Re-examination of tropical cyclone formation in monsoon troughs over the western North Pacific

The monsoon trough(MT) is one of the large-scale patterns favorable for tropical cyclone(TC) formation over the western North Pacific(WNP). This study re-examines TC formation by treating the MT as a large-scale background for TC activity during May–October. Over an 11-year(2000–10) period, 8.3 TC formation events on average per year are identified to occur within MTs, accounting for 43.1% of the total TC formation events in the WNP basin. This percentage is much lower than those reported in previous studies. Further analysis indicates that TC formation events in monsoon gyres were included at least in some previous studies. The MT includes a monsoon confluence zone where westerlies meet easterlies and a monsoon shear line where the trade easterlies lie north of the monsoon westerlies. In this study, the large-scale flow pattern associated with TC formation in the MT is composited based on the reference point in the confluence zone where both the zonal and meridional wind components are zero with positive vorticity. While previous studies have found that many TCs form in the confluence zone, the composite analysis indicates that nearly all of the TCs formed in the shear region, since the shear region is associated with stronger low-level relative vorticity than the confluence zone. The prevailing easterly vertical shear of zonal wind and barotropic instability may also be conducive to TC formation in the shear region, through the development of synoptic-scale tropical disturbances in the MT that are necessary for TC formation.     

大尺度背景下西北太平洋热带气旋的统计分析

利用大尺度再分析资料和静止卫星云图资料,对1995-2004年西北太平洋热带气旋（TC）形成的大尺度环流背景进行了分类研究。在这10a期间,有27．5％的西北太平洋TC形成于赤道辐合带,45．6％形成于季风槽,10．1％形成于东风波,10．4％形成于热带对流层上部槽,6．3％形成于斜压性扰动条件下。统计分析表明,斜压性扰动背景下形成的TC在生命史、强度方面均明显弱于其他情况,平均生命史为108．60h,平均强度为39．250kn,其余4种情况平均生命史约为200h,平均强度为70～80kn。季风槽情况下形成的TC每3个就有一个会登陆我国,其次是东风波情况下的TC,斜压性扰动背景下形成的TC必须在南海附近生成才有可能登陆我国。     

Influence of monsoon over the warm pool on interannual variation on tropical cyclone activity over the western North Pacific

The relationship between the interannual variation in tropical cyclone （TC） activity over the western North Pacific （WNP） and the thermal state over the warm pool （WP） is examined in this paper. The results show that the subsurface temperature in the WP is well correlated with TC geographical distribution and track type. Their relation is linked by the East Asian monsoon trough. During the warm years, the westward-retreating monsoon trough creates convergence and vorticity fields that are favorable for tropical cyclogenesis in the northwest of the WNP, whereas more TCs concentrating in the southeast result from eastward penetration of the monsoon trough during the cold years. The steering flows at 500 hPa lead to a westward displacement track in the warm years and recurving prevailing track in the cold years.
The two types of distinct processes in the monsoon environment triggering tropical cyclogenesis are hypothesized by composites centered for TC genesis location corresponding to two kinds of thermal states of the WP. During the warm years, low-frequency intraseasonal oscillation is active in the west of the WNP such that eastward-propagating westerlies cluster TC genesis in that region. In contrast, during the cold years, the increased cyclogenesis in the southeast of the WNP is mainly associated with tropical depression type disturbances transiting from equatorially trapped mixed Rossby gravity waves. Both of the processes may be fundamental mechanisms for the inherent interannual variation in TC activity over the WNP.     

西北太平洋热带气旋频数异常与五类主要大尺度环流型的关系

利用Yoshida and Ishikawa(2013)提出的一套客观分类方法对1979-2013年夏季(5-10月)共796个热带气旋(Tropical Cyclone,TC)生成前的大尺度环流背景场进行了分型,主要包括了季风切变线型(monsoon Shear Line,SL)、季风涡旋区(monsoon Gyre...     

