CLIMATIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ONSET OF SOUTH CHINA SEASUMMER MONSOONⅡ.INTER—DECADAL VARIATION

By using the 40-year NCEP(1958-1997) grid point reanalysis meteorological data.we analyzed the inter-decadal variation on the climatic characteristics of the onset of South China Sea summer monsoon.The results are as follows.(1) There was great difference on the onset date of the SCS summer monsoon between the first two decades and the last two decades,It was late on the 6^th pentad of May for the first two decades and was on the 4^th and 5^th pentad of May for the next two decades.(2)Except for the third decade(1978-1987),the establishment of the monsoon rainfall was one to two pentads earlier than the onset of the summer monsoon in all other three decades.(3) The onset of the SCS monsoon is the result of the abrupt development and eastward advancement of the southwesterly monsoon over the Bay of Bengal.The four-decade analysis shows that there were abrupt development of the southwesterly monsoon over the Bay of Bengal between the 3rd and 4th pentad of May,but there was great difference between its ewastward ovement and its onset intensity.These may have important effect to the earlier or later onset of the SCS summer monsoon.(4) During the onset of the SCS summer monsoon.there were great difference in the upper and lower circulation feature between the first two and the next two decades.At the lower troposphere of the first two decades.The Indian-Burma trough was stronger and the center of the subtropical high was located more eastward.At the upper troposphere.the northward movement of the center of subtropical high was large and located more northward after it landed on the lndo-China Peninsula.After comparison.we can see that the circulation feature of the last two decades was favorable to the establishment and development of the SCS summer monsoon.     

THE CLIMATIC CHARACTERISTICS OF SUMMER MONSOON ONSET OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA I.40-YEAR AVERAGE

By using 40-year NCEP reanalysis daily data (1958-1997), we have analyzed the climatic characteristics of summer monsoon onset in the South China Sea (105°E ~ 120°E, 5°N ~ 20°N, to be simplified as SCS in the text followed) pentad by pentad (5 days). According to our new definition, in the monsoon area of the SCS two of the following conditions should be satisfied: 1) At 850hPa, the southwest winds should be greater than 2m/s. 2) At 850 hPa, θ_se should be greater than 335°K. The new definition means that the summer monsoon is the southwest winds with high temperature and high moisture. The onset of the SCS summer monsoon is defined to start when one half of the SCS area (105°E ~ 120°E,5°N ~ 20°N) is controlled by the summer monsoon. The analyzed results revealed the following: 1) The summer monsoon in the SCS starts to build up abruptly in the 4th pentad in May. 2) The summer monsoon onset in the SCS is resulted from the development and intensification of southwesterly monsoon in the Bay of Bengal. 3) The onset of the summer monsoon and establishment of the summer monsoon rainfall season in the SCS occur simultaneously. 4) During the summer monsoon onset in the SCS, troughs deepen and widen quickly in the lower troposphere of the India; the subtropical high in the Western Pacific moves eastward off the SCS in the middle troposphere; the easterly advances northward over the SCS in the upper troposphere.     

2011年南海夏季风爆发过程及其与长江中下游梅雨的联系

采用NCEP/NCAR再分析资料、FY2E-TBB及台站降水资料,对2011年南海夏季风爆发前后的环流特征进行分析。结果表明:2011年强对流活动由孟加拉湾扩展到南海地区,同时伴随着南亚高压移至中南半岛北部,西太平洋副热带高压向东撤出南海地区,南海夏季风于5月第4候(第28候)爆发;季风爆发后,印度-孟加拉湾季风槽形成,南海地区低空开始盛行西南气流,并伴有对流降水的发展和温、湿等要素的突变。随着季风活动的推进,我国雨带北抬,长江中下游一带进入梅雨期,出现降水大值区。通过分析发现长江中下游梅雨与南海夏季风均受副热带高压影响,且两者的强度为显著的负相关关系,梅雨开始时间与南海夏季风爆发时间呈显著的正相关关系。2011年南海夏季风偏弱,爆发时间偏早,长江中下游梅雨强度偏强,入梅时间异常偏早。     

