Numerical simulations of mesoscale flood environment

Summary The transition from a cold to a warm state of the E1 Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle is studied using Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Sets (COADS) for the period 1950–1992.The onset of El Niño (November to December of the year preceding the El Niño) is characterized by an occurrence of minimum sea-level pressure anomalies in the subtropics around the node line of the Southern Oscillation. This pressure fall favors the formation of the anomalous cyclonic circulations over the western Pacific and leads to the establishment of anomalous westerlies in the western equatorial Pacific during the boreal spring of the El Niño year. The westerly anomalies then intensify and propagate into the central Pacific by the end of the El Niño year. This is an essential feature of the development of a basin-wide warming.It is argued that the development of the equatorial westerly anomalies over the western Pacific may result from the thermodynamic coupling between the atmosphere and ocean. In boreal winter and spring the mean zonal winds change from westerly to casterly over the western equatorial Pacific. A moderate equatorial westerly anomaly initially imposed on such a mean state may create eastward SST gradients via changing rates of evaporational cooling and turbulent mixing. The equatorial SST gradients would, in turn, induce differential heating and zonal pressure gradients which reinforce the westerly anomalies. The feedback between the eastward SST gradients and westerly anomalies promotes the eastward propagation of the westerly anomalies.With 9 Figures     

ON WESTERLY WIND BURSTS IN EQUATORIAL WESTERN PACIFIC BEFORE AND DURING THE ONSET AND INITIAL DEVELOPMENT PHASES OF ENSO*

By means of NCEP/NCAR reanalysis dataset,the origins of westerly wind anomalies at low level over equatorial western Pacific Ocean before and during the onset and initial development phase of ENSO are explored.Evidences show that westerly anomalies in the equatorial western Pacific(140-180°E) are characterized by two remarkable enhancements in the spring and summer of the year when El Nine emerges.The enhancements are not only.to some extem.due to the eastward propagation of low-level westerlies in equatorial Indian Ocean.but also predominantly resulting from Ihe intense convergence of the meridional wind from both hemispheres.The latitudinal convergence leads to the local intensification of zonal pressure gradient so as to cause the reinforcement and bursts of westerly wind over warm pool.Besides,by virtue of the effect of earth rotation,the northeasterlies(southeasterlies) from the Northern(Southern) Hemisphere turn into northwesterlies(southwesterlies) progressively in the near-equatorial zone.which directly strengthens the westerly velocity.Comparing the contributions of the meridional wind from both hemispheres to westerly wind bursts,is seems that southeasterlies from the Southern Hemisphere are much stronger and more stable than northwesterlies of Northern Hemisphere.It is evident that the southeasterlies to the east of Australia originate from the southern mid-and high latitudes and are in close association with the Southern Oscillation.     

STUDY ON THE QUASI-FOUR YEAR OSCILLATION OF AIR-SEA INTERACTION

Complex Singular Value Decomposition(CSVD)analysis technique was applied to study theQuasi Four year Oscillation(QFO)of air sea interaction and its coupled pattern evolution duringdifferent phases.Results show that:(1)CSVD method can better reveal phase relation betweentwo physical fields:(2)Not only northerly anomalies from Northern Hemisphere but alsosoutherly anomalies from Southern Hemisphere contribute to EI Nino.They converge in westernequatorial Pacific,leading to outburst of strong equatorial westerly anomalies,and result in strongEl Nino event onset:(3)An abnormal subtropical anticyclone circulation appears overnorthwestern Pacific while El Nino developing.It favors transitions from the warm SST(EINino)to the cold SST(La Nina),just as the tropical westerly anomalies produced by abnormalcyclone during a decaying La Nina.which encourage the development of El Nino:(4)Thewesterly anomalies in equatorial Pacific are mainly induced by eastward abnormal subtropicalcyclone pairs,which are located in north and south Pacific respectively,and are not the eastwardwesterly anomalies from equatorial Indian Ocean.     

STUDY ON THE QUASI-FOUR YEAR OSCILLATION OF AIR-SEA INTERACTION*

Complex Singular Value Decomposition(CSVD)analysis technique was applied to study the Quasi Four year Oscillation(QFO)of air sea interaction and its coupled pattern evolution during different phases.Results show that:(1)CSVD method can better reveal phase relation between two physical fields:(2)Not only northerly anomalies from Northern Hemisphere but also southerly anomalies from Southern Hemisphere contribute to EI Nino.They converge in western equatorial Pacific,leading to outburst of strong equatorial westerly anomalies,and result in strong El Nino event onset:(3)An abnormal subtropical anticyclone circulation appears over northwestern Pacific while El Nino developing.It favors transitions from the warm SST(EINino)to the cold SST(La Nina),just as the tropical westerly anomalies produced by abnormal cyclone during a decaying La Nina.which encourage the development of El Nino:(4)The westerly anomalies in equatorial Pacific are mainly induced by eastward abnormal subtropical cyclone pairs,which are located in north and south Pacific respectively,and are not the eastward westerly anomalies from equatorial Indian Ocean.     

