夏季北半球环状模态及其周期分析

对NCEWNCAR再分析资料中的北半球夏季（6—8月）海平面气压（sea level pressure,SLP）场进行EOF分解,其主要模态之一为夏季北半球环状模态（Northern Hemisphere annularmode,NAM）,体现出大气的纬向对称结构,SLP异常场在北极和中高纬地区呈现反相变化分布。通过经验模态分解和希尔伯特变换可知,夏季的环状模态具有准2a和准6a的年际周期,同时还具有准11a和准21a的年代际周期,其年际周期信号占主要部分。     

北极涛动的年代际变化及其气候影响

北极涛动(Arctic Oscillation,AO)是北半球热带外地区大气环流变率的主导模态,对北半球以及区域尺度气温变化具有重要影响。AO可在没有外强迫条件下通过波流相互作用形成,因此它被认为是全球气候系统内部变率的重要组成部分。研究年代际尺度上AO的变化及其气候影响,可加深对当前北半球气候变化规律的物理理解,也可为预估未来年代际尺度上气候变化及其不确定性提供科学依据。本文从AO影响东亚冬季风年代际变化的物理机制、AO对北半球冬季气温长期趋势的贡献、AO年代际影响的不确定性三个方面出发,简要回顾和总结了近年来有关年代际尺度上冬季AO时空变化及其对北半球气候影响的研究成果,并初步展望一些值得继续深入研究的问题。     

夏季纬向平均气流变动的主要模态及其与AO和ENSO的联系

使用NCEP-NCAR月平均再分析资料,研究了夏季纬向平均气流变动的主要模态及其与北极涛动(AO)和ENSO的联系,探讨了夏季[u]主要模态维持的可能机制。结果表明,北半球夏季纬向平均[u]的异常分布表现为两个主要模态。EOF1反映了与AO相对应的纬向平均[u]的分布,EOF2反映了与ENSO相对应的纬向平均[u]的分布。周期分析显示了EOF1、EOF2分别具有与AO及ENSO相似的周期。滞后相关分析表明,除了夏季之外的其他季节EOF1与ENSO存在显著相关,而EOF2与AO亦存在显著相关。夏季,EOF1与ENSO、EOF2与AO的同期相关量值小且不显著。这些说明,北半球夏季纬向平均气流变化的主要模态可以有效分离,其分别代表了AO和ENSO有关的信号。这对于更好地理解AO和ENSO的全球影响具有重要意义。利用准地转无加速定理,发现EOF1和EOF2对应的时间系数高低值年的E-P通量散度的合成差值场分别与纬向平均[u]的EOF1、EOF2分布表现出很好的对应关系,其中行星波对纬向平均气流主要模态的维持起着主要作用。余差环流与E-P通量散度分布型相似,量值相当,但符号相反。在一些地区,大气涡动的摩擦耗散也起着一定的作用。这些平衡了波动的能量输送作用,使纬向平均[u]的结构得以维持。     

北半球环状模波流相互作用动力学研究进展

总结了国内外学者对于北半球环状模（NAM：Northern Hemisphere Annular Mode）及其活动中心形成原因的研究成果。主要从NAM的天气、气候影响,波流相互作用原理对NAM形成的解释,NAM在北太平洋、北大西洋和北极3个区域活动中心的天气尺度波和行星尺度波活动等方面论述。NAM在对流层的变化与天气尺度波有关,北太平洋和北大西洋两个活动中心是天气尺度波活跃的区域,其峰值区表现为风暴轴,其中北大西洋天气尺度波破碎过程会使得NAM指数急剧变化。NAM在平流层的变化和准定常行星波关系密切,冬季准定常行星波会上传并与高纬平流层纬向流发生相互作用,从而引起北极极涡发生改变。准定常行星波将NAM 3个活动中心有机联系起来：对流层准定常行星波的纬向传播会影响北太平洋风暴轴的位置,而风暴轴的变化会影响下游北大西洋波破碎过程,同时准定常行星波的上传可以影响极涡活动。     

北极涛动和南极涛动的年变化特征

北极涛动(Arctic Oscillation,简称AO)和南极涛动(Antarctic Oscillation,简称AAO)分别用于描述北半球和南半球热带外气候变率的主要模态,它们分别是北半球和南半球中纬度和高纬度之间气压变化的跷跷板结构.作者利用1958年1月～1999年12月的NCEP/NCAR全球再分析月平均资料、北极涛动指数IAO和南极涛动指数IAAO来研究AO和AAO的年变化特征以及AO和AAO与纬向平均的月平均各要素场的相关系数随纬度和月份的变化规律.     

