Effects of horizontal mixing on the upper ocean temperature in the equatorial Pacific Ocean

The influence of horizontal mixing on the thermal structure of the equatorial Pacific Ocean is examined based on a sigma coordinate model.In general,the distributions of the temperature and currents si...     

2009/2010年El Ni(n)o事件变化特征及其机理

应用TAO (Tropical Atmosphere Ocean project)热带太平洋实测海温和风场资料,分析研究了发生在2009/2010年的El Ni(n)o事件的变化特征,讨论了此次El Ni(n)o事件发生过程中,赤道东、西太平洋次表层异常海温的变化特征及其传播过程,特别是对赤道太平洋次表层异常海温变化的...     

2010/2011年中部型La Nia事件形成机理及其垂直环流异常

应用TAO(Tropical Atmosphere Ocean project)热带太平洋实测海温和风场资料,分析研究了2010/2011年La Nia事件的变化特征,讨论了此次过程中赤道太平洋次表层异常海温的变化特征及其传播过程,以及上层海温场的异常变化机理。结果表明,2010/2011年的La Nia事件与传统事件不同,是一次明显的中部型La Nia事件(简称CPP La Nia),其爆发过程主要存在两个不同机制的响应过程:一是西太平洋暖池(WPWP)区域次表层异常冷海温通过赤道潜流的作用沿温跃层东传,导致赤道东太平洋上层海洋温度场出现异常降温:二是赤道中东太平洋出现强的距平东风,通过上升流作用,导致冷海温上传影响中太平洋上层异常海温场。前者是导致La Nia事件的必要条件,后者则是形成此次中部型La Nia事件的关键过程。由分析结果还表明,日界线以东赤道太平洋纬向风变化对中西太平洋上层海温场变化有重要影响,是导致此次中部型事件爆发的重要机制。文章进一步分析了此次中部型La Nia事件过程中热带垂直环流的变化,结果表明经向和纬向大气环流都表现出明显的异常。     

Thermohaline intrusions in the thermocline of the western tropical Pacific Ocean

The existing high-resolution hydrographic data in the western tropical Pacilit; Ocean are used to explore the spatial distribution and primary characteristics of thermohaline intrusions in the thermocline. Statistics show that the vertical scales of intrusions are 20-40 m in the upper thermocline （22.0-26.0δ0） and 40-80 m in the lower thermocline （26.0-27.2δ0）. In the upper thermocline, the most intensive intrusions exist at the equatorial front （EF） where north/sonth Pacilic water masses converge, anti Ihe westward spreading of the north Pacilic tropical waler （NPTW） in the Philippines Sea also produces patches of intrusions surrounding its high-salinity tongue. In the lower thermocline, intrusions are also strong at the tropical front （TF） which is the boundary between the north Pacilic subtropical/tropical waters. At the bottom of the thermocline （at about 27.0δ0）, intrusions mainly exist near the western boundary, which are produced by intermediate water convergence through the advection of subthermocline western boundary Ilows. Most strikingly a ＂C＂-shape distribution of intrusions at around 26.4δ0 is revealed, covering the vicinity of the EF the TE and the Mindanao Current （MC）, i.e., tile western boundary pathway ol the norlh Pacilic subtrnpical cell （STC）. Synoptic section analysis reveals that intrusions are more prominent on the warm/sally flank ot the fronts, implying more cross-front tongues of cold/fresh water. Among the intrusions, those at the EF are of best lateral coherence which implies a unique driving mechanism involving near-inertial velocity perturbations near the equator.     

Pacific subtropical cell variability in coupled climate model simulations of the late 19th–20th century

