青藏高原雪盖的季节内变化及其影响

回顾了青藏高原雪盖的季节内变化及其影响研究的新进展。高原大部分地区雪盖不稳定且持续时间短,导致高原雪盖具有显著的季节内快速变化特征。局地气温和降水的季节内变化是控制高原雪盖季节内变化的直接原因,这种直接关系是区域大气环流季节内活动的结果。高原雪盖季节内变化还与大尺度大气环流的季节内活动有关,热带季节内振荡、北极涛动和北大西洋涛动引起的大气季节内过程可解释部分高原雪盖季节内变率。高原雪盖季节内变化通过雪-反照率效应迅速对大气施加影响,雪盖造成的冷异常通过大气平流过程影响高原及其下游地区,造成东亚高空急流和东亚大槽增强。由于高原雪盖季节内变化的重要影响,数值预报中高原雪盖的初始场和预报场会影响次季节预报技巧。     

A study of NAO variability and its possible non-linear influences on European surface temperature

 The relationship between European winter temperature spatial and temporal modes of variability and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) has been studied during the period 1852–1997. Temporal modes of variability of the NAO and temperatures are analysed using wavelet transform. Results show that the NAO presents a strong non-stationary behaviour. The most important feature is the existence of a quasi-periodic oscillation, with a period between 6–10 years and maximum amplitude of eight years, during the periods 1842–1868 and 1964–1994. Between 1875 and 1939 the spectra of the NAO is almost white. The possible relationship between the occurrence of extreme events of the NAO and its spectral behaviour has been analysed. The results indicate that quasi-periodic oscillations in the NAO do not lead to more extreme episodes, but rather that an extreme value of the oscillation is more likely to persist for few years. Particularly energetic modes of coherent variability between temperature and NAO are found between 2–6 years for 1857–1879 and 1978–1984, and between 6–10 years from 1961 to 1991. The relationship between the NAO and temperatures as a function of the state of the oscillation has been studied using composites. Empirical evidence has been found suggesting that winter temperatures, in a great part of the study area, do not vary in a linear manner with respect to phase and intensity of the NAO. Regions in the study area differ in sensitivity to changes in the NAO. The spatial patterns of variability of the temperatures are found to be independent of the NAO spectra. Received: 8 April 1999 / Accepted: 19 September 2000     

冬季北大西洋涛动与中国西南地区降水的不对称关系

利用1951-2010年NCEP/NCAR再分析资料和中国160个站逐月降水资料,探讨了冬季北大西洋涛动(NAO)与同期中国西南地区降水的关系.结果表明,冬季北大西洋涛动与西南地区降水存在显著的正相关关系,并且,正相关具有不对称性,即当冬季北大西洋涛动处于负位相时,东亚地区环流形势不利于中国西南地区降水的形成,对应着中国西南地区冬季降水的显著减少.而当冬季北大西洋涛动处于正位相时,北大西洋涛动与中国西南地区降水的正相关关系并不显著.进一步的分析表明,与中国西南冬季降水变化密切相关的主要环流结构是里海和中东—阿拉伯海—青藏高原及其下游的遥相关型(CAT遥相关型).北大西洋涛动与里海和中东阿拉伯海—青藏高原及其下游的遥相关结构存在不对称关系,两者的关系仅在北大西洋涛动负位相时显著.冬季北大西洋涛动高、低指数年分别合成的波射线和波作用通量的结果表明,当冬季北大西洋涛动为负位相时,冬季地中海地区的扰动源会形成与里海和中东—阿拉伯海—青藏高原及其下游的遥相关路径一致的波射线,同时波作用通量的结果表明,定常波由里海和中东、阿拉伯海一直传播到青藏高原及下游地区,而冬季北大西洋涛动高指数年,地中海地区的扰动源所形成的波射线偏北,波动传播到达印度半岛地区之后不再向下游传播.冬季北大西洋涛动对里海和中东—阿拉伯海—青藏高原及其下游的遥相关波列的不对称影响决定了北大西洋涛动与西南冬季降水的不对称关系.     