主编语

正北极涛动(AO)是指北半球中纬度地区与北极地区气压形势出现此消彼长的"跷跷板"式变化,是北半球中高纬地区大气环流年际变率的第一主导模态。而厄尔尼诺-南方涛动(ENSO)则是热带太平洋地区年际变化的最强信号,同时也是整个气候系统年际变化尺度上的最强信号。这两个气候系统对全球大范围的天气和气候都能产生显著的影响。本期主打文章(P6)总结了近年来关于AO影响ENSO的最新研究进展,旨     

下边界条件对北极涛动影响的数值模拟研究

利用NCAR大气模式CAM3.0探讨了包括山脉和海陆分布等下边界条件对北极涛动(AO)或北半球环状模(NAM)形成的影响.主要进行了控制试验和两个地形敏感性数值试验,对比了控制试验结果与资料分析结果.控制试验和NCEP/NCAR资料分析结果对比指出,CAM3.0模式能够较好地模拟出AO的水平环状结构和垂直相当正压结构.在去除山脉的敏感性试验中发现,AO中纬度北太平洋和北大西洋两个活动中心的强度、范围和位置发生变化.在水球敏感性试验中发现,AO两个大洋上的活动中心被环绕极地主活动中心的环状结构代替.两个敏感性试验共同表明,AO是大气内部某种过程作用的结果,它的存在本身不取决于下边界条件的改变.山脉和海陆分布主要影响的是AO的具体形态.通过控制试验和两个敏感性试验对比,又分析了准定常波和瞬变波对AO的影响.去除山脉和海陆分布热力差异共同强迫的准定常波,AO纬向平均纬向风高纬地区平流层异常最大值活动中心消失,这表明在平流层准定常波和纬向平均流的相互作用与AO活动关系密切.在只有对流层瞬变波作用时,AO仍然存在,表明准定常波不是AO存在的必要条件.平流层准定常波与平均流的相互作用和对流层瞬变波与平均流的相互作用与AO形成之间的具体关系有待通过E-P通量诊断进一步确定.     

南半球环状模气候影响的若干研究进展

南半球环状模是南半球热带外地区环流变率的主导模态。由于南半球环状模在空间上的大尺度特征,全球多个地区的气候均与南半球环状模的变化有关。探讨南半球环状模的气候影响,是近几十年来得到广泛关注并迅速发展的新方向。围绕这个方向,分别回顾了南半球环状模对南半球和北半球气候影响的研究进展,重点阐述了南半球环状模对中国气候影响的相关工作,并从长期变化尺度上,列举了南半球环状模与气候变化方面的研究成果。纵观近几十年的研究发现,针对南半球环状模对南半球的气候影响,目前已有比较系统的认识。总体而言,在年际尺度上,南半球环状模可以通过影响垂直环流和风暴轴的位置,改变表面风速对下垫面的热力和动力驱动作用,进而对南半球的海-气-冰耦合系统产生调控。这种调控多表现出纬向对称性,同时也存在纬向非对称的局地特征。在气候变化的尺度上,南半球环状模是过去半个世纪里南半球气候变化的主要驱动力之一。关于南半球环状模对北半球尤其是中国气候的影响问题,目前也取得了许多有意义的结果。例如,南半球环状模对东亚、西非、北美的夏季风和东亚冬季风均有作用,并且可以调控中国春季华南降水等。海-气耦合过程在南半球环状模对北半球气候的影响中扮演着重要角色,与南半球环状模信号的跨季节存储和由南半球向北半球的传播均有密切关系。但是,与南半球相比,南半球环状模对北半球气候影响的研究,还有许多问题值得深入讨论和研究：一是体现在对南半球环状模信号向北传播机制上的深入认识,二是将南半球环状模的信号作为因子在季节气候预测中的实践。     