Observational studies of the Pacific basin since the 1950s have demonstrated that a decrease (increase) in tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures (SSTs) is significantly correlated with a spin-up (slow-down) of the Pacific Subtropical Cells (STCs). STCs are shallow wind-driven overturning circulations that provide a pathway by which extratropical atmospheric variability can impact the equatorial Pacific thermocline and, through upwelling in the eastern equatorial Pacific, tropical Pacific SSTs. Recent studies have shown that this observed relationship between SSTs and STCs is absent in coupled climate model simulations of the late 19th–20th centuries. In this paper we investigate what causes this relationship to breakdown and to what extent this limits the models’ ability to simulate observed climate change in the equatorial Pacific since the late 19th century. To provide insight into these questions we first show that the NCAR Community Climate System Model’s simulation of observed climate change since the 1970s has a robust signal in the equatorial Pacific that bears a close resemblance to observations. Strikingly, absent is a robust signal in the equatorial thermocline. Our results suggest that the coupled model may be reproducing the observed local ocean response to changes in forcing but inadequately reproducing the remote STC-forcing of the tropical Pacific due to the underestimate of extratropical winds that force these ocean circulations. These conclusions are found to be valid in five different coupled climate model simulations of the late 19th–20th centuries (CCSM3, GISS EH, GFDL CM2.1, CSIRO-Mk3, and HadCM3).     

ENSO循环相关的海洋异常信号传播特征及其机制

通过分析最新的海洋模式同化资料(EstimatingtheCirculationandClimateoftheOcean,EC CO),研究了ENSO循环相关的海洋异常信号在太平洋中的传播过程。研究发现,导致ENSO位相变化的温跃层异常信号主要从北太平洋西传而来,该区与赤道东太平洋相反的温跃层异常信号到达西太暖池区,再从西太暖池沿赤道传到东太平洋,可使ENSO向反位相发展。该异常信号沿赤道东传过程中热带西南太平洋也会出现类似的温跃层异常变化,但是随着异常信号东移和从南太平洋东边界10°S左右传来的反异常信号入侵,热带西南太平洋的异常信号逐渐减弱并消失。稳定性分析表明,北太平洋较大面积区域存在斜压不稳定性或正压不稳定性,有利于ENSO相关的温跃层异常信号以Rossby波形式有效地西传;而在南太平洋,不稳定区的面积较小,且主要局限于海盆东侧,因而传播较弱,这样就造成了ENSO信号在太平洋南、北半球的非对称传播。一般来说,ENSO信号主要在以赤道波导区、东边界、北太平洋纬向区域和西边界组成的回路中循环,在南半球的传播不明显。     

西风爆发、次表层暖水东移与厄尔尼诺现象

利用最近20 a的大气海洋资料,分析了厄尔尼诺事件与赤道太平洋西风异常以及赤道太平洋次表层海温之间的关系.结果表明,赤道西太平洋(5°S～5°N,120°～160°E)和赤道中东太平洋(5°S～5°N,160°E～160°W)西风异常都存在着与厄尔尼诺周期一致的年际变化,但前者还包含有显著的2～3个月季节内振荡.赤道西太平洋次表层冷暖水东移也呈现年和年际时间尺度的振荡周期.在厄尔尼诺发生前,赤道西太平洋次表层海水出现持续性增暖,赤道西太平洋西风异常频率加快,强度增强.随后赤道中太平洋(160°E～160°W)出现持续性(3个月以上)强西风异常(即西风爆发),并进一步向东扩展,同时次表层暖水沿着赤道波导东移到赤道东太平洋混合层,导致赤道东太平洋海表大面积异常增暖,形成一次厄尔尼诺现象.最后,模式模拟了1980～1984年赤道太平洋海温的变化,进一步证实了赤道纬向西风异常对暖水东移起着重要的作用.     

Argo资料的全球上层海温年和半年周期振荡的空间分布特征

利用小波分析方法,对2003-2008年周平均的Argo(地转海洋学实时观测阵)海温资料进行了分析,给出了全球上层海温年周期和半年周期振荡的空间分布特征.结果表明,南北半球中高纬地区以表层海温的年周期变化为主,在低纬度地区,表层海温以半年周期为主,而温跃层附近海温既有年周期也有半年周期(赤道太平洋、东南印度洋和赤道西大西洋以年周期为主;赤道东、西印度洋以半年周期为主).南北半球中高纬的年周期海温和北半球中纬度的半年周期海温在表层范围最大,显著性最高,强度最强,位相最前.随深度的增加,范围减小,显著性降低,强度减弱,位相滞后.信号主要集中在水深50 m以上,影响深度在150m以浅;赤道附近的太平洋和热带东南印度洋的年周期海温以及赤道东、西印度洋的半年周期海温在水深100m范围最大,显著性最高,强度最强,位相最前,信号主要集中在温跃层附近,影响深度均可达500m.     

