Possible Impacts of the Arctic Oscillation on the Interdecadal Variation of Summer Monsoon Rainfall in East Asia

The influences of the wintertime AO (Arctic Oscillation) on the interdecadal variation of summer monsoon rainfall in East Asia were examined. An interdecadal abrupt change was found by the end of the 1970s in the variation of the AO index and the leading principal component time series of the summer rainfall in East Asia, The rainfall anomaly changed from below normal to above normal in central China, the southern part of northeastern China and the Korean peninsula around 1978. However,the opposite interdecadal variation was found in the rainfall anomaly in North China and South China.The interdecadal variation of summer rainfall is associated with the weakening of the East Asia summer monsoon circulation. It is indicated that the interdecadal variation of the AO exerts an influence on the weakening of the monsoon circulation. The recent trend in the AO toward its high-index polarity during the past two decades plays important roles in the land-sea contrast anomalies and wintertime precipitation anomaly. The mid- and high-latitude regions of the Asian continent are warming, while the low-latitude regions are cooling in winter and spring along with the AO entering its high-index polarity after the late 1970s. In the meantime, the precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau and South China is excessive, implying an increase of soil moisture. The cooling tendency of the land in the southern part of Asia will persist until summer because of the memory of soil moisture. So the warming of the Asian continent is relatively slow in summer. Moreover, the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean which are located southward and eastward of the Asian land, are warming from winter to summer. This suggests that the contrast between the land and sea is decreased in summer. The interdecadal decrease of the land-sea heat contrast finally leads to the weakening of the East Asia summer monsoon circulation.     

THE TIMING OF SOUTH-ASIAN HIGH ESTABLISHMENT AND ITS RELATION TO TROPICAL ASIAN SUMMER MONSOON AND PRECIPITATION OVER EAST-CENTRAL CHINA IN SUMMER

The timing of the South Asian High (SAH) establishment over the Indochina Peninsula (IP) from April to May and its relations to the setup of the subsequent tropical Asian summer monsoon and precipitation over eastern-central China in summer are investigated by using NCEP/NCAR daily reanalysis data, outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) data and the daily precipitation data from 753 weather stations in China. It is found that the transitions of the zonal wind vertical shear and convection establishment over tropical Asia are earlier (later) in the years of early (late) establishment of SAH. In the lower troposphere, anti-cyclonic (cyclonic) anomaly circulation dominates the equatorial Indian Ocean. Correspondingly, the tropical Asian summer monsoon establishes earlier (later). Furthermore, the atmospheric circulation and the water vapor transport in the years of advanced SAH establishment are significantly different from the delayed years in Asia in summer. Out-of-phase distribution of precipitation in eastern-central China will appear with a weak (strong) SAH and western Pacific subtropical high, strong (weak) ascending motion in the area south of Yangtze River but weak (strong) ascending motion in the area north of it, and cyclonic (anti-cyclonic) water vapor flux anomaly circulation from the eastern-central China to western Pacific. Accordingly, the timing of the SAH establishment at the upper levels of IP is indicative of the subsequent onset of the tropical Asian summer monsoon and the flood-drought pattern over eastern-central China in summer.     

EFFECTS OF PACIFIC SSTA ON SUMMER PRECIPITATION OVER EASTERN CHINA, PART II: NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS

Based on an observational analysis, seven numerical experiments are designed to study the impacts of Pacific SSTA on summer precipitation over eastern China and relevant physical mechanism by NCAR CCM3. The numerical simulation results show that preceding winter SSTA in the Kuroshio region leads to summer precipitation anomaly over the Yangtze River valleys by modifying atmospheric general circulation over eastern Asia and middle-high latitude. West Pacific subtropical high is notably affected by preceding spring SSTA over the middle and east of Equator Pacific; SSTA of the central region of middle latitude in the corresponding period causes the summer rainfall anomaly over eastern China so as to trigger the atmospheric Eurasia-Pacific teleconnection pattern.     

Branches of the Summer Asian Lower-Level Jet Stream and Its Influence on the Rain Belt in China

Based on the analysis of the Asian lower-level jet stream, this paper indicates that having shifted to the Bay of Bengal, this large-scale lower-level jet(LLJ) develops into two branches: the northern branch (NB) which is a strong southwest flow moving into the inland of China along the southeast side of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and then moving eastward to Japan along the north side of the subtropical high, and the southern branch (SB) which continues to be a west flow and travels into the West Pacific across the Indo-China Peninsula along the south side of the monsoon trough. Above the two branches are two synoptic-scale transient tubular monsoon circulation systems, the northern branch being a subtropical monsoon stream tube (SMST) and the southern branch a tropical monsoon stream tube (TMST). Their ascending branches, corresponding to a subtropical monsoon rain belt and a tropical monsoon rain belt respectively, bear considerable influence on the weather over China.     

