Arabian Peninsula-North Pacific Oscillation and its association with the Asian summer monsoon

Using correlation and EOF analyses on sea level pressure from 57-year NCEP-NCAR reanalysis data, the Arabian Peninsula-North Pacific Oscillation (APNPO) is identified. The APNPO reflects the co-variability between the North Pacific high and South Asian summer monsoon low. This teleconnec- tion pattern is closely related to the Asian summer monsoon. On interannual timescale, it co-varies with both the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) and South Asian summer monsoon (SASM); on decadal timescale, it co-varies with the EASM: both exhibit two abrupt climate changes in the middle 1960s and the late 1970s respectively. The possible physical process for the connections between the APNPO and Asian summer monsoon is then explored by analyzing the APNPO-related atmospheric circulations. The results show that with a strong APNPO, the Somali Jet, SASM flow, EASM flow, and South Asian high are all enhanced, and an anomalous anticyclone is produced at the upper level over northeast China via a zonal wave train. Meanwhile, the moisture transportation to the Asian monsoon regions is also strengthened in a strong APNPO year, leading to a strong moisture convergence over India and northern China. All these changes of circulations and moisture conditions finally result in an anoma- lous Asian summer monsoon and monsoon rainfall over India and northern China. In addition, the APNPO has a good persistence from spring to summer. The spring APNPO is also significantly corre- lated with Asian summer monsoon variability. The spring APNPO might therefore provide valuable in- formation for the prediction of Asian summer monsoon.     

An exceptionally strengthened East Asian summer monsoon event between 19.9 and 17.1 ka BP recorded in a Hulu stalagmite

A stalagmite-based isotope record (No. H82) from Nanjing Hulu Cave, spanning from 16.5 to 10.3 ka BP, provided strong evidence for a coherence relation between the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) and the North Atlantic climates on millennial time scales. Here we extend the high-resolution δ 18O time series back to 22.1 ka BP with additional 7 230Th dates and 573 stable isotope measurements on the lower part of that sample. The new record with a decadal resolution, piecing together with the previous data, p...     

Impacts of boundary layer parameterization schemes and air-sea coupling on WRF simulation of the East Asian summer monsoon

The planetary boundary layer(PBL)scheme in the regional climate model(RCM)has a significant impact on the interactions and exchanges of moisture,momentum,and energy between land,ocean,and atmosphere;however,its uncertainty will cause large systematic biases of RCM.Based on the four different PBL schemes(YSU,ACM2,Boulac,and MYJ)in Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF)model,the impacts of these schemes on the simulation of circulation and precipitation during the East Asian summer monsoon(EASM)are investigated.The simulated results of the two local turbulent kinetic energy(TKE)schemes,Boulac and MYJ,are more consistent with the observations than those in the two nonlocal closure schemes,YSU and ACM2.The former simulate more reasonable low-level southwesterly flow over East China and west pacific subtropical high(WPSH)than the latter.As to the modeling of summer monsoon precipitation,both the spatial distributions and temporal evolutions from Boulac and MYJ are also better than those in YSU and ACM2 schemes.In addition,through the comparison between YSU and Boulac experiments,the differences from the results of EASM simulation are more obvious over the oceanic area.In the experiments with the nonlocal schemes YSU and ACM2,the boundary layer mixing processes are much stronger,which lead to produce more sea surface latent heat flux and enhanced convection,and finally induce the overestimated precipitation and corresponding deviation of monsoon circulation.With the further study,it is found that the absence of air-sea interaction in WRF may amplify the biases caused by PBL scheme over the ocean.Consequently,there is a reduced latent heat flux over the sea surface and even more reasonable EASM simulation,if an ocean model coupled into WRF.     

