Distinguished Effects of Interannual Salinity Variability on the Development of the Central-Pacific El Nino Events

El Nio events in the central equatorial Pacific (CP) are gaining increased attention,due to their increasing intensity within the global warming context.Various physical processes have been identified in the climate system that can be responsible for the modulation of El Nio,especially the effects of interannual salinity variability.In this work,a comprehensive data analysis is performed to illustrate the effects of interannual salinity variability using surface and subsurface salinity fields from the Met Office ENSEMBLES (EN3) quality controlled ocean dataset.It is demonstrated that during the developing phase of an El Nio event,a negative sea surface salinity (SSS) anomaly in the western-central basin acts to freshen the mixed layer (ML),decrease oceanic density in the upper ocean,and stabilize the upper layers.These related oceanic processes tend to reduce the vertical mixing and entrainment of subsurface water at the base of the ML,which further enhances the warm sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies associated with the El Nio event.However,the effects of interannually variable salinity are much more significant during the CP-El Nio than during the eastern Pacific (EP) El Nio,indicating that the salinity effect might be an important contributor to the development of CP-El Nio events.     

Interannual heat content variability in the South China Sea and its response to ENSO

The interannual variability of upper ocean heat content (OHC) in the South China Sea (SCS) for the period of 1987–2006 and its response to ENSO events are investigated. It is found that the variability has a good correspondence with ENSO events, but with opposite phase. Negative OHC anomalies appear during ENSO warm phases, while positive OHC anomalies occur during ENSO cool phases. In addition, negative (positive) OHC anomalies propagate westward obviously during ENSO warm (cool) phases in the northern SCS. In contrast, OHC anomalies in the southern SCS do not exhibit distinct westward propagation during ENSO events. To explore why the OHC anomalies cannot propagate westward in the southern SCS, the interannual variability of oceanic and atmospheric anomaly fields including wind stress curl (WSC), horizontal wind stress, latent heat flux (LHF) and sea level pressure (SLP) is investigated. The results show that after a mature phase of ENSO warm (cool) event, negative (positive) OHC anomalies first appear in the northern SCS, which comes from the western Pacific through Luzon Strait. Then cyclonic (anticyclonic) wind stress anomalies occur in the northern SCS, which leads to positive (negative) WSC anomalies. Meanwhile, positive (negative) LHF anomalies which correspond to oceanic heat loss (gain) occur in this region. The effects of WSC and LHF, combined with the westward propagating negative (positive) OHC anomalies from the western Pacific, may contribute to rapid growth and propagation of the OHC anomalies in the northern SCS. On the contrary, the negative (positive) WSC and LHF anomalies associated with positive (negative) SLP in the southern SCS seem to be the important processes responsible for the weakening and non-propagation of the OHC anomalies in the southern SCS after a mature phase of ENSO warm (cool) event.     

The Influence of Tibetan Plateau on the Interannual Variability of Asian Monsoon

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Interannual and Interdecadal Variations in Heat Content of the Upper Ocean of the South China Sea

The vertically averaged temperature (TAV) from surface to 100 m depth of the South China Sea for the period 1959-1988 is analyzed. The results indicate that there is a significant long-term variability from interannual to interdecadal scales in the heat content in the upper ocean. The heat content of the upper ocean of the South China Sea increases evidently in the El Nino year. TAV anomaly in the ocean was negative from the end of 1950’s to early l970’s, and then changed to positive. The changes of TAV of the ocean are closely related to ENSO events, the Asian winter monsoon and the tropical atmospheric circulation anomalies.     