基于CCM算法的北半球环状模与东北亚冬季地面气温因果关系的年际变化特征研究

北半球环状模(Northern Hemisphere Annular Mode, NAM)是北半球冬季最主要的环流系统,其变化对北半球的冬季气候变率具有重要的影响。现有研究多采用相关、合成等统计方法对NAM及气候要素进行研究,鲜少从因果关系的角度来进行分析。本文基于收敛交叉映射（Convergent Cross Mapping, CCM）算法,利用1960～2018年美国气候预测中心（Climate Prediction Center, CPC）的NAM指数、NCEP/NCAR再分析资料,分析了NAM与东北亚地区冬季地面气温（Surface Air Temperature, SAT）的因果关系的年际变化及其可能的物理机制。结果表明:1）NAM对东北亚地区冬季SAT具有单向因果关系,且其关系的强弱存在年际变化,2006年、1982年分别为因果影响的最大值和最小值年。2）冬季NAM指数存在显著的8～9年尺度主周期,该周期为冬季NAM影响东北亚地区SAT的驱动因子,其变化在一定程度上影响了NAM对东北亚地区SAT因果关系的年际变化。3）对比NAM对SAT影响的因果关系的最大值（2006年）和最小值（1982年）年环流形势,可见,高值年（2006年）NAM的“跷跷板”结构明显,而低值年（1982年）NAM的南北振荡形势并不明显。本文对于分析因果关系的年际、年代际变化给出了一个新的思路。     

BCC_CSM1.1气候模式年代际试验对北极涛动季节回报能力的初步评估

本文基于国家气候中心气候系统模式BCC_CSM1.1自1960—2004年每年起报的年代际预测试验结果,初步评估了该模式对北极涛动（AO）的预报技巧。同时,把该模式年代际预测结果与历史试验模拟比较,分析了气候模式初始化对年代际试验预测季节尺度AO及其年际变化的贡献。结果表明,年代际试验和历史试验均能反映出AO模态是北半球中高纬大气变率第一模态的特征,其中年代际预测试验回报的AO模态与观测的空间相关系数高于历史试验。两组试验基本能再现AO指数冬季最强、夏季最弱的特征。与历史试验相比,年代际预测试验回报月和冬季AO指数与观测的相关系数更高,特别是年代际试验与观测的月AO指数相关系数达到了0.1的显著性水平。年代际试验回报月、春季AO指数的变化周期更接近观测结果。因此,年代际试验中初始状态使用海温资料进行初始化,在一定程度上可以提高AO的回报能力。     

Modal aspects of the Northern Hemisphere annular mode as identified from the results of a GCM run

In order to study the physical nature of the Arctic Oscillation (AO) or the Northern Hemisphere annular mode (NAM), the linear stochastic model, constructed empirically from the output of a GCM run, is used to investigate the modal aspects of this climate variability mode. Theoretical analysis on the dominant modal response to the stochastic forcing is performed in terms of the maximum variance contribution. As the modal aspect of AO/NAM, two dominant normal modes are found to resemble the spatial structure of the AO/NAM represented by the leading EOF. These stochastically forced normal modes are regarded to be physical modes and thus can explain many fundamental features of the AO/NAM such as the barotropic annular dipole, tropospher–stratosphere coupling, and its dominance over the wintertime Northern Hemisphere. It then follows that the origin or physical nature of the AO/NAM can be attributed to the behaviors of the dominant annular normal modes. A key distinction of this study from previous eddy driving theories is that, to drive the variability, eddy forcing needs not to have a spatial structure completely coinciding with the pattern of the NAM, since the latter is mainly decided by the linear normal modes.     

