Delayed impacts of the El Niño episodes in the central Pacific on the summertime climate anomalies of eastern China in 2003 and 2007

In the summers of 2003 and 2007, eastern China suffered similar climate disasters with severe flooding in the Huaihe River valley and heat waves in the southern Yangtze River delta and South China. Using SST data and outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) data from NOAA along with reanalysis data from NCEP/NCAR, the 2002/03 and 2006/07 El Nino episodes in the central Pacific and their delayed impacts on the following early summertime climate anomalies of eastern China were analyzed. The possible physical progresses behaved as follows: Both of the moderate El Nino episodes matured in the central equatorial Pacific during the early winter. The zonal wind anomalies near the sea surface of the west-central equatorial Pacific excited equatorial Kelvin waves propagating eastward and affected the evolution of the El Ni\~no episodes. From spring to early summer, the concurring anomalous easterly winds in the central equatorial Pacific and the end of upwelling Kelvin waves propagating eastward in the western equatorial Pacific, favored the equatorial warm water both of the SST and the subsurface temperature in the western Pacific. These conditions favored the warm state of the western equatorial Pacific in the early summer for both cases of 2003 and 2007. Due to the active convection in the western equatorial Pacific in the early summer and the weak warm SST anomalies in the tropical western Pacific from spring to early summer, the convective activities in the western Pacific warm pool showed the pattern in which the anomalous strong convection only appeared over the southern regions of the tropical western Pacific warm pool, which effects the meridional shift of the western Pacific subtropical high in the summer. The physical progress of the delayed impacts of the El Ni\~no episodes in the central equatorial Pacific and their decaying evolution on the climate anomalies in eastern China were interpreted through the key role of special pattern for the heat convection in the tropical western Pacific warm pool and the response of the western North Pacific anomalous anticyclone.     

Joint Impacts of SSTA in Tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans on Variations of the WPSH

Using the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis and HadISST sea surface temperature (SST) data, the joint effects of the tropical Indian Ocean and Pacific on variations of area of the summertime western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) for period 1980–2016 are investigated. It is demonstrated that the central tropical Indian Ocean (CTI) and central equatorial Pacific (CEP) are two key oceanic regions that affect the summertime WPSH. During autumn and winter, warm SST anomalies (SSTAs) in CEP force the Walker circulation to change anomalously, resulting in divergence anomalies over the western Pacific and Maritime Continent (MC). Due to the Gill-type response, the abnormal anticyclonic circulation is generated over the western Pacific and South China Sea (SCS). In the subsequent spring, the warm SSTAs in CEP weaken, while the SST over CTI demonstrates a lagged response to Pacific SSTA. The warm CTISSTA and CEP-SSTA cooperate with the eastward propagation of cold Kelvin waves in the western Pacific, leading to the eastward shift of the abnormal divergence center that originally locates at the western Pacific and MC. The anticyclone forced by this divergence subsequently moves eastward, leading to the intensification of the negative vorticity there. Meanwhile, warm SSTA in CTI triggers eastward propagating Kelvin waves, which lead to easterly anomalies over the equatorial Indian Ocean and Indonesia, being favorable for maintenance and intensification of the anticyclone over the SCS and western Pacific. The monsoonal meridional–vertical circulation strengthens, which is favorable for the intensification of the WPSH. Using SSTA over the two key oceanic regions as predictors, a multiple regression model is successfully constructed for prediction of WPSH area. These results are useful for our better understanding the variation mechanisms of WPSH and better predicting summer climate in East Asia.     

