A MESO-α SCALE STUDY OF MEIYU FRONT HEAVY RAIN－PART I: OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES

In this paper, the data collected during the Mesoscale Weather Experiments in East China are utilized to study the meso-α scale rain-bands of meiyu front heavy rain, its structural features as well as the mechanism of its development. It has been revealed that the precipitation band during the meiyu season is in the shape of ribbon, which is parallel to the surface quasi-stationary front. Sometimes two meso-α scale rain-bands are present. The meso-α scale rain-band is associated with meso-α scale convergence line. As shown by the two dimentional disturbance circulation, calculated through band-pass filtering, the single rain-band is quite different from the double rain-bands. The former is, to some extent, akin to the frontogenctical circulation in the vicinity of the high- and low-level frontal zones; the latter features roller-like circulations at middle and low-levels with their axes parallel to the rain-bands while at higher levels they run in the opposite direction. This kind of disturbance may be caused by the symmetric instability in the moist atmosphere.     

A MESO-α-SCALE STUDY OF MEIYU FRONT HEAVY RAIN-PART II:THE DYNAMICAL ANALYSIS OF RAIN-BAND DISTURBANCE

The alternating change of the two meiyu front rain-bands caused by the alternating change between the moist potential vorticities is discussed. The main factors of the change of moist potential vorticity are the vertical and horizontal divergence of moist potential vorticity flux as well as the vertical transport caused by the cumulus mass flux. Also discussed is the possibility that the WAVE-CISK conditional symmetric instability in the baroclinic moist atmosphere leads to the forming of the double rain-bands and their roller-shaped circulation features. Theoretical analyses show that the latitudinal disturbance scale-selection by the primitive moisture model of the latent heat release in cumulus convection depends on the stratification instability parameter (Ri number) and viscous coefficient of eddy.     

METEOROLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS DURING THE SECOND MEIYU EPISODE IN 1998

This article examined the meteorological features of the second Meiyu/Baiu episode(hereafterMeiyu Ⅱ)in 1998 and the results are summarized as follows:(1)The Meiyu Ⅱ period in 1998 hasbeen the longest and the most delayed ending one since 1885,which caused the great flood aroundthe Yangtze River Basin.The circulation situation in Meiyu Ⅱ is so typical that the averagegeopotential height and wind fields at 500 hPa and 850 hPa are very similar to monthly mean inJune.The abnormal circulation in Meiyu Ⅱ is associated with an adjusting of the Okhotsk high andshort period south-north oscillation of the subtropical high.(2)The heavy rainfall around theYangtze River during Meiyu Ⅱ period is closely related to a persistent shear line,a clear eastwardmoving vortex structure and a very strong jet flow at lower levels.It is very clear that the strongdivergence at higher levels and convergence at lower levels occurred in situ during Meiyu Ⅱ period.(3)It is very clear that the convective activity propagates eastward quickly with a period about 7days during Meiyu Ⅱ period.     

AN AGCM SSiB MODEL SIMULATION ON CHANGES IN PALAEOMONSOON CLIMATE AT 21 KA BP IN CHINA

The numerical simulation experiment of climate at Last Glacial Maximum (LGM.21 ka BP)in China is made by using an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) coupled with landsurface processes (AGCM SSiB) and earth orbital parameters and boundary forcing conditions at21 ka.The modeled climate features are compared with reconstructed conditions at 21 ka frompaleo-lake data and pollen data.The results show that the simulated climate conditions at 21 ka inChina are fairly comparable with paleo-climatological data.The climate features at 21 ka in Chinafrom the experiment are characterized by a drier in the east and a wetter in the west and in theTibetan Plateau as well.According to the analysis of distribution of pressure and precipitation,aswell as the intensity of atmospheric circulation at 21 ka,monsoon circulation in eastern Asia wassignificantly weak comparing with the present.In the Tibetan Plateau,the intensity of summermonsoon circulation was strengthened,and winter monsoon was a little stronger than the present.The simulation with given forcing boundary conditions,especially the different vegetationcoverage,can reproduce the climate condition at the LGM in China,and therefore providesdynamical mechanisms on the climate changes at 21 ka.     

METEOROLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS DURING THE SECOND MEIYU EPISODE IN 1998*

This article examined the meteorological features of the second Meiyu/Baiu episode(hereafter Meiyu Ⅱ) in 1998 and the results are summarized as follows:(1) The Meiyu Ⅱ period in 1998 has been the longest and the most delayed ending one since 1885,which caused the great flood around the Yangtze River Basin.The circulation situation in Meiyu Ⅱ is so typical that the average geopotential height and wind fields at 500 hPa and 850 hPa are very similar to monthly mean in June.The abnormal circulation in Meiyu Ⅱ is associated with an adjusting of the Okhotsk high and short period south-north oscillation of the subtropical high.(2) The heavy rainfall around the Yangtze River during Meiyu Ⅱ period is closely related to a persistent shear line,a clear eastward moving vortex structure and a very strong jet flow at lower levels.It is very clear that the strong divergence at higher levels and convergence at lower levels occurred in situ during Meiyu Ⅱ period.(3) It is very clear that the convective activity propagates eastward quickly with a period about 7 days during Meiyu Ⅱ period.     

ANALYSIS OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SUSTAINED TORRENTIAL RAINS IN JUNES DURING 1958-2000

Day-to-day precipitation data of Junes during the 43 years of 1958-2000 from stations to the south of Yangtze River are used to divide regions and run statistical analysis of sustained torrential rainfall processes. A preliminary analysis is then made based on it and the results show that June is the month in which torrential rains in the southern half of China take place frequently and sustained torrential rains occur at the same time in South China and the area to the south of Yangtze River. In addition, the analysis gives the basic features of sustained torrential rains of June in China and their interannual variability patterns, with the suggestion that the amount of these events increases significantly after the 1990s. Lastly, the sustained torrential rains occurring in Junes of 1994, 1998 and 2005 in the southern half of China are taken as examples in the research on the basic patterns and formation mechanisms of the evolution of double rain-bands during the rain season in South China and the area to the south of Yangtze River. The analysis shows that the large scale environment field in which sustained torrential rains occur is related to the stable sustaining of the South Asia High and upper level jet streams.     

Diagnostic Comparison of Wintertime East Asian Subtropical Jet and Polar-Front Jet: Large-Scale Characteristics and Transient Eddy Activities

Diagnostic comparison of the East Asian subtropical jet (EASJ) and polar-front jet (EAPJ) in winter season is carried out by using the ERA-40 dataset. The large-scale circulation characteristics and synopticscale transient eddy activities (STEAs) associated with the EASJ and EAPJ are examined. The results show that the EASJ and EAPJ in the upper-level monthly mean data have no clear geographical border, while the distribution of the numbers of jet cores from the daily data exhibits a distinct boundary at the latitudes of the northern Tibetan Plateau. The two areas with large numbers of jet cores correspond to the EASJ and EAPJ regions. The analysis of STEAs over the East Asian region shows a spatial match of STEAs with the EASJ and EAPJ in winter: the strong EASJ is located within the weak southern branch of the STEA while the relatively weak EAPJ appears within the active northern branch of the STEA, indicating that the EAPJ is the jet coexisting with the STEA. Further analysis shows two anomalous modes of the winter EAPJ: the anomalous anticyclonic/cyclonic circulation and the weakened/strengthened local westerly wind. The large-scale circulation anomalies in the Northern Hemisphere related to the first mode are concentrated in the Eurasian mid to high latitudes, and are also influenced by the anomalous circulation in the upstream area. When the local westerly wind over the EAPJ region is weakened/strengthened, the westerly jet in the eastern part of the EASJ and that in the western Pacific region show opposite variations. The corresponding anomalous atmospheric circulation demonstrates the Eurasian (EU) pattern. The EAPJ anomalies are also closely linked with the STEA anomalies over East Asia. The anomalies in the northern branch of the STEA propagate as a wave train along its axis into the East Asian coastal waters, and then migrate eastward to the oceanic region. However, the ones near the southern branch are trapped over the eastern part of East Asia and its coastal waters at 200 hPa.     

