Solar Wind:A Possible Factor Driving the Interannual Sea Surface Temperature Tripolar Mode over North Atlantic

The effect of solar wind(SW) on the North Atlantic sea surface temperature(SST) in boreal winter is examined through an analysis of observational data during 1964-2013.The North Atlantic SSTs show a pronounced meridional tripolar pattern in response to solar wind speed(SWS) variations.This pattern is broadly similar to the leading empirical orthogonal function(EOF) mode of interannual variations in the wintertime SSTs over North Atlantic.The time series of this leading EOF mode of SST shows a significant interannual period,which is the same as that of wintertime SWS.This response also appears as a compact north-south seesaw of sea level pressure and a vertical tripolar structure of zonal wind,which simultaneously resembles the North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO) in the overlying atmosphere.As compared with the typical low SWS winters,during the typical high SWS winters,the stratospheric polar night jet(PNJ) is evidently enhanced and extends from the stratosphere to the troposphere,even down to the North Atlantic Ocean surface.Notably,the North Atlantic Ocean is an exclusive region in which the SW signal spreads downward from the stratosphere to the troposphere.Thus,it seems that the SW is a possible factor for this North Atlantic SST tripolar mode.The dynamical process of stratosphere-troposphere coupling,together with the global atmospheric electric circuit-cloud microphysical process,probably accounts for the particular downward propagation of the SW signal.     

热带海面温度对亚马逊旱季降水年际变率的影响及机制

用偏最小二乘(Partial Least Square,PLS)回归方法分析了 1979～2018年影响亚马逊旱季(6～8月)降水年际变率的热带海面温度模态.第一海面温度模态解释了总方差的64％,主要表现为前期亚马逊雨季(12月至次年2月)至旱季(6～8月)热带东太平洋La Ni?a型海面温度异常演变.12月至次年2月...     

Multidecadal-to-centennial SST variability in the MPI-ESM simulation ensemble for the last millennium

We assess the responses of North Atlantic, North Pacific, and tropical Indian Ocean Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) to natural forcing and their linkage to simulated global surface temperature (GST) variability in the MPI-Earth System Model simulation ensemble for the last millennium. In the simulations, North Atlantic and tropical Indian Ocean SSTs show a strong sensitivity to external forcing and a strong connection to GST. The leading mode of extra-tropical North Pacific SSTs is, on the other hand, rather resilient to natural external perturbations. Strong tropical volcanic eruptions and, to a lesser extent, variability in solar activity emerge as potentially relevant sources for multidecadal SST modes’ phase modulations, possibly through induced changes in the atmospheric teleconnection between North Atlantic and North Pacific that can persist over decadal and multidecadal timescales. Linkages among low-frequency regional modes of SST variability, and among them and GST, can remarkably vary over the integration time. No coherent or constant phasing is found between North Pacific and North Atlantic SST modes over time and among the ensemble members. Based on our assessments of how multidecadal transitions in simulated North Atlantic SSTs compare to reconstructions and of how they contribute characterizing simulated multidecadal regional climate anomalies, past regional climate multidecadal fluctuations seem to be reproducible as simulated ensemble-mean responses only for temporal intervals dominated by major external forcings.     

Interannual winter rainfall variability in SW South Africa and large scale ocean–atmosphere interactions

Summary The Southwestern Cape (SWC) region of South Africa is characterized by winter rainfall mainly via cold fronts and by substantial interannual variability. Evidence is presented that interannual variability in SWC winter rainfall is related to sea-surface temperature (SST) and sea-ice anomalies in the central South Atlantic and adjoining Southern Ocean and to large scale ocean–atmosphere interaction in this region. During wet winters, the jet is strengthened just upstream of the SWC and significant cyclonic anomalies extend from the SW Atlantic over the region. SST tends to be anomalously warm (cool) in the SW Atlantic and SE Atlantic (central South Atlantic) and sea-ice extent increased in the central South Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. These patterns favor increased cyclogenesis upstream, a more northward track of midlatitude depressions, local intensification near the SWC and enhanced rainfall. Roughly the reverse patterns occur during dry winters. Some preliminary results from atmospheric GCM experiments are presented which help support these findings. Received November 9, 2001 Revised December 28, 2001     

