in the interdecadal variability. A cooling trend was found in the high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere（SH） when atmospheric radiative forcing was specified in the model. This cooling trend tended to enhance the temperature gradient between the mid and high latitudes in the SH, inducing a transition of the AAO from a negative to a positive phase on the interdecadal timescale. The cooling trend was also partly weakened by the SST forcing, leading to a better simulation compared with the purely atmospheric radiative forcing run. Therefore, SST forcing cannot be ignored, although it is not as important as atmospheric radiative forcing.     

NUMERICAL EXPERIMENTS ON NH SUBTROPICAL UPPER TROPOSPHERIC QUASI-STATIONARY VORTICES IN SUMMER

To reveal the possible factors affecting the maintenance and interannual variations of the subtropical planetary-scale vortices such as the south Asian anticyclone and the mid-oceanic troughs, a series of numerical experiments are conducted with a quasi-geostrophic low-resolution spectral model. Firstly, a simulation experiment is performed in which the realistic thermal and topographic forcing are incorporated. The results of simulation show a certain similarity to the actual subtropical flow field in July. On the basis of simulation experiment a series of contrast experiments are performed. It is found that the topographic boundary forcing is less important than the thermal forcing in the dynamics of these systems, and that the anomaly of heating field may cause significant change in position and intensity of the south Asian high and the other systems. It is speculated that the response of the subtropical large-scale systems to heating anomaly is an important cause for the interannual variations of ci     

Mid-latitude atmospheric responses to heat and vorticity forcing using a linear baroclinic model

Based on diagnostic analysis of reanalysis data for 58-year, the distribution characteristics of decadal variability in diabatic heating, transient eddy heating and transient eddy vorticity forcing related to the sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies over the North Pacific, as well as their relationship with anomalous atmospheric circulation have been investigated in this paper. A linear baroclinic model(LBM) was used to investigate atmospheric responses to idealized and realistic heat and vorticity forcing anomalies, and then to compare relative roles of different kinds of forcing in terms of geopotential height responses. The results illustrate that the responses of atmospheric height fields to the mid-latitude heating can be either baroclinic or barotropic. The response structure is sensitive to the relative horizontal location of heating with respect to the background jet flow, as well as to the vertical profile of heating. The response to the idealized deep heating over the eastern North Pacific, mimicking the observed heating anomaly, is baroclinic. The atmospheric response to the mid-latitude vorticity forcing is always barotropic, resulting in a geopotential low that is in phase with the forcing. The atmospheric responses to the realistic heat and vorticity forcing show the similar results, suggesting that diabatic heating, transient eddy heating and transient eddy vorticity forcing can all cause atmospheric anomalies and that the vorticity forcing plays a relatively more important role in maintaining the equivalent-barotropic structure of geopotential height anomalies.     

MECHANISM FOR THE SUSTAINING ATMOSPHERIC RESPONSE TO WARM WINTERTIME SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE ANOMALY IN THE KUROSHIO EXTENSION

Sensitivity experiments with atmospheric general circulation model CAM3 have been performed to investigate the atmospheric response to warm wintertime sea surface temperature anomalies in the Kuroshio Extension (KE). Mechanism for the sustaining abnormal atmospheric response to sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) is revealed. It is found that the warm wintertime SSTA in KE leads to soil moisture changes across the Asia continent. The abnormal soil moisture may possibly be one of the reasons for the sustaining of abnormal atmospheric response intrigued by SSTA. Oscillations of perturbations intrigued by warm wintertime SSTA in KE, which have similar frequencies with that of intrinsic atmospheric oscillations, are superposed on the atmospheric oscillations and propagate with primary periodic oscillation of the atmosphere. These SSTA-intrigued oscillations are coupled with natural atmospheric oscillation and finally become parts of it. This is probably another reason for the sustaining of abnormal atmospheric response to SSTA in KE.     