The Role of the Asian/Australian Monsoons and the Southern/Northern Oscillation in the ENSO Cycle

Summary  In this paper, we first examine the relationship of El Nino and La Nina events with the westerly wind anomalies over the western Pacific warm pool. On this basis, the roles of the Asian and Australian winter monsoons in the formation and progress of the westerly wind anomalies are studied. Finally, we analyze the associations of the Asian and Australian winter monsoons, the westerly wind anomalies and the El Nino and La Nina alternations with the propagating anomalies of the Southern and Northern Oscillation. The results show that the westerly wind bursts are frequent over the Maritime Continent and western Pacific, only those which can further intensify and propagate eastward are accompanied by an El Nino event. It is identified that the establishment and eastward propagation of westerly wind bursts are related to enhanced East Asian and Australian winter monsoon, respectively. The activities of the East Asian and Australian winter monsoon, the variation of the Pacific westerly and trade winds and the alternate appearance of El Nino and La Nina events should be internally connected. The main agents of this relationship are the eastward propagation of alternate positive and negative height anomalies associated with the Southern and Northern Oscillation on a 3–5 year time scale over the south and north tropical Pacific. Received January 4, 1998/Revised January 19, 1999     

1991～1994年El Niño的异常特征的诊断研究

1991～1994年热带中东太平洋海温持续4a多出现正距平。Niño3指数一直为正值。在此正距平背景下,产生了两次振荡和3次ElNiño暖期。在此期间赤道东太平洋海温在±5°纬度范围内发生了两次负距平的变化,形成了一个狭窄的温度梯度很大的“冷核”,而赤道外的中纬度海洋则持续维持两个正海温距平。这一时期海表温度资料EOF分析的结果进一步表明,第一特征向量的空间分布实际上反映了上述冷核特征。1991～1994年的ENSO事件主要是低频分量发生了较大异常,赤道低层纬向风和高层西风在前期减弱(1991-01-1992-05),后期加强(1992-06-1994-011).无论是海温还是风场的低频分量都表现出一次ENSO循环的特征。因此作者认为,虽然Niño3指数等在这4a多期间均为正值,但是大气和海洋耦合系统的低频变化部分只发生了一次完整的ENSO循环过程。1991年至1992年上半年对应于ElNiño暖位相,1992年下半年至1994年底对应于LaNina冷位相。但是这个冷位相没有能够得到充分发展,只出现两次极狭窄的冷核。冷位相的明显“夭折”,而代之以出现两次较弱的增暖,可能与季节内尺度的大气强迫与低频变化部分的相互作用有关。     

ENSO循环与亚、澳季风和南、北方涛动的关系

文中从研究 ENSO循环的成因出发 ,分析了厄尔尼诺 ( El Nino)和拉尼娜 ( La Nina)的产生与西太平洋暖池地区西风异常的关系 ;在此基础上 ,探讨了西太平洋西风异常的形成和变化与亚洲和澳大利亚冬季风的关系 ;最后 ,分析了亚、澳冬季风的活动 ,西太平洋西风异常的形成和东传 ,以及厄尔尼诺和拉尼娜的交替出现等现象与南方涛动和北方涛动传播波的联系。     

A plausible reason for changes in El Niño parameters in the 2000s

An attempt is made to find a plausible reason for the weakening of the interrelation between the variability in wind and water volume in the tropical warm pool in the western equatorial Pacific and the onset of El Niño–Southern Oscillation event (ENSO). It is demonstrated that variability in the atmospheric dynamics near the Drake Passage can affect the ENSO development. The weakening of the interrelation between ENSO and the variability in wind together with water volume in the tropical warm pool is caused by the fact that the processes of atmosphere–ocean interaction in the tropical Pacific started exerting smaller influence on the ENSO development (as compared with the processes in the Southern Ocean). This is due to warmer ocean conditions registered since the late 1990s that favored the decrease in the zonal gradient of temperature in the ocean surface layer in the tropics and led to lower atmospheric variability in the tropical Pacific whereas this variability remained the same over the Southern Ocean.     

