Anomalies in temperature and rainfall during warm Arctic seasons as a guide to the formulation of climate scenarios

Recently much concern has been expressed regarding the impact of an increased atmospheric CO₂ concentration on climate. Unfortunately, present understanding and models of the climate system are not good enough for reliable prediction of such impacts. This paper presents an analysis of recent climate data in order to illustrate the nature of regional temperature and rainfall changes in different seasons and to provide some guidance with regard to points which might be borne in mind when scenarios of future climate (especially those taking into account human impacts) are being formulated.Since it is believed that an increased atmospheric CO₂ concentration will cause a warming and models and data suggest that the Arctic is more sensitive to climatic change than other latitudes, anomalies associated with warm Arctic seasons have been studied.The regional temperature, precipitation and pressure anomalies in the northern hemisphere for the 10 warmest Arctic winters and 10 warmest Arctic summers during the last 70 years have been investigated. Even when the Arctic area is warm, there are circulation changes such that large coherent anomalies occur elsewhere, with some regions warming and some cooling. The 10 warmest Arctic winters were characterised by larger amplitude anomalies, in the Arctic and elsewhere, than the 10 warmest summers, illustrating the difference in response between seasons. The precipitation differences for the 10 warmest Arctic winters and summers show for North America large coherent areas of increase or decrease, which again differ according to season. However, in winter the differences are not statistically significant, while the differences in two areas are significant in summer.     

Analyses of intraseasonal oscillation characteristics of flood-causing rainstorms in Xijiang River valley during the annually first raining season in the past years

Based on the daily precipitation data of nine stations representing the Xijiang River valley and the National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (USA) reanalysis data, this study uses the wavelet analysis and band-pass filter methods to investigate the atmospheric intraseasonal oscillation characteristics of flood-causing rainstorms in the valley during the annually first raining seasons in 1968, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2005. Results show that the daily precipitation in the valley exhibits significant quasi-biweekly (10 to 20 days) oscillations. The flood-causing rainstorms in the valley were mainly associated with the confluence of low-frequency warm and humid airflow in the lower latitudes and cold and dry airflow in the higher latitudes. The low-frequency vortexes were propagating or in control when this type of rainstorms took place over the valley, being favorable for the convergence of moisture at lower levels and thus vital to the formation of the rainstorms.     

中国西南地区春季降水的时空变化及其异常的环流特征

利用中国气象局国家气象信息中心整编的中国西南地区97站逐日观测资料及美国国家环境预报中心/大气研究中心(NCEP/NCAR)再分析资料,对中国西南地区1961—2013年春季降水的时空分布特征进行了分析,并研究了造成西南地区春季降水异常的环流成因。结果表明,中国西南地区春季降水的主模态呈现为全区一致型,该模态具有明显的2.5—3.5a及准5a的活动周期。对流层中低层副热带地区的异常气旋式环流波列形成的异常气流将洋面上空的水汽向中国西南内陆地区输送,暖湿气流与异常活跃的北方冷空气活动相配合,加上西南地区大气低层辐合、高层辐散而产生抽吸作用,使得当地对流层中低层出现较强的沿地形抬升的上升气流,从而有利于西南地区降水的形成,反之亦然。造成环流异常的原因除了与西南地区、热带地区的异常辐合/辐散运动造成的位涡扰动能量有关,亦与中高纬度波扰动能量下欧亚大陆下游地区的频散及辐合有关。此外,冬季1月的青藏高原地面加热场特征可作为预测后期西南地区春季降水异常变化的一个前期信号。     

北极涛动与东北冬季温度的联系

利用1950-1999年NCEP／NCAR再分析资料和东北地区冬季温度资料,借助经验正交函数（EOF）分解、相关分析、合成分析以及关联表方法,研究了北极涛动指数（Arctic Oscillation Indices,AOI）与我国东北地区冬季温度的联系。结果表明,AOI具有明显的上升趋势（趋势系数R=0．35）,其振幅在1968／1969年之前较小,而在1968／1969年之后明显增大,具有明显的年代际变化;并且AOI与东北地区冬季温度具有一致的上升趋势（相关系数R=0．59）。研究表明,AO的异常变化通过西伯利亚高压、阿留申低压、东亚地区极地东风以及东亚冬季风异常,进而影响我国东北地区冬季温度异常,它们之间存在着密切的相关关系。     

