Effect of Boundary Layer Latent Heating on MJO Simulations

A latent heating peak in the PBL was detected in a simulation by a global GCM that failed to reproduce Madden-Julian Oscillation(MJO).The latent heating peak in the PBL was generated by very shallow convection,which prevented moisture from being transported to the free troposphere.Large amount of moisture was therefore confined to the PBL,leading to a dry bias in the free atmosphere.Suffering from this dry bias,deep convection became lethargic,and MJO signals failed to occur.When the latent heating peak in the PBL was removed in another simulation,reasonable MJO signals,including the eastward propagation and the structure of its large-scale circulation,appeared.We therefore propose that the excessive latent heating peak in the PBL due to hyperactive shallow convection may be a reason for a lack of MJO signals in some simulations by other GCMs as well.     

Impacts of the MJO on Winter Rainfall and Circulation in China

Impacts of the MJO on winter rainfall and circulation in China are investigated using a real-time multivariate MJO index.Composite results using the daily rainfall anomalies and "rainy day" anomalies according to eight different MJO phases show that the MJO has considerable influence on winter rainfall in China. Rainfall anomalies show systematic and substantial changes(enhanced/suppressed) in the Yangtze River Basin and South China with the eastward propagation of the MJO convective center from the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific.When the MJO is in phase 2 and 3(MJO convective center is located over the Indian Ocean),rainfall probability is significantly enhanced.While in phase 6 and 7(MJO convective center is over the western Pacific),rainfall probability is significantly reduced. MJO in winter influences the rainfall in China mainly through modulating the circulation in the subtropics and mid-high latitudes.For the subtropics,MJO influences the northward moisture transport coming from the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea by modulating the southern trough of the Bay of Bengal and the western Pacific subtropical high.For the mid-high latitudes,the propagation of the low frequency perturbations associated with the eastward-propagating MJO convection modulate the circulation in the mid-high latitudes,e.g.the East Asian winter monsoon and the low trough over central Asia.     

Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation in the Asian–Pacific Monsoon Region Simulated in CAMS-CSM

The boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation(BSISO) is simulated by the Climate System Model(CSM) developed at the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences(CAMS), China Meteorological Administration. Firstly, the results indicate that this new model is able to reasonably simulate the annual cycle and seasonal mean of the precipitation, as well as the vertical shear of large-scale zonal wind in the tropics. The model also reproduces the eastward and northward propagating oscillation signals similar to those found in observations. The simulation of BSISO is generally in agreement with the observations in terms of variance center, periodicity, and propagation, with the exception that the magnitude of BSISO anomalous convections are underestimated during both its eastward propagation along the equator and its northward propagation over the Asian–Pacific summer monsoon region. Our preliminary evaluation of the simulated BSISO by CAMS-CSM suggests that this new model has the capability, to a certain extent, to capture the BSISO features, including its propagation zonally along the equator and meridionally over the Asian monsoon region.     

Comparison of the Structure and Evolution of Intraseasonal Oscillations Before and After Onset of the Asian Summer Monsoon

High-resolution satellite-derived data and NCEP-NCAR reanalysis data are used to investigate intraseasonal oscillations （ISO） over the tropical Indian Ocean.A composite evolution of the ISO life cycle is constructed,including the initiation,development,and propagation of rainfall anomalies over the tropical Indian Ocean.The characteristics of ISO over the tropical Indian Ocean are profoundly different before and after the onset of the Indian summer monsoon.Positive precipitation anomalies before monsoon onset appear one phase earlier than those after monsoon onset.Before monsoon onset,precipitation anomalies associated with ISO first initiate in the western tropical Indian Ocean and then propagate eastward along the equator.After monsoon onset,convective anomalies propagate northward over the Indian summer monsoon region after an initial eastward propagation over the equatorial Indian Ocean.Surface wind convergence and air-sea interaction play critical roles in initiating each new cycle of ISO convection.     

