Observed Long- and Short-lived North Atlantic Oscillation Events: Role of the Stratosphere

Utilizing three different sets of reanalysis data, this study examines the long-and short-lived observed positive North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO) events(referred to as NAO+_LE and NAO+_SE) and long-and short-lived observed negative NAO events(referred to as NAO-_LE and NAO-_SE). Composite results indicate that the NAO-like circulation anomalies associated with the long-lived NAO events can reach the stratosphere, while they are primarily confined to the tr...     

热带季节内振荡与北大西洋涛动年际变化的关系

运用K均值聚类法将冬季北大西洋及欧洲地区的天气流型分为4种不同的流型。研究了不同阶段8种不同位相的热带季节内振荡（MJO）与这4种流型的年际变化的关系。通过一系列的对比试验发现,K均值聚类法划分得到的不同位相的北大西洋涛动（NAO）的天数能很好地反映NAO指数;无论是在1978～1990年（简称为P1阶段）还是在1991～2010年（简称为P2阶段）,MJO第3（6）位相影响NAO正（负）位相;但在P1阶段存在NAO的位相转换,当MJO处于第1位相时,NAO由弱的负位相转换为正位相,当MJO处于第6位相时, NAO由正位相转换为负位相;而在P2阶段NAO并没有明显的位相转换,当MJO处于第1位相时,NAO由偶极子结构转换为波列结构。     

春季格陵兰海冰变化及与北大西洋涛动和北极涛动的联系

采用长序列(1903—1994年)GISST海冰面积和海表温度(SST)资料、NCEP／NCAR再分析资料等，分析了春季格陵兰海冰面积年代际变化特征及其同北大西洋海气变化的关系。结果表明：春季格陵兰海冰面积变化的主要特征可由海冰变化的EOF第一主分量表示。春季海冰变化与前冬NAO／AO以及冬春1—4月份北大西洋墨西哥湾流区SST具有明显的反相变化趋势，且均具有准60a的周期变化特征。海洋向大气的热量输送(感热、潜热)受到海冰变化的显著影响(冰多输送少)。海冰作为大气的冷源，也明显影响地表净辐射的变化。进而，春季海冰变化可影响后期的大气环流变化：海冰面积偏大(偏小)，冰岛低压和阿留申低压偏弱(偏强)，夏季北非和亚洲大陆的SLP明显偏低(偏高)，两大陆夏季热低压加强(减弱)。     

Temporal structures of the North Atlantic Oscillation and its impact on the regional climate variability

In this study, the temporal structure of the variation of North Atlantic Oscillation （NAO） and its impact on regional climate variability are analyzed using various datasets. The results show that blocking formations in the Atlantic region are sensitive to the phase of the NAO. Sixty-seven percent more winter blocking days are observed during the negative phase compared to the positive phase of the NAO. The average length of blocking during the negative phase is about 11 days, which is nearly twice as long as the 6-day length observed during the positive phase of the NAO. The NAO-related differences in blocking frequency and persistence are associated with changes in the distribution of the surface air temperature anomaly, which, to a large extent, is determined by the phase of the NAO. The distribution of regional cloud amount is also sensitive to the phase of the NAO. For the negative phase, the cloud amounts are significant, positive anomalies in the convective zone in the Tropics and much less cloudiness in the mid latitudes. But for the positive phase of the NAO, the cloud amount is much higher in the mid-latitude storm track region. In the whole Atlantic region, the cloud amount shows a decrease with the increase of surface air temperature. These results suggest that there may be a negative feedback between the cloud amount and the surface air t.emperature in the Atlantic region.     

1—3月北极涛动对北半球热带太平洋和大西洋对流活动的可能影响

利用1979—2008年日分辨率的向外长波辐射资料以及NCEP再分析资料,去除ENSO影响后,分析了1—3月北极涛动对热带太平洋和热带大西洋对流活动及降水的可能影响。结果表明北极涛动偏强(弱)时,热带太平洋和大西洋对流活动显著偏强(弱)。北半球热带大洋冬季平均向外长波辐射与北极涛动指数的相关系数存在两个显著负相关区:一个位于中太平洋区,大致包括13°—20°N、160°E—170°W;另外一个位于热带大西洋,显著区覆盖的范围大体包括5°—20°N、15°—70°W。这些区域的降水量也表现出显著的正相关。向外长波辐射、强对流面积指数、强对流强度指数、平均降水量等指标与北极涛动指数的相关均以冬季同期最高,随时间滞后相关迅速减弱。与此对应的对流层低层大气环流也有显著变化,850hPa风场的变化表现为热带太平洋有异常的气旋性环流,气旋中心区与显著强对流和降水异常区一致。而热带大西洋有显著的经向环流辐合和风切变,与异常对流和降水区吻合。海洋模式的模拟结果表明,与北极涛动有关联的海温分布,很大程度上与大气强迫有关,说明热带1—3月降水和对流活动与海温的关联较弱。北极涛动与热带太平洋、大西洋对流和降水活动之间主要是通过大气环流的变动产生联系的。     

