Intercomparison of the Summertime Subtropical High from the ERA-40 and over East Eurasia and the western North Pacific

An intercomparison of summertime (JJA)subtropical geopotential heights from the ERA-40 and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis is specifically conducted over East Eurasia and the western North Pacific. The NCEP/NCAR is obviously lower than the ERA-40 in the mid-to-lower troposphere in most regions of East Eurasia before the mid-1970s, but becomes higher than the ERA-40 after the mid-1970s and thus demonstrates stronger increased trends during the period of 1958-2001. Both reanalyses are lower than the observations in most regions of China. The NCEP/NCAR especially shows tremendously systematic lower values before the mid-1960s and displays abrupt changes before the 1970s. Several indices of the western North Pacific subtropical high (WNPSH), calculated from both reanalyzed summer geopotential heights, also reveal that the variation trend of the NCEP/NCAR is stronger than that of the ERA-40 in the mid-to-lower troposphere from 1958 to 2001. Through singular value decomposition (SVD) analysis, the summer geopotential heights at 500 hPa from the ERA-40 are better than the NCEP/NCAR counterparts at interacting with the precipitation over the East Asian monsoon region. The results indicate that the NCEP/NCAR in the mid-and-lower troposphere may overestimate interdecadal changes and should be used cautiously to study the relationship between the WNPSH and precipitation ove ther East Asia Monsoon region before the mid-1970s.     

Cyclone life cycle characteristics over the Northern Hemisphere in coupled GCMs

Cyclone activity and life cycle are analysed in the coupled GCMs ECHAM5/OM and ECHAM4/OPYC3. First, the results for the present climate (1978–1999) are compared with ERA-40 and NCEP/NCAR reanalyses, showing a drastic improvement in the representation of cyclone activity in ECHAM5/OM compared to ECHAM4/OPYC3. The total number of cyclones, cyclone intensity, propagation velocity and deepening rates are found to be much more realistic in ECHAM5/OM relative to ECHAM4/OPYC3. Then, changes in extra tropical cyclone characteristics are compared between present day climate and future climate under the emission-scenario A1B using ECHAM5/OM. This comparison is performed using the 20-year time slices 1978–1999, 2070–2090 and 2170–2190, which were considered to be representative for the various climate conditions. The total number of cyclones does not undergo significant changes in a warmer climate. However, regional changes in cyclone numbers and frequencies are evident. One example is the Mediterranean region where the number of cyclones in summer increases almost by factor 2. Some noticeable changes are also found in cyclone life cycle characteristics (deepening rate and propagation velocity). Cyclones in the future climate scenario tend to move slower and their deepening rate becomes stronger, while cyclone intensity does not undergo significant change in a warmer climate. Generally, our results do not support the hypothesis of enhanced storminess under future climate conditions.     

Intercomparison of the Summertime Subtropical High from the ERA-40 and NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis over East Eurasia and the western North Pacific

An intercomparison of summertime (JJA) subtropical geopotential heights from the ERA-40 and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis is specifically conducted over East Eurasia and the western North Pacific. The NCEP/NCAR is obviously lower than the ERA-40 in the mid-to-lower troposphere in most regions of East Eurasia before the mid-1970s, but becomes higher than the ERA-40 after the mid-1970s and thus demonstrates stronger increased trends during the period of 1958--2001. Both reanalyses are lower than the observations in most regions of China. The NCEP/NCAR especially shows tremendously systematic lower values before the mid-1960s and displays abrupt changes before the 1970s. Several indices of the western North Pacific subtropical high (WNPSH), calculated from both reanalyzed summer geopotential heights, also reveal that the variation trend of the NCEP/NCAR is stronger than that of the ERA-40 in the mid-to-lower troposphere from 1958 to 2001. Through singular value decomposition (SVD) analysis, the summer geopotential heights at 500 hPa from the ERA-40 are better than the NCEP/NCAR counterparts at interacting with the precipitation over the East Asian monsoon region. The results indicate that the NCEP/NCAR in the mid-and-lower troposphere may overestimate interdecadal changes and should be used cautiously to study the relationship between the WNPSH and precipitation ove ther East Asia Monsoon region before the mid-1970s.     

