Arabian Peninsula-North Pacific Oscillation and its association with the Asian summer monsoon

Using correlation and EOF analyses on sea level pressure from 57-year NCEP-NCAR reanalysis data, the Arabian Peninsula-North Pacific Oscillation (APNPO) is identified. The APNPO reflects the co-variability between the North Pacific high and South Asian summer monsoon low. This teleconnec- tion pattern is closely related to the Asian summer monsoon. On interannual timescale, it co-varies with both the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) and South Asian summer monsoon (SASM); on decadal timescale, it co-varies with the EASM: both exhibit two abrupt climate changes in the middle 1960s and the late 1970s respectively. The possible physical process for the connections between the APNPO and Asian summer monsoon is then explored by analyzing the APNPO-related atmospheric circulations. The results show that with a strong APNPO, the Somali Jet, SASM flow, EASM flow, and South Asian high are all enhanced, and an anomalous anticyclone is produced at the upper level over northeast China via a zonal wave train. Meanwhile, the moisture transportation to the Asian monsoon regions is also strengthened in a strong APNPO year, leading to a strong moisture convergence over India and northern China. All these changes of circulations and moisture conditions finally result in an anoma- lous Asian summer monsoon and monsoon rainfall over India and northern China. In addition, the APNPO has a good persistence from spring to summer. The spring APNPO is also significantly corre- lated with Asian summer monsoon variability. The spring APNPO might therefore provide valuable in- formation for the prediction of Asian summer monsoon.     

亚洲夏季平流层-对流层水汽交换年际变化与亚洲夏季风的联系

亚洲地区是物质由对流层向平流层输送的主要通道,在平流层-对流层交换中扮演着积极的角色. 本文主要利用卫星资料和欧洲中心ERA40再分析资料,借助Wei诊断模式研究亚洲地区夏季上对流层-下平流层(UTLS)水汽分布和平流层-对流层水汽交换特征,重点着眼于水汽交换的年际变化,并探讨其与亚洲夏季风的联系. 结果表明,季风区UTLS水汽较赤道地区偏多,且通过磁带记录信号的传播,可穿越对流层顶影响下平流层水汽的多寡. 夏季平流层-对流层水汽交换表现出明显的年际特征,其年际变化与亚洲季风强弱变化有密切联系,尤其与南亚夏季风的关系更为显著. 在亚洲夏季风影响下,亚洲地区出现异常的大气环流和垂直运动,从而影响平流层-对流层之间水汽的交换. 这些结果对认识其它大气成分的输送过程也具有重要的指示意义.     

上新世以来构造隆升对亚洲夏季风气候变化的影响

大量地质证据表明,上新世以来(最近5 MaB.P.)青藏高原北部及非洲东部和南部地区出现过显著的构造隆升,而与此同时亚洲季风也经历了显著变化,这两者之间是否存在着因果联系一直是地学界所关心和争论的一个重要科学问题.本文利用美国国家大气研究中心(NCAR)的公用大气模式(CAM 3.1)就上新世以来青藏高原北部及东-南非高原的构造隆升对亚洲夏季风气候变化的影响进行了数值试验研究.结果表明,上新世以来亚洲夏季风的增强与两地构造隆升密切相关,但两者隆升对于亚洲季风子系统的作用是有区别的.青藏高原北部隆升主要造成东亚北部夏季风的增强及季风降水的增多,但对南亚夏季风的作用较小;东-南非高原的隆升明显增强南亚夏季风,但对东亚北部夏季风的影响有限.     

热带、副热带海陆分布与青藏高原在亚洲夏季风形成中的作用

通过一系列的理想数值试验,研究了亚、非地区热带次尺度的海陆分布和青藏高原大地形在亚洲夏季风形成中的作用.试验结果显示：海陆分布的存在以及海陆分布的几何形状对亚洲夏季风的形成有非常重要的影响.下垫面全是海洋,没有陆地时,无季风现象的存在.当仅有副热带大尺度陆地,而缺乏南亚次尺度陆地和非洲大陆热带陆地时,夏季无明显的越赤道气流,仅在欧亚副热带陆地的东南部有弱的季风,无印度、孟加拉湾和南海夏季风.中南半岛、印度半岛和非洲大陆热带陆地的存在,在夏季引导南半球的东南信风越赤道转向为西南气流,使得南海的北部、中南半岛、孟加拉湾和印度半岛、阿拉伯海上空的低层为强西南气流控制,印度、孟加拉湾和南海夏季风产生.副热带陆地向热带的深入对副热带陆上产生夏季强对流性降水起着至关重要的作用.青藏高原的存在加强了高原东侧的季风,使得季风区向北发展,青藏高原对东亚季风起放大器的作用;减弱了高原西侧的季风,使得季风区向南收缩.     