Respective influences of IOD and ENSO on the Tibetan snow cover in early winter

Using reanalysis data and snow cover data derived from satellite observations, respective influences of Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the Tibetan snow cover in early winter are investigated. It is found that the snow cover shows a significant positive partial correlation with IOD. In the pure positive IOD years with no co-occurrences of El Niño, negative geopotential height anomalies north of India are associated with warm and humid southwesterlies to enter the plateau from the Bay of Bengal after rounding cyclonically and supply more moisture. This leads to more precipitation, more snow cover, and resultant lower surface temperature over the plateau. These negative geopotential height anomalies north of India are related to the equivalent barotropic stationary Rossby waves in the South Asian wave guide. The waves can be generated by the IOD-related convection anomalies over the western/central Indian Ocean. In contrast, in the pure El Niño years with no co-occurrences of the positive IOD, the anomalies of moisture supply and surface temperature over the plateau are insignificant, suggesting negligible influences of ENSO on the early winter Tibetan snow cover. Further analyses show that ENSO is irrelevant to the spring/early summer Tibetan snow cover either, whereas the IOD-induced snow cover anomalies can persist long from the early winter to the subsequent early summer.     

Long-term variability in Northern Hemisphere snow cover and associations with warmer winters

A monthly snow accumulation and melt model is used with gridded monthly temperature and precipitation data for the Northern Hemisphere to generate time series of March snow-covered area (SCA) for the period 1905 through 2002. The time series of estimated SCA for March is verified by comparison with previously published time series of SCA for the Northern Hemisphere. The time series of estimated Northern Hemisphere March SCA shows a substantial decrease since about 1970, and this decrease corresponds to an increase in mean winter Northern Hemisphere temperature. The increase in winter temperature has caused a decrease in the fraction of precipitation that occurs as snow and an increase in snowmelt for some parts of the Northern Hemisphere, particularly the mid-latitudes, thus reducing snow packs and March SCA. In addition, the increase in winter temperature and the decreases in SCA appear to be associated with a contraction of the circumpolar vortex and a poleward movement of storm tracks, resulting in decreased precipitation (and snow) in the low- to mid-latitudes and an increase in precipitation (and snow) in high latitudes. If Northern Hemisphere winter temperatures continue to warm as they have since the 1970s, then March SCA will likely continue to decrease.     

Interdecadal changes in the Asian winter monsoon variability and its relationship with ENSO and AO

Interdecadal changes in the Asian winter monsoon (AWM) variability are investigated using three surface air temperature datasets for the 55-year period of 1958–2012 from (1) the National Centers for Environmental Prediction-National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis 1 (NCEP), (2) combined datasets from the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) 40-yr reanalysis and interim data (ERA), and (3) Japanese 55-year reanalysis (JRA). Particular attention has been paid to the first four empirical orthogonal function (EOF) modes of the AWM temperature variability that together account for 64% of the total variance and have been previously identified as predictable modes. The four modes are characterized as follows: the first mode by a southern warming over the Indo-western Pacific Ocean associated with a gradually increasing basin-wide warming trend; the second mode by northern warming with the interdecadal change after the late 1980s; the third and fourth modes by north-south triple pattern, which reveal a phase shift after the late 1970s. The three reanalyses agree well with each other when producing the first three modes, but show large discrepancy in capturing both spatial and temporal characteristics of the fourth mode. It is therefore considered that the first three leading modes are more reliable than the rest higher modes. Considerable interdecadal changes are found mainly in the first two modes. While the first mode shows gradually decreasing variance, the second mode exhibits larger interannual variance during the recent decade. In addition, after the late 1970s, the first mode has a weakening relationship with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) whereas the second mode has strengthening association with the Artic Oscillation (AO). This indicates an increasing role of AO but decreasing role of ENSO on the AWM variability. A better understanding of the interdecadal change in the dominant modes would contribute toward advancing in seasonal prediction and the predictability of the AWM variability.     

Association between modes of variability of January Northern Hemisphere snow cover and circulation

Summary An Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis has been applied to NOAA/NESDIS snow concentration data. The major modes of variability in January Northern Hemisphere snow concentration have been extracted and analysed. The analysis was completed separately over Eurasia and North America. Strong, coherent patterns were found for each of the first three EOFs that were analysed over both continents. Over Eurasia the first EOF showed much of Europe as well as western and central Asia in phase but eastern Asia of the opposite phase although the signal was somewhat weaker. North America had a very similar first EOF with a large positive anomaly centered over Montana reaching loadings of over 0.8. East of the Great Lakes, the anomaly changes sign, although again, its magnitude is much smaller.An EOF examination was also made of the anomalous 700 hPa geopotential height fields. These modes of variability were correlated with those of snow cover with the aim of investigating the mechanisms by which the surface boundary snow and the overlying circulation can interact. The stronger correlations were discussed and logical physical scenarios were presented for each. The results indicate that there was no common pattern whereby one medium was always forcing the other but rather a complex array of interactions where each medium could influence the other. To support the physical basis of the relationships being depicted by the EOF study, a case study of January 1981 was made.The presence of intercontinental relationships was also investigated and such relations were strongly suggested. It was proposed that the large scale organisation of the atmosphere between the two continents could go some way to explaining these links in snow variability.With 6 Figures     