Factors Limiting the Forecast Skill of the Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation in a Subseasonal-to-Seasonal Model

In this study,we evaluate the forecast skill of the subseasonal-to-seasonal(S2S)prediction model of the Beijing Climate Center(BCC)for the boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation(BSISO).We also discuss the key factors that inhibit the BSISO forecast skill in this model.Based on the bivariate anomaly correlation coefficient(ACC)of the BSISO index,defined by the first two EOF modes of outgoing longwave radiation and 850-hPa zonal wind anomalies over the Asian monsoon region,we found that the hindcast skill degraded as the lead time increased.The ACC dropped to below 0.5for lead times of 11 days and longer when the predicted BSISO showed weakened strength and insignificant northward propagation.To identify what causes the weakened forecast skill of BSISO at the forecast lead time of 11 days,we diagnosed the main mechanisms responsible for the BSISO northward propagation.The same analysis was also carried out using the observations and the outputs of the four-day forecast lead that successfully predicted the observed northward-propagating BSISO.We found that the lack of northward propagation at the 11-day forecast lead was due to insufficient increases in low-level cyclonic vorticity,moistening and warm temperature anomalies to the north of the convection,which were induced by the interaction between background mean flows and BSISO-related anomalous fields.The BCC S2S model can predict the background monsoon circulations,such as the low-level southerly and the northerly and easterly vertical shears,but has limited capability in forecasting the distributions of circulation and moisture anomalies.     

MJO Simulations by GAMIL1.0 and GAMIL2.0

GAMIL2.0 is the newly released version of the Grid-point Atmospheric Model of IAP LASG(GAMIL),in which the major modifications from GAMIL1.0 include an updated deep convection scheme and the incorporation of a two-moment bulk stratiform cloud microphysics scheme.This study evaluates the performances of both versions on Madden Julian Oscillation(MJO) simulations.The results show that GAMIL2.0 obtains an enhanced MJO eastward and northward propagation,which is weak in GAMIL1.0,and it reproduces a more reasonable MJO major structure coupling upper level wind,lower level wind,and outgoing long wave radiation.The contributions of each scheme and factor to the improvement of GAMIL2.0 simulations need further study.     

POSSIBLE IMPACTS OF MADDEN-JULIAN OSCILLATION ON THE SEVERE RAIN-SNOW WEATHER IN CHINA DURING NOVEMBER 2009

Possible relationships between MJO and the severe rain-snow weather in Eastern China during November of 2009 are analyzed and results show that a strong MJO process is one of the strong impact factors.MJO is very active over the Indian Ocean in November 2009.Especially,it maintains 9 days in MJO phase 3,just corresponding to the two strongest rain-snow processes.Composites of MJO events show that when the MJO convective center is located over the Indian Ocean,the probability of rainfall is significantly increased and the temperature is lower than normal in eastern China,which is consistent with the situation in November of 2009.Atmospheric circulation anomalies of mid-and higher-latitudes can be influenced by the tropical MJO convection forcing and this influence could be realized by teleconnection.When the MJO is over the Indian Ocean,it is favorable for the maintenance of a circulation pattern of two ridges versus one trough at mid-and higher-latitudes.Meanwhile,the western Pacific subtropical high is stronger and more westward than normal,and a significant convective belt appears over eastern East Asia.All these circulation anomalies shown in the composite result also appeared in the observations in November 2009,which indicates the general features of relationships between the MJO and the circulation anomalies over the extratropics.Besides the zonal circulation anomalies,the MJO convection can also lead to meridional circulation anomalies.When the MJO convection is located over the Indian Ocean,the western Pacific is dominated by anomalous descending motion,and the eastern East Asia is controlled by strong convergence and ascending motion.Therefore,an anomalous meridional circulation is formed between the tropics and middle latitudes,enhancing the northward transportation of low-level moisture.It is potentially helpful to understanding and even forecasting such kind of rain-snow weather anomalies as that in November 2009 using MJO.     

Low Frequency Characteristics of Tropical Pacific Wind Stress Anomalies in Observations and Simulations from a Simple and a Comprehensive Models

Low frequency characteristics of tropical Pacific wind stress anomalies in observation and simulations; from the CZ simple atmospheric model and COLA R15 AGCM are analyzed. The results show that ENSO event may be a multi-scale process, that is, ENSO time scale has the period longer than three yean; biennial oscillation and annual variability Dynamical characteristics are involved in the evolution process of wind stress anomaly with ENSO time scale: 1) the development and eastward movement of a cyclonic anomaly circulation in subtropical northwestern Pacific and weakening of Southern Oscillation result in the eastward propagation of westerly anomaly along the equator, there?fore, interactions between flows in subtropics and in tropics play an important role in the evolution of wind stress anomaly with ENSO time scale; 2) easterly and westerly anomalies with ENSO time scale are one kind of propagating wave, which differs from Barnett’s (1991). It is interesting that the evolution of observed and simulated wind stress anomalies with biennial time scale bears a strong resemble to that with ENSO time scale although their period it dif?ferent. Observed annual variability it weak during 1979-1981 and intensified after 1981, especially it reaches to max?imum during 1982-1984, and the spatial structure of the first mode is the ENSO-like pattern.     