Orbital-scale Asian summer monsoon variations:Paradox and exploration

The Asian summer monsoon(ASM) is a vast climate system, whose variability is critical to the livelihoods of billions of people across the Asian continent. During the past half-century, much progress has been made in understanding variations on a wide range of timescales, yet several significant issues remain unresolved. Of note are two long-standing problems concerning orbital-scale variations of the ASM.(1) Chinese loess magnetic susceptibility records show a persistent glacial-interglacial dominated ~100 kyr(thousand years) periodicity, while the cave oxygen-isotope(δ18 O) records reveal periodicity in an almost pure precession band(~20 kyr periodicity)—the "Chinese 100 kyr problem".(2) ASM records from the Arabian Sea and other oceans surrounding the Asian continent show a significant lag of 8–10 kyr to Northern Hemisphere summer insolation(NHSI), whereas the Asian cave δ18 O records follow NHSI without a significant lag—a discrepancy termed the "sea-land precession-phase paradox". How can we reconcile these differences? Recent and more refined model simulations now provide spatial patterns of rainfall and wind across the precession cycle, revealing distinct regional divergences in the ASM domain, which can well explain a large portion of the disparities between the loess, marine, and cave proxy records. Overall, we also find that the loess, marine, and cave records are indeed complementary rather than incompatible, with each record preferentially describing a certain aspect of ASM dynamics. Our study provides new insight into the understanding of different hydroclimatic proxies and largely reconciles the "Chinese 100 kyr problem" and "sea-land precession-phase paradox".     

The evolution of coupling of Asian winter monsoon and high latitude climate of Northern Hemisphere

The evolution and driving mechanism of the Asian winter monsoon system are of great importance to understanding the present-day climate. Through high-resolution particle size analysis of the oldest loess-red clay sequence known so far (with a basal age of about 8 Ma) and comparison of the results with oxygen isotope curves from North Atlantic marine sediments, 4 stages of the evolution of the Asian winter monsoon were clearly demonstrated. During the first stage, between about 8.1 and 4.3 Ma, there was no relation between Asian winter monsoon and Northern Hemisphere ice volume and high latitude climate inferred from marine sediments. A weak relation developed during the second stage, about 4.3 to 3.5 Ma. During the third stage (3.5 to 2.6 Ma) an Asian winter monsoon system similar to the present formed, initiating a stronger relation between the winter monsoon and Northern Hemisphere ice volume and high latitude climate. In the final stage (2.6 to 0 Ma) the present Asian winter monsoon system was fortified and stabilized and changes in the winter monsoon system were almost in phase with Northern Hemisphere ice volume and climate. The staggered uplift of Tibetan Plateau at ≈8, 3.6, 2.6 Ma and later might be the driving force for the evolution of the Asian winter monsoon.

     

On the Problem of Distinction between Recent Geodynamics of Central and East Asia

Izvestiya, Physics of the Solid Earth - Abstract—The Central Asian and East Asian transitional zones are distinguished in Central and East Asia south of the Late Precambrian–Paleozoic...     

夏季亚洲极涡的长期变化对东亚环流和水汽收支的影响

主要分析了1951～2004年夏季亚洲极涡强度和面积的长期变化趋势及其对东亚夏季环流,水汽输送和降水量的影响,发现1951～2004年,夏季亚洲极涡表现出了明显的强度减弱,面积缩小的变化趋势,并以面积缩小更为显著,这正对应于北极涛动（AO）指数在该时段的显著升高.在这种北半球中高纬大尺度环流变化的影响下,东亚夏季高空西风急流在近54年显著南移,冷空气活动的南侵程度明显增强,从而造成低空偏北风显著增强而偏南风减弱.与此相应,近54年整个中国区域内低空纬向风速呈明显的减小趋势.总的来看,东亚夏季风环流发生了明显减弱.同时,流经中国的中纬度西风水汽输送在近54年也表现出一致减弱的趋势,而南风水汽输送大致以110°E为界,以东的夏季风区呈显著的减弱趋势而以西则有明显的增加趋势.这种水汽输送的变化影响了中国不同区域内水汽输送通量散度的改变,进而使得夏季降水量发生变化.分析表明,夏季亚洲极涡的面积和强度与东北、华北和西北东部的水汽输送通量散度和夏季降水呈正相关,而与长江中下游、华南、西南、青藏高原和西北西部呈显著负相关,夏季亚洲极涡在近几十年的面积缩小和强度减弱是中国夏季降水长期变化的一个可能原因.     