Anomalous eastward displacement of the tropical western Pacific warm pool and warming of the tropical eastern Pacific

INTRODUCTIONSincetheTOGA-COARElOP(October1992--March1993),usingthelOPdatamanyscientistshaveanalyzedthedifferenttimescaleair-seainteractionduringoccurringanddevelopingperiodof1992/1993EINifio,andespeciallyemphasizedtheintraseasonalvariation(Wuetal.,1993;Liu,1993;WuandSheng,1993).ThishasgottenanewunderstandingoftheEINino*ThisworkissupportedbytheNationalKeyProjectStudiesonShort-rangeClimatePredictionSysteminChinaundercontractNo.96--908-04-02--2.1.FirstinstituteofOceanography,S…     

ENSO非对称性对热带降水的影响研究

利用1966—2015年多种海气资料,分析了热带太平洋海域的ENSO非对称性表现,结果表明:在赤道东太平洋,ENSO暖事件强度大于ENSO冷事件,而在赤道中、西太平洋上与之相反,即在振幅强度和发生位置上存在不对称。研究还发现,在厄尔尼诺年的冬季,热带印度洋-太平洋海域整体上呈现出"正-负-正"的降水异常分布形势,而在拉尼娜年冬季,则呈现出"负-正-负-正"的降水异常分布形势,并且,降水距平的正负异常中心在厄尔尼诺年与拉尼娜年冬季存在纬向不同程度的偏移,表现出ENSO冷暖事件年冬季降水异常的非对称性。通过定量计算降水对热带海域的贡献,得到赤道中太平洋的降水量主要来源于厄尔尼诺年,赤道东太平洋的降水则主要来源于拉尼娜年,而热带印度洋及赤道西太平洋的大部分降水由中性年贡献。此外,对热带印度洋-太平洋划分厄尔尼诺强度与热带降水线性与非线性区域,发现在赤道西太平洋和赤道中太平洋及其偏东区域线性关系较为明显。     

热带西太平洋暖池异常东伸与热带东太平洋增温

本文利用“Climate Diagnostics Bulletin”、“Oceanographic Monthly Summary”、美国夏威夷水位中心提供的资料以及TOGA-COAREIOP资料,分析了1992～1993厄尔尼诺事件中西太平洋暖池、东太平洋SST对异常风场的响应,结果指出:由于西风暴发而引起的西太平洋暖水向东输送,不仅导致西太平详水位降低,而且导致温跃层显着升高,进而引起上层海水热含量显着减少,这种减少在温跃层更为明显.东太平洋与此相反,热含量与温跃层深度出现正距平,正距平中心出现时间比西太平洋的负距平均晚两个月;暖池28℃等温线的异常东伸是海流对低空西风异常直接响应的结果,定量估算表明,纬向流异常所引起的温度平流是暖池28℃等温线异常东伸的主要动力,是热带东太平洋异常增温的主要原因之一.     

Pacific tropical–extratropical thermocline water mass exchanges in the NCAR Coupled Climate System Model v.3

In this study we document how model biases in extratropical surface wind and precipitation, due to ocean–atmosphere coupling, are communicated to the equatorial Pacific thermocline through Pacific Subtropical Cell (STC) pathways. We compare the simulation of climate mean Pacific Subtropical Cells (STCs) in the NCAR Community Climate System Model version 3 (CCSM3) to observations and to an uncoupled ocean simulation (the ocean component of the CCSM3 forced by observed wind stress and surface fluxes). We use two versions of the CCSM3 with atmospheric resolution of 2.8° (T42) and 1.4° (T85) to investigate whether the climate mean STCs are sensitive to the resolution of the atmospheric model.Since STCs provide water that maintains the equatorial thermocline, we first document biases in equatorial temperature and salinity fields. We then investigate to what extent these biases are due to the simulation of extratropical–tropical water mass exchanges in the coupled models. We demonstrate that the coupled models’ cold and fresh bias in the equatorial thermocline is due to the subduction of significantly fresher and colder water in the South Pacific. This freshening is due to too much precipitation in the South Pacific Convergence Zone. Lagrangian trajectories of water that flows to the equatorial thermocline are calculated to demonstrate that the anomalously large potential vorticity barriers in the coupled simulations in both the North and South Pacific prevent water in the lower thermocline from reaching the equator. The equatorial thermocline is shown to be primarily maintained by water that subducts in the subtropical South Pacific in both the coupled and uncoupled simulations. It is shown that the zonally integrated transport convergence at the equator in the subsurface branch of the climate mean STCs is well simulated in the uncoupled ocean model. However, coupling reduces the net equatorward pycnocline transport by 4 Sv at 9°S and 1 Sv at 9°N. An increase in the atmospheric resolution from T42 to T85 results in more realistic equatorial trades and off-equatorial convergence zones.     