Contrasting Impacts of South and North Tropical Indian Ocean Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies on East Asian Summer Climate

Using observational data and model simulations,the author find that the North Indian Ocean(NIO)sea surface temperature(SST)anomalies can trigger an eastward atmospheric Kelvin wave propagating into the equatorial western Pacific,inducing an anomalous anticyclone over the subtropical Northwest Pacific(NWP)and resulting in prominent summer climate anomalies in the East Asia-Northwest Pacific(EANWP)region.However,the response of tropospheric temperatures and atmospheric Kelvin waves to the South Indian Ocean(SIO)SST anomalies is weak;as a result,the impact of the SIO SST anomalies on the EANWP summer climate is weak.The contrasting impacts of NIO and SIO SST anomalies on the EANWP summer climate is possibly due to the different mean state of SSTs in the two regions.In summer,the climatological SSTs in the NIO are higher than in the SIO,leading to a stronger response of atmospheric convection to the NIO SST anomalies than to the SIO SST anomalies.Thus,compared with the SIO SST anomalies,the NIO SST anomalies can lead to stronger tropospheric air temperature anomalies and atmospheric Kelvin waves to affect the EANWP summer climate.     

1997／1998年El Nino事件发生、发展可能机制的进一步研究

基于美国哥伦比亚大学Lamont—Doherty地球观象台LDEO（Lamont—DohertyEarth Observatory）海表温度资料和NCEP／NCAR再分析风场资料,分析了1997／1998年El Nino3期间西太平洋暖池海表温度和西风距平的时间演变特征,同时也分析了东太平洋暖池海表温度和北风距平的时间演变特征。结果表明,1997／1998年El Nino3事件期间,西太平洋暖池海表温度变化及异常西风和东太平洋暖池海表温度变化及异常北风都与Nino3指数变化密切相关。将东、西太平洋暖池及异常北风、西风一并结合起来考虑,进一步研究了1997／1998年El Nino3事件发生、发展的可能机制：异常西风驱动西太平洋暖池东端暖水向东伸展直接有利于赤道东太平洋海表温度增加;异常西风激发东传的暖Kelvin波对东太平洋的冷上升流有抑制作用,从而有利于赤道东太平洋海表温度增加;东传的异常西风可以通过埃克曼漂流效应将赤道两侧的海表暖水向赤道辐合从而加强了赤道附近的下沉流,也有利于赤道东太平洋赤道附近海表温度增加。几乎与此同时,北风距平通过产生北风吹流将东太平洋暖池暖水由北向南输送至赤道附近直接导致Nino3区海表温度增加。上述增温因素的叠加作用共同导致了1997／1998年El Nino事件迅速发生、异常强大。     

On the Second-Year Warming in Late 2019 over the Tropical Pacific and Its Attribution to an Indian Ocean Dipole Event※

After its maturity, El Ni?o usually decays rapidly in the following summer and evolves into a La Ni?a pattern. However, this was not the case for the 2018/19 El Ni?o event. Based on multiple reanalysis data sets, the space-time evolution and triggering mechanism for the unusual second-year warming in late 2019, after the 2018/19 El Ni?o event, are investigated in the tropical Pacific. After a short decaying period associated with the 2018/19 El Ni?o condition, positive sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) re-intensified in the eastern equatorial Pacific in late 2019. Compared with the composite pattern of El Ni?o in the following year, two key differences are evident in the evolution of SSTAs in 2019. First, is the persistence of the surface warming over the central equatorial Pacific in May, and second, is the re-intensification of the positive SSTAs over the eastern equatorial Pacific in September. Observational results suggest that the re-intensification of anomalous westerly winds over the western and central Pacific, induced remotely by an extreme Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event, acted as a triggering mechanism for the second-year warming in late 2019. That is, the IOD-related cold SSTAs in the eastern Indian Ocean established and sustained anomalous surface westerly winds over the western equatorial Pacific, which induced downwelling Kelvin waves propagating eastward along the equator. At the same time, the subsurface ocean provided plenty of warm water in the western and central equatorial Pacific. Mixed-layer heat budget analyses further confirm that positive zonal advection, induced by the anomalous westerly winds, and thermocline feedback played important roles in leading to the second-year warming in late 2019. This study provides new insights into the processes responsible for the diversity of El Ni?o evolution, which is important for improving the physical understanding and seasonal prediction of El Ni?o events.     