STUDY ON THE VARIATION IN THE CONFIGURATION OF SUBTROPICAL ANTICYCLONE AND ITS MECHANISM DURING SEASONAL TRANSITION-PART I:CLIMATOLOGICAL FEATURES OF SUBTROPICAL HIGH STRUCTURE*

Climatological characteristics of subtropical anticyclone structure during seasonal transition are investigated based on NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data.The ridge-surface of subtropical anticyclone is defined by the boundary surface between westerly to the north and easterly to the south (WEB in brief).In Afro-Asian monsoon area,the subtropical high in troposphere whose ridgelines are consecutive in wintertime takes on relatively symmetrical and zonal structure,the WEB tilts southward with increasing height.In summer,the subtropical high ridgelines are discontinuous at low levels and continuous at upper levels,the WEB tilts northward from the bottom up.Under the constraint of thermal wind relation,the WEB usually tilts toward warmer zone.May is the period when subtropical high modality most significantly varies.The structure and properties of subtropical high during seasonal transition are different from area to area.A new concept "seasonal transition axis" is proposed based on formation and variation of the vertical ridge axis of subtropical anticyclone.The subtropical high of summer pattern firstly occurs over eastern Bay of Bengal in the beginning of May.then stabilizes over eastern Bay of Bengal,Indo-China,and western South China Sea in the 3rd pentad of May,it exists over the South China Sea in the 4th-5th pentad of May and establishes over central India in the 1st-2nd pentad of June.The three consequential stages when summer modal subtropical high occurs correspond to that of Asian summer monsoon onset,respectively.To a great extent,the summer monsoon onset over the Bay of Bengal depends on the reversal of meridional temperature gradient in vicinity of the WEB in upper troposphere.The meridional temperature gradient at middle-upper levels in troposphere can be used as a good indicator for measuring the seasonal transition and Asian monsoon onset.     

The Interannual Variations of the Summer Monsoon Onset overthe South China Sea

Summary Interannual variations of the summer monsoon onset over the South China Sea (SCS) have been studied using data from over seventeen years (1979–1995) of NMC global analysis and of Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) observed with NOAA polar-orbitting satellites. It was found that the summer monsoon onset in the SCS occurs abruptly with a sudden change of zonal wind direction from easterly to westerly and an exploding development of deep convection in the whole SCS region in the middle of May. Based on the criteria defined in this paper for the SCS summer monsoon onset, the average onset date over the SCS from 1979 to 1995 is around the fourth pentad of May. The airflow and general circulation over the SCS changes dramatically after the onset. The ridge of the subtropical high in the western Pacific in the lower troposphere weakens and retreats eastward from the SCS region with an establishment of westerly winds over the whole region. During the SCS monsoon onset, the most direct impact in the vicinity of the SCS are the equatorial westerlies in the Bay of Bengal through their eastward extension and northward movement. An indirect influence on the SCS onset is also caused by the enhancement of the Somali cross-equatorial flow and the vanishing Arabian High over the sea; the latter may be a signal for the SCS onset. There are quite significant interannual variations in the SCS onset. In the years of a delayed onset, the most profound feature is that the easterly winds stay longer in the SCS than on average. Deep convection activities are suppressed. The direct cause is the abnormal existence of the western Pacific subtropical high over the SCS region. Moreover, compared to the average, the equatorial westerlies in the Bay of Bengal are also weaker in the years of a delayed onset. No significant changes for the cross-equatorial flow at 105 °E are observed for these years. It has also been found that the interannual variations of the SCS onset are closely related with the ENSO events. In the years of a delay, the Walker circulation is weaker, and the sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the western Pacific are negative. Received April 14, 1997 Revised July 11, 1997     

