Enhancement of the summer North Atlantic Oscillation influence on Northern Hemisphere air temperature

This study investigates the relationship between the summer North Atlantic Oscillation (SNAO) and the simultaneous Northern Hemisphere (NH) land surface air temperature (SAT) by using the Climate Research Unit (CRU) data. The results show that the SNAO is related to NH land SAT, but this linkage has varied on decadal timescales over the last 52 years, with a strong connection appearing after the late 1970s, but a weak connection before. The mechanism governing the relationship between the SNAO and NH land SAT is discussed based on the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data. The results indicate that such a variable relationship may result from changes of the SNAO mode around the late 1970s. The SNAO pattern was centered mainly over the North Atlantic before the late 1970s, and thus had a weak influence on the NH land SAT. But after the late 1970s, the SNAO pattern shifted eastward and its southern center was enhanced in magnitude and extent, which transported the SNAO signal to the North Atlantic surrounding continents and even to central East Asia via an upper level wave train along the Asian jet.     

北方涛动同北半球温带大气环流的遥相关(二)——季节变化

在以前工作的基础上,本文进一步分析了各个季节北方涛动和与其相联系的北太平洋海温同北半球温带大气环流遥相关的特征,并与南方涛动和赤道太平洋海温的结果进行了比较,发现它们同北半球温带大气环流的遥相关,不仅具有很强的地区性,而且具有明显的季节变化。 冬季,北方涛动和北太平洋海温与PNA型相关非常明显,且比南方涛动和赤道太平洋海温的更密切。除PNA型外,北方涛动还同500hPa高度的亚洲-北美(ANA)流型有联系。 夏季,PNA遥相关型的表现仍然非常清楚,但位置较冬季偏酉和偏北,并在北美西海岸具有特殊的分叉现象。     

北方涛动同北半球温带大气环流的遥相关(一)——基本结构

本文利用1951—1980年逐季的平均值资料(共120个季)讨论了北方涛动和与其相联系的北太平洋海温与北半球海平面气压场、500hPa位势高度场遥相关的基本结构,并与南方涛动和赤道东太平洋海温的结果进行了对比分析.发现北太平洋Namias海区和加利福尼亚海流区海温的变化与北方涛动具有很密切的联系;北方涛动和这两个海区的海温同北半球中高纬度大气环流特别是PNA型和NAO型环流异常存在明显的遥相关关系;南方涛动和赤道太平洋海温同WP型或NPO型环流异常关系比较密切,而与PNA型和NAO型的关系不如北方涛动和Namias海区及加利福尼亚海流区海温的显著.     

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     

Marine cold-air outbreaks in the North Atlantic: temporal distribution and associations with large-scale atmospheric circulation

The spatial and temporal distributions of marine cold air outbreaks (MCAOs) over the northern North Atlantic have been investigated using re-analysis data for the period from 1958 to 2007. MCAOs are large-scale outbreaks of cold air over a relatively warm ocean surface. Such conditions are known to increase the severity of particular types of hazardous mesoscale weather phenomena. We used a simple index for identifying MCAOs: the vertical potential temperature gradient between the sea surface and 700 hPa. It was found that atmospheric temperature variability is considerably more important than the sea surface temperature variability in governing both the seasonal and the inter-annual variability of MCAOs. Furthermore, a composite analysis revealed that a few well-defined and robust synoptic patterns are evident during MCAOs in winter. Over the Labrador and Irminger Seas the MCAO index was found to have a correlation of 0.70 with the North Atlantic Oscillation index, while over the Barents Sea a negative correlation of 0.42 was found.     

夏季北大西洋三极型海温异常与中国西南地区气温年际变化的联系

利用1951—2016年Hadley中心海温资料、NCEP/NCAR再分析资料和全国160站气温资料,研究了夏季北大西洋三极型海温异常与中国气温年际变化的联系及可能机制。结果表明,夏季北大西洋三极型海温异常与同期中国西南地区气温年际变化存在显著的负相关关系。夏季北大西洋“-+-”三极型海温异常激发的北半球中高纬欧亚遥相关波列,引起贝加尔湖地区位势高度升高,产生反气旋性环流异常,并引起东亚地区位势高度降低,产生气旋性环流异常。西南地区在对流层中下层位于贝加尔湖异常反气旋性环流的东部和东亚异常气旋性环流的西部,在两者的共同作用下,受异常偏北气流影响,有利于冷空气南下和堆积。与此同时,对流层高层的东亚副热带西风急流位置偏南,西南地区位于急流南侧的异常上升气流中。此种环流形势配置导致中国西南地区气温降低,反之亦然。     

华北夏季降水与北半球环流及北太平洋海温关系的初步分析

在利用基于Z指数的判别方法确定华北地区严重旱涝年份的基础上，应用合成分析方法研究了严重旱涝年的环流形势并初步分析了华北夏季旱涝的成因。然后用相关分析研究方法找出了与华北地区夏季降水关系密切的海温关键区，即赤道中东太平洋地区和北太平洋中高纬地区。利用大气环流模式进行数值试验，进一步研究了两个区域海温影响华北降水的地理机制和相对重要性，得到了一些有意义的结果。最后初步探讨了影响华北夏季降水异常的可能物理机制。     