2020年江淮流域超强梅雨年际异常的驱动因子分析

利用观测诊断和数值模拟相结合的方法,研究了2020年江淮流域6～7月超强梅雨年际异常的环流特征和驱动因子。结果表明:（1）2020年梅雨期长度和江淮流域总降水量均为1961年以来第一位,超强梅雨主要与西北太平洋异常反气旋（WNPAC）的异常偏强和异常西伸有关,WNPAC为江淮流域梅雨期持续的强降水提供了充沛的水汽来源;（2）2019年11月至2020年3月,赤道中东太平洋发生一次弱的中部型El Ni?o事件,本次事件持续时间短、强度偏弱,不足以激发和维持2020年梅雨期异常偏强的WNPAC,而春、夏季热带印度洋和热带北大西洋海温异常持续偏暖是WNPAC异常偏强和西伸的主要驱动因子;（3）热带印度洋暖海温在其东部的西太平洋激发出大气Kelvin波响应,造成了纬向风变化的不均匀分布,通过埃克曼抽吸,抑制了局地对流活动,驱动了WNPAC的生成;而热带北大西洋暖海温则引起局地对流活动增强,导致热带北大西洋上空上升运动和热带中部太平洋下沉运动增强,在西北太平洋上空激发异常的低空反气旋;热带印度洋和热带北大西洋暖海温对2020年6～7月WNPAC异常偏强均有显著的正贡献。     

El Nino事件发生和消亡中热带太平洋纬向风应力的动力作用 II.模式结果分析

为了分析ElNio事件发生和消亡中热带太平洋纬向风应力的动力作用，建立一个类似于Zebiak的简单热带海洋数值模式，在观测到的风应力异常的强迫下，模拟赤道太平洋地区1971年1月至1998年8月海表温度异常的变化。结果表明，模式对观测的Nio3区海表温度异常(SSTA)有很好的模拟能力。模拟和观测Nio3区SSTA之间的相关系数可达0.90。模式对ElNio事件期间赤道太平洋海表温度异常随时间变化也有较好的模拟能力。为了分析ElNio期间SSTA的空间分布及其随时间变化的动力学机制，还对19861989年ENSO循环期间赤道太平洋地区观测的SSTA的传播特征及其形成机制进行了分析。模式较好地模拟出了观测到的赤道太平洋地区SSTA的传播特征，即从1986年底至1987年4月，SSTA具有向东传播的特征，从1987年6月至1988年2月具有向西传播的特征。动力学分析的结果表明，赤道中西太平洋地区的纬向风应力异常对ElNio事件的发生和消亡具有重要作用。赤道中西太平洋地区的西风异常可强迫出东传的Kelvin波，这个东传的Kelvin波对正SSTA的东传起主要作用，当这个东传的Kelvin波到达东边界，由于东边界的反射作用，在东边界产生西传的Rossby波，这个西传的Rossby波对赤道中东太平洋地区正SSTA的西传起主要作用。东传Kelvin波和反射的Rossby波对ElNio期间赤道东太平洋正SSTA二次峰值的形成具有重要作用。     

