A high resolution global reanalysis highlighting the winter monsoon. Part II: transients and passive tracer transports

Summary In this part II of the reanalysis of the global data, we present an interpretation of the transient motion of the winter monsoon over Asia and the India Ocean. This includes an analysis of the surface layer meridional flow channels that are important for the transport of pollutants for the land mass of Asia towards the ITCZ, which is located near 10° S. We have also examined the scales of the space-time variability of the near surface flows of the winter monsoon of the 1992–1993 season. Sample forecasts of these inflow features, using a very high resolution model, are illustrated to show that the field phase of the proposed Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX) can receive guidance from real time numerical experimentation. The final part of this paper addresses four dimensional trajectories and passive tracer addresses four dimensional trajectories and passive tracer transports with integration over a winter monsoon domain covering several samples of 10 day periods.With 21 Figures     

Precipitation climatology over India: validation with observations and reanalysis datasets and spatial trends

Changing rainfall patterns have significant effect on water resources, agriculture output in many countries, especially the country like India where the economy depends on rain-fed agriculture. Rainfall over India has large spatial as well as temporal variability. To understand the variability in rainfall, spatial–temporal analyses of rainfall have been studied by using 107 (1901–2007) years of daily gridded India Meteorological Department (IMD) rainfall datasets. Further, the validation of IMD precipitation data is carried out with different observational and different reanalysis datasets during the period from 1989 to 2007. The Global Precipitation Climatology Project data shows similar features as that of IMD with high degree of comparison, whereas Asian Precipitation-Highly-Resolved Observational Data Integration Towards Evaluation data show similar features but with large differences, especially over northwest, west coast and western Himalayas. Spatially, large deviation is observed in the interior peninsula during the monsoon season with National Aeronautics Space Administration-Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (NASA-MERRA), pre-monsoon with Japanese 25 years Re Analysis (JRA-25), and post-monsoon with climate forecast system reanalysis (CFSR) reanalysis datasets. Among the reanalysis datasets, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Interim Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim) shows good comparison followed by CFSR, NASA-MERRA, and JRA-25. Further, for the first time, with high resolution and long-term IMD data, the spatial distribution of trends is estimated using robust regression analysis technique on the annual and seasonal rainfall data with respect to different regions of India. Significant positive and negative trends are noticed in the whole time series of data during the monsoon season. The northeast and west coast of the Indian region shows significant positive trends and negative trends over western Himalayas and north central Indian region.     

2008年东亚夏季风异常及其对江淮梅雨的影响

利用国家气象中心站点日雨量资料、NCEP再分析资料和NOAA OLR资料对2008年梅雨前后及梅雨过程中亚洲季风活动、副高及ITCZ的变化、索马里急流和南亚季风活动特征、亚太地区对流和热源分布特征等进行诊断分析,以揭示梅雨期间季风活动特征的成因及其对江淮入梅、出梅及梅雨强度的影响.结果表明,梅雨期间,季风组成成员复杂多变,无一能占绝对优势,各成员的配置均处于一个动态变化过程中,此长彼消,导致了梅雨期间雨带不稳定,是2008年度梅雨偏少的重要原因.ITCZ影响副高的变化,且超前于副高的变化,对江淮梅雨预报有重要的指示意义.6月初ITCZ突然显著增强,是副高北跳、江淮入梅的重要原因;而中旬后期ITCZ再次北抬并伴随台风登陆,直接导致了江淮出梅.6月初,索马里急流爆发,比多年平均偏早,导致阿拉伯海西南气流北涌、印度季风提前爆发,对江淮偏早入梅有一定作用.索马里急流的维持和消长对江淮梅雨的位置和强度也有一定影响.印度季风爆发及其后的变化影响印缅季风槽的北抬和其后的位置变化,并通过改变青藏高原南部和孟加拉湾热源的强度和分布,影响西南季风的东传和梅雨雨带.     