Interannual Fluctuations of Surface Air Temperature over North America and Its Relationship to the North Pacific SST Anomaly

The characteristics of interannual fluctuations of the surface air temperature over North America are investigated by using the surface air temperature data of 130 stations during 1941 through 1980. It is found that the surface air temperature bears about ten-year time scale oscillation over the southeastern and northwestern North America and along the west coast of the United States, and it has the characteristics of quasibiennial oscillation over the eastern North America. The ten-year scale oscillation of the surface air temperature is related to that of the sea surface temperature (SST) of North Pacific through the PNA pattern atmospheric circulation anomaly over North Pacific through North America. It is shown that the North Pacific SST has a closer association with the surface air temperature over North America than the central and eastern equatorial Pacific SST. The characteristics of the seasonal variations of the relationship between the North Pacific SST and the surface air temperature over No     

Simulation of the Effects of the Preceding SST Anomalies over the Tropical Eastern Pacific on Precipitation to the South of the Yangtze River in June

Numerical experiments are performed to simulate the response of the atmospheric circulation and pre-cipitation over East China in June to the sea surface temperature（SST）anomalies over the tropical eastern Pacific（TEP）from preceding September to June by using an atmospheric general circulation model （AGCM）.We constructed composite positive/negative SST anomalies（P-SSTAs/N-SSTAs）based on the observational SST anomalies over the TEP from September 1997 to June 1998.The results show that：（1） the response of the precipitation in the Yangtze River basin and its southern area（YRBS）to El Nino with different durations varies with the maximum amplitude of the precipitation anomalies appearing when the imposed duration is from November to next June,and the minimum appearing when the SST anomalies is only imposed in June.The anomalies of the precipitation are reduced when the duration of the forcing SST anomalies over the TEP is shortened and the positive SST anomalies in the preceding autumn tend to cause significantly more rainfall in the YRBS.This is in agreement with previous diagnostic analysis results.（2）The simulated precipitation anomalies over the YRBS are always obviously positive under strong or weak positive SST anomalies over the TEP.The intensity of the precipitation anomalies increases with increasing intensity of the SST anomalies in the experiments.The simulation results are consistent with the observations during the warm SST events,suggesting reasonable modeling results.（3）When negative SST anomalies in the TEP are put into the model,the results are different from those of the diagnostic analysis of La Nina events.Negative precipitation anomalies in YRBS could be reproduced only when the negative SST anomalies are strong enough.     

QBO-like Oscillations Induced by Local Thermal Forcing

A zonal-vertical two-dimensional equatorial model is used to study the possibility that the long period oscillation of the zonal mean flow occurring in the lower equatorial stratosphere (QBO) is caused by local thermal ac-tivities at the tropical tropopause. The model successfully reproduces QBO-like oscillations of the zonal mean flow, suggesting that the local heating or cooling at the tropical tropopause is probably the main reason of QBO’s genera-tion. The analysis of the dependence of the oscillation on the wave fencing indicates that the oscillation is not sensible to the forcing scale. The model can reproduce QBO-like oscillations with any forcing scale if the fencing period and amplitude take appropriate values, proving that the internal gravity waves generated by local thermal source take much important roles in QBO.     

INFLUENCE OF SOIL MOISTURE AND VEGETATION ON CLIMATE CHANGES INDUCED BY THERMAL FORCING

A land-process scheme has been incorporated in a vertical one-dimensional time-dependent atmospheric modeland numerical experiments have been performed with the coupled model to examine influences of soil wetness and vege-tation on climate changes associated to thermal forcing.It is showed that response of land-surface temperature to thethermal forcing becomes small with increase of soil water content and vegetation cover.Furthermore,the response ismore obvious in arid climate region than in humid one.The result also shows that there exist two patterns of corre-sponding relation between variations in air temperature and humidity on the land surface in response to hydrologic andthermal focing.     

STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DECADAL VARIATIONS OF ANNUALLY FIRST RAINY SEASON PRECIPITATION OF GUANGXI AND SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE OF INDIAN OCEAN IN SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

Decadal circulation differences between more and less rainfall periods in the annually first rainy season of Guangxi and their association with sea surface temperature (SST) of the austral Indian Ocean are investigated by using the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data. The results are shown as follows. A pattern in which there is uniform change of the Guangxi precipitation shows a 20-year decadal oscillation and a 3-year interannual change. In contrast, a pattern of reversed-phase change between the north and the south of Guangxi has a 6-year interannual periodicity and quasi-biennial oscillation. In the period of more precipitation, the surface temperature in Eurasia is positively anomalous so as to lead to stronger low pressure systems on land and larger thermal contrast between land and ocean. Therefore, the air column is more unstable and ascending flows over Guangxi are intensified while the Hadley cell is weakened. Furthermore, the weaker western Pacific subtropical high and South Asia High, together with a stronger cross-equatorial flow, result in the transportation of more humidity and the appearance of more precipitation. The correlation analysis indicates that the Indian Ocean SST in Southern Hemisphere is closely associated with the variation of the seasonal precipitation of Guangxi on the decadal scale by influencing the Asian monsoon through the cross-equatorial flow.     