季节转换期间副热带高压带形态变异及其机制的研究Ⅰ:副热带高压结构的气候学特征

利用NCEP/NCAR再分析资料研究了季节转换期间副热带高压结构的气候特征。在亚、非季风区 ,冬季副热带高压带是相对对称的 ,具有脊线连续的带状结构 ,脊面随高度增加向南倾斜 ;夏季副热带高压带中低层是间断的 ,高层是连续的 ,脊面随高度增加向北倾斜。副热带高压脊面倾斜受热成风关系的制约 ,总是倾向暖区。 5月份副热带高压形态变异最显著 ,不同地域副热带高压的结构、性质存在较大差异。夏季型副热带高压于 5月初首先出现在孟加拉湾东部 ,5月第 3候稳定建立在孟加拉湾东部、中南半岛及南海西部地区 ;5月第 4～ 5候在南海建立 ;6月第 1～ 2候在印度中部建立。夏季型副热带高压建立的 3个阶段与亚洲夏季风爆发的 3个阶段存在着较好的对应关系。孟加拉湾夏季风的建立在很大程度上取决于高空副热带高压脊面附近经向温度梯度的反转。对流层中上层副热带高压脊面附近经向温度梯度可以作为表征亚洲夏季风爆发的指标     

南海夏季风演变的气候学特征

本文总结南海北部地区夏季风演变的气候学特征，发现南海地区５月第３候对流层高层东风和北风爆发，对流层低层西风第１次跃升，东亚经向季风环流圈开始形成，这可以成为南海地区夏季风爆发的标志。对流层低层西风在６月中旬开始的第２次连续跃升对应江淮地区的梅雨爆发期。类似地，中国大陆夏季对流层低层５月初和６月初有两次爆发性增暖过程，第２次比第１次强烈得多。南海北部地区对流层低层纬向风速、比湿盛夏呈双峰型，纬向风速峰值分别出现在６月第５候和８月第４候，比湿峰值分别出现在６月第６候和８月第５候。比湿突升对应纬向风速突升，但略落后于风速峰值出现的时间。南海北部地区季风爆发前，温度是波动式上升的，南海季风爆发后，温度是波动式下降的。中国大陆东部及南海地区夏季对流层低层比湿分布有３次突变，即４月中旬南海北部比湿突增，并开始出现高比湿中心，而南海南部为最大比湿中心；５月中旬最大比湿中心已从南海南部跳到了南海北部－华南并向江淮流域扩展；６月中旬江淮流域比湿突增并一直维持到８月，同时南海南部高比湿带消失。而５月中旬ＯＬＲ有一次突变，ＯＬＲ低值区爆发性向北扩张，这对应于南海地区夏季风的爆发。而孟加拉湾地区夏季风演变的气候学特征与南海地区有较     

The Summer Monsoon Onset over the Tropical Eastern Indian Ocean： The Earliest Onset Process of the Asian Summer Monsoon

The onset process of the tropical eastern Indian Ocean (TEIO) summer monsoon (TEIOSM) and its relationship with the cross-equatorial flows are investigated via climatological analysis. Climatologically, results indicate that the earliest onset process of the Asian summer monsoon occurs over the TEIO at pentad 22 (April 15–20). Unlike the abrupt onset of the South China Sea (SCS) summer monsoon, the TEIOSM onset process displays a stepwise advance. Moreover, a close relationship between the TEIOSM development and the northward push of the cross-equatorial flows over 80–90E is revealed. A difference vorticity center, together with the counterpart over the southern Indian Ocean, constitutes a pair of difference cyclonic vortices, which strengthens the southwesterly wind over the TEIO and the northerly wind to the west of the Indian Peninsula from the end of March to late May. Therefore, the occurrence of the southwesterly wind over the TEIO is earlier than its counterpart over the tropical western Indian Ocean, and the cross-equatorial flows emerge firstly over the TEIO rather than over the Somali area. The former increases in intensity during its northward propagation, which provides a precondition for the TEIOSM onset and its northward advance.     