北大西洋风暴轴高低空分布及其能量诊断

利用1979~2013年NCEP再分析数据,通过经验正交分解对比了前冬时期北大西洋风暴轴的高低空分布,并用涡动动能(Eddy Kinetic Energy,EKE)方程对风暴轴高低空分布型差异进行了诊断。研究结果表明:上层和下层第一空间分布型差异巨大,对流层下层风暴轴中心偏北,靠近极地,而上层风暴轴中心偏西南,靠近北美沿岸。EKE方程诊断结果表明:正压转换项在高低空符号相反,导致了EKE在上、下层分布出现显著差异,即上层正压转换项为负,在扰动发展中起能量耗散作用,而下层正压转换项为正,且极大值区域对应下层EKE极大值区域,为风暴轴下层向极区域增强的主要原因。而斜压转换和非地转位势通量散度在上层均为正,且远大于下层,为风暴轴上层涡动能量维持的原因,也从涡动能量收支上解释了风暴轴的主体出现在上层。     

北半球极区平流层冬季12月与1—2月气候变化形势的对比

根据1980—2000年ERA-Interim再分析的风场和温度场资料,计算12月与1—2月北半球行星波的EP通量及其散度,并按冬季不同月份分析了平流层整层温度和风场从20世纪80年代到90年代变化的特征及其与行星波活动变化的关系。结果表明,12月高纬度地区中低平流层呈增温趋势;而1—2月温度变化呈冷却趋势。在12月中高纬度中上平流层纬向风明显减速;而在1—2月高纬度中高平流层,随着纬度和高度的增加,纬向风呈明显加速趋势。冬季北半球行星波主要沿低纬度和极地波导两支波导向上传播。但是,12月行星波沿低纬度波导的传播减弱,沿极地波导向平流层整层的传播则明显增强。而1—2月行星波沿低纬度波导的传播明显增强,沿极地波导向平流层的传播则减弱。因此,北半球极区平流层1980—2000年间12月与1—2月波流相互作用的年代际变化形势趋于相反,有必要针对冬季不同月份分开进行讨论。     

冬季与北大西洋涛动相关Rossby波列传播特征及对下游气候的影响

利用再分析数据,以在北半球冬季与北大西洋涛动(North Atlantic Oscillation,NAO)相关的向下游传播的准定常波列在欧洲地区是否发生反射为标准,将1957/1958年至2001/2002年这45个冬季分为高纬型和低纬型两类冬季,分别简称为在H型和L型冬季。在H(L)型冬季,和NAO相联系的向下游传播的Rossby波列主要沿高纬度(低纬度)路径传播。对比了在两种类型冬季NAO与同期大气环流、近地面温度(Surface Air Temperature,SAT)、海表面温度(Sea Surface Tempertaure,SST)和降水的关系。结果表明:大气环流方面,在H型冬季,300 hPa位势高度异常在西-西伯利亚和中-西伯利亚西部与NAO呈现正相关,而在L型冬季300 hPa位势高度异常在亚洲东海岸(约40°N)和北太平洋呈现正相关,在H型冬季与NAO相关的经向风异常在中纬度形成波列,而在L型冬季与NAO相关的经向风异常在副热带形成波列;SAT方面,在H型冬季SAT异常在欧亚大陆腹地高纬度地区与NAO呈现正相关,而在L型冬季与NAO相关的SAT异常在欧亚大陆腹地的高纬度地区相对较弱,但NAO造成的SAT异常可以扩展到亚洲东北部;降水方面,H型冬季与L型冬季主要区别在中国南方,在H型冬季降水异常与NAO的关系相对较弱,而在L型冬季降水异常与NAO呈现正相关关系;SST方面,同期SST异常在北大西洋中纬度海域与NAO呈现正相关,而在L型冬季与NAO相关的SST异常在北大西洋中纬度地区相对较弱,在北大西洋北部和南部较强。总体而言,在H型和L型冬季,NAO具有不同下游影响。     