Changes of interannual NAO variability in response to greenhouse gases forcing

Observations show that there was change in interannual North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) variability in the mid-1970s. This change was characterized by an eastward shift of the NAO action centres, a poleward shift of zonal wind anomalies and a downstream extension of climate anomalies associated with the NAO. The NAO interannual variability for the period after the mid-1970s has an annular mode structure that penetrates deeply into the stratosphere, indicating a strengthened relationship between the NAO and the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and strengthened stratosphere-troposphere coupling. In this study we have investigated possible causes of these changes in the NAO by carrying out experiments with an atmospheric GCM. The model is forced either by doubling CO₂, or increasing sea surface temperatures (SST), or both. In the case of SST forcing the SST anomaly is derived from a coupled model simulation forced by increasing CO₂. Results indicate that SST and CO₂ change both force a poleward and eastward shift in the pattern of interannual NAO variability and the associated poleward shift of zonal wind anomalies, similar to the observations. The effect of SST change can be understood in terms of mean changes in the troposphere. The direct effect of CO₂ change, in contrast, can not be understood in terms of mean changes in the troposphere. However, there is a significant response in the stratosphere, characterized by a strengthened climatological polar vortex with strongly enhanced interannual variability. In this case, the NAO interannual variability has a strong link with the variability over the North Pacific, as in the annular AO pattern, and is also strongly related to the stratospheric vortex, indicating strengthened stratosphere-troposphere coupling. The similarity of changes in many characteristics of NAO interannual variability between the model response to doubling CO₂ and those in observations in the mid-1970s implies that the increase of greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere, and the resulting changes in the stratosphere, might have played an important role in the multidecadal change of interannual NAO variability and its associated climate anomalies during the late twentieth century. The weak change in mean westerlies in the troposphere in response to CO₂ change implies that enhanced and eastward extended mid-latitude westerlies in the troposphere might not be a necessary condition for the poleward and eastward shift of the NAO action centres in the mid-1970s.     

Twentieth century North Atlantic climate change. Part II: Understanding the effect of Indian Ocean warming

Ensembles of atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) experiments are used in an effort to understand the boreal winter Northern Hemisphere (NH) extratropical climate response to the observed warming of tropical sea surface temperatures (SSTs) over the last half of the twentieth Century. Specifically, we inquire about the origins of unusual, if not unprecedented, changes in the wintertime North Atlantic and European climate that are well described by a linear trend in most indices of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The simulated NH atmospheric response to the linear trend component of tropic-wide SST change since 1950 projects strongly onto the positive polarity of the NAO and is a hemispheric pattern distinguished by decreased (increased) Arctic (middle latitude) sea level pressure. Progressive warming of the Indian Ocean is the principal contributor to this wintertime extratropical response, as shown through additional AGCM ensembles forced with only the SST trend in that sector. The Indian Ocean influence is further established through the reproducibility of results across three different models forced with identical, idealized patterns of the observed warming. Examination of the transient atmospheric adjustment to a sudden “switch-on” of an Indian Ocean SST anomaly reveals that the North Atlantic response is not consistent with linear theory and most likely involves synoptic eddy feedbacks associated with changes in the North Atlantic storm track. The tropical SST control exerted over twentieth century regional climate underlies the importance of determining the future course of tropical SST for regional climate change and its uncertainty. Better understanding of the extratropical responses to different, plausible trajectories of the tropical oceans is key to such efforts.     

ENSO variability and atmospheric response in a global coupled atmosphere-ocean GCM