Peculiar Temporal Structure of the South China Sea Summer Monsoon

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Peculiar temporal structure of the south china sea summer monsoon

Beijing located at the junction of four major components of the Asian-Australia monsoon system (the Indian, the western North Pacific, the East Asian subtropical, and the Indonesian-Australian monsoons), the monsoon cli-mate over the South China Sea (SCS) exhibits some unique features. Evidences are presented in this paper to reveal and document the following distinctive features in the temporal structure of the SCS summer monsoon:(1) pronounced monsoon singularities in the lower tropospheric monsoon flows which include the pre-onset and withdrawal easterly surges and the southwesterly monsoon bursts at Julian pentad 34-35 (June 15-24) and pentad 46-47 (August 14-23);(2) four prominent subseasonal cycles (alternative occurrences of climatological active and break monsoons);(3) considerably larger year-to-year variations in convective activity on intraseasonal time scale compared to those over the Bay of Bengal and the Philippine Sea;(4) the redness of the climatological mean spectrum of precipitation / deep convection on synoptic to intraseasona] time scales in the central SCS;(5) a remarkable asymmetry in the seasonal transitions between summer and winter monsoons and an extremely abrupt mid-May transition (the outburst of monsoon rain and the sudden switch in tie lower troposphere winds from an easterly to a westerly regime);(6) the bi-modal interannual variation of summer monsoon onset (normal and delayed modes).In addition, the monsoon rainfall displays enormous east-west gradient over the central SCS. Possible causes for these features are discussed. A number of specific science questions concerning some of the peculiar features are raised for the forthcoming SCS monsoon experiment to address     

南海夏季风爆发的数值预报模拟实验

1998年5月21日00时（UTC）,对流层上部200hPa的南亚反气旋中心位于（16oN,94oE）附近,850hPa南海的中南部仍为副热带反气旋控制;到21日12时,200hPa的南亚反气旋中心迅速移到（21oN,94oE）附近,同时850hPa的南海副热带反气旋减弱东撤,南海的中南部由东南风转变为西南风,南海夏季风爆发。本文利用美国国家大气研究中心和宾西法尼亚州大学联合研制的中尺度模式（MM5V2）模拟预报这一过程,同时通过敏感性实验研究了区域边界条件和水平分辨率对季风预报模拟实验的影响。     

孟加拉湾季风爆发对南海季风爆发的影响Ⅰ:个例分析

利用南海季风试验分析场和NCAR向外长波辐射通量(OLR)资料研究了1998年孟加拉湾季风和南海季风爆发期间副热带环流的大尺度和天气尺度特征,探讨了孟加拉湾季风爆发与南海季风爆发之间的物理联系及孟加拉湾季风气旋的对流凝结潜热释放对副热带高压“撤出”南海的影响。结果表明,1998年5月爆发的东亚季风展现出典型的从孟加拉湾地区东传发展到南海地区的过程。随着孟加拉湾季风爆发和对流活动增强、北移,南海北部出现了低层西风和对流活动,领先于副热带高压在南海地区减弱和撤退。结果还显示南海北部地区的对流凝结加热有助于该地区经向温度梯度的反转,在热成风关系的制约下南海上空副热带高压脊面的垂直倾斜由冬季型转向夏季型,季风爆发。     

2002年南海季风建立及其雨带变化的天气学研究

利用南海海 气通量观测试验资料结合NCEP ,GPCP以及GMS - 5云图资料 ,综合分析了 2 0 0 2年 5～ 6月南海西南季风建立过程及其雨带变化 ,确定 5月 14日西沙及北部海区西南季风爆发 ,5月 15日整个南海季风爆发 ,季风爆发时间属于正常年 ;季风爆发时风向、风速、云量、降水、湿度、辐射及海面温度等要素都发生突变。这种突变是由大气环流的突变造成的。季风爆发前后大气环流变化过程是 :80～ 90°E越赤道气流加强 ,同时印缅低压加深 ,孟加拉湾南北向气压梯度增大 ,而后东亚大陆上气旋发展东移 ,副热带高压东撤 ,孟加拉湾低压槽前的赤道西风突然加强越过中南半岛 ,南海北部首先出现强西南风 ,继而南海季风迅速地全面爆发。孟加拉湾西南风加强到南海季风爆发是一个连续的过程 ,大陆冷空气南下起了重要的作用。南海季风爆发时呈现单雨带型 ,而后由单雨带型转变为双雨带型 ,雨带受副热带高压和季风系统共同影响 ,并且随着副热带高压移动位置变化。     