Interannual and Interdecadal Variations in Atmospheric Circulation Factors and Rainfall in China and Their Relationship

Wavelet analysis is used to study the interannual and interdecadal variations of rainfall in China and atmospheric circulation factors, including the key atmospheric oscillations, W, C, E patterns and subtropical high. Regression analysis and correlation analysis are both used to study the relationship of atmospheric circulation factors and China rainfall on different time scale and spatial scale. The results are as follows: (1) The variations of atmospheric circulation and rainfall in China are characterized by interannual and interdecadal scales. The variations of atmospheric circulation and rainfall are composed of interannual and interdecadal variations. It is necessary to separate those two time scales when climate changes and forecast are studied. (2) The variations of China rainfall are due to the interaction of multi-factors rather than single factors. The marked factors which influence the interannual and interdecadal variations are various. Subtropical high is one of the marked factors which influence interannual variations of rainfall, while AO, NAO, and NPO are one of the marked factors which influence interdecadal variations of rainfall. (3) The longer the time scale is, and the larger the spatial scale is, and the more remarkable the relationships between atmospheric circulation and rainfall are.     

THE EFFECT OF EQUATORIAL CENTRAL PACIFIC SSTAS ON THE INTERANNUAL VARIATION OF PRECIPITATION OVER SOUTHWEST CHINA DURING SPRING

The interannual variations of rainfall over southwest China (SWC) during spring and its relationship with sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) in the Pacific are analyzed, based on monthly mean precipitation data from 26 stations in SWC between 1961 and 2010, NCEP/NCAR re-analysis data, and Hadley global SST data. Sensitivity tests are conducted to assess the response of precipitation in SWC to SSTAs over two key oceanic domains, using the global atmospheric circulation model ECHAM5. The interannual variation of rainfall over SWC in spring is very significant. There are strong negative (positive) correlation coefficients between the anomalous precipitation over SWC and SSTAs over the equatorial central Pacific (the mid-latitude Pacific) during spring. Numerical simulations show that local rainfall in the northwest of the equatorial central Pacific is suppressed, and a subtropical anticyclone circulation anomaly is produced, while a cyclonic circulation anomaly in the mid-latitude western Pacific occurs, when the equatorial Pacific SSTAs are in a cold phase in spring. Anomalous northerly winds appear in the northeastern part of SWC in the lower troposphere. Precipitation increases over the Maritime Continent of the western equatorial Pacific, while a cyclonic circulation anomaly appears in the northwest of the western equatorial Pacific. A trough over the Bay of Bengal enhances the southerly flow in the south of SWC. The trough also enhances the transport of moisture to SWC. The warm moisture intersects with anomalous cold air over the northeast of SWC, and so precipitation increases during spring. On the interannual time scale, the impacts of the mid-latitude Pacific SSTAs on rainfall in SWC during spring are not significant, because the mid-latitude Pacific SSTAs are affected by the equatorial central Pacific SSTAs; that is, the mid-latitude Pacific SSTAs are a feedback to the circulation anomaly caused by the equatorial central Pacific SSTAs.     

A New Mechanism of Convective Cell Regeneration and Development Within a Two-Dimensional Multicell Storm

In this study, based on simulations of a two-dimensional multicell storm under a ground-layer upshear （Uz〈0） by a mesoscale numerical model, a new mechanism of cell regeneration and development within the multicell storm at the ＂less than optimal shear＂ state.is proposed. In the presence of a ground-layer upshear, the circulation associated with the surface cold pool is not counteracted by that associated with the ambient wind sl~ear, and the density current extends out faster, making the multicell storm stay at the ＂less than optimal shear＂ state. As a result, a new cell is triggered by the strong vertical perturbation ahead of the mature convection, rather than by the split-up from the updraft at the leading edge of the surface cold pool as well as the gust front. The latter is the mechanism at the ＂optimal＂ state proposed by Lin et al. in 1998. In the new mechanism, the regenerated cell grows fast with the incident warm moist air from the upstream of the multicell storm, and tends to cut off the moist airflow into the mature convection at its western sector. Consequently, the mature convection would weaken, be replaced, and eventually decay. Actually, these two different mechanisms come into play in a way depending on the relationship between the circulation of the low-level shear and that of the cold pool. When the circulation of the cold pool is stronger than that of the wind shear, the multicell storm is at the ＂less than optimal shear＂ state, and the new convective cell is produced by the disturbance ahead of the mature cell. When the circulation of the cold pool is weaker, the cell regeneration is dominated by the mechanism at the ＂optimal＂ state, and the new cell is split from the gust front updraft. Therefore, these two mechanisms are not contradictive. With a moderate ground-layer upshear, they can alternately operate within a multicell storm.     