1998和1999年西北太平洋热带气旋的异常特征及其大尺度条件

应用联合台风警报中心 (JTWC)的资料 ,研究了 1998和 1999年西北太平洋 (WNP)热带气旋 (TC)的活动 ,发现这两年具有较为相似的异常特征 :台风个数明显偏少 ,台风的生成源地显著偏西。对导致这种异常的大尺度条件场的分析表明 ,1998和 1999年的台风季季风槽、垂直风切变、海平面气压等因子的分布都不利于台风在WNP东部海域的生成 ,因此是导致这两年台风偏少和生成源地异常偏西的重要原因。其中 ,季风槽的异常偏西及在盛夏的异常偏北对TC的异常活动产生了主要影响。对低纬大气环流异常的进一步分析表明 ,WNP地区的环流异常是导致季风槽和垂直风切变场异常的主要原因 ,而 1999年异常环流的出现可能是由于低纬大气对印尼附近异常热源强迫的响应所致。由于该热源的存在 ,在其东侧 (WNP地区 )激发出东传的Kelvin波 ,而相应的异常风场则表现为低层盛行异常东风 ,而高层盛行异常西风 ,因此造成了WNP东部和西部海域垂直切变场的近乎相反的变化。同时 ,由于低层异常强的东风不利于季风西风的向东延伸 ,从而使季风槽明显偏西 ,未到达菲律宾以东的热带气旋频发区的位置。     

Circulation Features Associated with the Record-breaking Typhoon Silence in August 2014

Climatologically, August is the month with the most tropical cyclone(TC) formation over the western North Pacific(WNP) during the typhoon season. In this study, the reason for abnormal TC activity during August is discussed—especially August 2014, when no TCs formed. The large-scale background of August 2014 is presented, with low-level large-scale easterly anomalies and anticyclonic anomalies dominating over the main TC genesis region, a weak monsoon trough system,and a strong WNP subtropical high(WPSH), leading to significantly reduced low-level convergence, upper-level divergence,and mid-level upward motion. These unfavorable large-scale conditions suppressed convection and cyclogenesis. In August2014, equatorial waves were inactive within the negative phase of the Madden–Julian Oscillation(MJO), with fewer tropical disturbances. Although the low-level vorticity and convection of those disturbances were partly promoted by the convective envelopes of equatorial waves, the integral evolution of disturbances, as well as the equatorial waves, were suppressed when propagating into the negative MJO phase. Moreover, the upper-level potential vorticity(PV) streamers associated with anticyclonic Rossby wave breaking events imported extratropical cold and dry air into the tropics. The peripheral tropospheric dryness and enhanced vertical wind shear by PV streamer intrusion combined with the negative MJO phase were responsible for the absence of TC formation over the WNP in August 2014.     

The role of MJO and mid-latitude fronts in the South China Sea summer monsoon onset

Previous studies have suggested that the South China Sea (SCS) summer monsoon onset is concurrent with the arrival of a 30–60-day northward-propagating trough. On the other hand, from a synoptic viewpoint, some studies pointed out that the arrival of a mid-latitude front may be the triggering mechanism of the SCSSM onset. This study attempts to link these two viewpoints and to investigate their relative role in inducing the SCSSM onset. Composites of low-level zonal winds, geopotential heights and temperatures during the 1991–1999 SCSSM onsets based on the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecast ERA-40 data indicate that both the Madden and Julian Oscillation (MJO)/Kelvin waves and mid-latitude trough are apparently involved in the onset. The MJO/Kelvin waves play a major role in inducing the large-scale easterly-westerly shift over the central SCS, while the effect of the acceleration of westerlies ahead of the mid-latitude trough is limited to the northern SCS only. Numerical experiments using a regional climate model further demonstrate that the MJO/Kelvin waves control the timing of the onset by changing the background meridional geopotential height gradient over the SCS. When the MJO is at its peak phase over the Maritime continent, it imposes a positive meridional geopotential height gradient over the SCS such that easterly winds are induced, which significantly reduces the strength of a mid-latitude trough. After the equatorial convection has dissipated, a Rossby-wave response is induced, leading to the formation of a northward-moving trough. When this trough moves northward, the meridional geopotential height gradient is reversed and westerly winds are induced. At the same time, if a mid-latitude trough arrives in south China, the westerlies associated with the mid-latitude trough will strengthen because of the background meridional geopotential height gradient, which gives the impression that both the northward-moving trough and mid-latitude trough are in phase and work together to induce the onset.     