27.3-day and Average 13.6-day Periodic Oscillations in the Earth’s Rotation Rate and Atmospheric Pressure Fields Due to Celestial Gravitation Forcing

Variation in length of day of the Earth (LOD, equivalent to the Earth’s rotation rate) versus change in atmospheric geopotential height fields and astronomical parameters were analyzed for the years 1962-2006. This revealed that there is a 27.3-day and an average 13.6-day periodic oscillation in LOD and atmospheric pressure fields following lunar revolution around the Earth. Accompanying the alternating change in celestial gravitation forcing on the Earth and its atmosphere, the Earth’s LOD changes from minimum to maximum, then to minimum, and the atmospheric geopotential height fields in the tropics oscillate from low to high, then to low. The 27.3-day and average 13.6-day periodic atmospheric oscillation in the tropics is proposed to be a type of strong atmospheric tide, excited by celestial gravitation forcing. A formula for a Tidal Index was derived to estimate the strength of the celestial gravitation forcing, and a high degree of correlation was found between the Tidal Index determined by astronomical parameters, LOD, and atmospheric geopotential height. The reason for the atmospheric tide is periodic departure of the lunar orbit from the celestial equator during lunar revolution around the Earth. The alternating asymmetric change in celestial gravitation forcing on the Earth and its atmosphere produces a "modulation" to the change in the Earth’s LOD and atmospheric pressure fields.     

海温热力强迫-涛动和低频振荡机理的动力学研究

用动力分析和数值计算的方法讨论了对海温热力强迫的响应，结果表明，对于行星尺度系数，海温热力场的持续强迫作用可以很快激发出稳定的大气平衡态响应，该响应表现出明显的大尺度东－西及南－北向涛动特征，对于天气尺度系统，海温热力场则主要激发出大气低频振荡，研究结果揭示了海温势力构型与大气响应形式的基本对应关系和动力过程，提出了一些新观点。     

大气对外强迫低频遥响应的数值模拟 Ⅰ:对赤道东太平洋SSTA的响应

本文通过在IAP-GCM上实现的数值模拟,研究了大气对赤道东太平洋地区暖SSTA的响应,着重讨论了大气遥响应的性质和演变过程. 数值模拟清楚地表明,大气对异常外源的响应主要是一种具有30—60天周期的低频遥响应.分析不同地区和不同季节这种强迫响应的30—60天低频振荡的结构及活动,可以清楚看到它与大气中实际存在着的30—60天振荡极为相似.因此也可以认为,大气对海温异常的强迫遥响应是激发产生全球大气30—60天振荡的重要机制.     

The influence of tropical Pacific forcing on the Arctic Oscillation

The potential role of tropical Pacific forcing in driving the seasonal variability of the Arctic Oscillation (AO) is explored using both observational data and a simple general circulation model (SGCM). A lead–lag regression technique is first applied to the monthly averaged sea surface temperature (SST) and the AO index. The AO maximum is found to be related to a negative SST anomaly over the tropical Pacific three months earlier. A singular value decomposition (SVD) analysis is then performed on the tropical Pacific SST and the sea level pressure (SLP) over the Northern Hemisphere. An AO-like atmospheric pattern and its associated SST appear as the second pair of SVD modes. Ensemble integrations are carried out with the SGCM to test the atmospheric response to different tropical Pacific forcings. The atmospheric response to the linear fit of the model’s empirical forcing associated with the SST variability in the second SVD modes strongly projects onto the AO. Idealized thermal forcings are then designed based on the regression of the seasonally averaged tropical Pacific precipitation against the AO index. Results indicate that forcing anomalies over the western tropical Pacific are more effective in generating an AO-like response while those over the eastern tropical Pacific tend to produce a Pacific-North American (PNA)-like response. The physical mechanisms responsible for the energy transport from the tropical Pacific to the extratropical North Atlantic are investigated using wave activity flux and vorticity forcing formalisms. The energy from the western tropical Pacific forcing tends to propagate zonally to the North Atlantic because of the jet stream waveguide effect while the transport of the energy from the eastern tropical Pacific forcing mostly concentrates over the PNA area. The linearized SGCM results show that nonlinear processes are involved in the generation of the forced AO-like pattern.     