NEW DEFINITION FOR NORTH HUAIHE RIVER RAINY SEASON AND ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION CHARACTERISTICS IN PRECIPITATION ANOMALY YEARS

In this article, a new definition for the North Huaihe River rainy season (NHRS) is presented using summer daily precipitation in East China and subtropical high ridge axis at 500 hPa. By calculating the annual precipitation amounts in the NHRS and Meiyu of the Yangtze-Huaihe Rivers basin (YHMY) from 1961 to 2009, the dates of precipitation beginning and ending as well as the duration of the two rainy seasons in the 49 years are analyzed. Atmospheric circulation characteristics in positive and negative precipitation anomaly years during the NHRS are also studied. Results are shown as follows. (1) The new definition for the NHRS is much easier to use. It involves only two meteorological factors, making its application more practical. It can also distinguish two rainy periods of the NHRS more objectively. (2) The average duration of the NHRS is similar to that of the YHMY, except that its average dates of beginning and ending are about one week later than those of the YHMY. The average precipitation of the NHRS is slightly less than that of the YHMY, and the yearly precipitation variation of the two rainy seasons are similar to each other with no obvious increasing or decreasing trend in the 49 years, but with distinguished decadal and inter-annual variations. (3) In positive precipitation anomaly years, the South Asian high moves more northward and more eastward, the western Pacific subtropical high is located more northward and westward, and the summer monsoon is stronger than normal, resulting in the convergence of the warm and moist southwesterly airflow from the west side of the subtropical high and the cold air from the north side of the northeast trough in North Huaihe River basin.     

THE PRELIMINARY SYUDY OF MEDIUM-SCALE CLOUD CLUSTERS OVER THE CHANGJIANG BASIN IN SUMMER

It is shown that the medium scale cloud cluster is u major one of precipitation systems from analysing the rainstorms along the Changjiang River during the plum rain period of 1980-1983. The medium-scale cloud clusters do not always correspond to the moving vortex, but they are in good agreement with the convergence center for the divergent component of wind at 850 hPa. The favourable environmental conditions for the genesis and development of medium-scale cloud cluster, such as the large-scale circulation situation, patterns of temperature and moisture, potential instability, and the structure of cloud cluster are given. A model on large seaie clond pattern for the genesis of medium scale cloud cluster is presented.     

Analysis on the 10-yr Simulation of the Meiyu Precipitation and Its Associated Circulation with the GAMIL Model

The major features of Meiyu precipitation and associated circulation systems simulated by the grid-point atmospheric model of IAP LASG (GAMIL) with Zhang-McFarlane and Tiedtke cumulus parameterization schemes are examined in this paper. The results show that the model with both schemes can reproduce the heavy precipitation center over the Yangtze-Huai River Basin (YHRB) during the Meiyu period. The horizontal and vertical structures of the circulation systems during the Meiyu period are also well simulated,such as the intensive meridional gradients of moisture and μse (pseudo-equivalent temperature), the strong low-level southwesterly flow in the lower troposphere over East China, the location of the westerly jet stream in the upper troposphere, the strong ascending motion in heavy precipitation zone, and compensation downward motion on the northern and southern sides of the heavy precipitation belt. However, obvious discrepancies occur in the simulated temperature field in the mid-lower troposphere,especially with the Zhang-McFarlane scheme. In addition, the simulated Meiyu period (onset and duration) is found to be associated with the temperature difference in the lower atmosphere over the land and ocean, and with the cumulus parameterization schemes. The land-sea thermal contrast (LSTC) simulated by the Zhang-McFarlane scheme increases faster than that in the reanalysis from April to July, and changes from negative to positive at the end of May. Consequently, the simulated Meiyu onset begins in May, one month earlier than the observation. On the other hand, since the LSTC simulated by the Tiedtke scheme is in agreement with the reanalysis during June and July, the simulated Meiyu period is similar to the observation. The different LSTCs simulated by the GAMIL model with the two cumulus parameterization schemes may affect the Meiyu period simulations. Therefore, it is necessary to refine the cumulus parameterization scheme in order to improve the Meiyu precipitation simulation by the GAMIL model.     