近50年中国大陆冬季气温和区域环流的年代际变化研究

利用中国大陆468 个站点1960～2013 年逐日气温资料,本文首先对中国冬季气温的年代际变化特征进行分析。通过气候跃变检验分析发现,中国冬季气温在整体变暖的趋势上叠加有年代际波动,可划分为冷期、暖期和停滞期三个时期。本文对比三个时期的冬季大气环流发现,冷/停滞期（暖）期西风环流减弱（增强）而东亚大槽增强（浅薄）,槽后的辐合下沉增强（削弱）,西伯利亚高压增强（减弱）,这加强（削弱）了东亚冬季风,冷空气更多（少）侵入中国大陆地区,冬季气温偏低（高）。北半球环状模/北极涛动（Northern Hemisphere Annular Mode,NAM/Arctic Oscillation,AO）正是通过东亚冬季风系统对中国冬季气温,尤其是冬季最低气温有很强的年代际影响。太平洋年代际振荡（Pacific Decadal Oscillation,PDO）与中国冬季气温在年代际上也有很好的正相关关系。进一步将PDO 的年代际变化分量作为背景,分析NAM/AO 和厄尔尼诺—南方涛动（El Nino Southern Oscillation,ENSO）不同配置下的东亚冬季风环流场可以发现,两者的配置作用不仅影响着中国冬季气温一致变化型的年代际波动,而且也可以影响到冬季气温南北反相振荡型的变化,这从一个方面解释了1980 年代和1990年代北方变暖较强及最近十年北方降温趋势较为明显的原因。     

The variability of the horizontal circulation in the troposphere and stratosphere – a comparison

Summary The variability of the horizontal circulation in the stratosphere and troposphere of the Northern Hemisphere (NH) is compared by using various approaches. Spatial degrees of freedom (dof) on different time scales were derived. Modes of variability were computed in geopotential height fields at the tropospheric and stratospheric pressure levels by applying multivariate statistical approaches. Features of the spatial and temporal variability of the winterly zonal wind were studied with the help of recurrence and persistence analyses. The geopotential height and zonally-averaged zonal wind at the 50-, 500- and 1000-hPa level are used to investigate the behavior of the horizontal circulation in the lower stratosphere, mid-troposphere and at the near surface level, respectively. It is illustrated that the features of the variability of the horizontal circulation are very similar in the mid-troposphere and at the near surface level. Due to the filtering of tropospheric disturbances by the stratospheric and upper tropospheric zonal mean flow, the variability of the stratospheric circulation exhibits less spatial complexity than the circulation at tropospheric pressure levels. There exist enormous differences in the number of degrees of freedom (or free variability modes) between both atmospheric layers. Results of the analyses clearly show that the concept of a zonally symmetric AO with a simple structure in the troposphere similar to the one in the stratosphere is not valid. It is concluded that the spatially filtered climate change signal can be detected earlier in the stratosphere than in the mid-troposphere or at the near surface level. Received June 28, 2000/Revised March 10, 2001     

Simulation of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere Annular Modes by CAMS-CSM

As leading modes of the planetary-scale atmospheric circulation in the extratropics, the Northern Hemisphere(NH)annular mode(NAM) and Southern Hemisphere(SH) annular mode(SAM) are important components of global circulation, and their variabilities substantially impact the climate in mid-high latitudes. A 35-yr(1979-2013) simulation by the climate system model developed at the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences(CAMS-CSM) was carried out based on observed sea surface temperature and sea ice data. The ability of CAMS-CSM in simulating horizontal and vertical structures of the NAM and SAM, relation of the NAM to the East Asian climate, and temporal variability of the SAM is examined and validated against the observational data. The results show that CAMS-CSM captures the zonally symmetric and out-of-phase variations of sea level pressure anomaly between the midlatitudes and polar zones in the extratropics of the NH and SH. The model has also captured the equivalent barotropic structure in tropospheric geopotential height and the meridional shifts of the NH and SH jet systems associated with the NAM and SAM anomalies. Furthermore, the model is able to reflect the variability of northern and southern Ferrel cells corresponding to the NAM and SAM anomalies. The model reproduces the observed relationship of the boreal winter NAM with the East Asian trough and air temperature over East Asia. It also captures the upward trend of the austral summer SAM index during recent decades. However, compared with the observation, the model shows biases in both the intensity and center locations of the NAM's and SAM's horizontal and vertical structures. Specifically, it overestimates their intensities.     