A review of Asian-Pacific monsoon

Research on the Asian-Pacific monsoon has a long history. This paper starts by summarizing field experiments investigating the Asian-Pacific monsoon. Since the 1960s, a number of international and regional monsoon projects and field experiments have been carried out, and substantial progress regarding research on the Asian-Pacific monsoon has been made. Second, the onset and the seasonal march of the Asian summer monsoon and the annual cycle of active and break periods of the monsoon, which are characterized by precipitation maxima and minima, are studied. Since the inter-tropical convergence zone （ITCZ or TCZ） is the dominating weather system and is the major birthplace of typhoons and tropical convective systems, the monsoonal rainfall and ITCZ are analyzed after the onset of the Asian monsoon. Finally, because the ITCZ has a close relationship with tropical convective systems and rainfall events in monsoon regions, analyses of the developments of deep convection and rainfall events are briefly introduced.     

Multimodel based superensemble forecasts for short and medium range NWP over various regions of Africa

Summary This study examines the predictability of weather over several regions in Africa using a multimodel superensemble technique developed at the Florida State University, which is an objective means of combining daily forecasts from multilevel global models. It is referred to as FSUSE and up to 7 different models are used to construct the superensemble. The benchmark reanalysis fields used are the precipitation data sets from CMORPH and all other global fields from ECMWF daily operational analysis. The FSUSE works by using multiple linear regression to derive weights from a comparison of each member model forecast to the benchmark analysis during a training period of the most recent 120 days, and these weights are passed to the forecast phase. This procedure removes the bias of each model and allows for an optimal linear combination of the individual model forecasts by taking account of the relative skill of each model to give a consensus forecast that is superior to the ensemble mean and all the members. Results show that bad models and poor analysis fields used during the training phase degrade the skill of the FSUSE. In the forecasts of rainfall events over all regions of Africa, the FSUSE root-mean-square (R M S) error, equitable threat skill score (E T S), and bias on the daily forecasts of rainfall were invariably superior to the best member model. The skills deteriorate as the forecast lead time in days increases, with the degradation being most significant beyond day 3. In all cases, the bias score of the FSUSE was approximately 1, while the anomaly correlation scores were to the order of 0.9. These scores indicate the robustness of the FSUSE forecasts. Over East Africa, the FSUSE forecasts were consistent with the spatial-temporal pattern of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the main rain bearing synoptic mechanism across tropical Africa. Thus, in addition to superior forecasts, the use of FSUSE based data sets may provide a better understanding of the dynamical processes within the ITCZ over the region. These results could be further improved if the daily series of operational analysis had included gauge data and if the resolution were higher. It is hardly possible to get uniformly consistent and continuous daily observations over these diverse regions of Africa. However, given the availability of the satellite based estimates of daily rainfall, such as CMORPH and global analysis that are exchanged very fast nowadays, the FSUSE scheme for numerical weather predictions (N W P) provides useful medium range weather forecasts in real-time.     

2018年我国梅雨特征及梅雨期降水异常成因分析

2018年我国梅雨特征及梅雨期降水异常成因分析     

长江下游夏季降水与东亚夏季风及春季太平洋海温的关系

利用NCEP/NCAR逐日再分析资料、NOAA月平均海表温度资料及中国站点逐日降水资料,研究了长江下游夏季降水、东亚夏季风(区分南海热带夏季风和副热带夏季风)及春季太平洋海温之间的关系。结果表明,南海夏季风强度与长江下游夏季降水量呈反相关,而副热带夏季风强度与长江下游夏季降水量呈正相关;春季赤道东太平洋海温与当年长江下游夏季降水存在正相关,是夏季长江下游夏季降水变化趋势的较好前期预测信号;南海夏季风和副热带夏季风强度对春季赤道东太平洋海温异常的响应是相反的。     