POSSIBLE INFLUENCES OF THE TROPICAL INDIAN OCEAN DIPOLE ON THE EASTWARD PROPAGATION OF MJO

Based on multiple datasets, correlation and composite analyses, and case studies, this paper investigated possible influences of the Indian Ocean dipole （IOD） mode on the eastward propagation of intraseasonal oscillation in the tropical atmosphere. The results showed that （1） the 30-60 day outgoing longwave radiation anomalies in the southeastern Indian Ocean and the 30-60 day 850-hPa zonal wind anomalies over the equatorial central Indian Ocean were significantly correlated with the IOD index; （2） during positive IOD years, the anomalously cold water in the southeastern Indian Ocean and the 850-hPa anomalous easterlies over the equatorial central Indian Ocean might act as barriers to the continuously eastward propagation of the intraseasonal convection, which interrupts the Madden-Julian oscillation （MJO） propagation in the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean and western Pacific; and （3） during negative IOD years, the anomalously warm water in the southeastern Indian Ocean and the low-level westerly anomalies over the equatorial central Indian Ocean favor the eastward movement of MJO.     

Forecasts of MJO Events during DYNAMO with a Coupled Atmosphere–Ocean Model:Sensitivity to Cumulus Parameterization Scheme

An operational weather forecast model, coupled to an oceanic model, was used to predict the initiation and propagation of two major Madden–Julian Oscillation(MJO) events during the dynamics of the MJO(DYNAMO)campaign period. Two convective parameterization schemes were used to understand the sensitivity of the forecast to the model cumulus scheme. The first is the Tiedtke(TDK) scheme, and the second is the Simplified Arakawa–Schubert(SAS) scheme. The TDK scheme was able to forecast the MJO-1 and MJO-2 initiation at 15-and45-day lead, respectively, while the SAS scheme failed to predict the convection onset in the western equatorial Indian Ocean(WEIO). The diagnosis of the forecast results indicates that the successful prediction with the TDK scheme is attributed to the model capability to reproduce the observed intraseasonal outgoing longwave radiation–sea surface temperature(OLR–SST) relationship. On one hand, the SST anomaly(SSTA) over the WEIO was induced by surface heat flux anomalies associated with the preceding suppressed-phase MJO. The change of SSTA, in turn,caused boundary layer convergence and ascending motion, which further induced a positive column-integrated moist static energy(MSE) tendency, setting up a convectively unstable stratification for MJO initiation. The forecast with the SAS scheme failed to reproduce the observed OLR–SST–MSE relation. The propagation characteristics differed markedly between the two forecasts. Pronounced eastward phase propagation in the TDK scheme is attributed to a positive zonal gradient of the MSE tendency relative to the MJO center, similar to the observed, whereas a reversed gradient appeared in the forecast with the SAS scheme with dominant westward propagation. The difference is primarily attributed to anomalous vertical and horizontal MSE advection.     

Modulation of Madden-Julian Oscillation Activity by the Tropical Pacific-Indian Ocean Associated Mode

In this study, the impacts of the tropical Pacific–Indian Ocean associated mode(PIOAM) on Madden–Julian Oscillation(MJO) activity were investigated using reanalysis data. In the positive(negative) phase of the PIOAM, the amplitudes of MJO zonal wind and outgoing longwave radiation are significantly weakened(enhanced) over the Indian Ocean, while they are enhanced(weakened) over the central and eastern Pacific. The eastward propagation of the MJO can extend to the central Pacific in the positive ...     

Potential Connection between the Australian Summer Monsoon Circulation and Summer Precipitation over Central China

This study investigated the connection between the Australian summer monsoon(ASM) and summer precipitation over central China. It was found that,following a weaker-than-normal ASM, the East Asian summer monsoon and western North Pacific subtropical high tend to be stronger, yielding anomalous northward moisture to be transported from the western Pacific to central China. Besides, anomalous upwelling motion emerges over 30–37.5°N, along 110°E. Consequently,significant positive summer precipitation anomalies are located over central China. Further analysis indicated that the boreal winter sea surface temperature(SST) in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea shows positive anomalies in association with a weaker-than-normal ASM. The Indian Ocean warming in boreal winter could persist into the following summer because of its own long memory, emanating a baroclinic Kelvin wave into the Pacific that triggers suppressed convection and an anomalous anticyclone. Besides, the abnormal SST signal in the South China Sea develops eastward with time because of local air-sea interaction, causing summer SST warming in the western Pacific. The SST warming can further affect East Asian atmospheric circulation and precipitation through its impact on convection.     

