Impact of the thermal state of the tropical western Pacific on onset date and process of the South China Sea summer monsoon

Since the early or late onset of the South China Sea summer monsoon （SCSM） has a large impact on summer monsoon rainfall in East Asia, the mechanism and process of early or late onset of the SCSM are an worthy issue to study. In this paper, the results analyzed by using the observed data show that the onset date and process of the SCSM are closely associated with the thermal state of the tropical western Pacific in spring. When the tropical western Pacific is in a warming state in spring, the western Pacific subtropical high shifts eastward, and twin cyclones are early caused over the Bay of Bengal and Sumatra before the SCSM onset. In this case, the cyclonic circulation located over the Bay of Bengal can be early intensified and become into a strong trough. Thus, the westerly flow and convective activity can be intensified over Sumatra, the Indo-China Peninsula and the South China Sea （SCS） in mid-May. This leads to early onset of the SCSM. In contrast, when the tropical western Pacific is in a cooling state, the western Pacific subtropical high anomalously shifts westward, the twin cyclones located over the equatorial eastern Indian Ocean and Sumatra are weakened, and the twin anomaly anticyclones appear over these regions from late April to mid-May. Thus, the westerly flow and convective activity cannot be early intensified over the Indo-China Peninsula and the SCS. Only when the western Pacific subtropical high moves eastward, the weak trough located over the Bay of Bengal can be intensified and become into a strong trough, the strong southwesterly wind and convective activity can be intensified over the Indo-China Peninsula and the SCS in late May. Thus, this leads to late onset of the SCSM. Moreover, in this paper, the influencing mechanism of the thermal state of the tropical western Pacific on the SCSM onset is discussed further from the Walker circulation anomalies in the different thermal states of the tropical western Pacific.     

Determination of onset date of the South China Sea summer monsoon in 2006 using large-scale circulations

Since the South China Sea (SCS) summer monsoon (SCSSM) is pronouncedly featured by abruptly intensified southwesterly and obviously increased precipitation over the SCS,the lower-tropospheric winds and/or convection intensities are widely used to determine the SCSSM onset.The methods can be used successfully in most of the years but not in 2006.Due to the intrusion of Typhoon Chanchu(0601)that year,the usual method of determining SCSSM onset date by utilizing the SCS regional indices is less capable of pinpointing the real onset date.In order to solve the problem,larger-scale situations have to be taken into account.Zonal and meridional circulations would be better to determine the break-out date of SCSSM in 2006.The result indicates that its onset date is May 16.Moreover,similar onset dates for other years can be obtained using various methods,implying that large-scale zonal and meridional circulations can be used as an alternative method for determining the SCSSM onset date.     

Subseasonal variability during the South China Sea summer monsoon onset

Analysis of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) data for the period 1998–2007 reveals large subseasonal fluctuations in sea surface temperature (SST) of the South China Sea during the summer monsoon onset. These subseasonal SST changes are closely related to surface heat flux anomalies induced by surface wind and cloud changes in association with the summer monsoon onset. The SST changes feed back on the atmosphere by modifying the atmospheric instability. The results suggest that the South China Sea summer monsoon onset involves ocean–atmosphere coupling on subseasonal timescales. While the SST response to surface heat flux changes is quick and dramatic, the time lag between the SST anomalies and the atmospheric convection response varies largely from year to year. The spatial–temporal evolution of subseasonal anomalies indicates that the subseasonal variability affecting the South China Sea summer monsoon onset starts over the equatorial western Pacific, propagates northward to the Philippine Sea, and then moves westward to the South China Sea. The propagation of these subseasonal anomalies is related to the ocean–atmosphere interaction, involving the wind-evaporation and cloud-radiation effects on SST as well as SST impacts on lower-level convergence over the equatorial western Pacific and atmospheric instability over the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea.     