A study on the physical processes of the formation of the ENSO cycle

The physical processes involved in the formation of the ENSO cycle,as well as the possible roles of the Hadley circulation （HC）,Walker circulation （WC）,and the propagating waves of the Southern Oscillation/Northern Oscillation （SO/NO） in its formation,were studied using composite and regression methods.The analysis showed that the convection and heat release triggered by ENSO in the central-eastern equatorial Pacific are the primary drivers for the 3-5 year cycle of the HC,WC and the meridional/zonal circulation.The HC plays a key role in the influence of ENSO on the circulation outside the tropics through angular momentum transportation.Meanwhile,the feedback effects of the anomalous circulation in the mid-high latitudes on ENSO are accomplished by the propagating waves of SO/NO associated with the evolutions of HC and WC.These propagating waves are the main agents of the connections among the meridional/zonal circulation outside the tropics,the Asian/Australian monsoon,the anomalous easterly/westerly winds over the tropical Pacific,and ENSO events.It was found that the 3-5 year cycle of the meridional/zonal circulation forced by ENSO is quite different from the several-week variation of the circulation index triggered by the inner dynamic processes of the atmosphere.The former occurs at the global scale with a definite flow pattern,while the latter occurs only in a wide area without a definite flow pattern.Finally,a physical model for the formation of the ENSO cycle composed of two fundamental processes at the basin and global scale,respectively,is proposed.     

Ozone during Stratospheric Warmings at Uccle

The day-to-day variations in ozone content at Uccle (51°N) during some stratospheric warming events are examined. In particular, the attention is focused on the timing of commencement of ozone enhancement prior to peak day of warming and on the relationship in the ozone content between the upper and lower stratosphere. These two features are compared with the predictions of ozone transport models. There seems to be an agreement between model predictions and observed features in some cases.     

A Study of the Extratropical Transformation of Typhoon Winnie （1997）

The complicated evolutive process of how a tropical cyclone transforms into an extratropical cyclone is still an unresolved issue to date, especially one which arises in a weakly baroclinic environment. Typhoon Winnie （1997） is studied during its extratropical transformation stage of extratropical transition （ET） with observational data and numerical simulations. Results show that Winnie experienced its extratropical transformation to the south of the subtropical high without intrusion of the mid-latitude baroclinic zone. This is significantly different from previous studies. Analyses reveal that the cold air, which appeared in the north edge of Winnie circulation, resulted from the precipitation drag and cooling effect of latent heat absorption associated with the intense precipitation there. The cooling only happened below 3 km and the greatest cooling was below 1 km. With the cold air and its advection by the circulation of Winnie, a front was formed in the lower troposphere. The front above is related not only to the cooling in the lower level but also to the warming effect of latent heat release in the middle-upper levels. The different temperature variation in the vertical caused the temperature gradient over Winnie and resulted in the baroclinicity.     

ENSO Features,Dynamics, and Teleconnections to East Asian Climate as Simulated in CAMS-CSM

This study evaluates the performance of CAMS-CSM(the climate system model of the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences) in simulating the features, dynamics, and teleconnections to East Asian climate of the El Ni?o–Southern Oscillation(ENSO). In general, fundamental features of ENSO, such as its dominant patterns and phase-locking features, are reproduced well. The two types of El Ni?o are also represented, in terms of their spatial distributions and mutual independency. However, the skewed feature is missed in the model and the simulation of ENSO is extremely strong, which is found—based on Bjerknes index assessment—to be caused by underestimation of the shortwave damping effect. Besides, the modeled ENSO exhibits a regular oscillation with a period shorter than observed. By utilizing the Wyrtki index, it is suggested that this periodicity bias results from an overly quick phase transition induced by feedback from the thermocline and zonal advection. In addition to internal dynamics of ENSO,its external precursors—such as the North Pacific Oscillation with its accompanying seasonal footprinting mechanism, and the Indian Ocean Dipole with its 1-yr lead correlation with ENSO—are reproduced well by the model. Furthermore, with respect to the impacts of ENSO on the East Asian summer monsoon, although the anomalous Philippine anticyclone is reproduced in the post-El Ni?o summer, it exhibits an eastward shift compared with observation;and as a consequence, the observed flooding of the Yangtze River basin is poorly represented, with unrealistic air–sea interaction over the South China Sea being the likely physical origin of this bias. The response of wintertime lowertropospheric circulation to ENSO is simulated well, in spite of an underestimation of temperature anomalies in central China. This study highlights the dynamic processes that are key for the simulation of ENSO, which could shed some light on improving this model in the future.     