Westerly wind events,diurnal cycle and central Pacific El Niño warming

In the past three decades, the strongest central Pacific (CP) El Niño event was observed in 2009–2010 by satellites. When intensity of this CP El Niño reached its maximum, large diurnal variations of sea surface temperature (SST) were also observed from tropical atmosphere ocean moorings in the central equatorial Pacific. Solar radiation in the equatorial central Pacific is larger than 140 W/m², which leads to the amplitude of diurnal cycle of SST primarily determined by large-scale wind patterns. Intraseasonal westerly wind events (WWEs) can lead to an eastward displacement of the warm pool and also can weaken the trade winds in central Pacific. When the occurrence of equatorial WWEs is more than 20 days in a month, monthly mean wind speed in central equatorial Pacific has high possibility of wind speed less than 3 m/s, thus has pronounced diurnal cycle of SST. The diurnal cycle of SST will rectify daily mean SST. Reduced mixing at the base of the mixed layer and suppression of entrainment due to the accumulated effect of diurnal cycle may lead to warmer SST in the following month. This study suggests the occurrence of more diurnal SST events may contribute to the increasing intensity of the CP El Niño events.     

北太平洋冬季海-气耦合的主模态及其与瞬变扰动异常的联系

利用45年的ECMWF再分析资料,使用SVD方法研究了冬季北太平洋地区表层海温(SST)异常与大气环流异常间的主要耦合模态,探讨了大尺度海-气耦合型与天气尺度瞬变扰动的相互关系。分析结果表明,中纬度北太平洋地区冬季存在两种主要的海-气耦合型,第1种耦合型反映了与ENSO紧密相关的中纬度北太平洋冬季海温异常分布型以及大气的PNA型,第2种耦合型SST异常集中在东亚沿海以及中纬度北太平洋海流区,相应的大气场则为暖(冷)SSTA上空东西向带状区域内位势高度偏高(低),明显独立于ENSO型。进一步的合成分析表明,在第1种耦合型SST正(负)异常年里,冬季阿留申低压主体位置偏西南(东北),从东北亚到北美西海岸的西北—东南向带状区域内是低层大气温度正(负)异常区和高层西风负(正)异常区,西风负(正)异常中心位于西风急流出口处的北太平洋中东部,而西风急流主体区的风速变化很小。在第2种耦合型东亚沿海至中纬度北太平洋海流区SST偏暖(冷)时,阿留申低压整体偏弱(强),SST暖(冷)异常上空的大气温度偏暖(冷),高层西风急流区西风偏弱(强)。两种耦合型均显示出在北太平洋中纬度地区大气和海洋的异常相关中心有很好的空间对应性。在两种耦合型下,中纬度北太平洋冬季的大气斜压性也发生截然不同的改变,引起中纬度天气尺度瞬变扰动活动异常。瞬变扰动异常的动力强迫作用对北太平洋西风异常的形成存在正反馈作用,而其热力作用则试图破坏与两种海-气耦合模态相关的大气温度异常型。     

Nonlinear interdecadal changes of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation

Nonlinear interdecadal changes in the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon are investigated using several tools: a nonlinear canonical correlation analysis (NLCCA) method based on neural networks, a hybrid coupled model, and the delayed oscillator theory. The leading NLCCA mode between the tropical Pacific wind stress (WS) and sea surface temperature (SST) reveals notable interdecadal changes of ENSO behaviour before and after the mid 1970s climate regime shift, with greater nonlinearity found during 1981–99 than during 1961–75. Spatial asymmetry (for both SST and WS anomalies) between warm El Niño and cool La Niña events was significantly enhanced in the later period. During 1981–99, the location of the equatorial easterly anomalies was unchanged from the earlier period, but in the opposite ENSO phase, the westerly anomalies were shifted eastward by up to 25°. According to the delayed oscillator theory, such an eastward shift would lengthen the duration of the warm events by up to 45%, but leave the duration of the cool events unchanged. Supporting evidence was found from a hybrid coupled model built with the Lamont dynamical ocean model coupled to a statistical atmospheric model consisting of either the leading NLCCA or CCA mode.     

