Interannual variability of the spring Wyrtki Jet

Feature s of the interannual variability of the spring Wyrtki Jet in the tropical Indian Ocean are revealed using observation data and model output.The results show that the jet has significant interannual variation,which has a significant correlation with winter El Nino Modoki index(R=0.62).During spring after an El Nino(La Nina) Modoki event,the Wyrtki Jet has a positive(negative) anomaly,forced by a westerly(easterly) wind anomaly.The result of a linear-continuously stratified model shows that the first two baroclinic modes explain most of the interannual variability of the spring Wyrtki Jet(-70%) and the third to fifth modes together account for approximately 30%.Surface wind anomalies in the tropical Indian Ocean are related to the Walker circulation anomaly associated with El Nino/La Nina Modoki.The interannual variability of the spring Wyrtki Jet has an evident impact on sea surface salinity transport before the onset phase of the summer monsoon in the Indian Ocean.     

Interannual variations of North Equatorial Current transport in the Pacific Ocean during two types of El Niño

Interannual variations of Pacific North Equatorial Current (NEC) transport during eastern-Pacific El Niños (EP-El Niños) and central-Pacific El Niños (CP-El Niños) are investigated by composite analysis with European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast Ocean Analysis/Reanalysis System 3. During EP-El Niño, NEC transport shows significant positive anomalies from the developing to decay phases, with the largest anomalies around the mature phase. During CP-El Niño, however, the NEC transport only shows positive anomalies before the mature phase, with much weaker anomalies than those during EP-El Niño. The NEC transport variations are strongly associated with variations of the tropical gyre and wind forcing in the tropical North Pacific. During EP-El Niño, strong westerly wind anomalies and positive wind stress curl anomalies in the tropical North Pacific induce local upward Ekman pumping and westward-propagating upwelling Rossby waves in the ocean, lowering the sea surface height and generating a cyclonic gyre anomaly in the western tropical Pacific. During CP-El Niño, however, strength of the wind and associated Ekman pumping velocity are very weak. Negative sea surface height and cyclonic flow anomalies are slightly north of those during EP El Niño.     

Interannual Variability of the Hadley Circulation Associated with Tropical Pacific SST Anomaly

The seasonal and interannual variability of zonal mean Hadley circulation are analyzed, and the important effects of sea surface temperature(SST), especially the tropical Pacific SST, on the meridional circulation are discussed. Following results are obtained: 1) the Hadley circulation presents a single clockwise(anticlockwise) cross-equator circulation in the Northern(Southern) Hemisphere winter,while it is a double-ring-shaped circulation quasi-symmetric about the equator in spring and autumn. The annual mean state just indicates the residual of the Hadley cell in winter and summer. 2) The first mode of interannual anomalies shows a single cell crossing the equator like the climatology in winter and summer but with narrower width. The second mode shows a double ring-shaped cell quasi-symmetric about the equator which is similar to the Hadley cell in spring or autumn. 3) Vertical motion of the Hadley circulation is driven by sea surface temperature(SST) through latent and sensible heat in the tropics, and the interannual anomalies are mainly driven by the SST anomaly(SSTa) in the tropical Pacific. 4) The meridional gradient of SSTa is well consistent with the lower meridional wind of Hadley circulation in the interannual part. For the spatial distribution, the meridional gradient of SSTa in the Pacific plays a major role for the first two modes while the effects of the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean can be ignored.     

Low-frequency variations in primary production in the Oman upwelling zone associated with monsoon winds

Thirteen-year satellite-derived data are used to investigate the temporal variability of net primary production (NPP) in the Oman upwelling zone and its potential forcing mechanisms. The NPP in the Oman upwelling zone is characterized by an abnormal decrease during El Ni o events. Such an NPP decrease may be related to El Ni o-driven anomalous summertime weak wind. During the summer following El Ni o, the anomalous northeasterly wind forced by southwest Indian Ocean warming weakens the southwest monsoon and warms the Arabian Sea. The abnormal wind weakens the coastal Ekman transport, offshore Ekman pumping and horizontal advection, resulting in reduced upward nutrient supply to the euphotic zone. A slightly declining trend in NPP after 2000 associated with a gradual decrease in surface monsoon winds is discussed.     