Inconsistencies of precipitation in the eastern and central Tibetan Plateau between surface adjusted data and reanalysis

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is the source of many Asian river systems and serves as “the Asian water tower”. Precipitation variability is a strong component of both hydrological processes and energy cycles, and the study of precipitation in the TP is of great importance in the content of global warming. In this study, the annual and seasonal (spring: MAM; summer: JJA; autumn: SON; and winter: DJF) variations in precipitation are investigated in the eastern and central TP during 1961–2007, based on surface raw and adjusted observations as well as both NCEP/NCAR (1961–2007) and ERA-40 (1961–2001) reanalyses. The adjusted precipitation in the TP is higher than raw values on both the annual and seasonal basis due to adjustments of solid precipitation by a bias experiential model. At the annual spring and winter scales, the adjusted precipitation shows a significant increase calculated by the Mann–Kendall trend test. Compared with adjusted precipitation; both NCEP/NCAR and ERA-40 reanalyses capture the broad spatial distributions of mean annual and seasonal precipitation, but are less good at repeating the decadal variability. Both reanalyses show the drying phenomena in most regions and fail to represent the change patterns of precipitation observed by the adjusted observations. Both NCEP/NCAR and ERA-40 have larger inconsistencies which may be caused by the differences between actual and model topography. This suggests that it is crucial to use the adjusted precipitation in the climate research and reanalysis products should be paid more attention in the TP.     

多套大气再分析资料的南亚高压强度变化特征及其与海表温度异常关系的比较分析

以往的研究中多采用NCE/NCAR再分析资料来讨论南亚高压的变化特征及其与海表温度的关系,鉴于其分析结果具有一定的片面性,本文采用ERA40、ERA—Interim、NCEWNCAR、NCEP—DOE和JRA．25五套再分析资料,以及应用全球、热带印度洋和热带大西洋1978--2008年逐月观测海表温度分别驱动NCARCAM5．1全球大气环流模式的数值模拟结果,比较了它们的夏季南亚高压强度变化特征及其与海表温度的关系。再分析资料问的比较结果表明,NCEWNCAR、NCEP—DOE两套再分析资料与ERA40、ERA—Interim、JRA-25三套再分析资料的南亚高压强度变化在20世纪70年代末至90年代初存在非常明显的差异,前两套再分析资料揭示的该时段南亚高压强度显著偏高,可能是不真实的,进而导致南亚高压强度与海表温度异常的关系与后三套再分析资料的结果差异明显。ERA40、ERA—Interim和JRA-25三套再分析资料和数值试验结果均表明,20世纪70年代末以后,夏季南亚高压强度异常与前期冬季、春季及同期夏季的热带印度洋海表温度异常关系持续密切,表明热带印度洋是影响夏季南亚高压强度变化的关键海区。当热带印度洋偏暖时,热带地区对流层温度增暖,南亚高压强度增强、面积增大、南扩、东伸西展,反之亦然。     

东亚地区500 hPa位势高度场NCEP/NCAR再分析资料与ERA-40资料的比较

运用统计分析方法对3份500 hPa位势高度场资料,即NCEP/NCAR全球大气再分析月平均资料和欧洲中心ERA-40资料,国家气候中心的NMC资料(该资料的基础是站点观测资料的实测数据,并结合中央气象台的日常累积资料整编而成)进行比较,以讨论NCEP/NCAR再分析资料与ERA-40资料以及NMC资料的相关性,尤其在东亚地区的可靠性.3份资料综合分析得到如下结论:在东亚地区,特别是贝加尔湖以南至中国西北和中西部的大部分区域内(30°-50°N,80°-115°E),NCEP/NCAR资料和ERA-40资料各季的平均场、相关场均存在大范围的显著性差异区,差异最大的季节在夏季,时段为1958-1970年,而在冬季相关较好.同时NCEP/NCAR资料在20世纪60年代初出现异常低值,在60年代中期有突然的增长,而欧洲中心的ERA-40资料和国家气候中心的NMC资料均无此现象.针对以上问题,对北半球500 hPa资料的使用提出如下建议:在东亚地区应用NCEP/NCAR资料时,如果范围涉及贝加尔湖以南至中国西北和中西部地区(30°-50°N,80°-115°E),尽量应用20世纪70年代以后的资料,尤其在春、夏两季;而该区域内的ERA-40资料和NMC资料在这一时段内是基本一致,具有可信性.     

How accurately are climatological characteristics and surface water and energy balances represented for the Colombian Caribbean Catchment Basin?