1986—1987厄尔尼诺事件的数值模拟

用高分辨率自由表面热带太平洋环流模式，在观测到的风应力和热量、水汽通量驱动下，对１９８６—１９８７厄尔尼诺（Ｅ１Ｎｉｎｏ）事件进行了数值模拟。各种变量场的时空结构及其演变表明，模式成功地模拟出１９８６—１９８７厄尔尼诺现象。始于１９８６年年中，赤道西太平洋的西风异常所推动的向东表层洋流不断向中、东太平洋输送暖水，至１１月份，大量暖水在日界线附近堆积，造成海面上升（达３２ｃｍ）和斜温层（用２０℃等温线深度表示）加深。１９８６年年底的强西风异常激发出赤道Ｋｅｌｖｉｎ波，并向赤道东太平洋和南美沿岸传播，使那里的斜温层加深和海面上升，且具有双峰结构；Ｋｅｌｖｉｎ波所伴随的垂直冷平流的减弱造成赤道中、东太平洋海表温度上升；１９８７年春季在中、东太平洋和南美沿岸地区存在强的正海表温度异常，并伴随着整个赤道太平洋斜温层东西方向变平、赤道潜流弱而中心位置变浅。厄尔尼诺相伴随的热带太平洋环流异常首先于１９８７年年中从东太平洋开始消失，而中、西太平洋则一直维持到１９８８年初。     

Southern Oscillation simulation in the OSU coupled upper ocean-atmosphere GCM

The Southern Oscillation is a major component in the interannual variations of global climate. The Oregon State University global climate model, with a dynamically interactive upper ocean, reproduces in qualitatively correct fashion some of the major characteristics of the Southern Oscillation. This model simulates the observed anti-correlation of annually averaged sea-level pressure (SLP) between the eastern Pacific and the Indonesian region, the primary atmospheric signal of the Southern Oscillation. In the composite of the simulated warm events positive sea-surface temperature (SST) anomalies expand eastward towards South America from the tropical western Pacific during the first half of the calendar year. The SST anomalies develop in conjunction with eastward mixed layer current anomalies in the tropical Pacific. In the late summer and early fall anomalously warm water near South America develops and moves westward to merge with the central Pacific anomalies. This lagged development in the eastern Pacific is analogous to the evolution of the 1982/83 and 1986/87 El Ninos. The temperature of the thermocline layer also increases, with the slope of the equatorial Pacific thermocline decreasing in response to the relaxation of the surface forcing. Enhanced precipitation occurs in the mid-Pacific while in the Indian and Australian monsoon regions a deficit occurs. The peak of the warm phase occurs in late northern fall/early winter, somewhat earlier than during observed El Ninos. The cold phase of the Southern Oscillation, enhancement of the zonal circulation, evolves in a fashion similar to the warm phase with the signs of the anomalies reversed, similar to observations. Occurrence of Southern Oscillation in this coarse resolution GCM indicates that high resolution ocean waves do not play a crucial role in the generation of this phenomenon as suggested by Pacific basin models. These results also show that ocean-atmosphere global climate models are useful tools for investigation of time dependent changes on the interannual timescale in addition to their hitherto accepted use for studying equilibrium properties of climate.     

2004年北半球大气环流及对中国气候异常的影响

20 0 4年上半年,赤道中、东太平洋大气、海洋状况总体上处于正常状态。7月以来,赤道中、东太平洋海表温度明显增暖;2 0 0 4年西太平洋副热带高压持续偏强,夏季西伸脊点位置偏东、脊线位置偏北;6月上中旬贝加尔湖以西地区50 0hPa高度场偏高,7月中旬和8月中旬贝加尔湖地区高度场偏高;2 0 0 4年南海季风爆发时间接近常年,南亚夏季风偏强;青藏高原50 0hPa高度场偏高,冬季积雪较常年稍偏多;2 0 0 4年上半年,赤道太平洋对流活动普遍受到抑制,7月后期开始,1 6 0°W以西海域上空对流活动较常年明显增强。2 0 0 4年中国气候异常可能是下垫面热力异常和大气环流异常共同作用的结果。     

Modulation of Convectively Coupled Kelvin Wave Activity in the Tropical Pacific by ENSO