Seasonal and Interannual Variability of Bering Strait Throughflow from AO-FVCOM and Observation

A high-resolution Arctic Ocean-Finite Volume Community Ocean Model(AO-FVCOM) and observational current data from 14 mooring stations in Bering Strait and surrounding regions between 1990 and 2015 were used to study the seasonal and interannual variability of Bering Strait throughflow(BST). AO-FVCOM represented the BST with a climatological northward flux of 1.06 Sv, which was close to the observational mean of 0.94 ± 0.26 Sv. From the model results, the strongest volume flux was in summer, approximately 45% larger than that in winter. Interannual variability of BST was also indicated in the model results, and the maximum and minimum annual mean transports are in 2007 and 2012, respectively. AO-FVCOM showed larger differences from the observations in 2000, 2002, and 2015 than in other years, which may be related to the limitation of atmospheric forcing for the model. According to the driving mechanisms of BST, sea level difference(SLD) across the strait dominates the northward volume transport, and local wind is also important in forcing the seasonal variability of the BST and SLD patterns to change the BST indirectly.     

Variabilities of surface current in the tropical Pacific Ocean

The Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA) package is used to better understand the variabilities of surface current transport in the Tropical Pacific Ocean from 1950 to 1999. Seasonal variation, internnual and decadal variability analyses are conducted on the three major surface currents of the Tropical Pacific Ocean: the North Equatorial Current (NEC), the North Equatorial Countecurrent (NECC), and the South Equatorial Current (SEC). The transport of SEC is quite larger than those of NEC and NECC. The SEC has two maximums in February and August. The NEC has a small annual variation. The NECC has a maximum in October and is very weak in March and April. All currents have remarkable interannual and decadal variabilities. The variabilities of the NEC and the SEC related to the winds over them well, but the relationship between the NECC and the wind over it is not close. Analysis related to El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) suggests that before El Niño (La Niña) the SEC is weaker (stronger) and the NECC is stronger (weaker), after El Niño (La Niña) the SEC is stronger (weaker) and the SEC is weaker (stronger). There is no notable relationship between the NEC and ENSO.     

Interannual variability of transport and bifurcation of the North Equatorial Current in the tropical North Pacific Ocean

The relationship of the interannual variability of the transport and bifurcation latitude of the North Equatorial Current (NEC) to the El Ni o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is investigated. This is done through composite analysis of sea surface height (SSH) observed by satellite altimeter during October 1992-July 2009, and correspondingly derived sea surface geostrophic currents. During El Nio/La Ni a years, the SSH in the tropical North Pacific Ocean falls/rises, with maximum changes in the region 0-15°N, 130°E-160°E. The decrease/increase in SSH induces a cyclonic/anticyclonic anomaly in the western tropical gyre. The cyclonic/anticyclonic anomaly in the gyre results in an increase/decrease of NEC transport, and a northward/southward shift of the NEC bifurcation latitude near the Philippine coast. The variations are mainly in response to anomalous wind forcing in the west-central tropical North Pacific Ocean, related to ENSO events.     

Dynamic characteristics of seasonal thermocline in the deep sea region of the South China Sea

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Influence of the Eastern Indian Ocean Warm Pool Variability on the Spring Precipitation in China

The relationship between the variability of the Eastern India Ocean Warm Pool （EIWP） and the spring precipitation in China is studied in the paper based on an analysis of the Simple Ocean Data Assimilation （SODA） Sea Surface Temperature （SST） data, the reanalysis data of monthly grid wind field at 925 hPa with a resolution of 2.5^＊ latitude and longitude from the National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research （NCEP/NCAR）, and the monthly mean rainfall data from 160 observational stations in China. The results show that there is a strong correlation between the EIWP variability and the spring precipitation in China. The area, volume and intensity indices of the EIWP are negatively correlated with the spring precipitation in southwestern China, while they are positively correlated with the spring precipitation in the rest of China, especially in the northeast. For this correlation between the EIWP variability and the spring precipitation in China, it is found that the correlative relationship is mainly connected with the variations of the moisture transport by the warm air flow, which is under the influence of the EIWP variability, into the inland of China in spring. Two causative factors may influence this transport. One is the variation of the moisture transport carried by the warm air flow from the Arabian Sea influenced by the EIWP variability. The other is the variation of the equator-crossing flow （70^＊-90^＊E） influenced by the EIWP anomaly in the previous winter which exerts its effect on the moist warm air transported from the Southern Hemisphere. The position and intensity of the Western North Pacific Subtropical High （WNPSH） variability caused by EIWP variation also influence the spring precipitation in China.     

