Links between rainfall variability on intraseasonal and interannual scales over western Tanzania and regional circulation and SST patterns

Summary This study investigates the circulation anomalies associated with the intraseasonal evolution of wet and dry years over western Tanzania (29–37° E, 11.5–4.75° S) and how the onset and withdrawal of the rainy season as well as its wet spell characteristics are modified. It is found that for wet years, the rains begin earlier and end later, with strong wet spells occurring during the season, and there tend to be a greater number of moderate wet spells (although not necessarily more intense wet spells) than in dry years. In dry years, late onset and early cessation of the rainy season occur, often with an extended dry spell soon after the onset, and there tend to be a greater number of dry spells within the season. Large negative outgoing long wave radiation (OLR) anomaly values tend to be located between 20° and 40° E with anomalous westerly flow at 850 hPa occurring across the continent from 10° E to the tropical western Indian Ocean during wet spells in the anomalously wet seasons. Anomalously dry seasons are characterised by large positive OLR anomalies over 30–50° E as well as easterly anomalies at 850 hPa and westerly anomalies at 200 hPa. Eastward propagating intraseasonal anomalies are slower during the wet years implying that the convection remains over Tanzania longer. On the intraseasonal scale, Hovmoeller analyses of OLR and 850 and 200 hPa zonal wind indicate that convection over western Tanzania may be associated with a flux of moisture from the tropical southeast Atlantic and Congo basin followed by weak easterlies from the tropical western Indian Ocean.On interannual scales, wet (dry) years are characterized over the Indian Ocean by weaker (stronger) equatorial westerlies and weaker (stronger) trades that lead to less (more) export of equatorial moisture away from East Africa and increased (decreased) low-level moisture flux convergence over southern Tanzania, respectively. These anomalies arise from an anticyclonic (cyclonic) anomaly over the tropical western Indian Ocean during wet (dry) austral summers that may be related to cool (warm) SST anomalies there. Large scale modulation of the Indian Ocean Walker cell is also evident in both cases, but particularly for the dry years.Current affiliation: Tanzania Meteorological Agency, P.O. Box 3056, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania     

春季热带南大西洋海表温度异常与夏季亚澳季风区降水异常的联系

利用1979—2019年Hadley中心的海表温度资料、GPCP的降水资料以及NCEP-DOE的再分析资料等,分析了北半球春季热带南大西洋海表温度异常与北半球夏季亚澳季风区降水异常的联系。研究表明,北半球春季热带南大西洋海表温度异常与随后夏季热带西太平洋到南海（澳大利亚东侧海域到热带东印度洋）地区的降水异常为显著负相关（正相关）关系。北半球春季热带南大西洋的海表温度正异常可以引起热带大西洋和热带太平洋间的异常垂直环流,其中异常上升支（下沉支）位于热带大西洋（热带中太平洋）。热带中太平洋的异常下沉气流和低层辐散气流引起热带中西太平洋低层的异常东风,后者有利于热带中东太平洋海表温度出现负异常。通过Bjerknes正反馈机制,热带中东太平洋海表温度异常从北半球春季到夏季得到发展。热带中东太平洋海表温度负异常激发的Rossby波使得北半球夏季热带西太平洋低层出现一对异常反气旋。此时,850 hPa上热带西太平洋到海洋性大陆地区为显著的异常东风,有利于热带西太平洋到南海（澳大利亚东侧海域到热带东印度洋）地区出现异常的水汽辐散（辐合）,导致该地区降水减少（增加）。     

Relationship between South China Sea precipitation variability and tropical Indo-Pacific SST anomalies in IPCC CMIP5 models during spring-to-summer transition

The present study evaluates the precipitation variability over the South China Sea (SCS) and its relationship to tropical Indo-Pacific SST anomalies during spring-to-summer transition (April-May-June, AMJ) simulated by 23 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 coupled models. Most of the models have the capacity to capture the AMJ precipitation variability in the SCS. The precipitation and SST anomaly (SSTA) distribution in the SCS, tropical Pacific Ocean (TPO), and tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) domains is evaluated based on the pattern correlation coefficients between model simulations and observations. The analysis leads to several points of note. First, the performance of the SCS precipitation anomaly pattern in AMJ is model dependent. Second, the SSTA pattern in the TPO and TIO is important for capturing the AMJ SCS precipitation variability. Third, a realistic simulation of the western equatorial Pacific (WEP) and local SST impacts is necessary for reproducing the AMJ SCS precipitation variability in some models. Fourth, the overly strong WEP SST impacts may disrupt the relationship between the SCS precipitation and the TPO-TIO SST. Further work remains to be conducted to unravel the specific reasons for the discrepancies between models and observations in various aspects.     