The interannual variability associated with the El Ni?o/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle is investigated using a relatively high-resolution (T42) coupled general circulation model (CGCM) of the atmosphere and ocean. Although the flux correction is restricted to annual means of heat and freshwater, the annual as well as the seasonal climate of the CGCM is in good agreement with that of the atmospheric model component forced with observed sea surface temperatures (SSTs). During a 100-year simulation of the present-day climate, the model is able to capture many features of the observed interannual SST variability in the tropical Pacific. This includes amplitude, lifetime and frequency of occurrence of El Ni?o events and also the phase locking of the SST anomalies to the annual cycle. Although the SST warming during the evolution of El Ni?os is too confined spatially, and the warming along the Peruvian coast is much too weak, the patterns and magnitudes of key atmospheric anomalies such as westerly wind stress and precipitation, and also their eastward migration from the western to the central equatorial Pacific is in accord with observations. There is also a qualitative agreement with the results obtained from the atmospheric model forced with observed SSTs from 1979 through 1994. The large-scale dynamic response during the mature phase of ENSO (December through February) is characterized by an eastward displacement and weakening of the Walker cell in the Pacific while the Hadley cell intensifies and moves equatorward. Similar to the observations, there is a positive correlation between tropical Pacific SST and the winter circulation in the North Pacific. The deepening of the Aleutian low during the ENSO winters is well captured by the model as well as the cooling in the central North Pacific and the warming over Canada and Alaska. However, there are indications that the anomalies of both SST and atmospheric circulation are overemphasized in the North Pacific. Finally, there is evidence of a coherent downstream effect over the North Atlantic as indicated by negative correlations between the PNA index and the NAO index, for example. The weakening of the westerlies across the North Atlantic in ENSO winters which is related to a weakening and southwestward displacement of the Icelandic low, is in broad agreement with the observations, as well as the weak tendency for colder than normal winters in Europe. Received: 31 October 1995 / Accepted: 29 May 1996     

西南季风期间斯里兰卡降水的年代际、年际变化及其与热带印度洋的联系

本文主要研究了1979—2016期间斯里兰卡在西南季风期间降水的年代际、年际变化以及与印度洋海温的联系.首先用经验正交的方法分析了斯里兰卡以及周边地区降水的时空分布,发现前两个模态能够解释超过70%的方差.其中第一模态为均一模态,且其PC1以及斯里兰卡7 a滑动平均降水序列都有年代际变化,降水异常在2000年前后异常偏多和偏少.通过合成分析发现2000年之后降水的异常减少与热带西部、中部印度洋的暖海温异常有关.暖海温异常通过调整经向环流引起了斯里兰卡上空的下沉运动,抑制了降水.在第二模态中,负的信号出现在斯里兰卡大部分地区,只有在斯里兰卡北部海角很小地区出现了正的信号.PC2表现出了年际变化,且与热带东南印度洋海温异常有显著的关系.通过Gill-Matsuno响应,热带东南印度洋海温异常造成热带北印度洋上空的气旋性环流异常,引起了水汽的辐合,从而利于降水.     

北大西洋年际变率的海气耦合模式模拟II：热带太平洋强迫

利用一个全球海气耦合模式(BCM),结合观测资料,讨论了热带太平洋强迫对北大西洋年际气候变率的影响。研究表明,BCM能够相对合理地模拟赤道太平洋的年际变率模态及相应的海温距平型和大气遥相关型,尽管其准3年的振荡周期过于规则。来自数值模式和观测上的证据都表明,北大西洋冬季海温的主导性变率模态,即自北而南出现的“- -”的海温距平型,受到来自热带太平洋强迫的显著影响,其正位相与赤道中东太平洋冷事件相对应。换言之,赤道太平洋暖事件的发生,在太平洋-北美沿岸激发出PNA遥相关型,进而通过在北大西洋产生类似NAO负位相的气压距平型,削弱本来与NAO正位相直接联系的三核型海温距平。北大西洋三核型海温距平对热带太平洋强迫的响应,要滞后2—3个月的时间。     

A dynamic link between the basin-scale and zonal modes in the Tropical Indian Ocean

Summary The interannual variability of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the tropical Indian Ocean is dominated mainly by a basin-scale mode (BM) and partly by an east–west contrast mode (zonal mode, ZM). The BM reflects the basin-scale warming or cooling and is highly correlated with El Nino with 3- to 6-month lags, while the ZM is marginally correlated with El Nino with 9-month lags.During an El Nino, large-scale anomalous subsidence over the maritime continent occurs as a result of an eastward shift in the rising branch of the Walker circulation suppresses convection over the eastern Indian Ocean, allowing more solar radiation over the eastern Indian Ocean. At the same time, the anomalous southeasterly wind over the equatorial Indian Ocean forces the thermocline over the western Indian Ocean to deepen, especially in the southern part. As a result, SST over the whole basin increases. As El Nino decays, the subsidence over the maritime continent ceases and so does the anomalous southeasterly wind. However, the thermocline perturbation does not quickly shoal back to normal because of inertia and it disperses as Rossby waves. These Rossby waves are reflected back as an equatorial Kelvin wave, causing deepening of the thermocline in the eastern Indian Ocean, and preventing SSTs from cooling in that region. Moreover, the weaker wind speed of the monsoon circulation results in less latent heat loss, and thus warms the eastern Indian Ocean. These two processes therefore help to maintain warm SSTs over the eastern Indian Ocean until fall. During the fall, the warm SST over the eastern Indian Ocean and the cold SST over the western Indian Ocean are enhanced by air–sea interaction and the ZM returns. The ZM dissipates through the seasonal reversal of the monsoon atmospheric circulation and the boundary-reflected Kelvin wave. In the same manner, a basin-scale cooling in the tropical Indian Ocean can induce the ZM warming in the west and cooling in the east.     