冬季北极海冰运动主模态的构成及其与海平面气压变化的关系

利用国际北极浮冰运动观测资料（IABP）（1979-1998）以及NCEP／NCAR月平均海平面气压再分析资料（1960-2002）,通过求解海冰运动异常的复斜方差矩阵,研究了冬季北极海冰运动主模态构成及其与海平面气压变化的关系。冬季海冰运动主模态是由两个海冰运动优势模态的一个线性组合构成,与这两个运动优势模态有直接关系的海平面气压变化主要发生在北极海盆及其边缘海区。尽管北极涛动（北大西洋涛动）通过影响海平面气压进而影响北极海冰运动,但是,北极涛动（北大西洋涛动）并不是决定海冰运动主模态的关键性因素。     

大样本初始化十年际预测试验（CESM-DPLE）对东亚夏季气候预测的评估

基于气温和降水观测资料以及美国国家环境预报中心/国家大气研究中心（NCEP/NCAR）大气再分析资料,系统评估了大样本初始化十年际预测试验（CESM-DPLE）对1959—2016年东亚夏季气候预测的能力。结果表明,CESM-DPLE能较好地模拟东亚夏季气候以及相关主要大气环流系统的基本态特征,在年际尺度上对东亚气温有很高的预测技巧但对降水几乎没有预测能力。CESM-DPLE再现了北大西洋多年代际振荡（AMO）经由激发遥相关波列所引起的中高纬度大气环流、东亚夏季风和气候的异常。20世纪90年代末之后,北大西洋多年代际振荡由冷位相转为暖位相,遥相关波列位相调整,东亚受异常低压控制,东亚夏季风偏强,夏季气温偏高、降水偏多。总体上,尽管还存在着不足,但CESM-DPLE对东亚夏季温度年际变化以及与20世纪90年代末北大西洋多年代际振荡位相转变相联的东亚夏季气候年代际变化具备一定的预测能力,是目前研究和预测东亚气候变化的一套较好试验数据。      

NUMERICAL MODELING STUDY OF EFFECTS OF EASTERN PACIFIC WARM POOL ON ENSO

In this study, sensitivity experiments were conducted with the Zebiak-Cane ocean-atmosphere coupled model forced by the wind stress anomaly from the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis data to study the impacts of eastern Pacific warm pool on the formation and development of ENSO events. The effects of climatological mean sea surface temperature of the warm pool on forecast skill during the ENSO events of 1982–1999 are more considerable that those of climatological mean meridional winds and ocean currents. The forecast skill for the 1997/1998 El Ni?o event is characterized by sensitivity to climatological mean sea surface temperature and anomalies of northerly winds and currents. The forecast skill is found insensitive to climatological mean northerly meridional winds and currents.     

东西伯利亚——波弗特海海冰多年代际变率及其与大西洋多年代际振荡的联系

基于哈得来中心（Hadley Centre）逐月的海表温度、海冰密集度资料以及美国国家环境预报中心/国家大气研究中心（NCEP/NCAR）的大气环流再分析资料,分析了1950—2020年秋季（8—10月）东西伯利亚—波弗特海（East Siberian-Beaufort,EsCB）海冰年代际变化的时空特征,并阐述了大西洋多年代际振荡（Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation,AMO）对EsCB海冰年代际变率的可能调制作用。结果表明,EsCB是秋季北极海冰年代际变化最主要的区域,该区海冰密集度年代际变率可占其异常总方差的40%以上。进一步研究发现,AMO对秋季EsCB海冰存在明显的调制作用,在AMO正位相,北大西洋正海温异常激发向极传播的大气罗斯贝波列,有利于北极中部出现高压异常,相应的大气绝热下沉运动使得对流层低层出现明显的升温,从而有利于EsCB海冰的融化。与此同时,地表升温和EsCB海冰消融会引起局地云量的增多、大气向下长波辐射增大,这反过来又使得地表气温升高,这种地表气温-云-长波辐射的正反馈过程有利于年代际海冰信号的长时间维持。耦合模式的北大西洋“起搏...     

东亚-北太平洋副热带海气耦合模态及其对降水的影响

利用53年的NCEP/NCAR再分析资料和英国气象局Hadley气候预测和研究中心的海表面温度资料,使用SVD方法研究了东亚-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.分析结果表明,中纬度北太平洋地区存在两种主要的海-气耦合模态,第一模态是海温异常分布的纬向型,第二模态主要表现为经向海温差异分布.两种空间耦合模态共同反映出中纬度北太平洋地区大气和海洋的异常中心有很强的局地耦合性.在第一模态的正(负)异常年,东亚-北太平洋地区主要为负(正)的降水异常,在第二模态的正(负)异常年,东亚和北太平洋的大部分地区出现降水正(负)异常,北美西岸及以西的部分区域出现降水的负(正)异常.两个模态所对应的降水差异显示,海气耦合模态的循环变化有利于形成我国降水分布南北差异的改变.     