The influence of El Nio-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the convectively coupled Kelvin waves over the tropical Pacific is investigated by comparing the Kelvin wave activity in the eastern Pacific (EP) El Nio, central Pacific (CP) El Nio, and La Nia years, respectively, to 30-yr (1982-2011) mean statistics. The convectively coupled Kelvin waves in this study are represented by the two leading modes of empirical orthogonal function (EOF) of 2-25-day band-pass filtered daily outgoing longwave radiation (OLR), with the estimated zonal wavenumber of 3 or 4, period of 8 days, and eastward propagating speed of 17 ms-1 . The most significant impact of ENSO on the Kelvin wave activity is the intensification of the Kelvin waves during the EP El Nios. The impact of La Nia on the reduction of the Kelvin wave intensity is relatively weaker, reflecting the nonlinearity of tropical deep convection and the associated Kelvin waves in response to ENSO sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies. The impact of the CP El Nio on the Kelvin waves is less significant due to relatively weaker SST anomalies and smaller spatial coverage. ENSO may also alter the frequency, wavelength, and phase speed of the Kelvin waves. This study demonstrates that low-frequency ENSO SST anomalies modulate high-frequency tropical disturbances, an example of weather-climate linkage.     

Connections Between Different Types of El Ni~no and Southern/Northern Oscillation

It has long been acknowledged that there are two types of El Ni(n)o events,i.e.,the eastern Pacific El Ni(n)o (EE) and the central Pacific El Ni(n)o (CE),according to the initial position of the anomalous warm water and its propagation direction.In this paper,the oceanic and atmospheric evolutions and the possible mechanisms of the two types of El Ni(n)o events were examined.It is found that all the El Ni(n)o events,CE or EE,could be attributed to the joint impacts of the eastward advection of warm water from the western Pacific warm pool (WPWP) and the local warming in the equatorial eastern Pacific.Before the occurrence of CE events,WPWP had long been in a state of being anomalous warm,so the strength of eastward advection of warm water was much stronger than that of EE,which played a major role in the formation of CE.While for the EE events,most contribution came from the local warming of the equatorial eastern Pacific.It is further identified that the immediate cause leading to the difference of the two types of El Ni(n)o events was the asynchronous variations of the Southern Oscillation (SO) and the Northern Oscillation (NO) as defined by Chen in 1984.When the transition from the positive phase of the NO (NO+) to NO- was prior to that from SO+ to SO-,there would be eastward propagation of westerly anomalies from the tropical western Pacific induced by NO and hence the growth of warm sea surface temperature anomalies in WPWP and its eastward propagation.This was followed by lagged SO-induced weakening of southeast trade winds and local warming in the equatorial eastern Pacific.These were conducive to the occurrence of the CE.On the contrary,the transition from SO+ to SO- leading the transition of NO would favor the occurrence of EE type events.     

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

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

一种新的El Niño海气耦合指数

利用1980～2010 年月平均Hadley中心海表温度、美国全球海洋资料同化系统(GODAS)海洋温度和NCEP/NCAR 大气环流再分析资料,通过对2 个海洋要素(海表温度SST、上层热含量HC)和5 个大气要素(海平面气压SLP、850 hPa 风场、200 hPa 速度势和对外长波辐射OLR)的多变量经验正交函数展开(multivariate EOF,简称MV-EOF)探讨了热带太平洋的主要海气耦合特征。结果表明,MV-EOF 分析的前两个耦合模态分别很好地对应了传统型El Ni?o 和El Ni?o Modoki 的海气耦合特征:传统型El Ni?o 期间,伴随着赤道中东太平洋SST 的异常增温,HC、SLP、200 hPa 速度势等要素总体呈东西反相的“跷跷板”变化,低层850 hPa 赤道中太平洋出现较强西风距平,西北太平洋上空为反气旋性异常环流;El Ni?o Modoki 期间,SST 持续增温和HC 正异常中心均显著西移至中太平洋,低层SLP 和高空200 hPa 速度势均呈现纬向三极型异常分布,低层异常强西风向西移至暖池东部,西北太平洋上空呈现气旋性异常环流。两类El Ni?o 的海气耦合特征存在显著差异,较优的El Ni?o 指数应不仅可以客观描述和区分El Ni?o 现象本身,更要紧密联系两类事件所产生的大气响应。以往定量表征El Ni?o 年际变化的指标大多立足于SST 或SLP,本文选取HC 作为研究指标,定义了一组新的El Ni?o 指数HCEI 和HCEMI。较以往基于SST 的El Ni?o 指数,HCEI 和HCEMI 不仅能更清楚地表征和区分两类El Ni?o(如1993 年的传统型El Ni?o 和2006 年的El Ni?o Modoki),而且能更好地反映和区分两类El Ni?o 与大气间的海气耦合特征,为El Ni?o的监测和短期气候预测工作提供了一个新工具。     