基于交叉小波分析方法的西太平洋副热带高压年际变率与热带海温及大气环流异常的相关性研究

西太平洋副热带高压的年际变率受热带多个关键海区的海-气相互作用过程调控, 但彼此间的因果关联和影响机制尚不清楚。为揭示西太平洋副热带高压的年际变率与热带海温及大气环流异常之间的内在关联特性, 定义了三个关键海区以及赤道纬向西风区的特征指数, 并分别与西太平洋副热带高压强度、脊线指数进行了交叉小波和相干小波分析。研究发现:西太平洋副热带高压指数存在显著的2~3年和准5年的周期振荡, 20世纪八九十年代后, 由于暖池区海温及赤道纬向西风区的Hadley环流强迫加强, 致使副热带高压特征指数的2~3年周期振荡加强; 从位相关系看, 先是西太平洋副热带高压减弱南撤导致纬向西风加强, 其后影响赤道东太平洋海温升高, 同时暖水向东传, 使赤道中太平洋以及暖池区海温逐渐升高, 在Hadley环流作用下使副高加强北抬。基于上述西太平洋副热带高压的年际变率与热带海温及大气环流异常变化相关性诊断研究, 进一步探讨了造成这种相关性的影响机理和因果关联, 为揭示西太平洋副热带高压年际变率与热带海温及大气环流异常的相关性做探索研究。      

西风爆发时赤道西太平洋的热量平衡：个例分析

The responses of sea surface temperature (SST) in the western equatorial Pacific warm pool to the west erly wind bursts (WWBs) play an important role in the relationship between WWB and ENSO. By using da ta collected from eight buoys of TOGA (Tropical Ocean-Global Atmosphere)-COARE (Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment), the heat balances of the upper ocean in the western equatorial Pacific around 0°. 156°E during two WWB events were calculated according to Stevenson and Niiler＇s (1983) method. In both events, SST increased before and after the WWBs, while decreased within the WWBs. The SST amplitudes approximated to l℃. Although sometimes the horizontal heat advections may become the biggest term in the heat balance, the variation of SST was dominated by the surface heat flux. On the other aspect, some different features of the two events are also revealed. The two cases have different variation of mixed layer depth. The depth of mixed layer is almost double in the first case (35 m to 70 m), which is caused by Ekman convergence, while only 10m increments due to entrainment in the second one. There are also differences in the currents structure. The different variations of thermal and currents struc ture in the mixing layers accounted for the different variation of the heat balance during the two events, es pecially the advection and residue terms. The seasonal variation of SST in this area is also investigated sim ply. The first WWB event happened just during the seasonal transition. So we considered that it is a normal season transition rather than a so-called anomaly. That also suggested that the seasonal distinction of the WWB is worthy of more attention in the researches of its relationship to ENSO.     

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.     

The westerly anomalies over the tropical pacific and their dynamical effect on the enso cycles during 1980–1994

In this paper, the zonal wind anomalies in the lower troposphere over the tropical Pacific during 1980–1994 are analyzed by using the observed data. The results show that during the formation of the 1982/83, 1986/87 and 1991 / 92 ENSO events, there were the larger westerly anomalies in the lower troposphere over the equatorial Pacific. Moreover, it is explained by using the correlation analyses that the westerly anomalies over the equatorial Pacific could cause the warm episodes of the equatorial central and eastern Pacific. A simple air-sea coupled model is used to discuss theoretically the dynamical effect of the observed westerly anomalies of wind stress near the sea surface of the equatorial Pacific on the ENSO cycle occurred in the period of 1981–1983. It is shown by using the theoretical calculations of the equatorial oceanic Kelvin wave and Rossby waves responding to the forcing of the observed anomalies of zonal wind stress near the sea surface of the equatorial Pacific that the westerly anomalies of wind stress near the sea surface of the equatorial Pacific make significant dynamical effect on the ENSO cycles occurred in the period of 1982–1983.     

Delayed Impacts of the E1 Nino Episodes in the Central Pacific on the Summertime Climate Anomalies of Eastern China in 2003 and 2007

In the summers of 2003 and 2007, eastern China suffered similar climate disasters with severe flooding in the Huaihe River valley and heat waves in the southern Yangtze River delta and South China. Using SST data and outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) data from NOAA along with reanalysis data from NCEP/NCAR, the 2002/03 and 2006/07 El Ni(n)o episodes in the central Pacific and their delayed impacts on the following early summertime climate anomalies of eastern China were analyzed. The possible physical progresses behaved as follows: Both of the moderate E1 Ni(n)o episodes matured in the central equatorial Pacific during the early winter. The zonal wind anomalies near the sea surface of the west-central equatorial Pacific excited equatorial Kelvin waves propagating eastward and affected the evolution of the E1 Ni(n)o episodes. From spring to early summer, the concurring anomalous easterly winds in the central equatorial Pacific and the end of upwelling Kelvin waves propagating eastward in the western equatorial Pacific, favored the equatorial warm water both of the SST and the subsurface temperature in the western Pacific. These conditions favored the warm state of the western equatorial Pacific in the early summer for both cases of 2003 and 2007. Due to the active convection in the western equatorial Pacific in the early summer and the weak warm SST anomalies in the tropical western Pacific from spring to early summer, the convective activities in the western Pacific warm pool showed the pattern in which the anomalous strong convection only appeared over the southern regions of the tropical western Pacific warm pool, which effects the meridional shift of the western Pacific subtropical high in the summer. The physical progress of the delayed impacts of the E1 Nifio episodes in the central equatorial Pacific and their decaying evolution on the climate anomalies in eastern China were interpreted through the key role of special pattern for the heat convection in the tropical western Pacific warm pool and the response of the western North Pacific anomalous anticyclone.     