Mediterranean wave climate variability and its links with NAO and Indian Monsoon

This study examines the variability of the monthly average significant wave height (SWH) field in the Mediterranean Sea, in the period 1958–2001. The analysed data are provided by simulations carried out using the WAM model (WAMDI group, 1988) forced by the wind fields of the ERA-40 (ECMWF Re-Analysis). Comparison with buoy observations, satellite data, and simulations forced by higher resolution wind fields shows that, though results underestimate the actual SWH, they provide a reliable representation of its real space and time variability. Principal component analysis (PCA) shows that the annual cycle is characterised by two main empirical orthogonal functions (EOF) patterns. Most inter-monthly variability is associated with the first EOF, whose positive/negative phase is due to the action of Mistral/Etesian wind regimes. The second EOF is related to the action of southerly winds (Libeccio and Sirocco). The annual cycle presents two main seasons, winter and summer characterised, the first, by the prevalence of eastwards and southeastwards propagating waves all over the basin, and the second, by high southwards propagating waves in the Aegean Sea and Levantin Basin. Spring and fall are transitional seasons, characterised by northwards and northeastwards propagating waves, associated to an intense meridional atmospheric circulation, and by attenuation and amplification, respectively, of the action of Mistral. These wave field variability patterns are associated with consistent sea level pressure (SLP) and surface wind field structures. The intensity of the SWH field shows large inter-annual and inter-decadal variability and a statistically significant decreasing trend of mean winter values. The winter average SWH is anti-correlated with the winter NAO (North Atlantic Oscillation) index, which shows a correspondingly increasing trend. During summer, a minor component of the wave field inter-annual variability (associated to the second EOF) presents a statistically significant correlation with the Indian Monsoon reflecting its influence on the meridional Mediterranean circulation. However, the SLP patterns associated with the SWH inter-annual variability reveal structures different from NAO and Monsoon circulation. In fact, wave field variability is conditioned by regional storminess in combination with the effect of fetch. The latter is likely to be the most important. Therefore, the inter-annual variability of the mean SWH is associated to SLP patterns, which present their most intense features above or close to Mediterranean region, where they are most effective for wave generation.

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Statistical Regression Analysis of Response of Northern Mid and Upper Tropospheric Circulation to Winter Eurasian Snow Cover Effects

Response for anomalous circulation in relation to snow coverage is derived by use of regression coefficients in dealing with the Eurasian snow cover time series and northern mid and upper tropospheric height data. Results show that not only does the regression response pattern represent the correlation between snow coverage and circulation change but reflects the amplitude strength in correlation cores as well, with a greater amplitude of the circulation response in the mid troposphere and remarkable equivalent barotropy in the mid to upper levels, and that the response of winter-summer circulations to winter snow cover displays noticeable stationary planetary-scale wavetrain, leading to NEUP and NPNA patterns in winter, slightly changed forms in spring months and LEU and EANA in summer time. Also, the study demonstrates that the rasponse-produced wavetrain is marked by branch and propagates energy in a wave-front manner with the energy trapped at subtropical latitudes.     

江南春雨雨日的变化及其与欧亚大陆积雪的联系

利用中国气象局提供的1960—2019年江南区站点观测逐日降水数据,分析了江南春雨不同持续时长雨日的变化及其与欧亚大陆积雪的联系。结果表明,江南春雨以持续5 d及以上的长持续降水为主,但降水日数下降趋势明显,导致长持续降水减少。利用奇异值分解法(Singular Value Decomposition,SVD)发现,欧亚大陆3—5月积雪覆盖率与江南春雨雨日数有显著正相关关系。将(48°~59°N,90°~110°E)区域平均积雪覆盖率定义为积雪覆盖指数,通过指数与同期大气环流的回归分析发现,当积雪偏少时,我国中北部及西伯利亚地区500 hPa位势高度正异常,在江南区850 hPa风场和水汽通量场西南向负异常,导致江南春雨雨日数减少。合成分析进一步验证了积雪偏少会在江南区形成异常东北风抑制水汽输送至江南地区,不利于降水发生。     