Intraseasonal variability of winter precipitation over central asia and the western tibetan plateau from 1979 to 2013 and its relationship with the North Atlantic Oscillation

Winter precipitation over Central Asia and the western Tibetan Plateau (CAWTP) is mainly a result of the interaction between the westerly circulation and the high mountains around the plateau. Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOFs), Singular Value Decomposition (SVD), linear regression and composite analysis were used to analyze winter daily precipitation and other meteorological elements in this region from 1979 to 2013, in order to understand how interactions between the regional circulation and topography affect the intraseasonal variability in precipitation. The SVD analysis shows that the winter daily precipitation variability distribution is characterized by a dipole pattern with opposite signs over the northern Pamir Plateau and over the Karakoram Himalaya, similar to the second mode of EOF analysis. This dipole pattern of precipitation anomaly is associated with local anomalies in both the 700 hPa moisture transport and the 500 hPa geopotential height and is probably caused by oscillations in the regional and large-scale circulations, which can influence the westerly disturbance tracks and water vapor transport. The linear regression shows that the anomalous mid-tropospheric circulation over CAWTP corresponds to an anti-phase variation of the 500 hPa geopotential height anomalies over the southern and northern North Atlantic 10 days earlier (at 95% significance level), that bears a similarity to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The composite analysis reveals that the NAO impacts the downstream regions including CAWTP by controlling south-north two branches of the middle latitude westerly circulation around the Eurasian border. During the positive phases of the NAO, the northern branch of the westerly circulation goes around the northwest Tibetan Plateau, whereas the southern branch encounters the southwest Tibetan Plateau, which leads to reduced precipitation over the northern Pamir Plateau and increased precipitation over the Karakoram Himalaya, and vice versa.     

The Role of the Solar Cycle in the Relationship Between the North Atlantic Oscillation and Northern Hemisphere Surface Temperatures

The North Atlantic Oscillation （NAO） is one of the leading modes of climate variability in the Northern Hemisphere. It has been shown that it clearly relates to changes in meteorological variables, such as surface temperature, at hemispherical scales. However, recent studies have revealed that the NAO spatial pattern also depends upon solar forcing. Therefore, its effects on meteorological variables must vary depending upon this factor. Moreover, it could be that the Sun affects climate through variability patterns, a hypothesis that is the focus of this study. We find that the relationship between the NAO/AO and hemispheric temperature varies depending upon solar activity. The results show a positive significant correlation only when solar activity is high. Also, the results support the idea that solar activity influences tropospheric climate fluctuations in the Northern Hemisphere via the fluctuations of the stratospheric polar vortex .     

Climatology and interannual variability of storm-tracks in the Euro-Atlantic sector: a comparison between ERA-40 and NCEP/NCAR reanalyses

An objective methodology is applied to ERA-40 (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts 40-year Reanalysis) and NCEP/NCAR (National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research) reanalyses, to build two storm-track databases for the Euro-Atlantic sector (85°W–70°E; 20°N–75°N), spanning the period December 1958–March 2000. The technique uses the full temporal (6-hourly) and spatial resolutions (1.125° and 2.5° regular grids, for ERA-40 and NCEP/NCAR, respectively) available. It is shown that the strong discrepancies in the number of storms in each dataset (higher for ERA-40) result from differences in the resolution of the fields subject to the storm detecting/tracking algorithm, and also from the characteristics of the integration models and assimilation schemes used for each reanalysis. An intercomparison of ERA-40 and NCEP/NCAR storm-tracks is performed for spatial distribution, and main characteristics, of the overall cyclone population and of a class of severe storms—explosive cyclones. Despite the discrepancies in storm numbers, both reanalyses agree on the main cyclone activity areas (formation, minimum central pressure, and lysis). The most pronounced differences occur where subsynoptic systems are frequent, as these are better resolved by ERA-40 data. The interannual variability of cyclone counts, analysed per intensity classes and for different regions of the domain, reveals reasonable agreement between the two datasets on the sign of trends (generally positive in northern latitudes, and negative in the Azores-Mediterranean band), but discrepancies regarding their strength in the most southern areas, where the mismatches between ERA-40 and NCEP/NCAR detected lows are greatest. Submitted to Climate Dynamics in December 2004