Delayed impacts of the El Niño episodes in the central Pacific on the summertime climate anomalies of eastern China in 2003 and 2007

In the summers of 2003 and 2007, eastern China suffered similar climate disasters with severe flooding in the Huaihe River valley and heat waves in the southern Yangtze River delta and South China. Using SST data and outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) data from NOAA along with reanalysis data from NCEP/NCAR, the 2002/03 and 2006/07 El Nino episodes in the central Pacific and their delayed impacts on the following early summertime climate anomalies of eastern China were analyzed. The possible physical progresses behaved as follows: Both of the moderate El Nino episodes matured in the central equatorial Pacific during the early winter. The zonal wind anomalies near the sea surface of the west-central equatorial Pacific excited equatorial Kelvin waves propagating eastward and affected the evolution of the El Ni\~no episodes. From spring to early summer, the concurring anomalous easterly winds in the central equatorial Pacific and the end of upwelling Kelvin waves propagating eastward in the western equatorial Pacific, favored the equatorial warm water both of the SST and the subsurface temperature in the western Pacific. These conditions favored the warm state of the western equatorial Pacific in the early summer for both cases of 2003 and 2007. Due to the active convection in the western equatorial Pacific in the early summer and the weak warm SST anomalies in the tropical western Pacific from spring to early summer, the convective activities in the western Pacific warm pool showed the pattern in which the anomalous strong convection only appeared over the southern regions of the tropical western Pacific warm pool, which effects the meridional shift of the western Pacific subtropical high in the summer. The physical progress of the delayed impacts of the El Ni\~no episodes in the central equatorial Pacific and their decaying evolution on the climate anomalies in eastern China were interpreted through the key role of special pattern for the heat convection in the tropical western Pacific warm pool and the response of the western North Pacific anomalous anticyclone.     

The Westerly Anomalies over the Tropical Pacific and Their Dynamical Effect on the ENSO Cycles during 1980～1994

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Southern Oscillation simulation in the OSU coupled upper ocean-atmosphere GCM

The Southern Oscillation is a major component in the interannual variations of global climate. The Oregon State University global climate model, with a dynamically interactive upper ocean, reproduces in qualitatively correct fashion some of the major characteristics of the Southern Oscillation. This model simulates the observed anti-correlation of annually averaged sea-level pressure (SLP) between the eastern Pacific and the Indonesian region, the primary atmospheric signal of the Southern Oscillation. In the composite of the simulated warm events positive sea-surface temperature (SST) anomalies expand eastward towards South America from the tropical western Pacific during the first half of the calendar year. The SST anomalies develop in conjunction with eastward mixed layer current anomalies in the tropical Pacific. In the late summer and early fall anomalously warm water near South America develops and moves westward to merge with the central Pacific anomalies. This lagged development in the eastern Pacific is analogous to the evolution of the 1982/83 and 1986/87 El Ninos. The temperature of the thermocline layer also increases, with the slope of the equatorial Pacific thermocline decreasing in response to the relaxation of the surface forcing. Enhanced precipitation occurs in the mid-Pacific while in the Indian and Australian monsoon regions a deficit occurs. The peak of the warm phase occurs in late northern fall/early winter, somewhat earlier than during observed El Ninos. The cold phase of the Southern Oscillation, enhancement of the zonal circulation, evolves in a fashion similar to the warm phase with the signs of the anomalies reversed, similar to observations. Occurrence of Southern Oscillation in this coarse resolution GCM indicates that high resolution ocean waves do not play a crucial role in the generation of this phenomenon as suggested by Pacific basin models. These results also show that ocean-atmosphere global climate models are useful tools for investigation of time dependent changes on the interannual timescale in addition to their hitherto accepted use for studying equilibrium properties of climate.