青藏高原地区积雪及其变化的不确定性:3种积雪观测资料的对比分析

为了探究青藏高原积雪不同观测资料间的差异,本文通过定义积雪覆盖率(Snow Cover Percentage,SCP)对比了NOAA-CDR卫星可见光遥感积雪资料、卫星被动微波遥感积雪资料和我国146个台站观测的积雪资料在高原地区的气候态及年际变动特征。从年平均气候态看,微波与可见光资料的SCP分布较为接近,高值区均位于念青唐古拉山与喜马拉雅山南缘之间的山区。而台站资料SCP的高值区范围则相对较小,在高原东部的巴颜喀拉山及南部的念青唐古拉山。3种资料的积雪低值区均位于高原中南部沿雅鲁藏布江一带、阿尔金山北侧以及东边界的内陆省份。从季节平均场看,不同资料的积雪分布在冬季及秋季,无论是气候态还是年际变动均较为类似。在春季时,微波和台站资料间较为一致。而在夏季,资料间差异很大,不同资料间的两两相关接近于零,甚至为负数。本文同时选取了青藏高原地区4个典型台站(索县、清水河、康定、甘孜),将卫星资料插值于台站上,对比3种资料间的异同,以及与地表气温异常间的关系。结果表明,在这4个典型站上,台站SCP在过去36 a中为线性减少的趋势,而卫星SCP主要为线性增加的趋势,且台站年平均SCP与地表气温异常的协同性最好。     

Analysis of climatic variability and snow cover in the Kaligandaki River Basin,Himalaya, Nepal

Various remote sensing products and observed data sets were used to determine spatial and temporal trends in climatic variables and their relationship with snow cover area in the higher Himalayas, Nepal. The remote sensing techniques can detect spatial as well as temporal patterns in temperature and snow cover across the inaccessible terrain. Non-parametric methods (i.e. the Mann–Kendall method and Sen's slope) were used to identify trends in climatic variables. Increasing trends in temperature, approximately by 0.03 to 0.08 °C year^?1 based on the station data in different season, and mixed trends in seasonal precipitation were found for the studied basin. The accuracy of MOD10A1 snow cover and fractional snow cover in the Kaligandaki Basin was assessed with respect to the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer-based snow cover area. With increasing trends in winter and spring temperature and decreasing trends in precipitation, a significant negative trend in snow cover area during these seasons was also identified. Results indicate the possible impact of global warming on precipitation and snow cover area in the higher mountainous area. Similar investigations in other regions of Himalayas are warranted to further strengthen the understanding of impact of climate change on hydrology and water resources and extreme hydrologic events.     

Increased Tibetan Plateau Snow Depth：An Indicator of the Connection between Enhanced Winter NAO and Late-Spring Tropospheric Cooling over East Asia

The authors present evidence to suggest that variations in the snow depth over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are connected with changes of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) in winter (JFM). During the positive phase of NAO, the Asian subtropical westerly jet intensifies and the India-Myanmar trough deepens. Both of these processes enhance ascending motion over the TP. The intensified upward motion, together with strengthened southerlies upstream of the India-Myanmar trough, favors stronger snowfall over the TP, which is associated with East Asian tropospheric cooling in the subsequent late spring (April--May). Hence, the decadal increase of winter snow depth over the TP after the late 1970s is proposed to be an indicator of the connection between the enhanced winter NAO and late spring tropospheric cooling over East Asia.     

积雪分布及其对中国气候影响的研究进展

对北半球不同地区的积雪分布状况、积雪异常影响中国气候的事实以及影响机理等问题的研究成果进行了较系统的回顾与总结。青藏高原、蒙古高原、欧洲阿尔卑斯山脉及北美中西部是北半球积雪分布的关键区,其中青藏高原是北半球积雪异常变化最强烈的区域。中国积雪分布范围广泛,其中新疆、东北和青藏高原是3个大值区。总体来看,北半球积雪有减少的趋势,而中国积雪却有弱的增加趋势。冬、春季高原积雪与欧亚积雪对中国夏季降水的影响是相反的。积雪影响中国气候的机理解释为：冬季积雪反照率效应起主要作用,春夏季积雪水文效应起主要作用。积雪被视为中国短期气候预测的一个重要物理因子,继续加强该领域的研究对于提高中国短期气候预测的准确率将有重要意义。     