东部和中部型El Nino发展年对中国夏季降水的影响*

近年来随着对赤道东太平洋海温异常特征的深入认识,赤道太平洋海温变化的不同类型对气候的影响逐渐引起人们的关注。本文分析了东部和中部型El Ni?o发展年海温分布特征及其对中国夏季降水影响的差异和机理。结果表明：(1)东部型El Ni?o年的海温正距平中心发展快且强度比中部型El Ni?o年强。(2)两类El Ni?o发展年,中国夏季降水分布差异最大的是东北和华北地区,呈相反的分布,华南地区只是变化幅度不同,江淮流域降水一致偏少。(3)Walker环流分布的差异是两类El Ni?o年夏季降水分布差异的重要原因,其位于西太平洋地区下沉支的强弱以及有无上升支的分布,对西太副高和我国水汽的输送有明显影响。(4)500hPa位势高度场的遥相关波列以及高低层大气的垂直运动也是造成两类El Ni?o年中国夏季降水分布差异的重要原因。     

热带太平洋西风异常对ENSO事件发生的作用

本文从观测资料对80年代两次ENSO事件产生过程中，热带太平洋西风异常及其对赤道中、东太平洋表层海温增暖的作用进行了分析和比较。分析结果表明:在这两次ENSO事件的产生过程中，赤道西太平洋上空均有较大的西风异常，并且它由赤道西太平洋向赤道中、东太平洋传播，随着西风异常从西向东传播，赤道中、东太平洋的表层相继增温。分析还表明，1982／1983年ENSO事件发生过程中，热带太平洋西风异常的强度要比1986／1987年热带太平洋西风异常强得多，这使得1982／1983 ENSO事件的强度比1986／1987_ENSO事件强得多。为了说明热带西太平洋西风异常对赤道中、东太平洋ENSO事件发生的作用，本文还利用IAP太平洋环流模式对西风异常在ENSO事件产生过程中的作用进行了数值模拟。模拟的结果说明了热带太平洋的西风异常对赤道太平洋暖水的向东传播和赤道中、东太平洋的增温起了很重要作用，这与观测事实分析一致。     

西太平洋暖池对流三类显著月际变化及其成因

基于1979～2018年观测的向外长波辐射（outgoing longwave radiation, OLR）资料和其他多种再分析资料,发现西太平洋暖池对流存在3类显著的月际变化。第一类为OLR在6月和8月为负异常而7月为正异常;第二类与第一类完全相反;第三类为OLR在6～7月为正异常,8月为负异常。3类月际变化与ENSO循环的背景有关,前两类发生在较弱的La Ni?a年和El Ni?o发展年,与春季暖池海温异常有关。当前一个月海温偏高时,后一个月对流偏强,造成局地海温降低,偏低的海温又反过来抑制了后一个月的对流发展,因此暖池地区局地海气相互作用在这两类月际变化中起到关键作用。与前两类不同的是,第三类月际变化发生在El Ni?o衰减年,与春季热带印度洋海温偏高有关。热带印度洋海温偏高造成印度附近对流在6～7月间增强,通过东传Kelvin波抑制了暖池对流发展。同时,印度附近对流偏强造成8月印度洋海温降低和对流减弱,对暖池对流的影响因而减弱。另一方面,6～7月暖池对流偏弱造成8月暖池海温升高,结果造成暖池对流增强。因此,第三类月际变化受到热带印度洋强迫以及暖池地区局地海气相互作用的共同影响。     