Factors that affect the amplitude of El Nino in global coupled climate models

Historically, El Nino-like events simulated in global coupled climate models have had reduced amplitude compared to observations. Here, El Nino-like phenomena are compared in ten sensitivity experiments using two recent global coupled models. These models have various combinations of horizontal and vertical ocean resolution, ocean physics, and atmospheric model resolution. It is demonstrated that the lower the value of the ocean background vertical diffusivity, the greater the amplitude of El Nino variability which is related primarily to a sharper equatorial thermocline. Among models with low background vertical diffusivity, stronger equatorial zonal wind stress is associated with relatively higher amplitude El Nino variability along with more realistic east–west sea surface temperature (SST) gradient along the equator. The SST seasonal cycle in the eastern tropical Pacific has too much of a semiannual component with a double intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) in all experiments, and thus does not affect, nor is it affected by, the amplitude of El Nino variability. Systematic errors affecting the spatial variability of El Nino in the experiments are characterized by the eastern equatorial Pacific cold tongue regime extending too far westward into the warm pool. The time scales of interannual variability (as represented by time series of Nino3 SSTs) show significant power in the 3–4 year ENSO band and 2–2.5 year tropospheric biennial oscillation (TBO) band in the model experiments. The TBO periods in the models agree well with the observations, while the ENSO periods are near the short end of the range of 3–6 years observed during the period 1950–94. The close association between interannual variability of equatorial eastern Pacific SSTs and large-scale SST patterns is represented by significant correlations between Nino3 time series and the PC time series of the first EOFs of near-global SSTs in the models and observations. Received: 17 April 2000 / Accepted: 17 August 2000     

揭阳市降水气候特征及其与厄尔尼诺/拉尼娜事件的关系

根据1967-2016年揭阳市4个国家气象站(揭阳市区、揭西、普宁、惠来)的观测资料以及Nino3+4区的海温指数(ONI),分析了揭阳市降水量、暴雨日数与厄尔尼诺/拉尼娜事件的关系。结果表明,50a来揭阳市的年降水量呈现出年际和年代际波动起伏的特点。在厄尔尼诺/拉尼娜事件发生时,揭阳春季降水主要表现为偏多/偏少,秋季降水主要表现为偏少/偏多,秋季暴雨日数主要表现为偏少或偏多;冬季暴雨只出现在厄尔尼诺事件或拉尼娜事件发生的年份。     

Modulation of El Nino-Southern Oscillation by Freshwater Flux and Salinity Variability in the Tropical Pacific

The El Nin o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is modulated by many factors; most previous studies have emphasized the roles of wind stress and heat flux in the tropical Pacific. Freshwater flux (FWF) is another environmental forcing to the ocean; its effect and the related ocean salinity variability in the ENSO region have been of increased interest recently. Currently, accurate quantifications of the FWF roles in the climate remain challenging; the related observations and coupled ocean-atmosphere modeling involve large elements of uncertainty. In this study, we utilized satellite-based data to represent FWF-induced feedback in the tropical Pacific climate system; we then incorporated these data into a hybrid coupled ocean-atmosphere model (HCM) to quantify its effects on ENSO. A new mechanism was revealed by which interannual FWF forcing modulates ENSO in a significant way. As a direct forcing, FWF exerts a significant influence on the ocean through sea surface salinity (SSS) and buoyancy flux (Q B ) in the western-central tropical Pacific. The SSS perturbations directly induced by ENSO-related interannual FWF variability affect the stability and mixing in the upper ocean. At the same time, the ENSO-induced FWF has a compensating effect on heat flux, acting to reduce interannual Q B variability during ENSO cycles. These FWF-induced processes in the ocean tend to modulate the vertical mixing and entrainment in the upper ocean, enhancing cooling during La Nin a and enhancing warming during El Nin o, respectively. The interannual FWF forcing-induced positive feedback acts to enhance ENSO amplitude and lengthen its time scales in the tropical Pacific coupled climate system.     