ENSO相联系的热带太平洋上层海洋异常环流

本文使用SODA(simple ocean data assimilation)海洋同化资料,系统分析了厄尔尼诺-南方涛动(El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation,ENSO)循环中冷暖位相期间热带太平洋上层海洋环流的演变规律,探讨了形成海洋环流异常的新机制。结果表明,在厄尔尼诺成熟期,热带中东太平洋赤道潜流最弱,赤道两侧出现反气旋性环流异常;西太平洋赤道外热带海域出现气旋性环流异常,该区南、北赤道流、棉兰老流、黑潮、新几内亚沿岸潜流及南赤道逆流增强;北赤道逆流区出现异常气旋性环流串,北赤道逆流接近正常。在厄尔尼诺衰退期和拉尼娜发展期,热带中西太平洋赤道潜流达到极强,赤道两侧出现气旋性环流异常;西太平洋赤道外热带海域异常环流减弱,该处主要流场的强度减弱或处于正常状态;北赤道逆流区反转为异常西向流。结果表明, ENSO循环期间的上层海洋环流异常受到热带太平洋温跃层深度异常产生的压强梯度力异常调控,在赤道外热带海洋温跃层深度异常和科里奥利力共同作用产生大尺度海洋环流异常,而在赤道海域,海洋温跃层深度异常和Gill效应造成赤道潜流异常以及关于赤道对称的气旋或反气旋性环流异常。     

中国科学院气候系统模式模拟的ENSO循环

On the basis of more than 200-year control run, the performance of the climate system model of Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS-ESM-C) in simulating the El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation(ENSO) cycle is evaluated, including the onset, development and decay of the ENSO. It is shown that, the model can reasonably simulate the annual cycle and interannual variability of sea surface temperature(SST) in the tropical Pacific, as well as the seasonal phase-locking of the ENSO. The model also captures two prerequisites for the El Ni?o onset, i.e., a westerly anomaly and a warm SST anomaly in the equatorial western Pacific. Owing to too strong forcing from an extratropical meridional wind, however, the westerly anomaly in this region is largely overestimated. Moreover, the simulated thermocline is much shallower with a weaker slope. As a result, the warm SST anomaly from the western Pacific propagates eastward more quickly, leading to a faster development of an El Ni?o. During the decay stage, owing to a stronger El Ni?o in the model, the secondary Gill-type response of the tropical atmosphere to the eastern Pacific warming is much stronger, thereby resulting in a persistent easterly anomaly in the western Pacific. Meanwhile, a cold anomaly in the warm pool appears as a result of a lifted thermocline via Ekman pumping. Finally, an El Ni?o decays into a La Ni?a through their interactions. In addition, the shorter period and larger amplitude of the ENSO in the model can be attributed to a shallower thermocline in the equatorial Pacific, which speeds up the zonal redistribution of a heat content in the upper ocean.     

The effect of a northward shift in the southern hemisphere westerlies on the global ocean