Indian summer monsoon onset vortex formation during recent decades

This study investigates the decrease in the frequency of onset vortex of summer monsoon during recent decades using the National Center for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis (1982–2011) data. Onset vortices are known to occur over the Arabian Sea mini warm pool where the sea surface temperature peaks just before the onset of monsoon. Even though the Arabian Sea mini warm pool intensifies during the recent decades, they are not seen as a regular feature. It is found from the analysis of irrotational and non-divergent wind component at 850 and 200 hPa that during the recent decades, convergent winds dominate at upper levels and divergent winds at lower levels which inhibits convection. Moreover, the cyclonic shear vorticity shows a decrease in the recent decades which tend to reduce the boundary layer moisture convergence and lower tropospheric humidity which is an important component for the initiation of a cyclonic system. The recent decades are characterized by weak convection due to the presence of strong northerlies and descending motion at lower levels in the southeast Arabian Sea. The response of atmospheric circulation to the interdecadal variations in the warm pool and the corresponding decrease in the frequency of onset vortex formation is analyzed in detail.     

Climate change and soil freezing dynamics: historical trends and projected changes

Changes to soil freezing dynamics with climate change can modify ecosystem carbon and nutrient losses. Soil freezing is influenced strongly by both air temperature and insulation by the snowpack, and it has been hypothesized that winter climate warming may lead to increased soil freezing as a result of reduced snowpack thickness. I used weather station data to explore the relationships between winter air temperature, precipitation and soil freezing for 31 sites in Canada, ranging from the temperate zone to the high Arctic. Inter-annual climate variation and associated soil temperature variation over the last 40 years were examined and used to interpolate the effects of projected climate change on soil freezing dynamics within sites using linear regression models. Annual soil freezing days declined with increasing mean winter air temperature despite decreases in snow depth and cover, and reduced precipitation only increased annual soil freezing days in the warmest sites. Annual soil freeze–thaw cycles increased in both warm and dry winters, although the effects of precipitation were strongest in sites that experience low mean winter precipitation. Overall, it was projected that by 2050, changes in winter temperature will have a much stronger effect on annual soil freezing days and freeze–thaw cycles than changes in total precipitation, with sites close to but below freezing experiencing the largest changes in soil freezing days. These results reveal that experimental data relevant to the effects of climate changes on soil freezing dynamics and changes in associated soil physical and biological processes are lacking.     

Polar amplification in a coupled climate model with locked albedo

In recent years, a substantial reduction of the sea ice in the Arctic has been observed. At the same time, the near-surface air in this region is warming at a rate almost twice as large as the global average—this phenomenon is known as the Arctic amplification. The role of the ice-albedo feedback for the Arctic amplification is still a matter of debate. Here the effect of the surface-albedo feedback (SAF) was studied using a coupled climate model CCSM3 from the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Experiments, where the SAF was suppressed by locking the surface albedo in the entire coupled model system, were conducted. The results reveal polar temperature amplification when this model, with suppressed albedo, is forced by a doubling of the atmospheric CO₂ content. Comparisons with variable albedo experiments show that SAF amplifies the surface-temperature response in the Arctic area by about 33%, whereas the corresponding value for the global-mean surface temperature is about 15%. Even though SAF is an important process underlying excessive warming at high latitudes, the Arctic amplification is only 15% larger in the variable than in the locked-albedo experiments. It is found that an increase of water vapour and total cloud cover lead to a greenhouse effect, which is larger in the Arctic than at lower latitudes. This is expected to explain a part of the Arctic surface–air-temperature amplification.     

Simulation of West African monsoon using the RegCM3. Part I: Model validation and interannual variability

Summary The West African monsoon oscillates each year with remarkable regularity but the interannual variability associated with the monsoon is not fully understood although much progress has been made in recent years. This study examines and evaluates the mean state and the interannual variability of the West African climate as simulated by the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) Regional Climate Model version 3 (RegCM3) over the period 1979 through 1990 using the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) reanalysis data as lateral boundary conditions. Our analysis shows that the averaged rainfall over the region is well represented by the model and demonstrates considerable skill in reproducing the extreme rainfall regimes. There is however a tendency to overestimate rainfall amounts along the Guinean coast, particularly around mountainous areas, and to underestimate it over the Soudano-Sahel. The increased rainfall along the coast is due to an enhanced low-level convergence of the moist southwesterly winds along the coast leading to a reduction of the moisture content in the atmosphere. The decrease over the Soudano-Sahel could be associated with the weakening of the land–sea temperature gradient and hence the decrease in the low level southerly flows. The spatial and temporal variations in temperature are well captured by the model except for slightly cold bias over the coastal region due to an overestimation of precipitation.     