热带低层大气30～60天低频动能的年际变化与ENSO循环

利用NCEP再分析资料,通过统计相关及合成分析研究了热带大气季节内振荡(ISO)的年际变化与ENSO循环之间的关系.结果表明,热带大气季节内振荡(也称30～60天低频振荡)的年际变化在热带中西太平洋地区最强.在ElNino成熟之前的春夏季,热带西太平洋的30～60天振荡异常活跃,其动能明显增加且逐渐东移;在E1Nino成熟以后,热带西太平洋大气30～60天低频振荡迅速减弱.与这种加强的30～60天振荡相伴随,在赤道北侧为异常的气旋式环流,赤道地区出现偏西风异常.相反,在LaNina成熟之前的春夏季,热带西太平洋大气30～60天振荡偏弱.进一步的分析还发现,东亚冬季风的年际变化是引起热带大气30～60天振荡的年际变化的主要机制:强东亚冬季风导致热带西太平洋积云对流加强,从而引起热带西太平洋大气30～60天振荡加强;相反,对应于弱的东亚冬季风,热带西太平洋地区积云对流偏弱,大气30～60天振荡偏弱.作者的资料分析还证实,热带大气30～60天低频振荡的年际变化,作为一种外强迫,对ElNino的形成起着十分重要的作用.     

Interannual and Decadal Variability of Landfalling Tropical Cyclones in the Southeast Coastal States of the United States

The interannual variability of the Atlantic tropical cyclone(TC)frequency is well known.Separately,recent studies have also suggested that a much longer,multidecadal(40-60 year)trend might be emerging from the recent increase in Atlantic TC activity.However,the overall structure of the intrinsic frequencies(or temporal modes)of Atlantic TC activity is not yet known.The focus of this study is to systematically analyze the intrinsic frequencies of Atlantic TC activity using hurricane and tropical storm landfall data collected along the southeast coast(SEC)of the United States.Based on an Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) analysis of the frequency of landfall TCs along the SEC from 188701999,we have found that Atlantic TC activity has four primary,temporal modes.The interannual and multidecadal modes reported in the published literature are two such modes.After identifying all primary modes,the relative importance of each mode and its physical cause can be analyzed.For example,the most energetic mode is the interannual mode(2-7 year period).This mode is known to be associated with the 2-7 year El Nino/La Nino cycle.The average number of annual landfalling TCs along the SEC decreased by 24% during El Nino years,but did not show significant increase during weak and moderate La Nina years.However,intense La Nina years were generally associated with more than average landfalling TCs along the SEC.The effects of El Nino and La Nina also became more significant when only hurricanes were considered.The significance of the effects of El Nino and La Nina on landfalling TCs and hurricanes in different US southeast coastal states showed significant differences.     

The characteristics of 30–60 day oscillation and its relations to the interannual oscillations

The characteristics of 30-60 day oscillation (hereafter called LFO ) of the outgoing longwave radiation data (OLR) and its relations to the interannual oscillations of the sea surface temperature (SST) are investigated by using the daily OLR data for the period from January, 1979 to December, 1987 and the corresponding monthly SST data. II is found that the LFO the band the interannual oscillations of the SST monthly anomaly (SSTA) interact each oth-er and they all relate to the occurrence and development of El Nino events closely. Before El Nino event happens, it contributes to the SST’s warming up and to the SST’s quasi-biennial oscillation (called QBO for brevity) and three and half years oscillation (called SO for short) being in warm water phase in the equatorial central and eastern Pacific (ECP and EEP) that the LFO in the equatorial western Pacific (EWP) enhances and propagates eastward; When El Nino event takes place, the LFO, SSTA and SSTA’s QBO and SO in the EEP interact and strengthen each other; But the warmer SST and the SSTA’s QBO and SO in the warm water phase in the EEP contribute to the LFO's weak-ening in the equatorial Pacific. Moreover, these contribute to the SST in the EEP becoming cold and the SSTA’s QBO and SO in the EWP being in cold water phase and then impel the El Nino event to end.     

Characteristics of the synoptic time scale variability over the South China Sea based on Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission

Characteristics of the synoptic time scale variability over the South China Sea (SCS) are explored based on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and auxiliary atmospheric data. Unlike the intraseasonal oscillations, which are significant only during the summer monsoon season (May–September), the synoptic timescale disturbances are active not only during the periods of the South China Sea Summer Monsoon (SCSSM), but also after summer monsoon retreat (October–December). The maximum synoptic time scale signals occur in September. The synoptic time scale variabilities over the SCS are strong modulated by the ENSO events, especially after the retreat of the SCSSM. The synoptic timescale signals in October–December are much stronger during the La Nina years than those in the El Nino years. Moreover, the synoptic time scale variabilities over the SCS are also related the activities of the SCSSM. The synoptic time scale signals in the monsoon onset periods and the early summer are much stronger during the strong SCSSM years than during the weak SCSSM years.     