In Colombia, the access to climate related observational data is restricted and their quantity is limited. But information about the current climate is fundamental for studies on present and future climate changes and their impacts. In this respect, this information is especially important over the Colombian Caribbean Catchment Basin (CCCB) that comprises over 80 % of the population of Colombia and produces about 85 % of its GDP. Consequently, an ensemble of several datasets has been evaluated and compared with respect to their capability to represent the climate over the CCCB. The comparison includes observations, reconstructed data (CPC, Delaware), reanalyses (ERA-40, NCEP/NCAR), and simulated data produced with the regional climate model REMO. The capabilities to represent the average annual state, the seasonal cycle, and the interannual variability are investigated. The analyses focus on surface air temperature and precipitation as well as on surface water and energy balances. On one hand the CCCB characteristics poses some difficulties to the datasets as the CCCB includes a mountainous region with three mountain ranges, where the dynamical core of models and model parameterizations can fail. On the other hand, it has the most dense network of stations, with the longest records, in the country. The results can be summarised as follows: all of the datasets demonstrate a cold bias in the average temperature of CCCB. However, the variability of the average temperature of CCCB is most poorly represented by the NCEP/NCAR dataset. The average precipitation in CCCB is overestimated by all datasets. For the ERA-40, NCEP/NCAR, and REMO datasets, the amplitude of the annual cycle is extremely high. The variability of the average precipitation in CCCB is better represented by the reconstructed data of CPC and Delaware, as well as by NCEP/NCAR. Regarding the capability to represent the spatial behaviour of CCCB, temperature is better represented by Delaware and REMO, while precipitation is better represented by Delaware. Among the three datasets that permit an analysis of surface water and energy balances (REMO, ERA-40, and NCEP/NCAR), REMO best demonstrates the closure property of the surface water balance within the basin, while NCEP/NCAR does not demonstrate this property well. The three datasets represent the energy balance fairly well, although some inconsistencies were found in the individual balance components for NCEP/NCAR.     

Composite patterns of easterly disturbances over West Africa and the tropical Atlantic: a climatology from the 1979–95 NCEP/NCAR reanalyses

 The horizontal and vertical structure of the 3–5-day and 6–9-day easterly waves over West Africa and tropical Atlantic are investigated. NCEP/NCAR reanalyses are used for the period 1979–1995 to produce a 17-year climatology of both 3–5-day and 6–9-day easterly waves. Composite patterns of convection, wind, temperature and vertical velocity are analysed with respect to the following: the modulation by 3–5-day and 6–9-day wave regimes; the contrasts between the ITCZ (5°N–10°N) and the Sahelo-Saharan band (15°N–20°N); the difference between land and ocean, and seasonal variations. Similarities and differences in the characteristics of the two wave regimes are identified. Received: 18 August 1999 / Accepted: 14 March 2001     

Trends and variability in column-integrated atmospheric water vapor

An analysis and evaluation has been performed of global datasets on column-integrated water vapor (precipitable water). For years before 1996, the Ross and Elliott radiosonde dataset is used for validation of European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalyses ERA-40. Only the special sensor microwave imager (SSM/I) dataset from remote sensing systems (RSS) has credible means, variability and trends for the oceans, but it is available only for the post-1988 period. Major problems are found in the means, variability and trends from 1988 to 2001 for both reanalyses from National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) and the ERA-40 reanalysis over the oceans, and for the NASA water vapor project (NVAP) dataset more generally. NCEP and ERA-40 values are reasonable over land where constrained by radiosondes. Accordingly, users of these data should take great care in accepting results as real. The problems highlight the need for reprocessing of data, as has been done by RSS, and reanalyses that adequately take account of the changing observing system. Precipitable water variability for 1988–2001 is dominated by the evolution of ENSO and especially the structures that occurred during and following the 1997–98 El Niño event. The evidence from SSM/I for the global ocean suggests that recent trends in precipitable water are generally positive and, for 1988 through 2003, average 0.40±0.09 mm per decade or 1.3±0.3% per decade for the ocean as a whole, where the error bars are 95% confidence intervals. Over the oceans, the precipitable water variability relates very strongly to changes in SSTs, both in terms of spatial structure of trends and temporal variability (with a regression coefficient for 30°N–30°S of 7.8% K^?1) and is consistent with the assumption of fairly constant relative humidity. In the tropics, the trends are also influenced by changes in rainfall which, in turn, are closely associated with the mean flow and convergence of moisture by the trade winds. The main region where positive trends are not very evident is over Europe, in spite of large and positive trends over the North Atlantic since 1988. A much longer time series is probably required to obtain stable patterns of trends over the oceans, although the main variability could probably be deduced from past SST and associated precipitation variations.     