The Role of the Solar Cycle in the Relationship Between the North Atlantic Oscillation and Northern Hemisphere Surface Temperatures

The North Atlantic Oscillation （NAO） is one of the leading modes of climate variability in the Northern Hemisphere. It has been shown that it clearly relates to changes in meteorological variables, such as surface temperature, at hemispherical scales. However, recent studies have revealed that the NAO spatial pattern also depends upon solar forcing. Therefore, its effects on meteorological variables must vary depending upon this factor. Moreover, it could be that the Sun affects climate through variability patterns, a hypothesis that is the focus of this study. We find that the relationship between the NAO/AO and hemispheric temperature varies depending upon solar activity. The results show a positive significant correlation only when solar activity is high. Also, the results support the idea that solar activity influences tropospheric climate fluctuations in the Northern Hemisphere via the fluctuations of the stratospheric polar vortex .     

北大西洋涛动指数变化与北半球冬季阻塞活动

线性回归分析表明北大西洋涛动(NAO)主要与大西洋、欧洲及乌拉尔山地区阻塞的频率和强度的变化存在显著相关关系.在NAO负位相时期阻塞活动在大西洋地区较为频繁且强度较强,正位相时期大西洋地区阻塞活动减少,强度减弱,而欧洲阻塞加强,频率增加,同时乌拉尔山地区的阻塞活动也显著减少.NAO正指数的增强和减弱对应于大西洋和欧洲阻...     

The relationship between the Spring Asian Atmospheric circulation and the previous winter Northern Hemisphere annular mode

Summary By using the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data, the Northern Hemisphere annular mode index (NAMI), China dust storm frequency data and China’s 160-station monthly precipitation data, the relationship between the previous winter (December–February) Northern Hemisphere annular mode (NAM) and the following spring (March–May) Asian atmospheric circulation is examined statistically in this study. Results demonstrate that the relationship between the spring Asian atmospheric circulation and the previous winter NAM is more significant on decadal time scales than on interannual time scales. There are significant negative correlations between the previous winter NAM and the spring temperature in what is almost a troposphere over Northwest China. There is a significant positive correlation between the winter NAMI and following spring geopotential height field over the Mongolian Plateau and Middle Siberia (MPMS) at the upper level. The positive correlation coefficients center moves to the south with the level from high to low. At lower level the high correlation coefficients center is located over the North China. There is a significant negative correlation between the winter NAMI and the surface horizontal wind intensity in the following spring for Northwest China on decadal timescales. The results suggest that a strong NAM in winter is followed by a negative temperature anomaly and a positive anomaly of the spring 500 hPa geopotential height over the MPMS, while at the same time the spring anomaly of the southeast wind is experienced in the surface layer in Northwest China, implying that the intensity of the northwest wind tends to weaken, and vice versa. This circulation pattern can affect the change of the spring dust storm frequency in Northwest China on decadal time scales.     

Northern Hemisphere circulation regimes: observed, simulated and predicted

Nonlinear principal component analysis provides evidence that the Northern Hemisphere extratropical atmosphere supports three distinct circulation regimes with an average residence time of about 7 days. The role of high- and low-frequency dynamics is studied and results indicate that they are both involved in the formation, maintenance and decay of the regimes. A global coupled climate model also supports three distinct circulation regimes with strikingly similar spatial structures, residence times and linked high- and low-frequency dynamics to those observed. The issue related to how long a data record is required to properly resolve the regime structures is addressed by exploiting the model output. Regime residence times and spatial structures are predicted to change over the next century given increasing concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases.     

我国异常冬暖的时空变化及其环流特征的分析

本文利用1911—1989年近80年的我国气温等级资料,对我国异常冬暖的时空变化及其环流特征进行了分析。结果表明:全国性异常冬暖年的出现具有明显的阶段性,主要集中在40年代和近10年期间。在冬暖区域分布上,以西北、长江和华南一带地区的冬暖尤为显著。就区域性异常冬暖而言,东北区和华南区出现异常冬暖年的几率最大,西南区几率最小。 80年代以来,我国北方地区异常冬暖出现的年份显著增多,尤其是东北地区。其环流特征主要表现在北半球西风带以超长波3波为主,亚洲上空距平场分布为稳定的西低东高型。     

盆东伏旱天气前期环流特征分析

应用1951年至1978年的气象资料,通过108型电子计算机,对伏旱强度(天数)与(前三年元月到当年6月)各月北半球海平面气压场,500和100百帕高度场及太平洋海水表面温度进行相关场普查,共计得到289块信度在0.05以上的相关区.通过相关区的时空变化,充分地了解到盆东伏旱长期天气变化过程和前期环流特征:并且选择具有天气学意义的相关区因子制作盆东伏旱天气预报.     

Cyclone activity and circulation oscillations in the North Atlantic

Carried out is the comparative analysis of the cyclone activity for different combinations of positive and negative values of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and East Atlantic Oscillation (EA) indices. The integral characteristics of the cyclone activity (density and intensity of cyclones) are computed on the basis of the method of automatic indication of cyclone centers from the sea-level pressure data. It is demonstrated that the NAO index is really the major indicator of cyclone activity anomaly formation in the North Atlantic, however, the variations of cyclone activity in the European region, of the number of cyclones and their integral intensity are better characterized by the EA index.     