东西风廓线特征与大气运动平衡态定常波的相关关系及共振条件的研究

本文采用简化数学模型探讨了东、西风廓线特征与外源强迫下大气环流平衡态定常波结构的相关关系。文中采用实际观测资料研究了西风廓线特征与大气环流型季节特征之间的联系。研究表明,西风廓线冬、夏季节差异与中、高纬度西风槽“冬三夏四”波数差气候特征有关,且低纬强东风切变可作为赤道东风波周期振荡成因之一。冬夏西风廓线季节特征可导致大地形强迫效应、海陆加热因子影响作用的显著季节差异。研究还揭示了大气环流型优势波转换的基流特征影响效应,并导出了流场与纬向加热强迫源共振状态的西风廓线特征函数与临界曲线。     

热带气旋登陆华南前后的强降水大尺度环境场特征

运用2001年和2002年7个热带气旋 (TC) 登陆华南前后的38个日降水量、NCEP/NCAR再分析资料以及卫星云图, 经普查和分析将TC造成的降水区划分为纬向型、经向型、NE—SW向型3种; 对各型高、中、低层中的主要气象因子作了详细分析, 如高层流场、中层副热带高压、低层急流和切变线或辐合线、整层水汽通量散度以及季风云涌等, 在此基础上归纳概括出了这些降水型各自前24 h的大尺度环境场特征概略模型图, 并对其强降水形成机理尽可能地给出了解释, 为TC登陆前后的超短期降水预报提供某种参考方法。     

一种对资源不稳定性敏感的EASY-backfill算法

利用合成技术对1995—2006年冬季（11月—次年2月）生成在西北太平洋上的34个热带气旋（tropicalcyclone,TC）个例进行分析,研究冬季西北太平洋TC生成的大尺度环流特征及其生成机制,结果表明：冬季TC生成的大尺度环流特征型为东风波西传型;北半球冬季对流层低层出现的跨赤道气旋对是冬季北半球TC形成的重要特征;太平洋中部赤道混合Rossby重力波西北传,与强对流中心重合,性质转为＂热带低压型扰动＂,为冬季热带气旋生成提供扰动源。对合成TC初始场的涡动扰动动能的收支分析表明,涡动有效位能和正压不稳定转换为TC形成提供了能量,这两种能量分别与积云对流加热和水平不均匀气流有关。正压不稳定能量转换为动能主要位于对流层中下层,而扰动有效位能的转换主要位于对流层中上层。低层热带东风波动从平均气流中获得正压不稳定能量,并与强积云对流耦合,热力和动力共同作用下形成TC。     

1999年东亚夏季风异常活动的物理机制研究

文中从海-气相互作用的角度探讨了1999年东亚夏季风及与其相联系的雨带异常活动的物理机制。结果表明,由于1998年春季至1999年南海-热带西太平洋出现了近20 a最强的异常暧海温,该地强异常海-气相互作用的维持使得这种局地的热力强迫成为1999年东亚夏季风和降水异常的最主要外强迫机制,并使得1999年的季风活动和降水分布有别于一般的统计情形。从1998年秋到1999年,由于热带大气对南海-西太平洋暧海温所诱发的局地强加热的响应,热带西太平洋地区所出现的Gill模态的异常环流分布从冬季一直发展到夏季,并因此在海洋和大气之间形成了局地的强烈正反馈,不仅使得异常环流得以持续发展,而且也使得暖海温得以维持,成为影响1999年环流异常的最强前期信号。随着从冬到夏的季节演变,大气基本态对上述持续性异常环流的影响导致了冬、夏异常环流呈现出不同的纬向非对称,诱发了盛夏期间东亚到北美沿岸的遥相关波列。在东亚沿岸异常气旋性环流的影响下,大尺度异常东风在东亚沿岸的维持形成了极不利于季风西风在南海北部转向的条件,导致了季风在中国东部北进的异常偏弱和低纬西风转向位置的异常偏东。     