几种再分析地表气压资料在中国区域的适用性评估

应用台站观测资料对ERA-40, NCEP/NCAR以及NCEP/DOE再分析地表气压产品在中国不同区域、不同年代和不同季节的适用性进行了评估。分析发现, 几种再分析产品虽然能在一定程度上反映出观测资料所具有的时空分布特征, 但它们之间的差异却具有明显的区域和季节变化特征, 即冬季小而夏季大、东部地区小而西部地区大; 同时还发现ERA-40和NCEP/NCAR再分析产品在20世纪70年代以前均与观测资料有相对较大的差别, 特别是NCEP/NCAR在70年代以前的夏季气压值过于偏低, 从而夸大了很多地区的年代际变化特征。相比而言, ERA-40地表气压的长期变化趋势以及时空演变规律在中国大多数地区要优于NCEP/NCAR再分析产品, 特别是在中国西部地区。分析还表明, NCEP/DOE虽与观测资料存在一定的系统性偏差, 却与另外两种再分析产品有着较为相似的年际变化特征及趋势。     

比较NCEP/NCAR和ERA-40再分析资料与观测资料计算得到的感热资料的差异

利用1951～2000年我国西北干旱、半干旱区地温、气温和表面风场逐日4个时次（北京时间2、8、14和20时）的台站观测资料,以及NCEP/NCAR和ERA-40再分析资料,计算并比较了在我国西北地区春夏季感热输送的差异。分析结果表明:NCEP/NCAR和ERA-40的感热输送再分析资料都能显示出我国西北地区是欧亚大陆上的感热中心之一。从年代际时间尺度上,ERA-40再分析资料的感热资料更接近于实际台站观测资料计算得到的感热资料。       

Vertical structure of recent arctic warming from observed data and reanalysis products

Spatiotemporal patterns of recent (1979–2008) air temperature trends are evaluated using three reanalysis datasets and radiosonde data. Our analysis demonstrates large discrepancies between the reanalysis datasets, possibly due to differences in the data assimilation procedures as well as sparseness and inhomogeneity of high-latitude observations. We test the robustness of arctic tropospheric warming based on the ERA-40 dataset. ERA-40 Arctic atmosphere temperatures tend to be closer to the observed ones in terms of root mean square error compared to other reanalysis products used in the article. However, changes in the ERA-40 data assimilation procedure produce unphysical jumps in atmospheric temperatures, which may be the likely reason for the elevated tropospheric warming trend in 1979–2002. NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis data show that the near-surface upward temperature trend over the same period is greater than the tropospheric trend, which is consistent with direct radiosonde observations and inconsistent with ERA-40 results. A change of sign in the winter temperature trend from negative to positive in the late 1980s is documented in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere with a maximum over the Canadian Arctic, based on radiosonde data. This change from cooling to warming tendency is associated with weakening of the stratospheric polar vortex and shift of its center toward the Siberian coast and possibly can be explained by the changes in the dynamics of the Arctic Oscillation. This temporal pattern is consistent with multi-decadal variations of key arctic climate parameters like, for example, surface air temperature and oceanic freshwater content. Elucidating the mechanisms behind these changes will be critical to understanding the complex nature of high-latitude variability and its impact on global climate change.     

An analysis on observed and simulated PNA associated atmospheric diabatic heating

This study examines the PNA associated atmospheric diabatic heating by linearly isolating the influence of ENSO. The analysis is based on the NCEP–NCAR and ERA-40 reanalyses and a 1,000-year-long integration of the CCCma coupled climate model. Both the vertically integrated and three-dimensional diabatic heating are examined. The Rossby wave sources in association with the PNA are also diagnosed. The PNA-related heating is confined outside the tropics and is dominated by anomalies in the eastern Pacific, with a north–south dipole structure in mid-latitudes and the northern subtropics. The heating anomalies change sign with height in mid-latitudes but have the same sign throughout the troposphere in the northern subtropics. Relatively weak heating anomalies also appear in mid-latitudes, downstream of the heating dipole over North America and the western North Atlantic. The heating anomalies are largely supported by the advections related to the mean state throughout the troposphere, and partially damped by the advections related to the eddy effect, particularly at the upper troposphere over the North Pacific. Broadly similar patterns are seen from the NCEP–NCAR and ERA-40 reanalyses. Yet anomalous heating centers are generally located at relatively lower troposphere for the ERA-40 with respect to the NCEP–NCAR. The tropical heating anomalies are rather weak, remarkably different from those related to ENSO variability. In addition, the Rossby wave source collocates with the atmospheric diabatic forcing in the mid-high latitudes over the PNA sector, and shows no forcing source in the tropics. The results demonstrate possible forcing in the mid-high latitudes, regardless of tropical heating for the PNA teleconnection. The modeled heating and wave forcing anomalies in association with the modeled PNA compare reasonably well with the reanalysis-based estimates, increasing confidence in the observational results. The analysis provides further evidence of the independence of the PNA on ENSO from the diabatic heating point of view.     