Characteristics of Tropical Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies and Their Influences on the Onset of South China Sea Summer Monsoon

The characteristics of sea surface temperature anomalies(SSTAs)in the tropical oceans and their influences on the onset of South China Sea summer monsoon(SCSSM)have been studied.The anomaly of SST in tropical Pacific Ocean exerts persistence impact for one to three months on atmospheric circulations.If the warm pool becomes anomalously warmer during an earlier period from February to April,the SCSSM breaks out earlier,and vice versa.Singular value decomposition(SVD)and composite analysis have shown that,in La Ni a pattern,the convection over Western Pacific will occur earlier and be stronger than normal,which favors the convergence at a lower layer over Western Pacific,as well as the strengthening of upwelling branch of Walker circulation,leading to an earlier burst of westerly in the southern South China Sea.Moreover,the convection in Sumatra appears earlier than normal and favors the westerly evolution in eastern Indian Ocean,resulting in the splitting of the subtropical high belt and an early onset of SCSSM.However,the atmospheric circulation anomaly is reversed in El Nio pattern.     

NUMERICAL STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF PERSISTENT WARMER SEASURFACE TEMPERATURE IN TROPICAL INDIAN OCEAN ONATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION IN THE EARLY SUMMERIN EAST ASIA IN 1991

By employing the CCM1（R15L12）long-range spectral model, study is undertaken of the effects of sea surface temperature anomaly(SSTA) for tropical Indian ocean on circulation transformation in the early summer in East Asia in 1991. The results indicate that warmer SSTA contributes to the increasing of the temperature over the Plateau in early summer, resulting in the intensification of tropical easterly jet on 100 hPa and northward shift of Northern Hemisphere subtropical westerly jet in May. It is obviously favorable for the subtropical high enhancement over western Pacific Ocean in May and subtropical westerly jet maintaining at 35～40 °N in June, making the Mei-Yu come earlier and stay over the Changjiang basin in 1991. Furthermore, warmer SSTA is also advantageous to averaged temperature rise in East Asia land region and Nanhai monsoon development. These roles are helpful in accelerating the seasonal transition for East Asia in early summer.     

Weakening of Indian summer monsoon in recent decades

The analysis of 43 years of NCEP-NCAR reanalysis data and station observations reveals the connections between tropospheric temperature variations and the weakening of the Indian summer monsoon circulation. The Indian summer monsoon variation is strongly linked to tropospheric temperature over East Asia, showing significant positive correlations of mean tropospheric temperature with all-Indian summer rainfall and the monsoon circulation intensity. The result shows that Indian summer monsoon circulation underwent two weakening processes in recent decades. The first occurred in circa the mid-1960s, and the other occurred in circa the late 1970s. The finding indicates that the mean tropospheric temperature may play a crucial role in the weakening of the Indian summer monsoon intensity via changing land-sea thermal contrast. The role of the tropospheric temperature contrast between East Asia and the tropical area from the eastern Indian Ocean to the tropical western Pacific is to weaken the Indian summer monsoon circulation.     

Different Summer Rainfall Anomaly Patterns in Northeast China Associated with Two Kinds of El Niño Events

The relationship between summer rainfall anomalies in northeast China and two types of El Ni?o events is investigated by using observation data and an AGCM. It is shown that, for different types of El Ni?o events, there is different rainfall anomaly pattern in the following summer. In the following year of a typical El Ni?o event, there are remarkable positive rainfall anomalies in the central-western region of northeast China, whereas the pattern of more rainfall in the south end and less rainfall in the north end of northeast China easily appears in an El Ni?o Modoki event. The reason for the distinct differences is that, associated with the different sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) along the equatorial Pacific, the large-scale circulation anomalies along east coast of East Asia shift northward in the following summer of El Ni?o Modoki events. Influenced by the anomalous anticyclone in Philippine Sea, southwesterly anomalies over eastern China strengthens summer monsoon and bring more water vapor to Northeast China. Meanwhile, convergence and updraft is strengthened by the anomalous cyclone right in Northeast China in typical El Ni?o events. These moisture and atmospheric circulation conditions are favorable for enhanced precipitation. However, because of the northward shift, the anomalous anticyclone which is in Philippine Sea in typical El Ni?o cases shifts to the south of Japan in Modoki years, and the anomalous cyclone which is in the Northeast China in typical El Ni?o cases shifts to the north of Northeast China, leading to the “dipole pattern” of rainfall anomalies. According to the results of numerical experiments, we further conform that the tropical SSTA in different types of El Ni?o event can give rise to observed rainfall anomaly patterns in Northeast China.     