Is the Tibetan Plateau really a water tower?

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is widely known as the ‘Asian Water Tower’, due to its role in providing fresh water to downstream Asian countries. Based on the runoff data of large river basins on the TP, the weighted average proportion of the TP runoff is approximately 18% (ranging from 6% to 49%) for all the rivers. We argue that the name ‘Water Tower’ is an inappropriate and misleading perception of the TP, and such misperception would influence policy-making processes and diplomatic activities. We therefore call for correcting the misunderstanding and an ensuring accurate understanding of the TP and its role in water supply for downstream countries. We propose using the term “Towering Asian Spring” instead of “Asian Water Tower” to better illustrate the role of the TP in water supply: while it serves as the source of several major rivers in Asia, its contribution to the overall water supply is relatively limited.     

Water in Kazakhstan,a key in Central Asian water management

Central Asia is one of the regions with the highest probability of conflicts over water. Kazakhstan is the main Central Asian economic power and therefore it is important to understand how the country’s water management policy is influencing water availability in the other Central Asian states. Already, the Central Asian economies are developing under increasing water deficiency, resulting in developmental problems. The main reasons for this are increasing political tensions and worsening ecological and socio-economic conditions. Kazakhstan was the first country in Central Asia to develop the pre-requisites for a transition towards integrated water resources management (IWRM). Therefore, Kazakhstan has potential to lead the development of transboundary water integration between all Central Asian states. A scenario for successful regional cooperation on water management in Central Asia involves establishing legal mechanisms for water management following international water law, assistance by international agencies and donors, and integrated social, economic and environmental methodology.     

青藏高原热状况和海温异常对亚洲季风季节转换年际变化的影响

本文根据季节转换前后副高脊面附近经向温度梯度变号的本质，利用相关分析和合成分析等方法研究了季节转换年际变化与外部影响因子的联系. 结果表明，冬春季青藏高原热状况和ENSO（El Nio/Southern Oscillation，厄尔尼诺/南方涛动）是决定亚洲季风区季节转换年际变化的主要因素. 当冬、春季海温呈现El Nio异常时，Walker环流减弱，于是西太平洋暖池区对流活动受到抑制，而赤道东太平洋对流活动加强则强迫赤道印度洋地区产生绝热下沉运动，使得印度洋地区大气偏暖，结果增大了南北向温度梯度，季节转换往往偏晚. 反之，季节转换偏早. 初春高原上空对流层中高层的气温异常对于判断季节转换迟早有很好的指示意义.     

索马里急流的年际变化及其对半球间水汽输送和东亚夏季降水的影响

利用美国国家环境预报中心和美国国家大气科学研究中 心（NCEP/NCAR）再分析月平均气候资料以及Xie和Arkin分析的月平均降水资料（1968～199 8年），针对索马里低空急流（SMJ）的年际变化及其对东亚夏季降水的影响问题展开了分析 研究. 结果揭示，SMJ作为最主要的越赤道气流，对两个半球间水汽输送起最关键的作用， 它把水汽从冬半球输送到夏半球. 夏季SMJ的年际变化有全球范围内的环流异常与之相联系 ，特别是东亚沿岸的波列状异常分布、南亚高压以及澳大利亚以南的偶极型异常分布；它 也同春季的北印度洋等海区的海温异常有密切关系. 研究还表明，春季SMJ的年际变化对东 亚夏季降水和大气环流有显著影响，由于SMJ影响的超前性，因此它在东亚夏季气候预测上 有重要意义.     