Links between tropical SST anomalies and precursory signalsassociated with the interannual variability of Asian summer monsoon

Summary ?The interannual variability of broad-scale Asian summer monsoon was studied using a general circulation model (GCM) and NCEP (National Center for Environmental Prediction) data set during 1979–95. In the GCM experiment, the main emphasis was given to isolate the individual role of surface boundary conditions on the existence of winter-spring time circulation anomalies associated with the interannual variability of Asian summer monsoon. In order to understand the role of sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) alone on the existence of precursory signals, we have conducted 17 years numerical integration with a GCM forced with the real-time monthly averaged SSTs of 1979 to 1995. In this experiment, among the many surface boundary conditions only SSTs are varying interannually. The composite circulation anomalies simulated by the GCM have good resemblance with the NCEP circulation anomalies over subtropical Asia. This suggests that the root cause of the existence of winter-spring time circulation anomalies associated with the interannual variability of Asian summer monsoon is the interannual variability of SST. Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOFs) of 200-mb winds and OLR were constructed to study the dynamic coupling between SST anomalies and winter-spring time circulation anomalies. It is found that the convective heating anomalies associated with SST anomalies and stationary eddies undergo systematic and coherent interannual variations prior to summer season. We have identified Matsuno-Gill type mode in the velocity potential and stream function fields. This suggests the existence of dynamic links between the SST anomalies and the precursory signals of Asian summer monsoon. Received June 9, 1999/Revised April 7, 2000     

西伯利亚高压强度与北大西洋海温异常的关系

利用NCEP/NCAR再分析资料和NOAA海温等资料,采用EOF、相关分析等方法,研究了西伯利亚高压(Siberian High,SH)强度和北大西洋海表温度(SST)的变化特征,揭示了二者的联系及其时空变化。结果表明:1)冬季SH在1960s中后期开始偏弱,2003年后略增强。2)各季北大西洋SST指数(全区平均SST的标准化距平)均在1960s中期后偏低,1990s末后偏高。北大西洋海温三极子位相由正转负的时间在春冬季(1970s初)晚于夏秋季(1960s初),而后均在1990s中期后进入正位相。3)各季偏高(低)的北大西洋SST指数和海温三极子正(负)位相均有利于冬季SH偏强(弱),但前者与SH的关系更显著,且冬季最强。北大西洋北部和西南部是影响SH强度的关键区,但SH对北部SST异常的响应范围在冬季最大,而对西南部的响应范围在夏季最大。4)当冬季大西洋SST指数异常偏高时,下游激发出的罗斯贝波列使乌拉尔山高压脊加强,使SH上空负相对涡度平流增大,高层辐合和低层辐散增强,整个对流层下沉气流深厚,促使SH增强,反之亦然。     

Atmospheric anomalies related to interdecadal variability of SST in the North Pacific

Anomalous patterns of the atmospheric circulation and climate are studied corresponding to the two basic interdecadal variation modes of sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Pacific, namely, the 25-35-year mode and the 7-10-year mode. Results clearly indicate that corresponding to the positive and negative phases of the interdecadal modes of SST anomaly (SSTA) in the North Pacific, the anomalous patterns of the atmospheric circulation and climate are approximately out of phase, fully illustrating the important role of the interdecadal modes of SST. Since the two interdecadal modes of SSTA in the North Pacific have similar horizontal structures, their impacts on the atmospheric circulation and climate are also analogous. The impact of the interdecadal modes of the North Pacific SST on the atmospheric circulation is barotropic at middle latitudes and baroclinic in tropical regions.     

Relationships between intraseasonal rainfall variability of coastal Tanzania and ENSO

Summary The influence of ENSO on intraseasonal variability over the Tanzanian coast during the short (OND) and long (MAM) rainy seasons is examined. In particular, variability in the rainfall onset, peak and end dates as well as dry spells are considered. In general, El Niño appears to be associated with above average rainfall while La Niña is associated with below average rainfall over the northern Tanzanian coast during OND, and to lesser extent MAM. Over the southern coast, the ENSO impacts are less coherent and this region appears to be a transition zone between the opposite signed impacts over equatorial East and southern Africa. The increased north coast rainfall during El Niño years is generally due to a longer than normal rainfall season associated with early onset while reduced rainfall during La Niña years tends to be associated with a late onset, and thus a shorter than average rainfall season. Wet conditions during El Niño years were associated with enhanced convection and low-level easterly anomalies over the equatorial western Indian Ocean implying enhanced advection of moisture from the Indian Ocean while the reverse is true for La Niña years. Hovmöller plots for OLR and zonal wind at 850 hPa and 200 hPa show eastward, westward propagating and stationary features over the Indian Ocean. It was observed that the propagating features were absent during strong El Niño years. Based on the Hovmöller results, it is observed that the convective oscillations over the Tanzanian coast have some of the characteristic features of intraseasonal oscillations occurring elsewhere in the tropics.     