PRELIMINARY ANALYSES OF THE ACTIVITIES OF SOUTH CHINA SEA SUMMER MONSOON IN 1998

The NCEP reanalyzed data, OLR and SST observations are used to study the onset time and the multi-time scales features of the South China Sea (SCS) summer monsoon in 1998 and its interaction with the sea surface temperature and the effect on the precipitation in Guangdong province. It is found that the 1998 SCS summer monsoon set in on May 17 (in the fourth pentad of the month). The year witnesses a weak monsoon with the OLR oscillating at cycles of about 1 month and the Southwest Monsoon of about 1/2 month. The mon-soon over the Bay of Bengal and the cross-equatorial current near 105°are two driving forces for low-frequency variations of the SCS monsoon. The weak activity in the year was resulted from positive anomalies of SST in the equatorial eastern Pacific in early spring and subsequent formation of positive anomalies of SST in the SCS through the Arabian Sea.     

A Study on the Mesoscale Convective Systems during the Summer Monsoon Onset over the South China Sea in 1998Part I: Analysis of Large-Scale Fields for Occurrence and Development of the Mesoscale Convective Systems

1. Introduction China is located in the East Asian monsoon re- gion. Every year's weather and climate in this region is deeply affected by the monsoon activities. Es- pecially, during flooding season (May to September), the summer monsoon controls large-scale precipitation patterns, the movement of seasonal rain belt and oc- currence of drought/flood disasters. The Asian mon- soon can be divided into two systems (Tao and Chen, 1987). As a major component and its unique location, the South …     

高分辨率卫星实测资料揭示的近年亚洲热带夏季风爆发进程

利用高分辨率卫星观测资料,从气候态角度分析了亚洲热带夏季风爆发特征。研究表明,亚洲热带夏季风最先在中南半岛西部爆发,随后在整个中南半岛和孟加拉湾东部,然后扩大至孟加拉湾西部和南海。夏季风爆发后,与孟加拉湾和南海相比,中南半岛雨量增强形势不明显。第26—28候（即5月第2候—5月第4候）是亚洲热带夏季风的爆发阶段。整个爆发过程,低层风场的时空演变与对流降水相对应,海表温度场增温较海表风场提早约1候左右;华南地区以锋面降水为主,即副热带季风降水。采用对流降水和海表上空10 m风场分别代表夏季风降水和盛行风向的时空演变特征较常规资料更为准确、精细。     

南海夏季风爆发前后SST异常特征及其与近地面西南气流的关系

利用1982~1999年周平均海表温度资料和逐日近地面风场资料,采用合成分析与相关分析技术,研究了南海和孟加拉湾地区夏季风爆发前后短时间尺度SST变率的异常及其与近地面西南气流的关系。结果表明:季风爆发前2周,南海和孟加拉湾海温的上升除与海洋现象有关外,还与大气的影响因子有一定的关系;季风爆发后1~2周,南海和孟加拉湾海温变率出现较大差异,二者西南部海温降低,而其东海岸及西北部海温却升高;海温变率这种异常分布与西南气流的变化具有较好的相关性,即西南气流的增强导致南海西南部和孟加拉湾西南部海温降低及二者东海岸与西北部海温升高,这是由于离岸的上翻作用及海洋蒸发作用共同所致。     

越赤道气流的季节变化及其对南海夏季风爆发的影响

基于NCEP/NCAR资料分析了对流层越赤道气流的季节变化,指出越赤道气流中心在低层位于925hPa,在高层位于150 hPa。东半球的越赤道气流是一种典型的季风型气流,而西半球越赤道气流具有信风特征。研究结果还表明,低层的索马里和南海越赤道气流对南海夏季风的爆发有至关重要的作用,在季风爆发前2候,索马里急流有一次迅速的增强,这一增强有利于加速孟加拉湾地区西风的向东扩展,并使控制在南海上空的西太平洋副高东撤;同时,南海越赤道气流的迅速增强也推动副高北上,共同促使南海夏季风全面爆发。不仅如此,二者对季风爆发的早晚也有重要影响,当前期这两支越赤道气流建立偏早、强度偏强时,南海夏季风爆发易偏早。反之,当其建立偏晚、强度偏弱时,季风爆发易偏晚。     