Pacific interdecadal variability driven by tropical–extratropical interactions

Interactions between the tropical and subtropical northern Pacific at decadal time scales are examined using uncoupled oceanic and atmospheric simulations. An atmospheric model is forced with observed Pacific sea surface temperatures (SST) decadal anomalies, computed as the difference between the 2000–2009 and the 1990–1999 period. The resulting pattern has negative SST anomalies at the equator, with a global pattern reminiscent of the Pacific decadal oscillation. The tropical SST anomalies are responsible for driving a weakening of the Hadley cell and atmospheric meridional heat transport. The atmosphere is then shown to produce a significant response in the subtropics, with wind-stress-curl anomalies having the opposite sign from the climatological mean, consistent with a weakening of the oceanic subtropical gyre (STG). A global ocean model is then forced with the decadal anomalies from the atmospheric model. In the North Pacific, the shallow subtropical cell (STC) spins down and the meridional heat transport is reduced, resulting in positive tropical SST anomalies. The final tropical response is reached after the first 10 years of the experiment, consistent with the Rossby-wave adjustment time for both the STG and the STC. The STC provides the connection between subtropical wind stress anomalies and tropical SSTs. In fact, targeted simulations show the importance of off-equatorial wind stress anomalies in driving the oceanic response, whereas anomalous tropical winds have no role in the SST signal reversal. We further explore the connection between STG, STC and tropical SST with the help of an idealized model. We argue that, in our models, tropical SST decadal variability stems from the forcing of the Pacific subtropical gyre through the atmospheric response to ENSO. The resulting Ekman pumping anomaly alters the STC and oceanic heat transport, providing a negative feedback on the SST. We thus suggest that extratropical atmospheric responses to tropical forcing have feedbacks onto the ocean dynamics that lead to a time-delayed response of the tropical oceans, giving rise to a possible mechanism for multidecadal ocean-atmosphere coupled variability.     

Impact of Surface forcing on simulating Sea Surface Temperature in the Indian Ocean – A study using Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS)

The sensitivity of different atmospheric forcing on the simulation of Sea Surface Temperature (SST) in the Indian Ocean is examined using Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS). Model simulations using three different atmospheric forcings from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP; 2.5 deg), National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF; 0.25 deg) and TropFlux (0.5 deg) are analyzed here. Model sensitivity to the atmospheric forcing is studied by analyzing the response of SST and mixed layer depth (MLD) using statistical methods. Results show that the response of NCMRWF and TropFlux forcing was almost similar in capturing the variability of SST in comparison with the corresponding observations. But NCEP was unable to capture SST variability, especially over the central part of the Arabian Sea (AS). It is shown that deeper MLD simulations by NCEP forcing due to the high magnitude of wind resulted in an unrealistic simulation of SST.     

Mechanisms of the atmospheric response to North Atlantic multidecadal variability: a model study

The atmospheric circulation response to decadal fluctuations of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (MOC) in the IPSL climate model is investigated using the associated sea surface temperature signature. A SST anomaly is prescribed in sensitivity experiments with the atmospheric component of the IPSL model coupled to a slab ocean. The prescribed SST anomaly in the North Atlantic is the surface signature of the MOC influence on the atmosphere detected in the coupled simulation. It follows a maximum of the MOC by a few years and resembles the model Atlantic multidecadal oscillation. It is mainly characterized by a warming of the North Atlantic south of Iceland, and a cooling of the Nordic Seas. There are substantial seasonal variations in the geopotential height response to the prescribed SST anomaly, with an East Atlantic Pattern-like response in summer and a North Atlantic oscillation-like signal in winter. In summer, the response of the atmosphere is global in scale, resembling the climatic impact detected in the coupled simulation, albeit with a weaker amplitude. The zonally asymmetric or eddy part of the response is characterized by a trough over warm SST associated with changes in the stationary waves. A diagnostic analysis with daily data emphasizes the role of transient-eddy forcing in shaping and maintaining the equilibrium response. We show that in response to an intensified MOC, the North Atlantic storm tracks are enhanced and shifted northward during summer, consistent with a strengthening of the westerlies. However the anomalous response is weak, which suggests a statistically significant but rather modest influence of the extratropical SST on the atmosphere. The winter response to the MOC-induced North Atlantic warming is an intensification of the subtropical jet and a southward shift of the Atlantic storm track activity, resulting in an equatorward shift of the polar jet. Although the SST anomaly is only prescribed in the Atlantic ocean, significant impacts are found globally, indicating that the Atlantic ocean can drive a large scale atmospheric variability at decadal timescales. The atmospheric response is highly non-linear in both seasons and is consistent with the strong interaction between transient eddies and the mean flow. This study emphasizes that decadal fluctuations of the MOC can affect the storm tracks in both seasons and lead to weak but significant dynamical changes in the atmosphere.     