Relationship between summer rainfall anomalies and sub-seasonal oscillation intensity in the ChangJiang Valley in China

Sub-seasonal variability of summer (May–October) rainfall over the ChangJiang Valley exhibits two dominant timescales, one with a quasi-biweekly (QBW) period (10–20 days) and the other with an intraseasonal oscillation (ISO) period (20–60 days). A significant positive correlation (at a 99% confidence level) was found between the summer precipitation anomaly and the intensity of the QBW and ISO modes in the region. By examining the composite structure and evolution characteristics, we note that the QBW mode is characterized by a northwest–southeast oriented wave train pattern, moving southeastward. The perturbations associated with the ISO mode propagate northwestward in strong ISO years but southeastward in weak ISO years. A marked feature is the phase leading of low-level moisture to convection in both the QBW and ISO mode. When the summer rainfall is strong in the ChangJiang Valley, large-scale atmospheric conditions in the strong QBW/ISO activity region are characterized by deeper moist layer, convectively more unstable stratification and greater ascending motion. Such mean conditions favor the growth of the QBW and ISO perturbations. Thus, a significant positive correlation between the summer precipitation and the strength of sub-seasonal variability arises from the large-scale control of the summer mean flow to perturbations.     

Observational evidence of the delayed response of stratospheric polar vortex variability to ENSO SST anomalies

The temporal and spatial relationship between ENSO and the extratropical stratospheric variability in the Northern Hemisphere is examined. In general, there exists a negative correlation between ENSO and the strength of the polar vortex, but the maximum correlation is found in the next winter season after the mature phase of ENSO event, rather than in the concurrent winter. Specifically, the stratospheric polar vortex tends to be anomalously warmer and weaker in both the concurrent and the next winter season following a warm ENSO event, and vice versa. However, the polar anomalies in the next winter are much stronger and with a deeper vertical structure than that in the concurrent winter. Our analysis also shows that, the delayed stratospheric response to ENSO is characterized with poleward and downward propagation of temperature anomalies, suggesting an ENSO-induced interannual variability of the global mass circulation in the stratosphere. Particularly, in response to the growing of a warm ENSO event, there exist warm temperature and positive isentropic mass anomalies in the midlatitude stratosphere since the preceding summer. The presence of an anomalous wavenumber-1 in the concurrent winter, associated with an anomalous Aleutian high, results in a poleward extension of warm anomalies into the polar region, and thus a weaker stratospheric polar vortex. However, the midlatitude warm temperature and positive isentropic mass anomalies persist throughout the concurrent winter till the end of the next summer. In comparison with the concurrent winter, the strengthening of poleward heat transport by an anomalous wavenumber-2 in the next winter results in a much warmer and weaker polar vortex accompanied with a colder midlatitude stratosphere.     

Tropical intraseasonal rainfall variability in the CFSR

While large-scale circulation fields from atmospheric reanalyses have been widely used to study the tropical intraseasonal variability, rainfall variations from the reanalyses are less focused. Because of the sparseness of in situ observations available in the tropics and strong coupling between convection and large-scale circulation, the accuracy of tropical rainfall from the reanalyses not only measures the quality of reanalysis rainfall but is also to some extent indicative of the accuracy of the circulations fields. This study analyzes tropical intraseasonal rainfall variability in the recently completed NCEP Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) and its comparison with the widely used NCEP/NCAR reanalysis (R1) and NCEP/DOE reanalysis (R2). The R1 produces too weak rainfall variability while the R2 generates too strong westward propagation. Compared with the R1 and R2, the CFSR produces greatly improved tropical intraseasonal rainfall variability with the dominance of eastward propagation and more realistic amplitude. An analysis of the relationship between rainfall and large-scale fields using composites based on Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) events shows that, in all three NCEP reanalyses, the moisture convergence leading the rainfall maximum is near the surface in the western Pacific but is above 925?hPa in the eastern Indian Ocean. However, the CFSR produces the strongest large-scale convergence and the rainfall from CFSR lags the column integrated precipitable water by 1 or 2?days while R1 and R2 rainfall tends to lead the respective precipitable water. Diabatic heating related to the MJO variability in the CFSR is analyzed and compared with that derived from large-scale fields. It is found that the amplitude of CFSR-produced total heating anomalies is smaller than that of the derived. Rainfall variability from the other two recently produced reanalyses, the ECMWF Re-Analysis Interim (ERAI), and the Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA), is also analyzed. It is shown that both the ERAI and MERRA generate stronger rainfall spectra than the R1 and more realistic dominance of eastward propagating variance than R2. The intraseasonal variability in the MERRA is stronger than that in the ERAI but weaker than that in the CFSR and CMORPH.     