Organization of convection and monsoon forecasts

Summary In this paper we address the issue of monsoon forecasts in relation to the organization of convection. Given a physical initialization procedure, within a data assimilation, it is possible to use the detailed distribution of rainfall from mesoconvective precipitating elements to define the initial state of a global model. If that is carried out using a very high resolution model then the initial state can carry within it an organization of convection within the resolvable scales. Then the impact of physical initialization on the maintenance and prediction of tropical weather such as the monsoon can be determined. Lacking such an initialization, one can expect the convectively driven energetics to be biased, and a slow degradation of the forecasts can follow. Several examples of forecasts at different resolutions are discussed here. The main findings of this study are that improved forecast results are obtained when physical initialization is invoked where the observed rain and the model resolution are comparable, i.e. the footprint of the highest resolutions rainfall estimates obtained from satellite based data sets (principally we use the SSM/I instrument over the oceans). At this resolution, we note that the model is able to carry an organization of convection in the initialization and in the forecasts through the medium-range time scale.We have compared our results of monsoon studies at a resolution T255 with those at resolution T62. The transform grid separation at the resolution T255 is approximately 50 km and at the resolution T62, it is approximately 200 km. We find that the model at the higher resolution (T255) performs better and has more realistic energy conversions for the convectively driven synoptic scale monsoon.An organization of convection, at the synoptic scales, is not seen in the forecasts at lower resolutions, T62, where the rainfall patterns are generally much broader and tend to be more zonal. Such organization appears more realistic at the resolution T255. Variances of the energy conversion, calculated in the two-dimensional spectral space, from physically initialized short range forecasts at the higher resolution are seen to be largest on the scales of the monsoon. Similar calculations for the reanalyzed fields at lower resolutions show the spectral distribution of variances to be biased towards local Hadley scale overturnings.With 12 Figures     

Dynamical linkage of tropical and subtropical weather systems to the intraseasonal oscillations of the Indian summer monsoon rainfall. Part I: observations

The Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR) over the Western Ghats (WG) and the Bay of Bengal (BoB) is marked by the intraseasonal oscillations (ISOs) with preferred 10–20-day and 30–50-day bands. On the basis of pentad Climate Prediction Center Merged Analysis Precipitation and daily sea level pressure and winds at 850?hPa derived from European Center for Medium-range Weather Forecast reanalysis, we present the structure and evolution of the ISOs linked to the ISMR variations over the WG and the BoB and the associated anomalies of the atmospheric circulation using the approaches of wavelet analysis, bandpass filtering and composite analysis. This study reveals that the activities of both the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) contribute strongly to the structure and propagation of the ISOs on intraseasonal time scales. Northward development and propagation of the ITCZ plays a critical role in the northward-propagating ISOs, but not in the westward-propagating BoB 10–20-day ISOs. The latter ISOs may be linked, instead, to the activity of synoptic-scale weather systems to the east over the western tropical Pacific. The enhanced ITCZ in the tropical Indian Ocean plays a strong role in the sudden strengthening of the WPSH during the transition from the break to active phase of the 30–50-day ISOs. We find that the strong WPSH in the Asian summer monsoon season, with generally northward advance and eastward withdrawal, promotes the formation of a northwest to southeast tilted anomalous rainfall belt over the East Asian tropical summer monsoon region and the western tropical Pacific in the 30–50-day low-frequency band. Positive (Negative) elongated rainfall anomalies with an unbroken northwest-southeast tilt, strong easterly (westerly) anomalies in the tropical Pacific, and northward advance and eastward movement of strong (weak) WPSH are favorable for maintaining the eastward propagation of the 30–50-day ISOs in the Pacific. Daily high-resolution sea surface temperature obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is used to explain the propagation features of the 10–20-day ISOs in the Indian Ocean.     