固体地球－海洋－大气耦合的一个简单线性模式及其试验结果

选取实际的海陆边界，建立了一个固体地球－海洋－大气耦合的简单线性模式，模式中包含了地气角动量守恒的关系，地转变速摩擦力对大气的作用，风吹流改变海温异常，海温异常又改变大气的质量分布．在无外源作用于地球系统的情况下，地球系统内部的各个部分（纬向风、海温和地转速度）都存在着准两年振荡（ＱＢＯ），由此可见，ＱＢＯ是地球系统内部的一种固有振荡。     

热带印度洋春季海表温度异常与南海夏季风强度变化的关系

利用50年的Reynolds月平均海表温度资料和NCEP/NCAR全球大气再分析资料,分析了热带印度洋春季海温异常对南海夏季风强度变化的影响。结果表明:1)热带印度洋春季海表温度距平(SSTA)的模态主要是全区一致型(USBM)和热带南印度洋偶极型(SIODM),USBM模态既有年际时间尺度的变化特征,又有年际以上时间尺度的变化特征,既包含有对冬季ENSO信号响应的变化特征,又有独立于ENSO的变化特征;SIODM模态主要表现为独立于ENSO的年际时间尺度变化。2)USBM模态与南海夏季风强度变化呈显著负相关关系,且二者都是对冬季ENSO信号的响应,USBM模态的年际变化不能独立于ENSO信号影响南海夏季风的强度变化。3)经(1~8年)带通滤波及去除ENSO信号的热带印度洋春季SSTA的SIODM型分布是影响南海夏季风强度变化的主要模态,表现为热带东南印度洋为负(正)、其他海区为正(负)时,南海夏季风强度增强(减弱),大气环流对热带东南印度洋SSTA热力作用的响应是造成这一关系的直接原因,SIODM型的SSTA分布与南海夏季风年际异常关系在热带印度洋长期变化趋势的暖位相期显著,在长期变化趋势的冷位相期不显著。     

固体地球-海洋-大气耦合的一个简单线性模式及其试验结果

选取实际的海陆边界，建立了一个固体地球-海洋-大气耦合的简单线性模式，模式中包含了地气角动量守恒的关系，地转变速摩擦力对大气的作用，风吹流改变海温异常，海温异常又改变大气的质量分布。在无外源作用于地球系统的情况下，地球系统内部的各个部分(纬向风、海温和地转速度)都存在着准两年振荡(QBO)，由此可见，QBO是地球系统内部的一种固有振荡。     

Roles of Indian and Pacific Ocean air–sea coupling in tropical atmospheric variability

Sea surface temperature (SST) variations include negative feedbacks from the atmosphere, whereas SST anomalies are specified in stand-alone atmospheric general circulation simulations. Is the SST forced response the same as the coupled response? In this study, the importance of air–sea coupling in the Indian and Pacific Oceans for tropical atmospheric variability is investigated through numerical experiments with a coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model. The local and remote impacts of the Indian and Pacific Ocean coupling are obtained by comparing a coupled simulation with an experiment in which the SST forcing from the coupled simulation is specified in either the Indian or the Pacific Ocean. It is found that the Indian Ocean coupling is critical for atmospheric variability over the Pacific Ocean. Without the Indian Ocean coupling, the rainfall and SST variations are completely different throughout most of the Pacific Ocean basin. Without the Pacific Ocean coupling, part of the rainfall and SST variations in the Indian Ocean are reproduced in the forced run. In regions of large mean rainfall where the atmospheric negative feedback is strong, such as the North Indian Ocean and the western North Pacific in boreal summer, the atmospheric variability is significantly enhanced when air–sea coupling is replaced by specified SST forcing. This enhancement is due to the lack of the negative feedback in the forced SST simulation. In these regions, erroneous atmospheric anomalies could be induced by specified SST anomalies derived from the coupled model. The ENSO variability is reduced by about 20% when the Indian Ocean air–sea coupling is replaced by specified SST forcing. This change is attributed to the interfering roles of the Indian Ocean SST and Indian monsoon in western and central equatorial Pacific surface wind variations.