中国东部冬季温度异常偶极型模态的一个前兆信号

利用中国160站逐月温度、NCEP再分析、NOAA-CIRES 20世纪再分析以及NOAA海表温度等资料,分析了中国东部（100°E以东地区）冬季温度年际变化的主要模态,并重点研究了其中第2模态（即偶极型模态）的成因机理和前期信号。同时,也以2012～2013年冬季为例,探讨了这一温度异常模态的预测方法。研究主要发现:除中国东部大范围一致偏冷或偏暖模态以外,110°E以东的北方地区偏冷（暖）还经常对应着华南和110°E以西地区的偏暖（冷）,构成温度异常反向变化的偶极型模态。这种偶极型模态也是冬季气候变化的一个主要模态,2012～2013年冬季温度异常即属于这一模态。中国东部冬季温度一致型模态主要与前期秋季中东太平洋海温异常、亚洲大陆北部积雪,及其邻近的北冰洋地区海冰密集度异常联系紧密。而对于偶极型模态,海温的影响并不明显,前期秋季的东亚中纬度地区积雪、北冰洋斯瓦尔巴群岛、法兰士约瑟夫地群岛附近海域的海冰密集度异常,以及它们引起的表面温度异常分布可能具有重要贡献,其中北冰洋海冰密集度异常导致的该地区表面温度异常的影响可能更为重要。综合了海冰和积雪信号的前期秋季北冰洋—东亚温度差异（Arctic Ocean-East Asian temperature contrast,简称AE）指数与中国东部冬季温度异常偶极型模态具有显著联系,可以作为一个重要的预测因子。2012年秋季赤道中东太平洋海温的正常状态以及北冰洋暖异常和东亚中纬度地区冷异常的表面温度分布特征,都不利于中国东部冬季温度南北一致型异常的发生,而是有利于偶极型异常分布。利用AE指数可以有效地预测2012～2013年中国东部冬季温度异常特征。     

Analyses of dry intrusion and instability during heavy rainfall event occurred in Northern China

The 1°×1° National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research （NCEP/NCAR） data and mesoscale numerical simulation data are analyzed to reveal a mechanism for the formation of heavy rainfall in Northern China; this mechanism is the non-uniformly saturated instability induced by a dry intrusion. The dry intrusion and the accompanying downward transport of air with a high value of potential vorticity （PV） are maintained during the precipitation event. As the dry air intrudes down into the warm and moist sector in the lower troposphere, the cold, dry air and the warm, moist air mix with each other, and, as a result, the atmosphere becomes non-uniformly saturated. On the basis of this non-uniform saturation, a new Brunt-Vaisaila frequency （BVF） formula is derived and applied to the precipitation event. It is shown that, compared to the conditions of either a dry or a saturated atmosphere, the BVF in a non-uniformly saturated, moist atmosphere （BVF） may be more appropriate for depicting the atmospheric instability in rainy regions.     

The effects of land-surface characteristics on the East Asian summer monsoon

 The Community Climate Model version 2 (CCM2) of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) was used to investigate the effects of the land-surface characteristics on the East Asian summer monsoon. Four numerical experiments were performed in this study. They include the control run, the biosphere–atmosphere transfer scheme (BATS) run, the heavy snow run, and the light snow run. The results show that CCM2 can reasonably simulate many characteristics of the East Asian summer monsoon, such as the 850-hPa southwesterlies, 200-hPa easterlies, high precipitation rate, two monsoon subsystems, the low-level subtropical high, and the upper level South Asian anticyclone. Nevertheless, the model still exhibits some systematic errors, including oversimulation of the temperature over the Eurasian continent, which in turn intensifies the monsoon circulations. In the BATS run, the model can significantly relieve the temperature bias over the continent in spring and early summer. However, the effect of BATS decreases in the summer due to excessive incoming solar radiation. The Eurasian continent is still occupied by an oversimulated thermal low in summer. In the heavy snow case, the high albedo of snow and larger soil moisture suppress the warming rate of the surface and atmosphere in the early summer and hence the cooler troposphere results in a weaker monsoon circulation. Moreover, anomalous cyclonic flows are found in the leeside of Tibetan Plateau (i.e. the southwest vortex in China) in the heavy snow case. This may shed a light on the precipitation anomalies (floods) over Yangtze River Valley (Central China) and eastern Asia due to intensified baroclinic disturbances. Received: 8 September 1999 / Accepted: 5 June 2000     

BCC-CSM2-MR模式对北极海冰和气候的模拟及预估

基于第六次耦合模式比较计划(CMIP6),使用新一代全球模式BCC-CSM2-MR的历史试验和未来共享社会经济路径(SSPs)数据,依据Hadley中心的海表面温度和海冰密集度数据及NCEP/NCAR I再分析资料,评估了BCC-CSM2-MR模式对北极海冰及北极气候的模拟能力,并对未来变化进行了预估.结果表明:BCC...     