Impact of MJO on the intraseasonal variation of summer monsoon rainfall over India

The summer monsoon rainfall over India exhibits strong intraseasonal variability. Earlier studies have identified Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO) as one of the most influencing factors of the intraseasonal variability of the monsoon rainfall. In this study, using India Meteorological Department (IMD) high resolution daily gridded rainfall data and Wheeler?CHendon MJO indices, the intra-seasonal variation of daily rainfall distribution over India associated with various Phases of eastward propagating MJO life cycle was examined to understand the mechanism linking the MJO to the intraseasonal variability. During MJO Phases of 1 and 2, formation of MJO associated positive convective anomaly over the equatorial Indian Ocean activated the oceanic tropical convergence zone (OTCZ) and the resultant changes in the monsoon circulation caused break monsoon type rainfall distribution. Associated with this, negative convective anomalies over monsoon trough zone region extended eastwards to date line indicating weaker than normal northern hemisphere inter tropical convergence zone (ITCZ). The positive convective anomalies over OTCZ and negative convective anomalies over ITCZ formed a dipole like pattern. Subsequently, as the MJO propagated eastwards to west equatorial Pacific through the maritime continent, a gradual northward shift of the OTCZ was observed and negative convective anomalies started appearing over equatorial Indian Ocean. During Phase 4, while the eastwards propagating MJO linked positive convective anomalies activated the eastern part of the ITCZ, the northward propagating OTCZ merged with monsoon trough (western part of the ITCZ) and induced positive convective anomalies over the region. During Phases 5 and 6, the dipole pattern in convective anomalies was reversed compared to that during Phases 1 and 2. This resulted active monsoon type rainfall distribution over India. During the subsequent Phases (7 and 8), the convective and lower tropospheric anomaly patterns were very similar to that during Phase 1 and 2 except for above normal convective anomalies over equatorial Indian Ocean. A general decrease in the rainfall was also observed over most parts of the country. The associated dry conditions extended up to northwest Pacific. Thus the impact of the MJO on the monsoon was not limited to the Indian region. The impact was rather felt over larger spatial scale extending up to Pacific. This study also revealed that the onset of break and active events over India and the duration of these events are strongly related to the Phase and strength of the MJO. The break events were relatively better associated with the strong MJO Phases than the active events. About 83% of the break events were found to be set in during the Phases 7, 8, 1 and 2 of MJO with maximum during Phase 1 (40%). On the other hand, about 70% of the active events were set in during the MJO Phases of 3 to 6 with maximum during Phase 4 (21%). The results of this study indicate an opportunity for using the real time information and skillful prediction of MJO Phases for the prediction of break and active conditions which are very crucial for agriculture decisions.     

Simulation of Indian summer monsoon circulation and rainfall using RegCM3

Summary The Regional Climate Model RegCM3 has been used to examine its suitability in simulating the Indian summer monsoon circulation features and associated rainfall. The model is integrated at 55 km horizontal resolution over a South Asia domain for the period April–September of the years 1993 to 1996. The characteristics of wind at 850 hPa and 200 hPa, temperature at 500 hPa, surface pressure and rainfall simulated by the model over the Indian region are examined for two convective schemes (a Kuo-type and a mass flux scheme). The monsoon circulation features simulated by RegCM3 are compared with those of the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis and the simulated rainfall is validated against observations from the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Validation of the wind and temperature fields shows that the use of the Grell convection scheme yields results close to the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis. Similarly, the Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall (ISMR) simulated by the model with the Grell convection scheme is close to the corresponding observed values. In order to test the model response to land surface changes such as the Tibetan snow depth, a sensitivity study has also been conducted. For such sensitivity experiment, NIMBUS-7 SMMR snow depth data in spring are used as initial conditions in the RegCM3. Preliminary results indicate that RegCM3 is very much sensitive to Tibetan snow. The model simulated Indian summer monsoon circulation becomes weaker and the associated rainfall is reduced by about 30% with the introduction of 10 cm of snow over the Tibetan region in the month of April.     