Variations of the summer Somali and Australia cross-equatorial flows and the implications for the Asian summer monsoon

The temporal variations during 1948-2010 and vertical structures of the summer Somali and Australia cross-equatorial flows(CEFs) and the implications for the Asian summer monsoon were explored in this study.The strongest southerly and northerly CEFs exist at 925 hPa and 150 hPa level,respectively.The low-level Somali(LLS) CEFs were significantly connected with the rainfall in most regions of India(especially the monsoon regions),except in a small area in southwest India.In comparison to the climatology,the lowlevel Australia(LLA) CEFs exhibited stronger variations at interannual time scale and are more closely connected to the East Asian summer monsoon circulation than to the LLS CEFs.The East Asian summer monsoon circulation anomalies related to stronger LLA CEFs were associated with less water vapor content and less rainfall in the region between the middle Yellow River and Yangtze River and with more water vapor and more rainfall in southern China.The sea-surface temperature anomalies east of Australia related to summer LLA CEFs emerge in spring and persist into summer,with implications for the seasonal prediction of summer rainfall in East Asia.The connection between the LLA CEFs and East Asian summer monsoon rainfall may be partly due to its linkage with El Nino-Southern Oscillation.In addition,both the LLA and LLS CEFs exhibited interdecadal shifts in the late 1970s and the late 1990s,consistent with the phase shifts of Pacific Decadal Oscillation(PDO).     

Contribution of south China Sea tropical cyclones to an increase in southern China summer rainfall around 1993

The increase in southern China summer rainfall around 1993 was accompanied by an increase in tropical cyclones that formed in the South China Sea. This study documents the connection of these two features. Our analysis shows that the contribution of tropical cyclones that formed in the South China Sea to southern China summer rainfall experienced a significant increase around 1993, in particular, along the coast and in the heavy rain category. The number of tropical cyclones that formed in the western North Pacific and entered the South China Sea decreased, and their contribution to summer rainfall was reduced in eastern part of southern China (but statistically insignificant). The increase in tropical cyclone-induced rainfall contributed up to ～30% of the total rainfall increase along the coastal regions. The increase of tropical cyclones in the South China Sea appears to be related to an increase in local sea surface temperature.     

有关南半球大气环流与东亚气候的关系研究的若干新进展

南半球大气环流是全球大气环流的重要组成部分,也是影响气候变化和亚洲季风系统的一个重要因素.中国气象学家很早就注意到南半球大气环流对东亚夏季风降水的影响.近年来,有关南半球气候变率的研究目前正受到世界气象学家越来越多的关注.南半球中高纬大气资料的丰富及南极涛动的确定,使得认识南半球高中纬环流的年际变动规律及其与东亚气候关系成为可能.本文主要介绍近年来有关南极涛动的年际变化与沙尘天气发生频次及东亚冬春季气候的关系,古气候资料揭示的南极涛动与华北降水的关系,以及南半球大气环流与长江中下游夏季降水的关系和南极涛动变率的可预测性等方面的研究进展.并对未来研究方向作了初步的展望.     

冬夏季环流隔季相关的数值试验

利用海气耦合和大气气候模式研究东亚冬季风异常对夏季环流的影响, 结果表明, 东亚冬季风异常对于后期环流及海洋状态异常都起了很大的作用.一般情况下, 强的冬季风与后期弱的东亚夏季风和较强的南海季风相对应.与强(弱)冬季风异常相关的风应力的改变可以使热带太平洋海温从冬季至夏季呈现La Nina (El Nio)型异常分布.试验得到的由冬季风异常所产生的海洋及夏季环流的变化与实况是相当接近的.在异常的冬季风偏北风分量强迫下, 西太平洋上形成的偏差气旋环流在夏季已不存在, 这时东亚夏季风反而增强.而冬季赤道西风分量所产生的影响, 则在西太平洋上形成显著的偏差气旋环流, 使东亚副热带夏季风减弱, 南海夏季风加强.对于东亚大气环流而言, 与强弱冬季风对应的热带海洋海温异常强迫下, 不仅是冬季, 后期春季和夏季环流的特征都能得到很好的模拟.但是从分区看, 西太平洋暖池区的海温异常比东太平洋更为重要.单纯的热带中东太平洋的海温异常对东亚大气环流的影响主要表现在冬季, 对后期的影响并不十分清楚.整个热带海洋的异常型分布(不论是El Nio还是La Nia)型, 对冬夏季风的影响是重要的, 而单纯的某个地区的海温异常都比它的整体影响要小.从试验结果看, 海温在大尺度冬夏季环流的隔季相关中起了十分重要的作用.     