CMIP5模式对东亚冬季风指数变化及其与冬季大气环流和气温关系的模拟评估

本文评估了44个CMIP5模式对东亚冬季风环流系统,特别是东亚冬季风指数及其对应的环流和气温特征的模拟能力.结果表明:CMIP5模式对地表气温和500 hPa位势高度场模拟效果最好,对200 hPa纬向风的模拟次之,而对海平面气压和850 hPa经向风的模拟相对较差.与单个模式相比,多模式集合(MME)的模拟能力要更优,其能够很好地再现西伯利亚高压、阿留申低压、东亚低层偏北风、中层东亚大槽、高层东亚西风急流以及地表气温的空间分布.不过,模拟的环流系统偏强,造成东亚地表气温总体偏低.对于东亚冬季风指数,分别选取基于300 hPa纬向风(I_(Jhun))、850 hPa风场(I_(Wang))、500 hPa位势高度(I_(Cui))、以及海平面气压(I_(Guo))定义的四个指数表征东亚冬季风强度.MME能很好地模拟I_(Cui)和I_(Wang)指数的长期变化,还能合理再现四个指数所指示的东亚冬季风环流和气温的变化特征:对应冬季风偏强年份,西伯利亚高压、阿留申低压、东亚沿岸低层北风、东亚大槽和高空西风急流加强,东亚大陆地表气温和极端低温降低,但变化的幅度比观测结果偏弱.     

The Heilongjiang Group: A Jurassic accretionary complex in the Jiamusi Massif at the western Pacific margin of northeastern China

Abstract The tectonic setting of the Eastern Asian continental margin in the Jurassic is highly controversial. In the current study, we have selected the Heilongjiang complex located at the western margin of the Jiamusi Massif in northeastern China for geochronological investigation to address this issue. Field and petrographic investigations indicate that the Heilongjiang complex is composed predominately of granitic gneiss, marble, mafic‐ultramafic rocks, blueschist, greenschist, quartzite, muscovite‐albite schist and two‐mica schist that were tectonically interleaved, indicating they represent a mélange. The marble, two‐mica schist and granitic gneiss were most probably derived from the Mashan complex, a high‐grade gneiss complex in the Jiamusi Massif with which the Heilongjiang Group is intimately associated. The ultramafic rocks, blueschist, greenschist and quartzite (chert) are similar to components in ophiolite. The sensitive high mass‐resolution ion microprobe U‐Pb zircon age of 265 ± 4 Ma for the granitic gneiss indicates that the protolith granite was emplaced coevally with Permian batholiths in the Jiamusi Massif. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating of biotite and phengite from the granitic gneiss and mica schist yields a late Early Jurassic metamorphic age between 184 and 174 Ma. Early components of the Jiamusi Massif, including the Mashan complex, probably formed part of an exotic block from Gondwana, affected by late Pan‐African orogenesis, and collided with the Asian continental margin during the Early Jurassic. Subduction of oceanic crust between the Jiamusi block and the eastern part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt resulted in the formation of a huge volume of Jurassic granites in the Zhangguangcai Range. Consequently, the collision of the Jiamusi Massif with the Central Asian Orogenic Belt to the west can be considered as the result of circum‐Pacific accretion, unrelated to the Central Asian Orogenic Belt. The widespread development of Jurassic accretionary complexes along the Asian continental margin supports such an interpretation.     

Grain-size records at ODP Site 1146 from the northern South China Sea: Implications on the East Asian monsoon evolution since 20 Ma

273 samples from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1146 in the northern South China Sea (SCS) were analyzed for grain-size distributions using grain-size class vs. standard deviation method and end-member modeling algorithm (EMMA) in order to investigate the evolution of the East Asian monsoon since about 20 Ma. 10–19 μm/1.3–2.4 μm, the ratio of two grain-size populations with the highest variability through time was used to indicate East Asian winter monsoon intensity relative to summer monsoon. The mass accumulation rate of the coarsest end member EM1 (eolian), resulting from EMMA, can be used as a proxy of winter monsoon strength and Asian inland aridity, and the ratio of EM1/(EM2 EM3) as a proxy of winter monsoon intensity relative to summer monsoon. The combined proxies show that a profound enhancement of East Asian winter monsoon strength and winter monsoon intensity relative to summer monsoon occurred at about 8 Ma, and it is possible that the summer monsoon simultaneously intensified with winter monsoon at 3 Ma. Our results are well consistent with the previous studies in loess, eolian deposion in the Pacifc, radiolarians and planktonic foraminifera in the SCS. The phased uplift of the Himalaya-Tibetan Plateau may have played a significant role in strengthening the Asian monsoon at 8 Ma and 3 Ma.     