VARIATION OF PRECIPITATION DURING WINTER AS A CAUSE OF SUSTAINED DROUGHT IN GUANGDONG DURING THE PAST 50 YEARS

The variation characteristics of precipitation during the winter (between October and the following March, to be referred to as just “the winter” hereafter) in Guangdong province during the past 50 years (from 1957 to 2006) and the relationship with Pacific SST are studied using the methods of Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis, wavelet analysis, and correlation analysis. The results show that The Guangdong precipitation during the winter exhibits quasi-periodic significant oscillations of 40 years and 2 years; rainfall is less from the end of the 1950s to the start of the 1970s and from the end of the 1990s to the present than from the mid 1970s to the mid 1990s. The frequency of sustained drought is more than sustained flooding during the winter. The Guangdong precipitation during this time period is in significantly positive correlation to the equatorial central and eastern Pacific SST, but in a significantly negative correlation with the western and northern Pacific SST east of the Philippine Sea. 61.5% of the sustained drought occurred in the phase of negative anomalies of the Ni?o3.4 index and 38.5% in the phase of positive ones. A composite analysis of atmospheric circulation is performed for the positive and negative phases of the Ni?o3.4 region associated with the sustained drought. The results showed that a weak polar vortex, a strong trough in Europe and a ridge near Balkhash Lake, active cold air and consistent northerly wind anomalies controlling Guangdong at low levels, an inactive westerly low disturbance in the low-mid latitude of the Asian continent, and a weak southern branch westerly trough, are all mutual causes for the sustained drought.     

Interdecadal Enhancement of the Walker Circulation over the Tropical Pacific in the Late 1990s

The Walker circulation is one of the major components of the large-scale tropical atmospheric circulation and variations in its strength are critical to equatorial Pacific Ocean circulation.It has been argued in the literature that during the 20th century the Walker circulation weakened,and that this weakening was attributable to anthropogenic climate change.By using updated observations,we show that there has been a rapid interdecadal enhancement of the Walker circulation since the late 1990s.Associated with this enhancement is enhanced precipitation in the tropical western Pacific,anomalous westerlies in the upper troposphere,descent in the central and eastern tropical Pacific,and anomalous surface easterlies in the western and central tropical Pacific.The characteristics of associated oceanic changes are a strengthened thermocline slope and an enhanced zonal SST gradient across the tropical Pacific.Many characteristics of these changes are similar to those associated with the mid-1970s climate shift with an opposite sign.We also show that the interdecadal variability of the Walker circulation in the tropical Pacific is inversely correlated to the interdecadal variability of the zonal circulation in the tropical Atlantic.An enhancement of the Walker circulation in the tropical Pacific is associated with a weakening zonal circulation in the tropical Atlantic and vise versa,implying an inter-Atlantic-Pacific connection of the zonal overturning circulation variation.Whether these recent changes will be sustained is not yet clear,but our research highlights the importance of understanding the interdecadal variability,as well as the long-term trends,that influence tropical circulation.     

LOCALIZED HADLEY CIRCULATION AND ITS LINKAGE TO PACIFIC SSTA

The 1979-2001 ERA-40 monthly mean meridional winds are used to calculate the mass streamfunctions in the monsoon region (60-140° E) and Nio zone (160° E-120° W),with which the climate characteristics and intensity variation of the localized Hadley circulation (LHC) are analyzed over the two regions and the linkage of this LHC to Pacific SST is explored.Evidence suggests as follows.1) The climatological LHC is stronger in the monsoon than in the Nio zone,with its position in the former northward of the lat...