快速西行进入南海台风的统计特征

通过对快速西行进入南海的 1 3个台风快速西行期间西风带环流系统、副热带高压活动和台风环境流场的特征以及这些台风进一步的移向、移速进行统计分析 ,结果表明 ,台风快速西行进南海期间西风带的特点是中纬从中亚到东亚有高压脊或以纬向环流为主 ,西风槽偏北 ;西北太平洋副热带高压一直强大且呈带状分布或不断加强与西伸 ,造成副热带高压南侧与台风之间梯度加大 ,使偏东引导气流加强。研究还发现 ,如果台风南北两侧均为偏东环境流场 ,将使台风西行更快。     

Medium-range oscillations in the summer tropical easterlies at 200 hPa

By the use of space-time spectral analysis and band-pass filter, some of the features of the medium-range Oscillations in the summer tropical easterlies (10oS-20o) at 200 hPa are investigated based on a two-year (1980 and 1982) wind (u, v) data set for the period from May to September. Space-time power spectral analysis shows that the total energy of the westward moving waves was the largest and that of the standing waves and eastward moving waves was relatively small in the 200 hPa easterlies; the total energy of the eastward moving waves was at minimum at 10oN. Three kind of the medium-range oscillations with about 50 day, 25 day and quasi-biweekly periods were found in the easterlies, which all show a remarkable interannual variation and latitudinal differences in these two years. The wave energy of zonal wind is mainly associated with the planetary waves (1-3), which all may make important contributions to the 50 day and 25 day oscillations in different years or different latitudes. The quasi-biweekly oscillation is mainly related to the synoptic waves (4-6). In equatorial region, the 50 day oscillation was dominant with a eastward phase propagation in 1982 while the dominant oscillation in 1980 was of 25day period with a westward phase propagations in 1980. Both of them are of the mode of zonal wavenumber 1. Strong westward 50 day oscillation was found in 10oN-20oN in these two years. Regular propagations of the meridional wind 50 day oscillation were also found in the easterlies.The 50 day and 25 day oscillation of zonal wind all demonstrate southward phase propagation over the region of the South Asia monsoon and northward phase propagation near interational date line, where are the climatic mean position of the tropical upper-tropospheric easterly jet and the tropical upper tropospheric trough (TUTT), respectively.     

赤道波动转换在西北太平洋热带气旋生成中的作用

This study associates tropical cyclone (TC) activity over the western North Pacific (WNP) with the equatorial wave transition from an interannual viewpoint, revealing that the tropical cyclogenesis mean location may be modulated by a longitudinal shift in the transition of Mixed Rossby-gravity (MRG) waves to off-equatorial tropical depression (TD) disturbances from year to year. To a large extent, the wave transition is attributable to the monsoon trough in response to the thermal state of the warm pool (WP) over the WNP. During the cold state years in the WP, the basic flow confluence region associated with the monsoon trough penetrates eastward, leading to an eastward shift in the location of the wave transition. Such an environment, in which wave accumulation and energy conversion occur, is favorable for tropical cyclogenesis; as a result, the averaged cyclogenesis location moves eastward. The condition is reserved during the warm years in the WP, resulting in the prominent westward-retreating mean TC formation. Citation: Chen, G. H., and R. H. Huang, 2008: Role of equatorial wave transitions in tropical cyclogenesis over the western north Pacific, Atmos. Oceanic Sci. Lett., 1, 64-68     

Convectively coupled Kelvin and easterly waves in a regional climate simulation of the tropics