Interdecadal Change in the Interannual Variation of the Western Edge of theWestern North Pacific Subtropical High During Early Summer and the Influenceof Tropical Sea Surface Temperature

This study reveals that the interannual variability of the western edge of the western North Pacific (WNP) subtropical high (WNPSH) in early summer experienced an interdecadal decrease around 1990. Correspondingly, the zonal movement of the WNPSH and the zonal extension of the high-pressure anomaly over the WNP (WNPHA) in abnormal years possess smaller ranges after 1990. The different influences of the tropical SSTAs are important for this interdecadal change, which exhibit slow El Ni?o decaying pattern before 1990 while rapid transformation from El Ni?o to La Ni?a after 1990. The early summer tropical SSTAs and the relevant atmospheric circulation anomalies present obvious interdecadal differences. Before 1990, the warm SSTAs over the northern Indian Ocean and southern South China Sea favor the WNPHA through eastward-propagating Kelvin wave and meridional-vertical circulation, respectively. Meanwhile, the warm SSTA over the tropical central Pacific induces anomalous ascent to its northwest through the Gill response, which could strengthen the anomalous descent over the WNP through meridional-vertical circulation and further favor the eastward extension of the WNPHA to central Pacific. After 1990, the warm SSTAs over the Maritime Continent and northern Indian Ocean cause the WNPHA through meridional-vertical and zonal-vertical circulation, respectively. Overall, the anomalous warm SSTs and ascent and the resultant anomalous descent over the WNP are located more westward and southward after 1990 than before 1990. Consequently, the WNPHA features narrower zonal range and less eastward extension after 1990, corresponding to the interdecadal decease in the interannual variability of the western edge of the WNPSH. On the other hand, the dominant oscillation period of ENSO experienced an interdecadal reduction around 1990, contributing to the change of the El Ni?o SSTA associated with the anomalous WNPSH from slow decaying type to rapid transformation type.     

Southern Hemisphere extra-tropical forcing: a new paradigm for El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation

The main goal of this paper is to shed additional light on the reciprocal dynamical linkages between mid-latitude Southern Hemisphere climate and the El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) signal. While our analysis confirms that ENSO is a dominant source of interannual variability in the Southern Hemisphere, it is also suggested here that subtropical dipole variability in both the Southern Indian and Atlantic Oceans triggered by Southern Hemisphere mid-latitude variability may also provide a controlling influence on ENSO in the equatorial Pacific. This subtropical forcing operates through various coupled air?Csea feedbacks involving the propagation of subtropical sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies into the deep tropics of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans from boreal winter to boreal spring and a subsequent dynamical atmospheric response to these SST anomalies linking the three tropical basins at the beginning of the boreal spring. This atmospheric response is characterized by a significant weakening of the equatorial Atlantic and Indian Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). This weakened ITCZ forces an equatorial ??cold Kelvin wave?? response in the middle to upper troposphere that extends eastward from the heat sink regions into the western Pacific. By modulating the vertical temperature gradient and the stability of the atmosphere over the equatorial western Pacific Ocean, this Kelvin wave response promotes persistent zonal wind and convective anomalies over the western equatorial Pacific, which may trigger El Ni?o onset at the end of the boreal winter. These different processes explain why South Atlantic and Indian subtropical dipole time series indices are highly significant precursors of the Ni?o34 SST index several months in advance before the El Ni?o onset in the equatorial Pacific. This study illustrates that the atmospheric internal variability in the mid-latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere may significantly influence ENSO variability. However, this surprising relationship is observed only during recent decades, after the so-called 1976/1977 climate regime shift, suggesting a possible linkage with global warming or decadal fluctuations of the climate system.