Sensitivity study on the role of Western Ghats in simulating the Asian summer monsoon characteristics

The Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (AR-WRF) model is used to study the influence of Western Ghats situated along the west cost of peninsular India in the mean characteristics of the Asian summer monsoon (ASM) through numerical simulations. A control simulation (CTRL) is carried out using 11-year (2000–2010) mean initial and lateral boundary conditions from the ERA-Interim reanalysis to simulate the mean atmospheric features of the ASM. The Modern-Era retrospective analysis for research and applications (MERRA) data along with the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM, 3B42 daily rainfall) data are used to validate the CTRL simulation. The simulated dynamical features and precipitation characteristics during the ASM period agree well with the MERRA reanalysis and TRMM observations. In order to examine the role of Western Ghats on the mean characteristics of the ASM, a sensitivity simulation (NoWG) is carried out with orography reduced to surface over a domain bound between 5°–28°N and 72°–90°E, keeping all other conditions unchanged. This sensitivity analysis showed an enhancement in the low level monsoon flow over the Indian Ocean and peninsular India in the absence of Western Ghats. The prominent up-draft over the west coast of peninsular India observed in the CTRL simulation also decrease in the absence of Western Ghats. The simulated rainfall show a considerable decrease over the west coast and an enhancement over the east coast of peninsular India in the absence of Western Ghats. These simulations clearly depict the importance of Western Ghats in the circulation dynamics and rainfall features during the ASM period.     

全球水循环的海洋分量研究

利用ＮＣＥＰ／ＮＣＡＲ再分析月平均和逐日资料,采用“余差”方法,计算了１９８４～１９９４年全球海气淡水通量,分析了全球水汽输送的特点。主要结果有：（１）在全球水循环中,副热带大洋是重要的水汽辐散区,热带辐合带、南太平洋辐合带和南太平洋东南海域是集中的水汽辐合区,赤道东风带是夏季印度洋季风环流的主要水汽通道;（２）再现了全球海气淡水通量的分布,例如副热带“海洋沙漠”带、热带辐合带和南太平洋辐合带净降水区等;展示了细节特征,如黑潮区的净蒸发特点等;（３）发现了北大西洋中高纬度地区存在一东北—西南向的净蒸发带,而前人结果中则为净降水带;（４）分析了各大洋海气淡水通量的季节、年际变化特征,讨论了太平洋相对于大西洋作为水汽汇的特点;指出热带辐合带和南太平洋辐合带是海气淡水通量变率最大的海域     

印度季风的年际变化与高原夏季旱涝

根据NCEP／NCAR再分析资料和海表面温度距平资料,分析了西藏高原夏季降水5个多、少雨年春、夏季印度洋850hPa、200hPa合成风场和合成海温场,发现多、少雨年前期与同期印度洋高、低空风场和海温场均存在明显差异,主要表现为高原夏季降水偏多(少)年印度夏季风偏强(弱),在850hPa合成风场上印度半岛维持西(东)风距平,西印度洋—东非沿岸为南(北)风距平,夏季阿拉伯海区和孟加拉湾出现反气旋(气旋)距平环流;200hPa合成风场上印度半岛维持东(西)风距平,南亚高压偏强(弱),索马里沿岸为南(北)风距平。印度夏季风异常与夏季印度洋海温距平的纬向分布型有密切联系。当夏季海温场出现西冷(暖)东暖(冷)的分布型时,季风偏强(弱),高原降水普遍偏多(少)。相关分析指出,索马里赤道海区的风场异常与高原夏季降水的关系最为密切,在此基础上我们定义了一个索马里急流越赤道气流指数,用它识别高原夏季旱涝的能力较之目前普遍使用的印度季风指数有了明显的提高。     

Vertical cloud structures of the boreal summer intraseasonal variability based on CloudSat observations and ERA-interim reanalysis

The boreal summer intraseasonal variability (BSISV), which is characterized by pronounced meridional propagation from the equatorial zone to the Indian Continent, exerts significant modulation of the active/break phases of the south Asian monsoon. This form of variability provides a primary source of subseasonal predictive skill of the Asian summer monsoon. Unfortunately, current general circulation models display large deficiencies in representing this variability. The new cloud observations made available by the CloudSat mission provide an unprecedented opportunity to advance our characterization of the BSISV. In this study, the vertical structures of cloud water content and cloud types associated with the BSISV over the Indian Ocean and subcontinent are analyzed based on CloudSat observations from 2006 to 2008. These cloud structures are also compared to their counterparts as derived from ERA-interim reanalysis. A marked vertical tilting structure in cloud water is illustrated during the northward propagation of the BSISV based on both datasets. Increased cloud liquid water content (LWC) tends to appear to the north of the rainfall maximum, while ice water content (IWC) in the upper troposphere slightly lags the convection. This northward shift of increased LWC, which is in accord with local enhanced moisture as previously documented, may play an important role in the northward propagation of the BSISV. The transition in cloud structures associated with BSISV convection is further demonstrated based on CloudSat, with shallow cumuli at the leading edge, followed by the deep convective clouds, and then upper anvil clouds. Some differences in cloud water structures between CloudSat and ERA-interim are also noted, particularly in the amplitudes of IWC and LWC fields.     