This study evaluates the performance of a regional climate model in simulating two types of synoptic tropical weather disturbances: convectively-coupled Kelvin and easterly waves. Interest in these two wave modes stems from their potential predictability out to several weeks in advance, as well as a strong observed linkage between easterly waves and tropical cyclogenesis. The model is a recent version of the weather research and forecast (WRF) system with 36-km horizontal grid spacing and convection parameterized using a scheme that accounts for key convective triggering and inhibition processes. The domain spans the entire tropical belt between 45°S and 45°N with periodic boundary conditions in the east–west direction, and conditions at the meridional/lower boundaries specified based on observations. The simulation covers 6 years from 2000 to 2005, which is long enough to establish a statistical depiction of the waves through space-time spectral filtering of rainfall data, together with simple lagged-linear regression. Results show that both the horizontal phase speeds and three-dimensional structures of the waves are qualitatively well captured by the model in comparison to observations. However, significant biases in wave activity are seen, with generally overactive easterly waves and underactive Kelvin waves. Evidence is presented to suggest that these biases in wave activity (which are also correlated with biases in time–mean rainfall, as well as biases in the model’s tropical cyclone climatology) stem in part from convection in the model coupling too strongly to rotational circulation anomalies. Nevertheless, the model is seen to do a reasonable job at capturing the genesis of tropical cyclones from easterly waves, with evidence for both wave accumulation and critical layer processes being importantly involved.     

气候平均场上西太平洋副热带高压双脊线过程可能成因的动力诊断分析

利用NCEP-DOE再分析数据集II,诊断分析了气候平均场上6次西太平洋副热带高压双脊线过程,借助一个两层半大气模式,从动力学上初步揭示了西太平洋热带大气准10天振荡（Quasi Ten-day Oscillation,简称QTO）向西北方向传播与季风槽东伸西撤之间的相互作用过程,探讨了气候平均场上西太副高双脊线可能的形成机制。分析表明季风槽准10天东西振荡是气候平均场上西太副高双脊线形成的主要原因,而季风槽东伸西撤与QTO传播密切相关。进一步分析发现,QTO向西北方向传播,东风切变作用于斜压辐散的经向梯度,在对流中心北侧生成正扰动涡度。QTO在季风槽东侧激发的气旋性扰动涡度,诱导季风槽东伸,侵入副高,造成副高外围变形,形成双脊线。因此,形成西太副高双脊线的主要原因之一可能是西太平洋热带大气QTO。尽管季风槽东伸直接引起副高双脊线发生,但是它只不过是受QTO影响的一种表现。本文仅为诊断结果,其结果还有待于模式敏感性试验的验证。     

A study on the distinct features of the Asian summer monsoon during the years of extreme monsoon activity over India

Summary In this paper, interseasonal characteristics of the Asian summer monsoon in the years of 1987 and 1988 are studied as 1987 is characterized by a large deficiency of monsoon rainfall (drought) and that of 1988 by a large excess monsoon rainfall (flood) over India. In order to compare the similarities and differences seen in the large scale dynamics and energetics of the Asian summer monsoon during the years of extreme monsoon activity, uninitialized analyses (12 Z) of the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), U.K. are utilized in this study for the summer monsoon seasons of 1987 and 1988.It is found that the excess rainfall season (1988) is characterized by much stronger tropical easterly jet (TEJ) associated with the upper tropospheric easterlies and the East African low level jet (Somali Jet) associated with lower tropospheric westerlies. Such a feature mainly determines the strength of the reverse Hadley circulation which normally covers the South Asian continent during the northern summer. Further, the energetics of the TEJ show that the monsoon of 1988 has comparatively stronger zones of kinetic energy flux divergence (convergence) at its entrance (exit) regions. These zones of kinetic energy flux divergence are largely maintained by the adiabatic processes over the strong kinetic energy flux divergence zones over the Bay of Bengal and east central Arabian Sea as compared to that of 1987. Apart from this, both the zonal and meridional components of the ageostrophic flows are found to be stronger during 1988 monsoon season. Analysis of the vertically integrated thermodynamical features of the monsoon indicate that the monsoon of 1988 was characterized by an excess import of heat and moisture into the monsoon atmosphere as compared to that of 1987. Further, from the quantitative estimation of certain significant heat and moisture budget parameters during the contrasting monsoon seasons of 1987 and 1988, it becomes evident that considerable differences exist in the quantities of adiabatic production of heat energy, diabatic heating and the moisture source/sink.With 13 Figures     