A Study on the Mesoscale Convective Systems during the Summer Monsoon Onset over the South China Sea in 1998 Part Ⅰ: Analysis of Large-Scale Fields for Occurrence and Development of the Mesoscale Convective Systems

The summer monsoon onset over the northern South China Sea (SCS) in May 16-20, 1998 was characterized by the abrupt onset of mesoscale convective activities and rapid increase of precipitation. The possible mechanism for formation of the mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) and related rain belts were revealed through discussing their forming physical conditions under the large-scale background: (1) The high pseudo-equivalent potential temperature and the convective instability in the lower troposphere, the low-level southwesterly confluence and the high-level divergence over South China and the northern SCS provided the favorable large-scale thermodynamic and dynamic conditions for development of MCSs. The southwesterly flow from the Bay of Bengal (BOB) interacted with that to the western flank of the subtropical high, which constituted the major moisture channels, thus bringing about deep wet layers and strong moisture convergence;(2) triggered by several cold troughs from high and mid latitudes, the convectively unstable energy was released and the convective activities over the northern SCS broke out abruptly;(3)analysis of retrieved precipitation based on the dual-Doppler radar during South China Sea Monsoon Experiment (SCSMEX) indicated that active convection influenced by the monsoon trough and corresponding wind shear line organized and formed continually some mesoscale convective rainbelts. During May 15-19,about 12 precipitation processes with 6-12-hour life span or more were observed;and (4) under the favorable synoptic conditions, establishment of the monsoon trough and shear line in the low levels, as well as production and development of mesoscale low vortex were all necessary conditions for the formation and maintenance of MCSs.     

The Earliest Onset Areas and Mechanism of the Tropical Asian Summer Monsoon

The multi-yearly averaged pentad meteorological fields at 850 hPa of the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis dada and the TBB fields of the Japan Meteorological Agency during 1980-1994 are analyzed. It is found that if the pentad is taken as the time unit of the monsoon onset, then the tropical Asian summer monsoon (TASM) onsets earliest, simultaneously and abruptly over the whole area in the Bay of Bengal (BOB), the Indo-China Peninsula (ICP), and the South China Sea (SCS), east of 90°E, in the 27th to 28th pentads of a year (Pentads 3 to 4 in May), while it onsets later in the India Peninsula (IP) and the Arabian Sea (AS), west of 90°E. The TASM bursts first at the south end of the IP in the 30th to 31st pentads near 10°N, and advances gradually northward to the whole area, by the end of June. Analysis of the possible mechanism depicts that the rapid changes of the surface sensible heat flux, air temperature, and pressure in spring and early summer in the middle to high latitudes of the East Asian continent between 100°E and 120癊are crucially responsible for the earliest onset of the TASM in the BOB to the SCS areas. It is their rapid changes that induce a continental depression to form and break through the high system of pressure originally located in the above continental areas. The low depression in turn introduces the southwesterly to come into the BOB to the SCS areas, east of 90°E, and thus makes the SCS summer monsoon (SCSSM) burst out earliest in Asia. In the IP to the AS areas, west of 90°E, the surface sensible heat flux almost does not experience obvious change during April and May, which makes the tropical Indian summer monsoon (TISM) onset later than the SCSSM by about a month. Therefore, it is concluded that the meridian of 90°E is the demarcation line between the South Asian summer monsoon (SASM, i.e., the TISM) and the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM, including the SCSSM). Besides, the temporal relations between the TASM onset and the seasonal variation of the South Asian high (SAH) are discussed, too, and it is found that there are good relations between the monsoon onset time and the SAH center positions. When the SAH center advances to north of 20°N, the SCSSM onsets, and to north of 25°N, the TISM onsets at its south end. Comparison between the onset time such determined and that with other methodologies shows fair consistency in the SCS area and some differences in the IP area.