太平洋混合层厚度(dml)年际异常的初步分析

用太平洋区域30a逐月混合层厚度(d_ml)及浅层海温(T_s)距平资料,分析了20°S以北太平洋区域d_ml年际变率的地理分布和季节变化,得到两个纬向d_ml高变率带,它们分别位于北太平洋(45°N附近)和赤道中、西太平洋。重点分析了赤道太平洋d_ml高变率带,并对其上混合层气候位置、d_ml年际异常与ElNino事件关系及伴随强ElNino事件的d_ml正异常东传等作了初步分析。     

An OGCM Simulation of Seasonal and Interannual Variabilities in the Surface—Layer Pacific of the Equatorial Band

The heat budget is analyzed in the surface-layer (0-50 m) Pacific of the equatorial band (10°S-10°N),using the simulation of an ocean general circulation model from 1945 to 1993. The analysis indicates that downward net surface heat flux from the atmosphere and ocean advective heat fluxes play distinct roles in seasonal and interannual variabilities of surface-layer ocean temperature. The surface heat flux dominantly determines the ocean temperature in the seasonal time-scale. But, it has a negative feedback to the ocean temperature in the interannual time-scale. The interannual variability of ocean temperature is largely associated with the cold advection from off-equatorial divergent flow in the central Pacific and from upwelling in the cold tongue. Both the surface heat flux and ocean advective heat fluxes are important to the ocean temperature during an El Nino event. The ocean advective heat fluxes are further associated with local westward trade wind in the central Pacific. These results are largely consistent with some regional observational analyses.     

南海台风状况下海气界面热量交换研究

根据国家海洋局南海分局的Marex(马瑞克斯)数据浮标观测资料、南海断面线 调查资料和西沙海洋站资料，计算了南海海气界面热量交换值。研究结果表明:不论是夏季还是秋季，在台风环流内海气界面热量交换均非常强烈，主要贡献来自潜热通量(Qv)，位于(20.49°N，114.14°E)附近海域。夏季台风环流内显热通量(Qk)出现负值，海面有效反射辐射(Qe)出现减弱现象；秋冬季节台风环流内Qk量值增加显著均为正值，Qe有加强的现象。分析实测资料发现:1961～1989年8次ElNino事件过程中，西沙海洋站水温比赤道太平洋水温提早出现增暖现象的有4次，水温推迟出现增暖现象的也是4次。西沙海洋站水温增暖出现在12月的仅有1次。ElNino事件发生后，南海水温异常增暖，但是海气界面热量交换反而减弱。     

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN AUTUMN INDIAN OCEAN DIPOLE MODE AND THE STRENGTH OF SCS SUMMER MONSOON

Based on 1948 - 2004 monthly Reynolds Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and NCEP/NCAR atmospheric reanalysis data, the relationships between autumn Indian Ocean Dipole Mode (IODM) and the strength of South China Sea (SCS) Summer Monsoon are investigated through the EOF and smooth correlation methods. The results are as the following. (1) There are two dominant modes of autumn SSTA over the tropical Indian Ocean. They are the uniformly signed basin-wide mode (USBM) and Indian Ocean dipole mode (IODM), respectively. The SSTA associated with USBM are prevailing decadal to interdecadal variability characterized by a unanimous pattern, while the IODM mainly represents interannual variability of SSTA. (2) When positive (negative) IODM exists over the tropical Indian Ocean during the preceding fall, the SCS summer monsoon will be weak (strong). The negative correlation between the interannual variability of IODM and that of SCS summer monsoon is significant during the warm phase of long-term trend but insignificant during the cool phase. (3) When the SCS summer monsoon is strong (weak), the IODM will be in its positive (negative) phase during the following fall season. The positive correlation between the interannual variability of SCS summer monsoon and that of IODM is significant during both the warm and cool phase of the long-term trend, but insignificant during the transition between the two phases.     