西北太平洋热带气旋潜在生成指数的改进

热带气旋潜在生成指数(GPI,Genesis Potential Index)是热带气旋生成可能性大小的空间分布函数,利用大尺度环境场可以应用于热带气旋活动的季节预报,并且可以评估全球气候变化对热带气旋活动的影响。但是目前的GPI基本都是针对全球热带气旋活动构建的,没有考虑到热带气旋不同活动地区及其内部的差异。本研究考虑到南海和西北太平洋热带气旋生成的不同特点,分别构建了适用于南海(5～25°N,100～120°E)和西北太平洋(5～40°N,120～180°E)的热带气旋GPI。改进后的GPI对南海和西北太平洋区域热带气旋生成具有较好的模拟能力,不仅能很好地模拟南海和西北太平洋热带气旋生成频数空间分布的气候特征(相似系数为0.67),而且能够较好地模拟热带气旋生成在年际时间尺度上的空间分布特征。     

Easterly wave regimes and associated convection over West Africa and tropical Atlantic: results from the NCEP/NCAR and ECMWF reanalyses

 NCEP/NCAR and ECMWF daily reanalyses are used to investigate the synoptic variability of easterly waves over West Africa and tropical Atlantic at 700 hPa in northern summer between 1979–1995 (1979–1993 for ECMWF). Spectral analysis of the meridional wind component at 700 hPa highlighted two main periodicity bands, between 3 and 5 days, and 6 and 9 days. The 3–5-day easterly wave regime has already been widely investigated, but only on shorter datasets. These waves grow both north and south of the African Easterly Jet (AEJ). The two main tracks, noted over West Africa at 5 °N and 15 °N, converge over the Atlantic on latitude 17.5 °N. These waves are more active in August–September than in June–July. Their average wavelength/phase speed varies from about 3000 km/8 m s^-1 north of the jet to 5000 km/12 m s^-1 south of the jet. Rainfall, convection and monsoon flux are significantly modulated by these waves, convection in the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) being enhanced in the trough and ahead of it, with a wide meridional extension. Compared to the 3–5-day waves, the 6–9-day regime is intermittent and the corresponding wind field pattern has both similar and contrasting characteristics. The only main track is located north of the AEJ along 17.5 °N both over West Africa and the Atlantic. The mean wavelength is higher, about 5000 km long, and the average phase speed is about 7 m s^-1. Then the wind field perturbation is mostly evident at the AEJ latitude and north of it. The perturbation structure is similar to that of 3–5-days in the north except that the more developed circulation centers, moving more to the north, lead to a large modulation of the jet zonal wind component. South of the AEJ, the wind field perturbation is weaker and quite different. The zonal wind core of the jet appears to be an almost symmetric axis in the 6–9-day wind field pattern, a clockwise circulation north of the AEJ being associated with a counter-clockwise circulation south of the jet, and vice versa. These 6–9-day easterly waves also affect significantly rainfall, convection and monsoon flux but in a different way, inducing large zonal convective bands in the ITCZ, mostly in the trough and behind it. As opposed to the 3–5-day wave regime, these rainfall anomalies are associated with anomalies of opposite sign over the Guinea coast and the Sahelian regions. Over the continent, these waves are more active in June–July, and in August–September over the ocean. GATE phase I gave an example of such an active 6–9-day wave pattern. Considered as a sequence of weak easterly wave activity, this phase was also a sequence of high 6–9-day easterly wave activity. We suggest that the 6–9-day regime results from an interaction between the 3–5-day easterly wave regime (maintained by the barotropic/baroclinic instability of the AEJ), and the development of strong anticyclonic circulations, north of the jet over West Africa, and both north and south of the jet over the Atlantic, significantly affecting the jet zonal wind component. The permanent subtropical anticyclones (Azores, Libya, St Helena) could help initiation and maintenance of such regime over West Africa and tropical Atlantic. Based on an a priori period-band criterion, our synoptic classification has enabled us to point out two statistical and meteorological easterly wave regimes over West Africa and tropical Atlantic. NCEP/NCAR and ECMWF reanalyses are in good agreement, the main difference being a more developed easterly wave activity in the NCEP/NCAR reanalyses, especially for the 3–5-day regime over the Atlantic. Received: 28 May 1998 / Accepted: 2 May 1999     