南半球环流变化对东亚夏季风的影响

南半球环流是影响东亚夏季风季节内、季节到年际变化的重要因子之一.作者系统综述了南半球环流各系统包括连接两半球的越赤道气流、马斯克林高压和澳大利亚高压、南极涛动和南极海冰等对东亚夏季风环流和中国夏季降水的影响.特别是,近年来的研究揭示了南极涛动是影响东亚夏季风年际变化的强信号.当南极涛动偏强时,马斯克林高压和澳大利亚高压和相关的越赤道气流也趋于偏强.同时,西太平洋副热带高压偏西偏南,强度增强,长江流域降水偏多,其两侧降水偏少.这对中国夏季降水的预测有重要的应用价值.最后提出了一些相关的科学问题以供进一步研究.       

The interannual variability of East Asian Winter Monsoon and its relation to the summer monsoon

1.IntroductionOvertheEastAsiaregion,themostprominentsurfacefeatureofthewintermonsoonisstrongnortheasterliesalongtheeastflankoftheSiberianhighandthecoastofEastAsia.At500hPathereisabroadtroughcenteredaboutatthelongitudesofJapan.Thedominantfea-tureat2O0hPaistheEastAsianjetwithitsmaximumlocatedatjustsoutheastofJapan.Thisktisassociatedwithintensebaroclinicity,largeverticalwindshearandstrongadvectionofcoldair(StaffmembersofAcademiaSinica,l957,LauandChang,1987;BoyleandChen,1987;Chenetal.,1991…     

西北太平洋夏季风对中国长江流域夏季降水的影响

利用1979～2005年NCEP/NCAR的环流场再分析资料和降水资料, 通过对季风期降水、 大气环流、 水汽输送及低频振荡等方面的分析, 分别从时间和空间上分析了西北太平洋夏季风与中国长江流域夏季降水的联系。结果表明:(1) 西北太平洋夏季风与中国长江流域夏季降水存在显著的负相关关系, 在西北太平洋夏季风强盛时, 副热带高压异常偏北, 其西侧的偏南气流异常偏弱, 使得我国长江流域形成低层异常环流及水汽输送的辐散区, 从而造成长江流域夏季降水偏少; 而在西北太平洋夏季风减弱的年份, 西太平洋副高异常偏南偏西, 在长江流域以南地区形成异常偏强的偏南风水汽输送, 使得长江流域成为南、 北距平风的汇合区, 其上空对流活动异常活跃, 非常有利于长江流域的降水。 (2) 东亚局地Hadley垂直环流在强、 弱季风年也显著不同, 在强季风年里, Hadley局地环流异常偏弱, 长江流域上空出现的下沉运动距平, 使得该地区降水减弱, 而弱季风年则正好相反。 (3) 西北太平洋夏季风存在显著的气候平均的大气季节内振荡 (CISO), 在西北太平洋夏季风减弱时期, 长江流域降水同时受到源自热带西北太平洋西传CISO和源自热带印度洋东传CISO的共同影响, 可能造成了某种锁相关系, 从而造成降水偏多; 而在强季风年里长江流域只受由西太平洋西传的CISO的影响, 不容易激发降水。     

热带环流异常对1998年长江流域特大洪涝的影响

分析了造成1998年长江流域特大洪涝灾害的大尺度热带环流成因。指出1998年处在热带环流强度偏弱的气候阶段，西太平洋暖池地区对流活动偏弱，南海热带季风持续异常偏弱，副热带夏季风偏强度是造成长江持续强降水的主要原因；西太平洋热带对流层高低层环流系统的异常分布，为1998年长江特大洪涝提供了有利的环流背景，还探讨了热带环流异常影响换国夏季降水的可能途径，它们的关系在1998年夏季降水预测中得到应用。     