Influence of local and remote SST on North Atlantic tropical cyclone potential intensity

We examine the role of local and remote sea surface temperature (SST) on the tropical cyclone potential intensity in the North Atlantic using a suite of model simulations, while separating the impact of anthropogenic (external) forcing and the internal influence of Atlantic Multidecadal Variability. To enable the separation by SST region of influence we use an ensemble of global atmospheric climate model simulations forced with historical, 1856–2006 full global SSTs, and compare the results to two other simulations with historical SSTs confined to the tropical Atlantic and to the tropical Indian Ocean and Pacific. The effects of anthropogenic plus other external forcing and that of internal variability are separated by using a linear, “signal-to-noise” maximizing EOF analysis and by projecting the three model ensemble outputs onto the respective external forcing and internal variability time series. Consistent with previous results indicating a tampering influence of global tropical warming on the Atlantic hurricane potential intensity, our results show that non-local SST tends to reduce potential intensity associated with locally forced warming through changing the upper level atmospheric temperatures. Our results further indicate that the late twentieth Century increase in North Atlantic potential intensity, may not have been dominated by anthropogenic influence but rather by internal variability.     

长江流域夏季降水及其与海温的滞后相关

基于月平均台站降水资料分析了中国东部降水的气候特征。由于其降水分布在空间和时间上的复杂性，为便于研究其与海温的关联，特别是海温对降水的影响，根据台站间降水变化在季节变化和年际变化以及与海温相关的一致性，将中国东部区域分成四个子区域。以长江流域的降水为代表，分析了海温对降水的超前相关。给出了主要影响海区和它们的超前时间。综合各影响海区海温和超前时间建立的回归方分析表明：回归降水和观测降水的相关系数大于０．８５。回归的平方根误差是其标准差的６０％和平均雨量的１５％。另外还分析了海温与降水相关与环流变化的一致性。     

A possible cause of the AO polarity reversal from winter to summer in 2010 and its relation to hemispheric extreme summer weather

In 2010, the Northern Hemisphere, in particular Russia and Japan, experienced an abnormally hot summer characterized by record-breaking warm temperatures and associated with a strongly positive Arctic Oscillation (AO), that is, low pressure in the Arctic and high pressure in the midlatitudes. In contrast, the AO index the previous winter and spring (2009/2010) was record-breaking negative. The AO polarity reversal that began in summer 2010 can explain the abnormally hot summer. The winter sea surface temperatures (SST) in the North Atlantic Ocean showed a tripolar anomaly pattern—warm SST anomalies over the tropics and high latitudes and cold SST anomalies over the midlatitudes—under the influence of the negative AO. The warm SST anomalies continued into summer 2010 because of the large oceanic heat capacity. A model simulation strongly suggested that the AO-related summertime North Atlantic oceanic warm temperature anomalies remotely caused blocking highs to form over Europe, which amplified the positive summertime AO. Thus, a possible cause of the AO polarity reversal might be the “memory” of the negative winter AO in the North Atlantic Ocean, suggesting an interseasonal linkage of the AO in which the oceanic memory of a wintertime negative AO induces a positive AO in the following summer. Understanding of this interseasonal linkage may aid in the long-term prediction of such abnormal summer events.     