Contrasting the tropical responses to zonally asymmetric extratropical and tropical thermal forcing

The mechanism is investigated by which extratropical thermal forcing with a finite zonal extent produces global impact. The goal is to understand the near-global response to a weakened Atlantic meridional overturning circulation suggested by paleoclimate data and modeling studies. An atmospheric model coupled to an aquaplanet slab mixed layer ocean, in which the unperturbed climate is zonally symmetric, is perturbed by prescribing cooling of the mixed layer in the Northern Hemisphere and heating of equal magnitude in the Southern Hemisphere, over some finite range of longitudes. In the case of heating/cooling confined to the extratropics, the zonally asymmetric forcing is homogenized by midlatitude westerlies and extratropical eddies before passing on to the tropics, inducing a zonally symmetric tropical response. In addition, the zonal mean responses vary little as the zonal extent of the forced region is changed, holding the zonal mean heating fixed, implying little impact of stationary eddies on the zonal mean. In contrast, when the heating/cooling is confined to the tropics, the zonally asymmetric forcing produces a highly localized response with slight westward extension, due to advection by mean easterly trade winds. Regardless of the forcing location, neither the spatial structure nor the zonal mean responses are strongly affected by wind–evaporation–sea surface temperature feedback.     

Interannual variability of winter precipitation over northwest India and adjoining region: impact of global forcings

The role of El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the mechanism through which ENSO influences the precipitation variability over northwest India and the adjoining (NWIA) region is well documented. In this study, the relative role of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)/Arctic Oscillation (AO) and ENSO in modulating the Asian jet stream in the Northern Hemisphere winter and their relative impact on the precipitation variability over the region have been estimated through analysis of observed data. It is seen that interannual variations of NWIA precipitation are largely influenced by ENSO. An empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis has been carried out to understand dominant modes of interannual variability of zonal wind at 200 hPa of the Northern Hemisphere. The EOF-1 pattern in the tropical region is similar to that of an ENSO pattern, and the principal component (PC) time series corresponds to the ENSO time series. The EOF-2 spatial pattern resembles that of NAO/AO with correlation of PC time series with AO and NAO being 0.74 and 0.62, respectively. The precipitation anomaly time series over the region of interest has marginally higher correlation with the PC-2 time series as compared to that of PC-1. Regression analysis of precipitation and circulation parameters indicates a larger contribution of the second mode to variability of winds and precipitation over the NWIA. Moisture transport from the Arabian Sea during the active phase of NAO/AO and the presence of a cyclonic anomaly lead to higher precipitation over the NWIA region.     

Leading patterns of the tropical Atlantic variability in a coupled general circulation model

This paper examines the mean annual cycle, interannual variability, and leading patterns of the tropical Atlantic Ocean simulated in a long-term integration of the climate forecast system (CFS), a state-of-the-art coupled general circulation model presently used for operational climate prediction at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction. By comparing the CFS simulation with corresponding observation-based analyses or reanalyses, it is shown that the CFS captures the seasonal mean climate, including the zonal gradients of sea surface temperature (SST) in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean, even though the CFS produces warm mean biases and underestimates the variability over the southeastern ocean. The seasonal transition from warm to cold phase along the equator is delayed 1 month in the CFS compared with the observations. This delay might be related to the failure of the model to simulate the cross-equatorial meridional wind associated with the African monsoon. The CFS also realistically simulates both the spatial structure and spectral distributions of the three major leading patterns of the SST anomalies in the tropical Atlantic Ocean: the south tropical Atlantic pattern (STA), the North tropical Atlantic pattern (NTA), and the southern subtropical Atlantic pattern (SSA). The CFS simulates the seasonal dependence of these patterns and partially reproduces their association with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation. The dynamical and thermodynamical processes associated with these patterns in the simulation and the observations are similar. The air-sea interaction processes associated with the STA pattern are well simulated in the CFS. The primary feature of the anomalous circulation in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) associated with the NTA pattern resembles that in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) linked with the SSA pattern, implying a similarity of the mechanisms in the evolution of these patterns and their connection with the tropical and extratropical anomalies in their respective hemispheres. The anomalies associated with both the SSA and NTA patterns are dominated by atmospheric fluctuations of equivalent-barotropic structure in the extratropics including zonally symmetric and asymmetric components. The zonally symmetric variability is associated with the annular modes, the Arctic Oscillation in the NH and the Antarctic Oscillation in the SH. The zonally asymmetric part of the anomalies in the Atlantic is teleconnected with the anomalies over the tropical Pacific. The misplaced teleconnection center over the southern subtropical ocean may be one of the reasons for the deformation of the SSA pattern in the CFS.