Interactions between synoptic, intraseasonal and interannual convective variability over Southern Africa

After removing the annual cycle, a principal component analysis is applied to the daily outgoing longwave radiation anomaly field, used here as a proxy for atmospheric convection. The analysis is carried out over the southern African region (7.5°E–70°E, 10°S–40°S) for austral summer (November through February) for the period 1979–1980 to 2006–2007. The first five principal components (PC) are retained. The first two PCs describe spatial patterns oriented north-west to south-east from tropical southern Africa (SA) to the mid-latitudes. They are interpreted to be different possible locations for synoptic-scale tropical–temperate troughs (TTT), one dominant rainfall-producing synoptic system in the region. The phase relationship between these two PCs describes a tendency for these TTT to propagate eastwards from SA to the Mozambique Channel and southern Madagascar. The next three PCs describe convective fluctuations, respectively, located over the north-west, the south and the centre of SA. Their time series are significantly associated with Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) activity in the tropics. However, we find that TTT systems are statistically independent of the MJO, i.e. they are equally liable to occur during any phase of the MJO. Three PCs out of five also show a significant association with El Niño southern oscillation, confirming that El Niño years mostly coincide with suppressed convection at the intraseasonal time-scales, a result consistent with its impact on seasonal averages diagnosed in previous studies.     

Impacts of SST and SST Anomalies on Low-Frequency Oscillation in the Tropical Atmosphere

Considering the multiscale character of LFO effects of SST on LFO in the tropical atmosphere （low-frequency oscillation） in the tropical atmosphere, the are discussed by using an absolute ageostrophic, baroclinic model. Here, SST effects include sea surface heating and forcing of SST anomalies （SSTAs）. Studies of the influences of sea surface heating on LFO frequency and stability show that sea surface heating can slow the speed of waves and lower their frequency when SST is comparatively low; while higher SST leads to unstable waves and less periods of LFO. Since the impact of a SSTA on ultra-long waves is more evident than that on kilometer-scale waves, long-wave approximation is used when we continue to study the effect of SSTAs. Results indicate that SSTAs can lead to a longer period of LFO, and make waves unstable. In other words, positive （negative） SSTAs can make waves decay （grow）.     

The relationship between South Atlantic SST and SACZ intensity and positioning

This study explores the ocean–atmosphere interaction in the formation and dynamics of the South Atlantic Convergence Zone (SACZ), through the analysis of the heat sources estimated through the outgoing longwave radiation. The results obtained with this study show that the coupled variability between SACZ and the South Atlantic Ocean indicates that in northern positioned SACZ cases (over Southeastern Brazil), westerly anomalies are verified in the low level continental tropical circulation, consistent with the active phase of the South America Monsoon System (SAMS). In these cases, cold anomalies in the subtropical Atlantic Ocean cause an increase in the continent–ocean temperature gradient, favoring an easterly flow in this region, and blocking the SACZ at a northerly position. Easterly anomalies in the tropical continent were verified in the low level circulation in southern positioned cases (over Southern Brazil), consistent with the SAMS break phase. The SST anomaly patterns indicate cold anomalies in the tropics and warm anomalies in the subtropics, which do not favor the development of an easterly flow at low levels over the western tropical Atlantic. In these cases, two situations may occur: the strengthening of the Low Level Jet (LLJ), which prevails in the eastern subtropical South America and convergence with the South Atlantic Subtropical High at its southern position; or the atmospheric unstable conditions caused by ocean warm SST anomalies (in this case the LLJ may be weaker than its climatological intensity).     