Seawater density variations in the North Atlantic and the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation

Seawater property changes in the North Atlantic Ocean affect the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), which transports warm water northward from the upper ocean and contributes to the temperate climate of Europe, as well as influences climate globally. Previous observational studies have focused on salinity and freshwater variability in the sinking region of the North Atlantic, since it is believed that a freshening North Atlantic basin can slow down or halt the flow of the AMOC. Here we use available data to show the importance of how density patterns over the upper ocean of the North Atlantic affect the strength of the AMOC. For the long-term trend, the upper ocean of the subpolar North Atlantic is becoming cooler and fresher, whereas the subtropical North Atlantic is becoming warmer and saltier. On a multidecadal timescale, the upper ocean of the North Atlantic has generally been warmer and saltier since 1995. The heat and salt content in the subpolar North Atlantic lags that in the subtropical North Atlantic by about 8–9 years, suggesting a lower latitude origin for the temperature and salinity anomalies. Because of the opposite effects of temperature and salinity on density for both long-term trend and multidecadal timescales, these variations do not result in a density reduction in the subpolar North Atlantic for slowing down the AMOC. Indeed, the variations in the meridional density gradient between the subpolar and subtropical North Atlantic Ocean suggest that the AMOC has become stronger over the past five decades. These observed results are supported by and consistent with some oceanic reanalysis products.     

The relationship between the wind and waves in the North Atlantic and atmospheric circulation oscillations

Characteristics of wind and waves are computed using the data of instrumental observations on the moored buoys in the northeastern part of the North Atlantic during the cold periods (November–March) of 2009–2013. Their comparison is carried out for different phases of the North Atlantic and East Atlantic oscillations and for the combinations of these phases.     

7月不同形态南亚高压与北半球大气环流的关系

利用NCEP/NCAR月平均高度场和风场再分析资料,分析了1948—2013年7月南亚高压多中心特征及其与北半球大气环流的关系。结果表明:1)南亚高压存在1至5个中心不等,其中以双中心类和三中心类为主,占总样本数的82%,其次是单中心类,占总样本数的14%,四中心类和五中心类仅占总样本数的3%。2)根据高压中心个数、经向位置和环流特征,将不同类高压分成了不同型,其中单中心类分为Ⅰ1型和Ⅰ2型,分别占该类的44%和56%,双中心类分为Ⅱ1型、Ⅱ2型和Ⅱ3型,分别占该类的66.7%、18.5%和14.8%,三中心类仅考虑了Ⅲ1型,占该类的67%。3)Ⅰ1型高压中心在伊朗高原上空,Ⅰ2型高压中心在青藏高原上空,Ⅱ1型两高压中心分别在伊朗高原和青藏高原上空,Ⅱ2型两高压中心分别在伊朗高原和我国东部西太平洋上空,Ⅱ3型两高压中心分别在青藏高原和我国东部西太平洋上空,Ⅲ1型三个高压中心分别在伊朗高原、青藏高原和我国东部西太平洋上空。4)不同类型的高压中心所在地区高层位势高度场和对流层中上层温度场都表现为显著正异常,且不同区域温度场异常的维持机制不相同。     

华北夏季降水减少与北半球大气环流异常的关系

利用华北地区20站夏季降水资料和NCEP/NCAR再分析资料,采用趋势分析、合成分析等方法,对华北夏季降水减少与北半球大气环流异常进行对比分析。结果表明,华北夏季降水量1951—2008年呈显著减少趋势,平均每10 a减少13.4 mm,1965年发生了气候突变,之后降水量减少更加明显。北半球大气环流在1965年前后有明显不同：1）1951—1965年夏季500 hPa高度场欧洲大槽、贝加尔湖槽较深,乌拉尔山高压脊较强,经向环流表现突出;而1966—2008年夏季欧洲大槽、贝加尔湖槽较浅,乌拉尔山高压脊较弱,纬向环流表现突出。2）1951—1965年夏季500 hPa蒙古冷槽位置偏北偏西,冷空气活动经常影响华北地区;而1966—2008年夏季蒙古冷槽位置东移南压到河套附近,冷空气经常影响华北以南以东地区。3）1951—1965年夏季海平面气压场蒙古低压异常强大,而1966—2008年蒙古低压明显减弱。4）1951—1965年夏季850 hPa东亚夏季风一直伸展到华北、东北地区,蒙古地区存在明显的气旋性环流,在河套附近产生风向辐合;而1966—2008年东亚夏季风在到达30°N附近风速显著减小,很少越过长江到达华北地区,在长江流域形成了风速辐合,同时蒙古地区的气旋性环流消失,河套附近的风向辐合变的很弱。1951—1965年华北多雨是由于东亚夏季风水汽的有效输送和河套附近的风向辐合造成的,而1966—2008年长江流域多雨是由于东亚夏季风在这里产生了风速辐合造成的。华北夏季降水减少与北半球大气环流异常有很好的联系。