冬季北太平洋海表热通量异常和海气相互作用——基于一个全球海气耦合模式长期积分的诊断分析

利用一个全球海气耦合模式长期积分所给出的资料,分析了冬季北太平洋海表湍流热通量（潜热和感热）异常及其对海表温度（SST）异常的影响,并比较了海表热通量诸分量和海洋内部的动力学过程对SST变化的相对重要性。结果表明,冬季热带外海洋上的湍流热通量是影响SST的主要因子,但在北太平洋中部海水的平流作用也不可忽视。冬季热带外海洋向大气释放的潜热和感热通量与SST倾向（而不是SST本身）之间存在着显著的相关,这同Cayan和Reynolds等利用COADS资料和NCEP资料同化模式分析的结果是一致的。模式诊断的结果支持这样一种看法：和热带海洋不同,冬季热带外海洋上的海气相互作用主要地表现为大气对海洋的强迫作用,而不是相反。模式给出的SST倾向的第一个EOF分量及其与海平面气压场的相关特征同Wallace等从观测资料分析所得到的结果是一致的;进一步的分析表明：在冬季北太平洋的大部分区域（特别是西太平洋）,大尺度大气环流异常在很大程度上决定着SST的异常,而这种决定作用正是通过它对湍流热通量的强烈影响来实现的。     

On the potential impact of the stratosphere upon seasonal dynamical hindcasts of the North Atlantic Oscillation: a pilot study

We have investigated the importance of the stratosphere?Ctroposphere linkage on the seasonal predictability of the North Atlantic Oscillation in a pilot study using a high horizontal resolution atmospheric general circulation model, and covering the 14 winters from 1979/1980 to 1992/1993. We made an ensemble of simulations with the Meteo-France ??Arpege Climat?? model (V3.0) with a well-resolved stratosphere, and a broad comparison is drawn with hindcasts from previously published experiments using low-top and lower horizontal resolution models, but covering the same winters with the same ensemble size and verification method. For the January?CFebruary?CMarch North Atlantic Oscillation index, the deterministic hindcast skill score is 0.59, using re-analyses as verification. It is comparable to the reported multi-model skill score (0.57). The largest improvement originates from the winter 1986/1987 characterised by a major stratospheric sudden warming. We demonstrate that there is then a high-latitude zonal-mean zonal wind decrease in the stratosphere?Ctroposphere hindcasts over a broad pressure range. This is consistent with a composite analysis showing that model anomalous vortex events, either weak or strong, lead to a North Atlantic Oscillation index anomaly in the troposphere, which persists, on average, for 1?month after the anomaly peaked in the stratosphere.     

Stratospheric Polar Vortex Splitting in December 2009

Abstract

The 2009–10 Arctic stratospheric winter, in comparison with other recent winters, is mainly characterized by a major Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) in late January associated with planetary wavenumber 1. This event led to a large increase in the temperature of the polar stratosphere and to the reversal of the zonal wind. Unlike other major SSW events in recent winters, after the major SSW in January 2010 the westerlies and polar vortex did not recover to their pre-SSW strength until the springtime transition. As a result, the depletion of the ozone layer inside the polar vortex over the entire winter was relatively small over the past 20 years. The other distinguishing feature of the 2010 winter was the splitting of the stratospheric polar vortex into two lobes in December. The vortex splitting was accompanied by an increase in the temperature of the polar stratosphere and a weakening of the westerlies but with no reversal. The splitting occurred when, in addition to the high-pressure system over northeastern Eurasia and the northern Pacific Ocean, the tropospheric anticyclone over Europe amplified and extended to the lower stratosphere. Analysis of wave activity in the extratropical troposphere revealed that two Rossby wave trains propagated eastward to the North Atlantic several days prior to the vortex splitting. The first wave train propagated from the subtropics and mid-latitudes of the eastern Pacific Ocean over North America and the second one propagated from the northern Pacific Ocean. These wave trains contributed to an intensification of the tropospheric anticyclone over Europe and to the splitting of the stratospheric polar vortex.     