春季北大西洋涛动与东亚夏季风年际关系的转变及其可能成因分析

本文的相关分析表明,在1948~2009年期间东亚夏季风(EASM)与前期春季(4~5月)北大西洋涛动(NAO)之间存在显著的年际相关关系,但这种关系具有明显的年代际变化特征,即在1970s发生了由正相关到负相关的转变.进一步的合成分析指出,春季NAO与EASM之间年际相关关系的转变,与春季和前期冬季(12~3月)北大西洋海盆尺度的海-气耦合模,即NAO-海温异常(SSTA)三极子耦合模的影响作用密切相关.春季NAO异常对EASM年际变化的影响主要依赖于前者所激发的SSTA三极子模态由春季到夏季的记忆性.然而,该模态不但受到春季NAO的控制,而且还会受到前冬NAO-SSTA三极子耦合模的增强或削弱作用,其中后者的影响作用具有明显的年代际变化特征.在1970s之前,前冬NAO-SSTA三极子耦合模对春季SSTA三极子模态存在明显的非对称作用,即前者主要对后者的正位相异常存在显著的削弱作用;在1970s之后,前者对后者正/负位相异常的影响作用均不明显.因此,在春季NAO对称作用与前冬NAO-SSTA三极子耦合模非对称作用的共同影响下,春季NAO与SSTA三极子模态的年际相关关系存在显著年代际变化,进而引起了春季NAO与EASM的年际相关关系在1970s的转变.     

CMIP5模式对东亚冬季风指数变化及其与冬季大气环流和气温关系的模拟评估

本文评估了44个CMIP5模式对东亚冬季风环流系统,特别是东亚冬季风指数及其对应的环流和气温特征的模拟能力.结果表明：CMIP5模式对地表气温和500 hPa位势高度场模拟效果最好,对200 hPa纬向风的模拟次之,而对海平面气压和850 hPa经向风的模拟相对较差.与单个模式相比,多模式集合（MME）的模拟能力要更优,其能够很好地再现西伯利亚高压、阿留申低压、东亚低层偏北风、中层东亚大槽、高层东亚西风急流以及地表气温的空间分布.不过,模拟的环流系统偏强,造成东亚地表气温总体偏低.对于东亚冬季风指数,分别选取基于300 hPa纬向风（I_Jhun）、850 hPa风场（I_Wang）、500 hPa位势高度（I_Cui）、以及海平面气压（I_Guo）定义的四个指数表征东亚冬季风强度.MME能很好地模拟I_Cui和I_Wang指数的长期变化,还能合理再现四个指数所指示的东亚冬季风环流和气温的变化特征：对应冬季风偏强年份,西伯利亚高压、阿留申低压、东亚沿岸低层北风、东亚大槽和高空西风急流加强,东亚大陆地表气温和极端低温降低,但变化的幅度比观测结果偏弱.

     

Quaternary biogenic opal records in the South China Sea: Linkages to East Asian monsoon, global ice volume and orbital forcing

Particulate fluxes investigated in the central South China Sea (SCS) during 1993―1996 indicate that opal flux can be used to show primary productivity change, which provides a foundation for tracing the evolutionary relationship between the surface productivity and East Asian monsoon in the SCS during the late Quaternary glacial and interglacial periods. Based on the studies of opal % and their mass accumulation rates (MAR) at the six sites recovered from the SCS during the “Resolution” ODP Leg 184 and “Sonne” 95 cruise of the Sino-Germany cooperation, opal % and their MARs increased evidently in the northern sites since 470―900 ka, and they enhanced and reduced, respectively, during the glacial and interglacial periods. Whereas they increased obviously in the southern sites since 420―450 ka, and they augmented and declined, respectively, during the interglacial and glacial periods. The vari- ability in opal % and their MARs in the late Quaternary glacial cyclicity indicate the “seesaw” pattern of surface productivity in the SCS. The winter monsoon intensified during the glacial periods, surface productivity increased and decreased, respectively, in the northern and southern SCS. The summer monsoon strengthened during the interglacial periods, surface productivity increased and decreased, respectively, in the southern and northern SCS. The cross spectral analyses between the opal % in the northern and southern SCS during the Quaternary and global ice volume (δ 18O) and orbital forcing (ETP) indicate that the East Asian winter and summer monsoons could be ascribed to the different drive mechanisms. On the orbital time scale, the global ice volume change could be a dominant factor for the winter monsoon intension and temporal variations. As compared with the winter monsoon, the correlative summer solar radiation with the obliquity and precession in the Northern Hemisphere could be a mostly controlling factor for the summer monsoon intension and temporal variations.     