We examine the effect of a northward shift in the position of the southern hemisphere subpolar westerly winds (SWWs) on the vertical and horizontal distribution of temperature and salinity in the world ocean. A northward shift of the SWWs causes a latitudinal contraction of the subpolar gyres in the southern hemisphere (SH). In the Indian and Pacific, this leads to subsurface warming in the subtropical thermocline. As the southern margins of the gyres move into latitudes characterised by warmer surface air temperature (SAT), the layers at mid-depth below 400 m depth become ventilated by warmer water. We characterize the approximation of the ventilated thermocline in our coarse resolution model using a set of passive tracer experiments, and illustrate how the northward shift in the SWWs causes an equatorward shift in the latitude of origin of water ventilating layers deeper than 400 m in the Indian and Pacific, leaving the total surface ventilation of the upper 1200 m unchanged. In contrast, the latitudinal constraint on the Antarctic Circumpolar Current posed by the Drake Passage causes a cooling and freshening throughout the Atlantic thermocline; here, subsurface thermocline water originates from higher latitudes under the wind shift. On longer timescales Atlantic cooling and freshening is reinforced by a reduction in North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) formation and surface salinification of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. In effect, the latitude of zero wind stress curl in the SWWs regulates the relative importance of the “cold water route” via the Drake Passage and the “warm water route” associated with thermocline water exchange via the Indian Ocean. Thus, a more northward location of the SWWs corresponds with a reduced salinity contrast between the Indian/ Pacific Oceans and the Atlantic. This results in reduced NADW formation. Also, a more northward location of the SWWs facilitates the injection of cool fresh Antarctic Intermediate Water into the South Atlantic subtropical gyre. Beyond these changes, on a millennial timescale, the deep ocean warms throughout the water column in response to the wind shift. Global salinity stratification also becomes less stable, as more saline water remains at the surface and accumulates in the Indian and Pacific thermocline. The freshening of the deep ocean reflects a reduced stirring of the global ocean due to reduced net circulation arising from a misalignment between the westerlies and the topographically constrained ACC. Our results lend support to the idea that a more equatorward location of the SWW maximum during glacial climates contributed to cooler and fresher conditions in the Atlantic, inhibiting NADW.     

北太平洋冬季SST、风场及环流对淡水强迫的响应

通过海气耦合模式CCSM3(The Community Climate System Model version 3),研究在北大西洋高纬度淡水强迫下,北太平洋冬季的海表温度SST、风场及流场的响应及其区域性差异。结果表明:淡水的注入使北太平洋整体变冷,但有部分区域异常增暖;在太平洋东部赤道两侧,SST的变化出现北负南正的偶极子型分布。阿留申低压北移的同时中纬度西风减弱,热带附近东北信风增强。黑潮和南赤道流减弱,北太平洋副热带逆流和北赤道流增强,日本海被南向流控制。风场及流场的改变共同导致了北太平洋SST异常出现复杂的空间差异:北太平洋中高纬度SST的降温主要由大气过程决定,海洋动力过程主要影响黑潮、日本海及副热带逆流区域的SST,太平洋热带地区SST异常由大气与海洋共同主导。     

Spatial and temporal structure of Tropical Pacific interannual variability in 20th century coupled simulations

Tropical Pacific interannual variability is examined in nine state-of-the-art coupled climate models, and compared with observations and ocean analyses data sets, the primary focus being on the spatial structure and spectral characteristics of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The spatial patterns of interannual sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies from the coupled models are characterized by maximum variations displaced from the coast of South America, and generally extending too far west with respect to observations. Thermocline variability is characterized by dominant modes that are qualitatively similar in all the models, and consistent with the “recharge oscillator” paradigm for ENSO. The meridional scale of the thermocline depth anomalies is generally narrower than observed, a result that can be related to the pattern of zonal wind stress perturbations in the central-western equatorial Pacific. The wind stress response to eastern equatorial Pacific SST anomalies in the models is narrower and displaced further west than observed. The meridional scale of the wind stress can affect the amount of warm water involved in the recharge/discharge of the equatorial thermocline, while the longitudinal location of the wind stress anomalies can influence the advection of the mean zonal temperature gradient by the anomalous zonal currents, a process that may favor the growth and longer duration of ENSO events when the wind stress perturbations are displaced eastwards. Thus, both discrepancies of the wind stress anomaly patterns in the coupled models with respect to observations (narrow meridional extent, and westward displacement along the equator) may be responsible for the ENSO timescale being shorter in the models than in observations. The examination of the leading advective processes in the SST tendency equation indicates that vertical advection of temperature anomalies tends to favor ENSO growth in all the CGCMs, but at a smaller rate than in observations. In some models it can also promote a phase transition. Longer periods tend to be associated with thermocline and advective feedbacks that are in phase with the SST anomalies, while advective tendencies that lead the SST anomalies by a quarter cycle favor ENSO transitions, thus leading to a shorter period.