Spatio-temporal Characteristics of Atmospheric Pollution and Cause Analysis of Haze Events in Sichuan Basin,China

This study analyzed the spatio-temporal variability of air quality data for six standard air pollutants(Particulate Matter 2.5(PM_(2.5)), Particulate Matter 10(PM_(10)), SO_2, NO_2, CO, and O_3) in the Sichuan Basin(SCB), China from 2015 to 2018 in relation to the formation of haze using conventional meteorological data(temperature, wind speed, and relative humidity), satellite data(fire point data, vertical profiles of aerosol subtypes, and aerosol optical depth), planetary boundary layer height, and backward trajectories. The results indicated that the spatio-temporal evolution of the air quality index(AQI) had notable seasonality for the pollution severity in descending order: winter, spring, summer, and autumn. Autumn and winter severe haze events occurred in November and January, respectively, and were caused by higher local pollution emissions under stagnant air conditions. Spring severe haze events occurred in May and were caused by dust from Northwest China and local regions. Severe summer haze events occurred in July and were caused by local burning. Therefore, the analyses showed that local burning, stagnant meteorological conditions, air mass transport and anthropogenic pollution emissions played a key role in haze in the SCB. This study provides scientific insights for fully analyzing heavy air pollution in SCB, China, and also provides a scientific basis for pollution research in regions of complex terrain as basins and mountains.     

Seasonal variation of the Taiwan Warm Current Water and its underlying mechanism

Based on the historical observed data and the modeling results,this paper investigated the seasonal variations in the Taiwan Warm Current Water(TWCW)using a cluster analysis method and examined the contributions of the Kuroshio onshore intrusion and the Taiwan Strait Warm Current(TSWC)to the TWCW on seasonal time scales.The TWCW has obviously seasonal variation in its horizontal distribution,T-S characteristics and volume.The volume of TWCW is maximum(13746 km~3)in winter and minimum(11397 km~3)in autumn.As to the contributions to the TWCW,the TSWC is greatest in summer and smallest in winter,while the Kuroshio onshore intrusion northeast of Taiwan Island is strongest in winter and weakest in summer.By comparison,the Kuroshio onshore intrusion make greater contributions to the Taiwan Warm Current Surface Water(TWCSW)than the TSWC for most of the year,except for in the summertime(from June to August),while the Kuroshio Subsurface Water(KSSW)dominate the Taiwan Warm Current Deep Water(TWCDW).The analysis results demonstrate that the local monsoon winds is the dominant factor controlling the seasonal variation in the TWCW volume via Ekman dynamics,while the surface heat fl ux can play a secondary role via the joint ef fect of baroclinicity and relief.     

Annual time-series analyses of total gaseous mercury measurement and its impact factors on the Gongga Mountains in the southeastern fringe of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Long-term monitoring programs for measurement of atmospheric mercury concentrations are presently recognized as powerful tools for local,regional and global studies of atmospheric long-range transport processes,and they could also provide valuable information about the impact of emission controls on the global budget of atmospheric mercury,their observance and an insight into the global mercury cycle. China is believed to be an increasing atmospheric mercury emission source. However,only a few measurements of mercury,to our knowledge,have been done in ambient air over China. The highly-time resolved atmospheric mercury concen-trations have been measured at Moxi Base Station （102°72′E 29°92′N,1640 m asl） of the Gongga Alpine Ecosystem Observation and Experiment Station of Chinese Academy of Sciences （CAS） from May 2005 to June 2006 by using a set of Automatic Atmospheric Mercury Speciation Analyzers （Tekran 2537A）. Measurements were carried out with a time resolution of every 15 minutes. The overall average total gaseous mercury （TGM） covering the measurement periods was 4±1.38 ng·m^-3 （N=57310）,which is higher than the global background level of approximately 1.5～2.0 ng·m^-3. The measurements in all seasons showed a similar diurnal change pattern with a high concentration during daytime relative to nighttime and maximum concentration near solar noon and minimum concentration immediately before sunrise. The presence of diurnal TGM peaks during spring and summer was found earlier than that during autumn and winter. When divided seasonally,it was found that the concentrations of TGM were highest in winter with 6.13 ± 1.78 ng·m^-3 and lowest in summer with 3.17 ± 0.67 ng·m^-3. There were no significant differences in TGM among wind sectors during each season. Whereas Hg generally exhibited significant correlations with the parameters,such as temperature,saturated vapor pressure,precipitation,ultraviolet radiation （UV） and atmospheric pressure at the whole measurement stage,and t     

Role of Ekman transport versus Ekman pumping in driving summer upwelling in the South China Sea