Upper-ocean dynamical features and prediction of the super El Niño in 2015/16: A comparison with the cases in 1982/83 and 1997/98

The 2015/16 super El Niño event has been widely recognized as comparable to the 1982/83 and 1997/98 El Niño events. This study examines the main features of upper-ocean dynamics in this new super event, contrasts them to those in the two historical super events, and quantitatively compares the major oceanic dynamical feedbacks based on a mixed-layer heat budget analysis of the tropical Pacific. During the early stage, this new event is characterized by an eastward propagation of SST anomalies and a weak warm-pool El Niño; whereas during its mature phase, it is characterized by a weak westward propagation and a westward-shifted SST anomaly center, mainly due to the strong easterly wind and cold upwelling anomalies in the far eastern Pacific, as well as the westward anomalies of equatorial zonal current and subsurface ocean temperature. The heat budget analysis shows that the thermocline feedback is the most crucial process inducing the SST anomaly growth and phase transition of all the super events, and particularly for this new event, the zonal advective feedback also exerts an important impact on the formation of the strong warming and westward-shifted pattern of SST anomalies. During this event, several westerly wind burst events occur, and oceanic Kelvin waves propagate eastwards before being maintained over eastern Pacific in the mature stage. Mean-while, there is no evidence for westward propagation of the off-equatorial oceanic Rossby waves though the discharging process of equatorial heat during the development and mature stages. The second generation El Niño prediction system of the Beijing Climate Center produced reasonable event real-time operational prediction during 2014–16, wherein the statistical prediction model that considers the preceding oceanic precursors plays an important role in the multi-method ensemble prediction of this super.     

大气季节内振荡：其全球同步性及其与ENSO的关系

利用美国国家环境预报中心和大气研究中心的大气再分析资料，分析研究了大气季节内振荡的年际变化及其与ＥＮＳＯ的关系。揭示了全球不同纬度带之间存在着的大气季节内振荡年际变化的同步性，以及大气季节内振荡与海温和大气向外长波辐射之关系的复杂性。我们还发现大气季节内振荡与Ｎｉｎｏ３指数的关系存在年代际尺度的变化，即，这种关系有时强时弱的现象。     

The Influence of Tibetan Plateau on the Interannual Variability of Atmospheric Circulation over Tropical Pacific

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ENSO 循环过程中逐月海温异常的合成分析

文章基于UK和MIT 1990年整编的12年（1968～1977年和1982～1983年）逐月5°×5°经纬网格点的海温（SST）距平资料，对其间发生的4次El Nino事件和3次La Nina事件作了逐月全球SST异常分布的合成分析。合成结果表明:在El Nino事件的形成阶段，赤道中太平洋存在明显的东传暖性低频扰动；而在La Nina事件的形成阶段，南北美沿岸有稳定增强的冷中心向西发展。     

Quantifications of the Two “Flavours” of El Niño using Upper-Ocean Heat Content

The sea surface temperature (SST) or sea level pressure (SLP) has usually been used to measure the strength of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. In this study, two new indices, based on the upper-ocean heat content (HC), are proposed to quantify the two “flavours” of El Niño (i.e., the Cold Tongue El Niño (CTE) and Warm Pool El Niño (WPE)). Compared with traditional SST or SLP indices, the new HC-based indices can distinguish CTE and WPE events much better and also represent the two leading modes of the interannual variability of the atmosphere–ocean coupled system in the tropical Indo-Pacific region. The two leading modes are obtained by performing multivariate Empirical Orthogonal Function analysis on two oceanic variables (SST and HC) over the tropical Pacific (30°S–30°N, 120°E–80°W) and six atmospheric variables (outgoing longwave radiation, SLP, streamfunction, and velocity potential at 850?hPa and 200?hPa) over the tropical Indo-Pacific region (30°S–30°N, 60°E–80°W) for the period 1980–2010. Because the two new HC-based indices are capable of better depicting coherent variations between the ocean and atmosphere, they can provide a supplementary tool for ENSO monitoring of and climate research into the two flavours of El Niño.