热带西太平洋夏季风和南海夏季风之间的联系

根据热带西太平洋（１３０°－１６０°Ｅ,１０°－２０°Ｎ）上空对流的年际变化,对表面温度、向外长波幅射、８５０ ｈＰａ纬向风进行了合成分析。合成分析结果表明,热带西太平洋上空的弱（强）对流对应着前冬和春季厄尔尼诺（拉尼娜）型的海温异常。与以前的研究结果进行了比较,说明上述海温异常的时空分布也与热带西太平洋和南海季风的爆发早晚相关联。合成分析结果还表明,热带西太平洋上空的弱（强）对流对应着从热带西太平洋向西伸展到盂加拉湾的东风（西风）异常。数值模拟也得到类似的结果。此外,在对流弱（强）的夏季,热带西太平洋上空的对流和南海低层纬向风均表现出弱（强）的季节演变特征。     

Impacts of land surface and sea surface temperatures on the onset date of the South China Sea summer monsoon

The present study analyzes the differences in spatial and temporal variations of surface temperatures between early and late onset years of the South China Sea summer monsoon (SCSSM). It is found that when the land surface temperature north of 40^oN is lower (higher) and the sea surface temperature over the South China Sea-western North Pacific (SCS-WNP) is higher (lower) in winter, the onset of the SCSSM begins earlier (later). When the land surface temperature north of 40^oN is higher (lower) and the sea surface temperature over the SCS-WNP is lower (higher) in spring, the onset of the SCSSM occurs earlier (later). The reason why the anomalies of the land surface temperatures north of 40^oN can influence the atmospheric circulation is investigated by analysis of the wind and temperature fields. In order to verify the mechanisms of influence over the land and sea surface temperature distribution patterns and test the ability of the p-σ regional climate model (p-σ RCM9) to simulate the SCSSM onset, three types of years with early, normal, and late SCSSM onset are selected and the SCSSM regimes are numerically simulated. According to the results obtained from five sensitive experiments, when the land surface temperature is higher in the eastern part, north of 40^oN, and lower in the western part, north of 40^oN, and it rises faster in the eastern coastal regions and the Indian Peninsula, while the sea surface temperatures over the SCS-WNP are lower, the early onset of the SCSSM can be expected.     

南海夏季风爆发的动力过程研究

利用1958—1997年的NCEP/NCAR再分析资料,以南海季风爆发日为临界日期,计算了40年合成的季风爆发前月平均带状基流;在该基流上,计算了球面正压涡度方程中Rossby波的稳定性;并用谱函数展开法定义和计算了发展型波包的演变。结果显示：南海夏季风爆发前气候平均场上有球面Rossby波的正压不稳定,该不稳定主要由南半球的西风急流所激发,且不稳定扰动的最大振幅均出现在南半球西风急流以南。球面Rossby波发展型波包的最大振幅随时间会由两个半球的中高纬度向低纬扩展,虽然不能越过赤道,却激发了热带地区的积云对流,积云对流的爆发并向季风区传播,加速了大气环流的调整,其结果造成了南海夏季风的爆发。可见,南海夏季风的爆发虽是局地现象,但其爆发原因却是全球性的。     

South China Sea summer monsoon onset in relation to the off-equatorial ITCZ

Observations of the South China Sea summer monsoon （SCSSM） demonstrate the different features between the early and late onsets of the monsoon. The determining factor related to the onset and the resultant monsoon rainfall might be the off-equatorial ITCZ besides the land-sea thermal contrast. The northward-propagating cumulus convection over the northern Indian Ocean could enhance the monsoon trough so that the effect of the horizontal advection of moisture and heat is substantially increased, thus westerlies can eventually penetrate and prevail over the South China Sea （SCS） region.     