PREVIOUS CONVECTION ANOMALY IN AUTUMN AND WINTER ASSOCIATED WITH THE GENERAL CIRCULATION OVER EAST ASIA IN WINTER AND SPRING AND APRIL PRECIPITATION IN SHANDONG

Using OLR and 850 hPa and 200 hPa wind fields data (1979 – 2006), this paper diagnoses the characteristics of convection over the tropical area in preceding autumns and winters in association with April precipitation anomalies in Shandong province. It is found that preceding convection anomalies over the Western Pacific Warm Pool in December have close relationships with the April precipitation in Shandong. Further analysis of the relationship with the general circulation over the East Asia shows that the convection anomaly over the Western Pacific Warm Pool has close relationships with the Main East Asian Trough, the Hadley cell over East Asia and the Walker cell. The characteristics of East Asian atmospheric circulation anomalies accompanied with stronger (weaker) convection are consistent with those of less (more) April precipitation anomalies in Shandong. Therefore, the convection anomaly over the tropics in December may be an important indicator for April precipitation in Shandong.     

Contrast of Evolution Characteristics of Boreal Summer and Winter Intraseasonal Oscillations over Tropical Indian Ocean

A most striking summer–winter difference of evolution of the intraseasonal oscillation(ISO) over the equatorial Indian Ocean is a quasi-stationary oscillation in boreal summer but eastward propagation in boreal winter. This feature is consistent with the observational fact that maximum ISO variance appears only in the eastern Indian Ocean in boreal summer while it appears across the entire basin in boreal winter. The cause of the distinctive propagation and initiation characteristics is investigated through the diagnosis of observational and reanalysis data for the period of 1982–2012. It is found that when the ISO convection appears over eastern Indian Ocean, a positive(negative) moisture tendency appears to the east of the convection in boreal winter(summer). It is the moisture tendency difference that is responsible for different propagation behavior in the summer and winter. A further diagnosis of the moisture budget indicates that the major difference lies in anomalous moisture advection by the mean flow. In addition, air–sea interaction also plays a role. While boreal winter ISO starts over western Indian Ocean, boreal summer ISO is initiated over central–eastern equatorial Indian Ocean, due to boundary layer moistening. The moisture increase is caused primarily by the horizontal advection of mean specific humidity by anomalous easterlies induced by preceding suppressed-phase ISO over eastern Indian Ocean. Besides, a delayed SST feedback also plays a role. The overall difference of ISO evolution between the summer and winter is regulated by the seasonal mean state including the mean SST and water vapor content.     

THE INFLUENCE OF PERSISTENT ANOMALY OF MJO ON ENSO

In this study, two possible persistent anomalies of the Madden-Julian Oscillation mode (MJO) are found in the summer season (persistently Pacific active and Indian Ocean active), and an index is set to define the intensity of the two modes. They are proved to have high statistical correlations to the later ENSO events in the autumn and winter seasons: When persistent anomaly of MJO happens in the Pacific Ocean in summer, El Ni?o events are often induced during the autumn and winter seasons of that year. However, during the other MJO mode when the summer persistent anomaly of MJO occurs in the Indian Ocean, La Ni?a events often follow instead. The analysis of the atmospheric circulation field indicates that persistent anomaly of MJO can probably affect the entire Equatorial Pacific circulation, and results in wind stress anomalies. The wind stress anomalies could excite warm or cold water masses which propagate eastwards at the subsurface ocean. The accumulation of warm or cold subsurface water in the Equatorial Eastern Pacific Ocean may eventually lead to the formation of an ENSO.     