无显著海温异常强迫下西太平洋副热带高压的异常变动:1980年和1981年的对比分析

1980年和1981年夏季及其前期冬春季太平洋和印度洋海温均未出现显著异常。然而,这两年东亚夏季风环流的季节内变化却呈现显著异常,且截然不同,具体表征为:1980年西太平洋副热带高压（副高）第一次北跳异常偏早,第二次北跳异常偏晚,而1981年则相反,第一次北跳接近气候态,第二次北跳却异常偏早。就副高两次北跳过程而言,其直接原因也有显著差异:1980年副高两次北跳主要受热带西太平洋对流增强的影响,而1981年两次北跳则是由于热带西太平洋对流增强后所激发的极向传播的Rossby波列与中高纬度东传的Rossby波的锁相作用造成的。与北跳过程相比,副高北跳前后环流稳定维持的时间长短显得更为重要。研究表明,1980年夏季副高异常程度之所以堪比1983年和1998年强El Ni?o衰减年,主要是由于不同阶段南半球环流和北半球中高纬度环流的相互配合与接力,其中,6月和8月副高异常偏强对夏季平均副高异常偏强起到主要贡献,但二者的影响因子不同:6月主要受马斯克林高压（马高）偏强的影响,而8月则与澳大利亚高压（澳高）异常偏强有关。此外,7月和8月副高异常偏南是因为鄂霍茨克海阻塞高压长期维持。与1980年相比,1981年夏季马高和澳高均异常偏弱,因而南半球环流对副高异常的影响有限。北半球中高纬度环流的季节内变化对该年夏季副高的快速北进和南退起主导作用,特别是8月中高纬度盛行强烈的经向环流,使得副高异常偏东偏弱,从而导致夏季平均副高异常偏东偏弱。本文的个例分析表明,在无显著海温异常强迫的年份需要特别关注南半球环流和北半球中高纬度环流对副高及与之相关的东亚夏季风环流的季节内演变的影响,但是这些环流因子持续性较差,难以用于跨季度预测。     

Impacts of the leading modes of tropical Indian Ocean sea surface temperature anomaly on sub-seasonal evolution of the circulation and rainfall over East Asia during boreal spring and summer

The two leading modes of the interannual variability of the tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly are the Indian Ocean basin mode (IOBM) and the Indian Ocean dipole mode (IODM) from March to August. In this paper, the relationship between the TIO SST anomaly and the sub-seasonal evolution of the circulation and rainfall over East Asia during boreal spring and summer is investigated by using correlation analysis and composite analysis based on multi-source observation data from 1979 to 2013, together with numerical simulations from an atmospheric general circulation model. The results indicate that the impacts of the IOBM on the circulation and rainfall over East Asia vary remarkably from spring to summer. The anomalous anticyclone over the tropical Northwest Pacific induced by the warm IOBM is closely linked with the Pacific–Japan or East Asia–Pacific teleconnection pattern, which persists from March to August. In the upper troposphere over East Asia, the warm phase of the IOBM generates a significant anticyclonic response from March to May. In June and July, however, the circulation response is characterized by enhanced subtropical westerly flow. A distinct anomalous cyclone is found in August. Overall, the IOBM can exert significant influence on the western North Pacific subtropical high, the South Asian high, and the East Asian jet, which collectively modulate the precipitation anomaly over East Asia. In contrast, the effects of the IODM on the climate anomaly over East Asia are relatively weak in boreal spring and summer. Therefore, studying the impacts of the TIO SST anomaly on the climate anomaly in East Asia should take full account of the different sub-seasonal response during boreal spring and summer.     

华南6月降水异常及其与东亚—太平洋遥相关的关系

利用1959～2010年共52年的大气环流和降水资料,我们分析了华南前汛期季风降水 (6月降水) 的变化特征,发现6月华南降水与同期EAP (East Asia-Pacific,东亚—太平洋) 遥相关型有显著的相关关系,两者之间的相关系数为0.35.EAP指数为正时,长江中下游以南的地区降水偏多,而长江以北和黄河之间的地区降水偏少.将华南6月降水分为与EAP相关的降水序列和与EAP独立的降水序列,比较了二者所对应环流异常的异同点.结果表明,与EAP相关的降水异常对应着EAP相关型的环流异常分布特征,降水为正异常时,850hPa风场从低纬度到高纬度呈现“反气旋、气旋、反气旋”的异常分布,湿的偏南风和干的偏北风在华南上空交汇,降水增多;而整个淮河流域上空为偏北风异常,导致南风带来的水汽输送减少,降水偏少,因此降水异常呈现偶极子分布.相比之下,与EAP独立的降水正异常对应的环流异常表现为热带西北太平洋上空的反气旋性环流异常,华南地区上空为显著的西南风异常,输送到华南地区的水汽增多,导致降水偏多.