ANALYSIS OF THE WESTWARD EXTENSION OFWESTERN PACIFIC SUBTROPICAL HIGH DURING A HEAVY RAIN PERIOD OVERSOUTHERN CHINA IN JUNE 2005

The NCEP/NCAR II daily mean reanalysis data and observed precipitation data are employed to investigate the westward extension of the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) during the heavy rain period over the southern China in June 2005. Results show that there may exist a relationship between the east-west shift of the WPSH and the process of a southern China heavy rain. The analysis indicates that the vertical motion in the WPSH area is mainly caused by the latent heat release of monsoon rain belts on its northern and southern sides. The vertical motion could cause the accumulation of air mass in the center and west of the WPSH, which leads to its strengthening. The appearance of the northern and southern monsoon rain belts could not only enhance the WPSH by strengthening the descending draft, but also excite the development of positive vorticity and restrict the WPSH’s movement in the north–south direction. Moreover, the Indian monsoon rainfall to the west of the WPSH may excite the development of anticyclonic vorticity on its eastern side, which leads to the westward extension of the WPSH.     

An Analysis of the Characteristics of Monsoon Onset over the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea in 2010

Based on NCEP/NCAR daily reanalysis and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission data, the background atmospheric circulation and the characteristics of meteorological elements during the period of the Bay of Bengal monsoon (BOBM) and the South China Sea (SCS) monsoon (SCSM) in 2010 are studied. The impacts of the BOBM onset on the SCSM onset and the relationship between the two monsoons are also analyzed. The two main results are as follows. (1) The BOBM onset obviously occurs earlier than the SCSM onset in 2010, which is a typical onset process of the Asian monsoon. During the BOBM’s onset, northward jump, and eastward expansion, convective precipitation and southwest winds occurred over the SCS, which resulted in the onset of the SCSM. (2) The relationship among strong convection, heavy rainfall, and vertical circulation configuration is obtained during the monsoon onsets over the BOB and SCS, and it is concluded that the South Asian High plays an important role in this period.     

On the atmospheric dynamical responses to land-use change in East Asian monsoon region

This study aims at (1) exploring dominant atmospheric dynamical processes which are responsible for climate model-simulated land-use impacts on Asian monsoon; and (2) assessing uncertainty in such model simulations due to their skills in simulating detailed monsoon circulations in the region. Firstly, results from a series of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre (BMRC) global model simulations of land-use vegetation changes (LUC) in China are analysed. The model showed consistent signals of changes in atmospheric low-level vertical profile and regional circulations responding to LUC. In northern winter, the model-simulated rainfall reduction and surface cooling are associated with an enhanced southward penetration of dry and cold air mass, which impedes warm and humid air reaching the region for generating cold-front rainfall. In its summer, an enhanced cyclonic circulation responding to LUC further blocks the northeast penetration of southwestly summer monsoon flow into the region and results in rainfall decreases and a surface warming. Secondly, we have explored uncertainties in the proposed mechanism operating in the global model. By comparing its results with a set of high-resolution regional model simulations using the same vegetation datasets, it reveals similar changes in winter rainfall but opposite features in summer rainfall responses. In the global model, there is a cyclonic low-level circulation pattern over the South China Sea and adjacent region, an unsatisfactory feature commonly seen in other global climate models. With the reduction in surface roughness following LUC, such a deficiency becomes more prominent which further results in a weakened south/southwestly summer monsoon flow and rainfall reduction. In contrast, in the regional model, its southwestly summer monsoon flow is further enhanced due to the same process as reduced surface roughness. The enhanced monsoon flow further pushes the East Asian monsoon rainfall belt more northward and increases summer rainfall in the Yangtze River region. This study highlights the need for better monsoon simulations in climate models to produce reliable climate change projections in the region.     