春季北太平洋风暴轴的年际与年代际变化特征及其与太平洋海温异常的关系

利用20世纪大气再分析资料和欧洲中心海温资料研究了春季西北太平洋风暴轴的年（代）际变化特征以及在不同年代际背景下风暴轴与太平洋海温关系的转变。结果表明,春季西北太平洋风暴轴主要存在两种空间变化模态,即反映其强度变化的第1模态和反映其南北位置变化的第2模态。年代际及以上时间尺度上,风暴轴强度、位置与太平洋海温的关系主要表现为大气对海洋的强迫作用。在不同年代际背景下,风暴轴与太平洋海温的关系则存在明显的年代际转变：1977年以后,风暴轴强度与太平洋海温的关系主要表现为大气对海洋的强迫作用,而在1977年之前则主要表现为海洋对大气的强迫作用,特别是同期冬季日本以东黑潮和黑潮延伸区海温异常的强迫作用;风暴轴南北位置与太平洋海温异常的关系,在1977年以后表现为大气对海洋的强迫作用,主要表现为对北太平洋中部海温的影响,但在1977年以前表现为海洋和大气的共同作用,风暴轴南北位置的变化还与同期的赤道中东太平洋海温异常有关,表明ENSO可能对风暴轴的位置变化存在影响。     

江淮梅雨与太平洋海表温度的相关分析

讨论了江淮梅雨期降水量与太平洋海表温度的同期和前期的相关性,揭示其年际和年代际变化的相互关系。表明江淮梅雨量与同期和上年春季、冬季几个关键区域SST具有显著相关性;江淮梅雨量年际和年代际变化与太平洋SST年际和年代际变化也存在一定关系,热带太平洋、墨西哥湾和东太平洋SST年代际变化对江淮地区梅雨降水量的年代际变化趋势预测有较强指示意义。     

1998年长江流域洪水与海温异常关系的数值模拟研究

用IAP／LASG GOALS模式对1998年长江流域洪水与太平洋和印度洋海表温度异常之间的关系进行了数值模拟研究。利用观测的全年海表温度，模式能再现1998年夏季长江流域的暴雨，模式也能再现观测的1998年夏季西太平洋副高异常的基本特征。设计了一系列不同海区和不同时段的海温异常的敏感性试验。试验结果表明：印度洋海温异常是造成1998年长江流域洪水的主要因子；印度洋和西太平洋海温异常与西太副高的异常有更紧密的关系；夏季海表温度异常对1998年长江流域暴雨和西太副高异常的作用与冬春海温异常的作用相比要大得多。     

ENSO与南海SST关系的年代际变化

基于NOAA重建的海面温度（sea surface temperature, SST）资料和NCEP再分析大气资料,研究了ENSO（El Niño-Southern Oscillation）与南海SST关系的年代际变化。结果表明：ENSO影响南海SST的冬、夏季“双峰”现象发生了显著的年代际变化,即冬季的“峰值”自20世纪80年代显著减弱,而夏季的“峰值”稳定持续且在20世纪70年代之后增强;冬季“峰值”的减弱可能与冬季西北太平洋反气旋的年代际变化有关,夏季“峰值”的维持和增强可能与20世纪70年代之后印度洋SST“电容器”效应的增强有关。     

Pathways of intraseasonal variability in the Indonesian Throughflow region

The recent INSTANT measurements in the Indonesian archipelago revealed a broad spectrum of time scales that influence Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) variability, from intraseasonal (20–90 days) to interannual. The different time scales are visible in all transport and property fluxes and are the result of remote forcing by both the Pacific and Indian Ocean winds, and local forcing generated within the regional Indonesian seas. This study focuses on the time-dependent three-dimensional intraseasonal variability (ISV) in the ITF region, in particular at the locations of the INSTANT moorings at the Straits of Lombok, Ombai and Timor. Observations from the INSTANT program in combination with output from the Bluelink ocean reanalysis provide a comprehensive picture about the propagation of ISV in the ITF region. The reanalysis assimilates remotely sensed and in situ ocean observations into an ocean general circulation model to create a hindcast of ocean conditions. Data from the reanalysis and observations from the INSTANT program reveal that deep-reaching subsurface ISV in the eastern Indian Ocean and ITF is closely linked with equatorial wind stress anomalies in the central Indian Ocean. Having traveled more than 5000 km in about 14 days, the associated Kelvin waves can be detected as far east as the Banda Sea. ISV near the Straits of Ombai and Timor is also significantly influenced by local wind forcing from within the ITF region. At the INSTANT mooring sites the ocean reanalysis agrees reasonably well with the observations. Intraseasonal amplitudes are about ±1.0 °C and ±0.5 m/s for potential temperature and velocity anomalies. Associated phases of ISV are very similar in observations and the reanalysis. Where differences exist they can be traced back to likely deficits in the reanalysis, namely the lack of tidal dissipation, insufficient spatial resolution of fine-scale bathymetry in the model in narrow straits or errors in surface forcing.