IOD influence on the early winter tibetan plateau snow cover: diagnostic analyses and an AGCM simulation

Using diagnostic analyses and an AGCM simulation, the detailed mechanism of Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) influence on the early winter Tibetan Plateau snow cover (EWTPSC) is clarified. In early winter of pure positive IOD years with no co-occurrence of El Ni?o, the anomalous dipole diabatic heating over the tropical Indian Ocean excites the baroclinic response in the tropics. Since both baroclinic and barotropic components of the basic zonal wind over the Arabian Peninsula increase dramatically in early winter due to the equatorward retreat of the westerly jet, the baroclinic mode excites the barotropic Rossby wave that propagates northeastward and induces a barotropic cyclonic anomaly north of India. This enables the moisture transport cyclonically from the northern Indian Ocean toward the Tibetan Plateau. The convergence of moisture over the plateau explains the positive influence of IOD on the EWTPSC. In contrast, the basic zonal wind over the Arabian Peninsula is weak in autumn. This is not favorable for excitation of the barotropic Rossby wave and teleconnection, even though the IOD-related diabatic heating anomaly in autumn similar to that in early winter exists. This result explains the insignificant (significant positive) partial correlation between IOD and the autumn (early winter) Tibetan Plateau snow cover after excluding the influence of ENSO. The sensitivity experiment forced by the IOD-related SST anomaly within the tropical Indian Ocean well reproduces the baroclinic response in the tropics, the teleconnection from the Arabian Peninsula, and the increased moisture supply to the Tibetan Plateau. Also, the seasonality of the atmospheric response to the IOD is simulated.     

Interdecadal variability of the relationship between the East Asian winter monsoon and ENSO

Summary The authors examine relationships between the East Asian winter monsoon and the ENSO, particularly on the interdecadal timescales. Based on the analyses of SLP data from 1899 to 1997, the East-Asian winter monsoon index (WMI) is defined as the zonal difference of SLP between ∼120° E and ∼160° E. It is found that 18 out of 28 strong winter monsoon years are either before the development of an El Ni?o or during the decaying La Ni?a event, 12 out of 28 weak winter monsoon are before the development of a La Ni?a or during the decaying El Ni?o event. There is a significant positive correlation coefficient value of about 0.49 between the normalized 11-yr running mean of WMI and ENSO index, however, the WMI-ENSO relationship is not consistently highly correlated. The temporal evolution of correlation between WMI and ENSO indices in both 11-yr and 21-yr moving window shows that the WMI-ENSO relationship clearly undergo low-frequency oscillation. Obviously, both observational and IPSL air-sea coupled modeling WMI index has a near-decadal peak with PDO timescales and internal peaks with ENSO timescales by applying the Multitaper method. Moreover, the cross wavelet and wavelet coherence analysis of WMI/ENSO indicate that there is a larger significant sections with an in phase behavior between WMI and ENSO at period of 20–30 yrs, suggesting that the interdecadal variation of the WMI-ENSO relationship might exist.     

Seasonal relationship between temperature,precipitation and snow cover in a mountainous region

Summary An analysis of correlation coefficients for climatological data covering the period 1901–1994 or 1931–1994 for six locations in Switzerland has been made in order to highlight the relationships between temperature, precipitation (rain and snow) and snow in summer and in winter. The results show that colder summers tend to be associated with more precipitation, mainly in terms of the frequency of occurrence of precipitation, but also in terms of its abundancy. In winter, sites located at lower altitudes behave differently from those at higher elevations. At lower altitudes, warmer winters tend to be rainier and to have less snow (only a small part of winter precipitation falls in the form of snow). Above 1000–1500 m, correlations between temperature on the one hand, and precipitation or snow on the other, tend to be weaker than at lower elevations; warmer winters are associated with less snow but also with less precipitation in general, while the relationship between precipitation and snow is stronger.These results confirm that during cold periods of the past, such as Löbben Phase (1400 BC — 1230 BC) cold summers were probably linked to frequent and abundant precipitation. These conditions led to increased mortality as well as to population migrations. In terms of potential future global warming, if the current temperature/precipitation relationships remain unchanged, then warmer summers will likely be linked to a decrease in precipitation. Higher winter temperatures can be expected to lead to a general decrease of snow and to a decrease in precipitation, but only at higher elevations; warmer winters would conversely be associated with an increase in precipitation at lower altitudes.With 4 Figures     

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.