前期春季北太平洋海温异常与冬季北半球极涡的关系

利用NCEP/NCAR再分析资料和NOAA海温资料,用EOF、相关分析等方法,分析了1960—2010年500 hPa和100 hPa等压面上北半球后冬(2月)极涡面积和前春(4月)北太平洋(20~60 °N,120 °E~120 °W)海表温度(SST)的变化特征,揭示了二者的时空联系。结果表明:近50 a来,(1)冬季北半球500 hPa和100 hPa极涡面积整体经历了先扩张后收缩的变化。春季北太平洋SST经历了先降低后升高的变化。其突变时间与500 hPa极涡面积的突变时间相近,均出现在1987年,且与后冬500 hPa大西洋欧洲大陆区(Ⅳ区)极涡面积相关更好。(2)春季北太平洋SST的EOF第一模态空间型表现为PDO,第二模态表现为三极子型,突变分别出现在1980s初期和中期。(3)北太平洋SST与500 hPa Ⅳ区极涡面积相关的空间分布表现为:当前期春季北太平洋中部海温异常偏高(低),南部和北部海温异常偏低(高),使得下一个冬季500 hPa Ⅳ区极涡面积的扩大(缩小),这种空间遥相关型对应着海温的第二模态。北太平洋海温异常以第一模态空间型居多,但是对后冬北半球极涡面积影响大的却是第二模态。(4)当前春北太平洋SST呈第二模态时,对应次年冬季中高纬度对流层温度"上冷下暖",极地东风和绕极西风环流加强,极涡面积偏大。     

夏季北太平洋洋中槽强度的年际变化及其与北美地面气温的关系

利用1979—2010年NCEP/NCAR再分析资料和特拉华大学地面气温资料,研究了夏季北太平洋洋中槽强度的年际变化特征、成因及其与北美地表气温的联系。结果表明,夏季北太平洋洋中槽强度存在明显的年际变化特征,并主要表现为准4 a和准5a的周期变化特征。进一步的分析表明,夏季北太平洋洋中槽强度与同期北美东南地区地表气温存在显著的负相关,当夏季北太平洋洋中槽强度异常偏强(弱)时,洋中槽下游的北美东南地区对流层中高层的位势高度异常降低(升高),对应于控制该地区的高压减弱(增强),从而使得该地区地表气温降低(升高)。此外,夏季热带印度洋海温异常对洋中槽的年际变化起了决定性的作用。当热带印度洋海温异常偏暖时,通过调节大气边界层相当位温,加热对流层大气,在热带印度洋东侧激发出东传的开尔文波,同时也使得北太平洋中东部位势高度异常升高,导致洋中槽的异常减弱。反之亦然。     

A multi-model analysis of the role of the ocean on the African and Indian monsoon during the mid-Holocene

We investigate the role of the ocean feedback on the climate in response to insolation forcing during the mid-Holocene (6,000 year BP) using results from seven coupled ocean–atmosphere general circulation models. We examine how the dipole in late summer sea-surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the tropical Atlantic increases the length of the African monsoon, how this dipole structure is created and maintained, and how the late summer SST warming in the northwest Indian Ocean affects the monsoon retreat in this sector. Similar mechanisms are found in all of the models, including a strong wind evaporation feedback and changes in the mixed layer depth that enhance the insolation forcing, as well as increased Ekman transport in the Atlantic that sharpens the Atlantic dipole pattern. We also consider changes in interannual variability over West Africa and the Indian Ocean. The teleconnection between variations in SST and Sahelian precipitation favor a larger impact of the Atlantic dipole mode in this region. In the Indian Ocean, the strengthening of the Indian dipole structure in autumn has a damping effect on the Indian dipole mode at the interannual time scale.     

北半球冬季阻塞环流与NAO之间的关系

首先根据Oman关于北大西洋涛动（NAO）指数冬季平均值的年际变化挑选出强NAO年,然后利用NCEP/NCAR逐日再分析资料,分析了在强NAO年北半球冬季阻塞发生频率和生命期的统计特征,最后通过对强NAO年大气斜压性进行冬季气候平均,合成得到了三个区域（北大西洋、欧洲和北太平洋）对流层平均大气斜压性随纬度的分布情况。结果发现：北大西洋在NAO负位相时下游阻塞发生频率更高,持续时间更长;NAO正位相则有利于欧洲长生命阻塞的发生和维持;北太平洋阻塞在NAO负位相发生频率明显更高,在NAO正位相阻塞的平均持续时间更长。大气斜压性随纬度的分布与阻塞的发生有较好的对应关系,过强的大气斜压性会抑制阻塞的发生。