Relative roles of Ekman transport and Ekman pumping in driving summer upwelling in the South China Sea (SCS) are examined using QuikSCAT scatterometer wind data. The major upwelling regions in the SCS are the coastal regions east and southeast of Vietnam (UESEV), east and southeast of Hainan Island (UESEH), and southeast of Guangdong province (USEG). It is shown that the Ekman transport due to alongshore winds and Ekman pumping due to offshore wind stress curl play different roles in the three upwelling systems. In UESEV, Ekman pumping and Ekman transport are equally important in generating upwelling. The Ekman transport increases linearly from 0.49 Sv in May to 1.23 Sv in August, while the Ekman pumping increases from 0.36 to 1.22 Sv during the same period. In UESEH, the mean estimates of Ekman transport and Ekman pumping are 0.14 and 0.07 Sv, respectively, indicating that 33% of the total wind-driven upwelling is due to Ekman pumping. In USEG, the mean Ekman transport is 0.041 Sv with the peak occurring in July, while Ekman pumping is much smaller (0.003 on average), indicating that the upwelling in this area is primarily driven by Ekman transport. In the summers of 2003 and 2007 following El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events, both Ekman transport and Ekman pumping decrease in UESEV due to the abnormally weak southwest monsoon. During the same events, however, Ekman transport is slightly enhanced and Ekman pumping is weakened in UESEH and USEG.     

Heat and salt transport throughout the North Pacific Ocean

Absolute geostrophic currents in the North Pacific Ocean are calculated using the P-vector method and gridded Argo profiling data from January 2004 to December 2012. Three-dimensional structures and seasonal variability of meridional heat transport (MHT) and meridional salt transport (MST) are analyzed. The results show that geostrophic and Ekman components are generally opposite in sign, with the southward geostrophic component dominating in the subtropics and the northward Ekman component dominating in the tropics. In combination with the net surface heat flux and the MST through the Bering Strait, the MHT and MST of the western boundary currents (WBCs) are estimated for the first time. The results suggest that the WBCs are of great importance in maintaining the heat and salt balance of the North Pacific. The total interior MHT and MST in the tropics show nearly the same seasonal variability as that of the Ekman components, consistent with the variability of zonal wind stress. The geostrophic MHT in the tropics is mainly concentrated in the upper layers, while MST with large amplitude and annual variation can extend much deeper. This suggests that shallow processes dominate MHT in the North Pacific, while MST can be affected by deep ocean circulation. In the extratropical ocean, both MHT and MST are weak. However, there is relatively large and irregular seasonal variability of geostrophic MST, suggesting the importance of the geostrophic circulation in the MST of that area.     

Seasonal variation of the surface North Equatorial Countercurrent (NECC) in the western Pacific Ocean

The North Equatorial Countercurrent(NECC) is an important zonal fl ow in the upper circulation of the tropical Pacifi c Ocean, which plays a vital role in the heat budget of the western Pacifi c warm pool. Using satellite-derived data of ocean surface currents and sea surface heights(SSHs) from 1992 to 2011, the seasonal variation of the surface NECC in the western tropical Pacifi c Ocean was investigated. It was found that the intensity(INT) and axis position(Y_(CM)) of the surface NECC exhibit strikingly different seasonal fl uctuations in the upstream(128°–136°E) and downstream(145°–160°E) regions. Of the two regions, the seasonal cycle of the upstream NECC shows the greater interannual variability. Its INT and Y CM are greatly infl uenced by variations of the Mindanao Eddy, Mindanao Dome(MD), and equatorial Rossby waves to its south. Both INT and YC M also show semiannual signals induced by the combined effects of equatorial Rossby waves from the Central Pacifi c and local wind forcing in the western Pacifi c Ocean. In the downstream region, the variability of the NECC is affected by SSH anomalies in the MD and the central equatorial Pacifi c Ocean. Those in the MD region are especially important in modulating the Y CM of the downstream NECC. In addition to the SSH-related geostrophic fl ow, zonal Ekman fl ow driven by meridional wind stress also plays a role, having considerable impact on INT variability of the surface NECC. The contrasting features of the variability of the NECC in the upstream and downstream regions refl ect the high complexity of regional ocean dynamics.     

Trends of sea surface wind energy over the South China Sea

Studies on climate change typically consider temperature and precipitation over extended periods but less so the wind.We used the Cross-Calibrated Multi-Platform(CCMP)24-year wind field data set to investigate the trends of wind energy over the South China Sea during 1988-2011.The results reveal a clear trend of increase in wind power density for each of three base statistics(i.e.,mean,90 th percentile and 99 th percentile)in all seasons and for annual means.The trends of wind power density showed obvious temporal and spatial variations.The magnitude of the trends was greatest in winter,intermediate in spring,and smallest in summer and autumn.A greater trend of increase was found in the northern areas of the South China Sea than in southern parts.The magnitude of the annual and seasonal trends over the South China Sea was larger in extreme high events(i.e.,90~(th) and 99~(th) percentiles)compared to the mean conditions.Sea surface temperature showed a negative correlation with the variability of wind power density over the majority of the South China Sea in all seasons and annual means,except for winter(41.7%).     