Cluster analysis of post-landfall tracks of landfalling tropical cyclones over China

In this paper, we apply finite-mixture-model-based clustering algorithms to cluster post-landfall tracks of tropical cyclones (TCs) making landfall over China. Because existing studies find that landfall surfaces or elevations affect post-landfall TC movements, we also take account of elevations in addition to time orders in this model. Our study reveals three clusters, with cluster 1 making landfall in Hainan province and moving across the western coast of Guangdong province. Most of the TC tracks in cluster 1 move over the ocean and make secondary landfalls over Yunnan province of China and Vietnam. Cluster 1 finally dissipates inland and moves westward as a result of the westward-shift subtropical high, westward steering flow, easterly vertical wind shear and strong mountainous blocking. Cluster 2 makes landfall over Guangdong and Fujian provinces. TCs in cluster 2 subsequently move inland and disappear due largely to westward-shift subtropical high, easterly steering flow, easterly vertical wind shear and relatively strong mountainous blocking. Cluster 3 makes landfall along the Fujian and Zhejiang coast and sustains a long period of time, recurving mostly to the mid-latitude region owing to the surrounding eastward-shift subtropical high, westerly vertical wind shear, weak mountainous blocking and westerly steering flow. Because cluster 2 is significantly associated with La Niña events, TCs more likely make landfall over southeastern China coast and move westward or northwestward without recurving. Cluster 3 sustains a longer time than clusters 1 and 2 in spite of its weak horizontal and vertical water vapor supply. TCs in cluster 3 interact actively with westerlies during the post-landfall period. However, we cannot observe any analogous interactions with the mid-latitude westerlies in clusters 1 and 2. TCs of clusters 1 and 2 are influenced by summer monsoon flows. Moreover, summer monsoon exerts a greater influence on cluster 1 than cluster 2. The composite 200 hPa divergence of cluster 3 is stronger than that of clusters 1 and 2. This explains to some degree why cluster 3 sustains longer than clusters 1 and 2 after making landfall.     

The summer circulation over the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East: influence of the South Asian monsoon

The summer circulation over the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East (EMME) is dominated by persistent northerly winds (Etesians) whose ventilating effect counteracts the adiabatic warming induced by large scale subsidence. The ERA40 dataset is used to study the vertical distribution of these circulation features, which both appear to be reconciled manifestations of the South Asian monsoon influence. As predicted by past idealized modeling studies, in late spring a westward expanding upper level warm structure and subsidence areas are associated with Rossby waves excited by the monsoon convection. Steep sloping isentropes that develop over the EMME facilitate further subsidence on the western and northern periphery of the warm structure, which is exposed to the midlatitude westerlies. The northerly flow and descent over the eastern Mediterranean have maxima in July that are strikingly synchronous to the monsoon convection over northern India, where the weaker easterly jet favors a stronger Rossby wave response and consequent impact on the EMME circulation. The pronounced EMME topography modifies the monsoon induced structure, firstly, by inducing orographically locked summer anticyclones. These enhance the mid and low level northwesterly flow at their eastern flanks, leading to distinct subsidence maxima over the eastern Mediterranean and Iran. Secondly, topography amplifies the subsidence and the northerly flow over the Aegean, Red Sea, the Iraq—Gulf region and to the east of the Caspian Sea.     

波状基本气流中的若干扰动动力学问题

纯粹的平直西风是非常少见的。在平均图上大槽大脊非常清楚。这些平均槽脊表示在大气中有着位置比较稳定不变的大型扰动。波谱分析的研究证实了这一点。因此环流的最基本状态是波状的西风带,而不是平直西风带。本文就是研究波状西风带中扰动动力学。由扰动方程中可以看出通过西风带中的基本波动,不同波长的扰动有了相互制约的关系。以平直西风为基本气流的扰动方程中不出现这种现象。 本文给出了若干扰动相互制约的规则,并研究了初值为一单波的扰动在波状西风带中的演变过程。理论计算给出了若干符合于观测事实的现象,尤其是一个槽的加深过程颇似Bjerknes辐散槽的模式。