Simulation of a Persistent Snow Storm over Southern China with a Regional Atmosphere-Ocean Coupled Model

A regional atmosphere-ocean coupled model,RegCM3-POM,was developed by coupling the regional climate model(RegCM3) with the Princeton Ocean Model(POM).The performance of RegCM3-POM in simulating a persistent snow storm over southern China and the impact of the Madden-Julian oscillation(MJO) on this persistent snow storm were investigated.Compared with the stand-alone RegCM3,the coupled model performed better at reproducing the spatial-temporal evolution and intensity of the precipitation episodes.The power spectral analysis indicated that the coupled model successfully captured the dominant period between 30 and 60 days in the precipitation field,leading to a notable improvement in simulating the magnitude of intraseasonal precipitation variation,and further in enhancing the intensity of the simulated precipitation.These improvements were mainly due to the well-simulated low-frequency oscillation center and its eastward propagation characteristics in each MJO phase by RegCM3-POM,which improved the simulations of MJO-related low-frequency vertical motions,water vapor transport,and the deep inversion layer that can directly influence the precipitation event and that further improved the simulated MJOprecipitation relationship.Analysis of the phase relationship between convection and SST indicated that RegCM3-POM exhibits a near-quadrature relation between the simulated convection and SST anomalies,which was consistent with the observations.However,such a near-quadrature relation was not as significant when the stand-alone RegCM3 was used.This difference indicated that the inherent coupled feedback process between the ocean and atmosphere in RegCM3-POM played an important part in reproducing the features of the MJO that accompanied the snow storm.     

THE CONTRASTS BETWEEN STRONG AND WEAK MJO ACTIVITY OVER THE EQUATORIAL WESTERN PACIFIC IN WINTER

This paper investigates the contrasts between strong and weak Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) activity over the equatorial western Pacific during winter using the NCEP reanalysis data. It is shown that the MJO over the equatorial western Pacific in winter shows significant interannual and interdecadal variabilities. During the winters with strong MJO activity, an anomalous cyclonic circulation lies east of the Philippines, strong anomalous easterlies control the equatorial eastern Pacific, and anomalous westerlies extend from the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific in the lower troposphere, which strengthens the convergence and convection over the equatorial western Pacific. The moisture convergence in the lower troposphere is also enhanced over the western Pacific, which is favorable to the activity of MJO. Eastward propagation is a significant feature of the MJO, though there is some westward propagation. The space-time spectral power and center period of the MJO are higher during strong MJO activity winters. The anomalous activity of MJO is closely related to the sea surface temperature (SST) and East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM). During strong MJO activity winters, there are positive/negative anomalies at high/low latitudes in both sea level pressure and 500 hPa geopotential height, and the temperature is lower over the central part of the Chinese mainland, which indicates a strong EAWM. China experiences more rainfall between the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers, but less rainfall south of the Yangtze River. The SSTA is negative near the Taiwan Island due to the impact of strong EAWM and shows a La Ni?a pattern anomaly over the eastern Pacific. During the weak MJO activity winters, the situation is reversed.     

Sensitivity of the Simulated Tropical Intraseasonal Oscillation to Cumulus Parameterizations

The sensitivity of the simulated tropical intraseasonal oscillation or MJO （Madden and Julian oscillation） to different cumulus parameterizations is studied by using an atmospheric general circulation model （GCM）--SAMIL （Spectral Atmospheric Model of IAP LASG）. Results show that performance of the model in simulating the MJO alters widely when using two different cumulus parameterization schemes-the moist convective adjustment scheme （MCA） and the Zhang-McFarlane （ZM） scheme. MJO simulated by the MCA scheme was found to be more realistic than that simulated by the ZM scheme. MJO produced by the ZM scheme is too weak and shows little propagation characteristics. Weak moisture convergence at low levels simulated by the ZM scheme is not enough to maintain the structure and the eastward propagation of the oscillation. These two cumulus schemes produced different vertical structures of the heating profile. The heating profile produced by the ZM scheme is nearly uniform with height and the heating is too weak compared to that produced by the MCA, which maybe contributes greatly to the failure of simulating a reasonable MJO. Comparing the simulated MJO by these two schemes indicate that the MJO simulated by the GCM is highly sensitive to cumulus parameterizations implanted in. The diabatic heating profile plays an important role in the performance of the GCM. Three sensitivity experiments with different heating profiles are designed in which modified heating profiles peak respectively in the upper troposphere （UH）, middle troposphere （MH）, and lower troposphere （LH）. Both the LH run and the MH run produce eastward propagating signals on the intraseasonal timescale, while it is interesting that the intraseasonal timescale signals produced by the UH run propagate westward. It indicates that a realistic intraseasonal oscillation is more prone to be excited when the maximum heating concentrates in the middle-low levels, especially in the middle levels, while westward propagating disturbances