ENSO对中国南方降水低频变率的可能影响

利用1979—2012年Hadley中心海表温度、中国2 474个台站逐日降水和NCEP/NCAR全球再分析资料,分析了不同类型ENSO事件秋冬季和次年春季中国南方地区10~30 d降水低频变率的变化特征。结果表明,中国南方地区10~30 d降水低频变率对不同类型ENSO事件的响应存在显著的季节差异。EP型El Ni1o的冬季和次年春季,低频降水变率显著增强; CP型El Ni1o秋冬季低频降水强度呈现相反的异常,秋季低频降水偏弱,而冬季则偏强; La Ni1a事件期间中国南方低频降水变率的变化较小且不稳定。进一步分析发现,ENSO对南方地区10~30 d低频降水变率的影响与西北太平洋地区季节平均大气环流背景场对ENSO的响应密切相关。相比正常年份,EP型El Ni1o冬春季菲律宾反气旋性异常环流的强度较强且范围较大,其西侧的异常西南风向中国南方地区输送了大量水汽,从而有利于低频降水的增强; CP型El Ni1o年秋季西北太平洋表现为气旋性环流异常,抑制了热带水汽向东亚大陆的输送,而冬季却产生了与EP型El Ni1o年类似的异常反气旋环流,只是强度有所减弱,因此中国南方地区低频降水强度在秋冬季呈相反异常。La Ni1a年菲律宾附近虽然存在气旋性环流异常,但强度较弱,因而我国南方地区低频降水变率的响应也较弱。     

Moisture Flux and Water Balance over the South China Sea During Late Boreal Spring and Summer

Summary  The moisture flux and water balance over the South China Sea (SCS) during late boreal spring and summer are studied using the reanalysis data of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR). It is shown that the SCS is a water vapor sink during that period of time. Climatologically, the SCS works like a “reservoir of water vapor” for its special geographical location. In early May, water vapor is brought into the SCS area through its eastern, southern, and western boundaries, and is transported out of that area through its northern boundary. From June to August, the western and southern boundaries of the SCS are inflow passes of moisture flux to that region, while the northern and eastern boundaries are outflow passes. It is the intense convergence of moisture to the SCS area that maintains the local heavy precipitation. The northward branch of moisture flux feeds the precipitation over eastern China. Received May 5, 1999 Revised July 8, 1999     

华南前汛期盛期中国东部降水异常模态的环流特征及成因分析

根据1958~2011年中国东部(105°E以东)316站逐日降水观测资料及环流逐日再分析资料,利用统计分析、物理量诊断等方法,探讨华南前汛期盛期(5月21日至6月10日)中国东部降水异常模态及对应大气环流特征和可能成因。分析发现,华南前汛期盛期中国东部降水异常表现为两个相互独立的降水模态:第一模态为华南全区一致型,当其时间系数为正(负)时,整个华南降水偏多(少),黄河中游降水偏少(多);第二模态为华南沿海东部型,当其时间系数为正(负)时,华南沿海东部降水偏多(少),而长江中下游降水偏少(多)。研究发现,造成华南前汛期盛期两个降水型的环流特征有明显差异:全区一致型降水主要受东亚高空西风急流南北偏移、副热带高压脊东西偏移及低层南海北部异常风场影响;沿海东部型降水主要由东亚高空西风急流强弱及位置异常、副热带高压强弱变化、低层日本以南西太平洋异常风场导致。此外,两个降水型对应环流异常的成因也各不相同。第一模态中高层环流异常由丝绸之路遥相关型导致,低层风场异常在5月下旬由阿拉伯海向下游传播的风场异常波列引起,在6月上旬则由西太平洋西移的异常反气旋(气旋)造成。第二模态的中高层环流异常先后由极地—欧亚遥相关型、环球遥相关型引起,低层风场异常由高层环流异常的动力作用造成。两降水型均存在整层深厚的垂直运动,但第一模态的垂直运动在高层闭合且对应显著的辐合辐散异常,第二模态则不具有上述特征。