东亚夏季风年代际变化的若干重要特征及两份大气再分析资料的异同

本文利用ERA和NCEP/NCAR再分析资料,以及部分观测资料,研究了东亚夏季风年代际变化的若干重要特征. 结果表明,东亚夏季风在20世纪70年代末减弱这一现象是普遍存在的,主要表现为江淮地区表面温度降低,海平面气压升高,出现偏北风异常. 研究发现,这次年代际变化还体现在与东亚季风环流密切相关的重要环流因子,如西太平洋副热带高压、欧亚西风、澳大利亚高压、南极涛动等,它们在20世纪70年代末以后都进入高指数时期. 此外,文章还揭示：ERA和NCEP/NCAR再分析资料在东亚夏季风年代际变化上基本吻合,但也有很多差别.     

Counting chronology and climate records with about 1000 annual layers of a Holocene stalagmite from the Water Cave in Liaoning Province, Chinaannual layers of a Holocene stalagmite from the Water Cave in Liaoning Province, China

One active stalagmite from the Water Cave in Liaoning Province contains growth layers of three sizes. Based on thermal ionization mass spectrometry ²³⁰Th dating, we found that middle size layers are annual layers, with each middle layer consisting of one narrow dark layer and a wide bright layer. The small layers within middle layers are sub-annual layers and the large layers are multi-year layers. Based on the layer-counting method, we established a high-resolution time scale for layer thickness. Our results reveal two dramatic century-scale climate cycles over the past 1000 years in this region.     

Counting chronology and climate records with about 1000 annual layers of a Holocene stalagmite from the Water Cave in Liaoning Province, China

One active stalagmite from the Water Cave in Liaoning Province contains growth layers of three sizes. Based on thermal ionization mass spectrometry 230Th dating, we found that middle size layers are annual layers, with each middle layer consisting of one narrow dark layer and a wide bright layer. The small layers within middle layers are sub-annual layers and the large layers are multi-year layers. Based on the layer-counting method, we established a high-resolution time scale for layer thickness. Our results reveal two dramatic century-scale climate cycles over the past 1000 years in this region.     

OSL chronology of a sedimentary sequence from the inner-shelf of the East China Sea and its implication on post-glacial deposition history

Sedimentary records from the inner-shelf of the East China Sea (ECS) are unique for the reconstruction of post-glacial palaeoclimate and sea-level changes. So far, the chronology of sediment succession from this region has mainly been based on radiocarbon dating, which might be problematic due to reworked deposition or old carbon contamination. In this study we tested the applicability of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating to a drilling core (ECS-DZ1) taken from the northern ESC. A total of 20 OSL samples and two radiocarbon samples were collected from the upper 58 m of this core. The results indicate the likely sufficient reset of OSL signal of fine-grained (4–11 μm) quartz before burial, and thus reliable chronology for the studied core sediments. For one sample, however, the extracted coarse-grained (100–200 μm) quartz overestimated the deposition age significantly, presumably resulting from partial bleaching prior to deposition. The fine-grained quartz ages are generally consistent with the stratigraphical order, and the reliability of these OSL ages are further validated by two selective robust ¹⁴C dates. The chronological framework of core ECS-DZ1 reveals striking sedimentation-rate changes. By comparison with other chronostratigraphical records, we infer that post-glacial deposition history (since ∼15 ka) of the study site is likely related to regional sea-level rise and delta-estuary environment evolution, as well as strengthened human activities and/or coastal currents.