太阳活动周磁暴与亚洲M_S 7.0以上地震活动关系

将1996—2015年太阳黑子数、强磁暴和M_S≥7.0亚洲浅源地震,按Dst指数大小对磁暴进行分类和统计,按震级大小对地震进行分类统计,结果发现,在1996—2015年太阳活动周下降年易发生大磁暴,且M_S≥7.0地震年发生率明显高于太阳活动周上升年、极大年和极小年。     

Lake Water Resources in the Asian Part of the Russian Federation

Water resources of lakes with natural and regulated hydrological regime are evaluated, and estimates are given to the water resources of artificial water bodies in three federal districts in the Asian part of RF (Ural, Siberian, and Far-Eastern) and the constituent entities of the Federation they contain. The estimates were made by a new procedure, incorporating up-to-date satellite data and functions of Google Earth project. In the Asian part of RF, ~3140000 natural water bodies were analyzed, including ~1170000 lakes >1 ha in area and ~6000 artificial water bodies. Lake water resources in the Asian part of RF amount to 24537 km³, of which ~96% are contained in Lake Baikal. Other 638 km³ are contained in artificial water bodies.     

Advances in studying interactions between aerosols and monsoon in China

Scientific issues relevant to interactions between aerosols and the Asian monsoon climate were discussed and evaluated at the 33rd “Forum of Science and Technology Frontiers” sponsored by the Department of Earth Sciences at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Major results are summarized in this paper. The East Asian monsoon directly affects aerosol transport and provides a favorable background circulation for the occurrence and development of persistent fog-haze weather. Spatial features of aerosol transport and distribution are also influenced by the East Asian monsoon on seasonal, inter-annual, and decadal scales. High moisture levels in monsoon regions also affect aerosol optical and radiative properties. Observation analyses indicate that cloud physical properties and precipitation are significantly affected by aerosols in China with aerosols likely suppressing local light and moderate rainfall, and intensifying heavy rainfall in southeast coastal regions. However, the detailed mechanisms behind this pattern still need further exploration. The decadal variation in the East Asian monsoon strongly affects aerosol concentrations and their spatial patterns. The weakening monsoon circulation in recent decades has likely helped to increase regional aerosol concentrations. The substantial increase in Chinese air pollutants has likely decreased the temperature difference between land and sea, which favors intensification of the weakening monsoon circulation. Constructive suggestions regarding future studies on aerosols and monsoons were proposed in this forum and key uncertain issues were also discussed.     

Asia-Pacific mussel watch: monitoring contamination of persistent organochlorine compounds in coastal waters of Asian countries

Contamination of persistent organochlorines (OCs) such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), DDT and its metabolites (DDTs), HCH (hexachlorocyclohexane) isomers (HCHs), chlordane compounds (CHLs), and HCB (hexachlorobenzene) were examined in mussels collected from coastal waters of Asian countries such as Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Far East Russia, Singapore, and Vietnam in 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2001 to elucidate the contamination status, distribution and possible pollution sources and to assess the risks on aquatic organisms and human. OCs were detected in all mussels collected from all the sampling sites investigated. Considerable residue levels of p,p(')-DDT and alpha-HCH were found in mussels and the concentrations of DDTs and HCHs found in mussels from Asian developing countries were higher than those in developed nations suggesting present usage of DDTs and HCHs along the coastal waters of Asian developing countries. On the other hand, lower concentrations of PCBs detected in mussels from Asian developing countries than those in developed countries indicate that PCBs contamination in mussels is strongly related to industrial and activities. To our knowledge, this is a first comprehensive report on monitoring OCs pollution in the Asia-Pacific region.     

全球变暖背景下春季Hadley环流与东亚夏季风环流年际对应关系的多模式预估

观测事实揭示,春季Hadley环流在年际时间尺度上与东亚夏季风环流和降水具有密切联系.在未来全球变暖背景下,春季Hadley环流与东亚夏季风环流和降水的这种年际关系是否会发生变化？针对该问题,本文在评估的基础上选取五个气候模式,分析了A1B排放情景下春季北半球Hadley环流年际变率的未来变化及其与东亚夏季风环流和降水的年际关系.多模式集合(MME)预估结果表明,在全球变暖背景下,与20世纪末期(1970—1999年)相比,到21世纪末期(2070—2099年),春季北半球Hadley环流的年际变率强度将减弱,减弱幅度达32%.随着春季Hadley环流年际变率的减弱,其与夏季西太平洋副热带高压和东亚夏季风强度的联系将变弱.MME模拟结果还显示,春季Hadley环流与夏季东亚西风急流和降水的关系也降低,但各单个模式间存在较大差异.