Future projection of East China Sea temperature by dynamic downscaling of the IPCC_AR4 CCSM3 model result

Future temperature distributions of the marginal Chinese seas are studied by dynamic downscaling of global CCSM3 IPCC_AR4 scenario runs.Different forcing fields from 2080-2099 Special Report on Emissions Scenarios(SRES) B1,A1,and A2 to 1980-1999 20C3M are averaged and superimposed on CORE2 and SODA2.2.4 data to force high-resolution regional future simulations using the Regional Ocean Modeling System(ROMS).Volume transport increments in downscaling simulation support the CCSM3 result that with a weakening subtropical gyre circulation,the Kuroshio Current in the East China Sea(ECS) is possibly strengthened under the global warming scheme.This mostly relates to local wind change,whereby the summer monsoon is strengthened and winter monsoon weakened.Future temperature fluxes and their seasonal variations are larger than in the CCSM3 result.Downscaling 100 years’ temperature increments are comparable to the CCSM3,with a minimum in B1 scenario of 1.2-2.0°C and a maximum in A2 scenario of 2.5-4.5°C.More detailed temperature distributions are shown in the downscaling simulation.Larger increments are in the Bohai Sea and middle Yellow Sea,and smaller increments near the southeast coast of China,west coast of Korea,and southern ECS.There is a reduction of advective heat north of Taiwan Island and west of Tsushima in summer,and along the southern part of the Yellow Sea warm current in winter.There is enhancement of advective heat in the northern Yellow Sea in winter,related to the delicate temperature increment distribution.At 50 meter depth,the Yellow Sea cold water mass is destroyed.Our simulations suggest that in the formation season of the cold water mass,regional temperature is higher in the future and the water remains at the bottom until next summer.In summer,the mixed layer is deeper,making it much easier for the strengthened surface heat flux to penetrate to the bottom of this water.     

SPECIES COMPOSITION, HORIZONTAL DISTRIBUTION AND SEASONAL SUCCESSION OF PHYTOPLANKTON IN THE CHANNEL FROM DONGTING LAKE TO THE CHANGJIANG RIVER, CHINA

The species composition, horizontal distribution and seasonal succession of the phyto-plankton at five sampling stations in the channel between Dongting Lake and the Changjiang River, China were studied from May 1995 to December 1997. A total of 416 taxa were observed; diatoms comprised the most diverse taxonomic group representing 58.2 % of the total species. The β-mezotrophic indicators were 92 taxa or 22 % of the total, the a-mezotrophic or α, β-eutrophic indicators decreased distinctly to 20 taxa or 4.8 % of the total. The species number and composition of various phyla were approximately similar at Stations 1, 2, 3 and 4, but at Station 5 the number of species was the minimum and the ratio of diatoms to total phytoplankton in the number of species was the highest. In seasonal succession of the phytoplank-ton species, the number was the highest in May and June, lower in December, January, March and July in the channel. The dominant species were different in different months. The ratio of diatoms species number to blue green algae and green algae species number diminished gradually from winter to summer and autumn, and then increased gradually from autumn to winter and early spring in the annual cycle. Margalef, Simpson and Shannon—Weaver diversity indices changed in different months, their values were higher in winter, lower in summer. Nygaard‘s diatoms quotients were lower in winter, then in spring and autumn, higher in summer. These results indicated that the water quality was the best in winter, better in spring and autumn than in summer. The relationship between the structure of the phytoplankton communi-ty and the water environmental quality was discussed.     

Numerical study on the bifurcation of the North Equatorial Current

A 1.5-layer reduced-gravity model forced by wind stress is used to study the bifurcations of the North Equatorial Current(NEC).The authors found that after removing the Ekman drift,the modelled circulations can serve well as a proxy of the SODA circulations on the σθ=25.0 kg m～-3 potential density surface based on available long-term reanalysis wind stress data.The modelled results show that the location of the western boundary bifurcation of the NEC depends on both zonal averaged and local zero wind stress curl latitude.The effects of the anomalous wind stress curl added in different areas are also investigated and it is found that they can change the strength of the Mindanao Eddy(ME),and then influence the interior pathway.