Monsoon circulation interaction with Western Ghats orography under changing climate

In this study, the authors have investigated the likely future changes in the summer monsoon over the Western Ghats (WG) orographic region of India in response to global warming, using time-slice simulations of an ultra high-resolution global climate model and climate datasets of recent past. The model with approximately 20-km mesh horizontal resolution resolves orographic features on finer spatial scales leading to a quasi-realistic simulation of the spatial distribution of the present-day summer monsoon rainfall over India and trends in monsoon rainfall over the west coast of India. As a result, a higher degree of confidence appears to emerge in many aspects of the 20-km model simulation, and therefore, we can have better confidence in the validity of the model prediction of future changes in the climate over WG mountains. Our analysis suggests that the summer mean rainfall and the vertical velocities over the orographic regions of Western Ghats have significantly weakened during the recent past and the model simulates these features realistically in the present-day climate simulation. Under future climate scenario, by the end of the twenty-first century, the model projects reduced orographic precipitation over the narrow Western Ghats south of 16°N that is found to be associated with drastic reduction in the southwesterly winds and moisture transport into the region, weakening of the summer mean meridional circulation and diminished vertical velocities. We show that this is due to larger upper tropospheric warming relative to the surface and lower levels, which decreases the lapse rate causing an increase in vertical moist static stability (which in turn inhibits vertical ascent) in response to global warming. Increased stability that weakens vertical velocities leads to reduction in large-scale precipitation which is found to be the major contributor to summer mean rainfall over WG orographic region. This is further corroborated by a significant decrease in the frequency of moderate-to-heavy rainfall days over WG which is a typical manifestation of the decrease in large-scale precipitation over this region. Thus, the drastic reduction of vertical ascent and weakening of circulation due to ??upper tropospheric warming effect?? predominates over the ??moisture build-up effect?? in reducing the rainfall over this narrow orographic region. This analysis illustrates that monsoon rainfall over mountainous regions is strongly controlled by processes and parameterized physics which need to be resolved with adequately high resolution for accurate assessment of local and regional-scale climate change.     

Potential impacts of East Asian winter monsoon on climate variability and predictability in the Australian summer monsoon region

This study explores potential impacts of the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) on summer climate variability and predictability in the Australia–Asian region through Australia–Asia (A-A) monsoon interactions. Observational analysis is conducted for the period of 1959 to 2001 using ERA-40 wind reanalysis and Climate Research Unit rainfall and surface temperature monthly datasets. Statistically significant correlations are established between the Australian summer monsoon and its rainfall variations with cross-equatorial flows penetrating from South China Sea region and northerly flow in the EAWM. The underlying mechanism for such connections is the response of the position and intensity of Hardley circulation to strong/weak EAWM. A strong EAWM is associated with an enhanced cross-equatorial flow crossing the maritime continent and a strengthened Australia summer monsoon westerlies which affect rainfall and temperature variations in northern and eastern part of the Australian continent. Furthermore, partial correlation analysis, which largely excludes El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) effects, suggests that these connections are the inherent features in the monsoon system. This is further supported by analyzing a global model experiment using persistent sea surface temperatures (SSTs) which, without any SST interannual variations, shows similar patterns as in the observational analysis. Furthermore, such interaction could potentially affect climate predictability in the region, as shown by some statistically significant lag correlations at monthly time scale. Such results are attributed to the impacts of EAWM on regional SST variations and its linkage to surface conditions in the Eurasian continent. Finally, such impacts under global warmed climate are discussed by analyzing ten IPCC AR4 models and results suggest they still exist in the warmed climate even though the EAWM tends to be weaker.