大西洋风暴活动预测的一个潜在高效能的预测方案

A new empirical approach for the seasonal prediction of annual Atlantic tropical storm number (ATSN) was developed using precipitation and 500 hPa geopotential height data from the preceding January-February and April-May. The 2.5º×2.5º resolution reanalysis data from both the US National Center for Environmental Prediction/the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) and the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) were applied. The model was cross-validated using data from 1979-2002. The ATSN predictions from the two reanalysis models were correlated with the observations with the anomaly correlation coefficients (ACC) of 0.79 (NCEP/NCAR) and 0.78 (ECMWF) and the multi-year mean absolute prediction errors (MAE) of 1.85 and 1.76, respectively. When the predictions of the two models were averaged, the ACC increased to 0.90 and the MAE decreased to 1.18, an exceptionally high score. Therefore, this new empirical approach has the potential to improve the operational prediction of the annual tropical Atlantic storm frequency.     

Intercomparison of the South Asian High in NCEP1, NCEP2, and ERA-40 Reanalyses and in Station Observations

The South Asian Highs (SAHs) at 100 hPa over China in the three reanalysis datasets NCEP1, NCEP2, and ERA-40 are evaluated by using station observation data. The results demonstrate a substantial discrepancy even between the reanalyses. First, the data of the three reanalyses generally underestimate the intensity of the SAH in the China domain. Second, there are interdecadal changes in the SAH, with highs in the 1960s and 1980s and lows in the 1970s, 1990s, and 2000s. This interdecadal variation of the SAH can be well depicted with NCEP1 data, but the high in the 1980s is missed by ERA-40. The NCEP2 corresponds well with NCEP 1 and captures the decreasing trend after 1979. Furthermore, the NCEP1 reanalysis overestimates the interdecadal changes of SAH, while ERA-40 underestimates the interdecadal changes. This work suggests that much caution should be exerted when the reanalysis datasets are adopted to study the interdecadal variability of SAH.     

应用探空观测资料评估几类再分析资料在中国区域的适用性

通过与中国8个不同区域温度场和高度场的探空观测资料相比较发现, ERA-40、NCEP/NCAR和NCEP/DOE等再分析资料所描述的温度场和高度场产品的平均值以及年际变化特征等与观测结果的差异均在夏季比较明显, 尤其1970年代以前在中国的西部和西南部地区的差别较为显著。其中, 温度场的差别主要存在于对流层上层; 高度场的绝对偏差也主要出现在对流层上层, 而它们在年际变化特征及其长期变化趋势上的差别则反映在对流层中、下层, 特别是NCEP/NCAR对流层中、下层的夏季高度场在1970年代以前存在着过于明显的“低压” 现象, 从而夸大了很多地区的年代际气候变化特征。就大多数地区而言, ERA-40在中国区域气候变化研究中具有相对较好的适用性, 特别是在年代际气候变化研究中要明显好于NCEP/NCAR。研究还表明, NCEP/DOE与NCEP/NCAR在大多数地区除了在均值上有所不同外, 它们的年际变化特征则并无显著差别。     

Simulation of tropical cyclone Vamei (2001) using the PSU/NCAR MM5 model

Summary In this study, a rare tropical cyclone Vamei was simulated using the non-hydrostatic version 3.6 of the Penn State University (PSU) – National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) mesoscale model MM5. This unusual cyclone was generated on 26 December 2001 in an area close to the equator in the southern part of the South China Sea. The model was integrated for 80 h from 0000 UTC 26 December 2001 to 1800 UTC 29 December 2001. To examine the model performance, several important simulated fields including sea-level pressure, surface wind speed and precipitation were compared to observations. The model simulated track of the cyclone was also compared to the best track provided by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JWTC). Overall, the model performed reasonably well, particularly in simulating the cyclone track and precipitation amount and spatial distribution. The analysis of the model output indicated the important role of the latent heat flux in the genesis and intensification of tropical cyclone Vamei.