Multi-stage onset of the summer monsoon over the western North Pacific

 The climatological summer monsoon onset displays a distinct step wise northeastward movement over the South China Sea and the western North Pacific (WNP) (110°–160°E, 10°–20°N). Monsoon rain commences over the South China Sea-Philippines region in mid-May, extends abruptly to the southwestern Philippine Sea in early to mid-June, and finally penetrates to the northeastern part of the domain around mid-July. In association, three abrupt changes are identified in the atmospheric circulation. Specifically, the WNP subtropical high displays a sudden eastward retreat or quick northward displacement and the monsoon trough pushes abruptly eastward or northeastward at the onset of the three stages. The step wise movement of the onset results from the slow northeastward seasonal evolution of large-scale circulation and the phase-locked intraseasonal oscillation (ISO). The seasonal evolution establishes a large-scale background for the development of convection and the ISO triggers deep convection. The ISO over the WNP has a dominant period of about 20–30 days. This determines up the time interval between the consecutive stages of the monsoon onset. From the atmospheric perspective, the seasonal sea surface temperature (SST) change in the WNP plays a critical role in the northeastward advance of the onset. The seasonal northeastward march of the warmest SST tongue (SST exceeding 29.5 °C) favors the northeastward movement of the monsoon trough and the high convective instability region. The seasonal SST change, in turn, is affected by the monsoon through cloud-radiation and wind-evaporation feedbacks. Received: 19 October 1999 / Accepted: 5 June 2000     

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.     

菲律宾以西海域的高温暖水与南海夏季风爆发

为了揭示高温暖水在中国南海（文中简称南海）夏季风爆发中所起的作用,依据欧洲中期天气预报中心发布的第5代全球大气海洋再分析资料,发现气候平均意义下印度洋—太平洋暖池中30℃以上高温暖水会在5月出现移位：5月上旬高温暖水出现在孟加拉湾中部,而到下旬消退并移位到南海南部。通过分析局地天气尺度的海洋-大气相互作用过程,揭示了上述高温暖水月内移位的物理机制：在孟加拉湾夏季风爆发后,逐渐增强的潜热释放和减少的短波辐射会导致孟加拉湾高温暖水的面积逐渐缩小;与此同时,在副热带高压影响下,南海菲律宾岛西南高温暖水出现,并因其面积逐渐增大,并与泰国湾的高温暖水共同构成了南海南部的高温暖水。研究发现南海季风爆发几乎都出现在上述高温暖水移位之后,因此孟加拉湾中部和南海南部海表温度的差由正转负可以作为南海季风爆发的先兆。

     

The role of MJO and mid-latitude fronts in the South China Sea summer monsoon onset

Previous studies have suggested that the South China Sea (SCS) summer monsoon onset is concurrent with the arrival of a 30–60-day northward-propagating trough. On the other hand, from a synoptic viewpoint, some studies pointed out that the arrival of a mid-latitude front may be the triggering mechanism of the SCSSM onset. This study attempts to link these two viewpoints and to investigate their relative role in inducing the SCSSM onset. Composites of low-level zonal winds, geopotential heights and temperatures during the 1991–1999 SCSSM onsets based on the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecast ERA-40 data indicate that both the Madden and Julian Oscillation (MJO)/Kelvin waves and mid-latitude trough are apparently involved in the onset. The MJO/Kelvin waves play a major role in inducing the large-scale easterly-westerly shift over the central SCS, while the effect of the acceleration of westerlies ahead of the mid-latitude trough is limited to the northern SCS only. Numerical experiments using a regional climate model further demonstrate that the MJO/Kelvin waves control the timing of the onset by changing the background meridional geopotential height gradient over the SCS. When the MJO is at its peak phase over the Maritime continent, it imposes a positive meridional geopotential height gradient over the SCS such that easterly winds are induced, which significantly reduces the strength of a mid-latitude trough. After the equatorial convection has dissipated, a Rossby-wave response is induced, leading to the formation of a northward-moving trough. When this trough moves northward, the meridional geopotential height gradient is reversed and westerly winds are induced. At the same time, if a mid-latitude trough arrives in south China, the westerlies associated with the mid-latitude trough will strengthen because of the background meridional geopotential height gradient, which gives the impression that both the northward-moving trough and mid-latitude trough are in phase and work together to induce the onset.     

2019年南海季风爆发异常偏早的机制分析

利用美国国家环境预报中心/国家大气研究中心(NCEP/NCAR)逐日再分析资料及美国国家海洋和大气管理局(NOAA)逐日向外长波辐射、海温距平等资料诊断分析2019年中国南海季风爆发异常偏早的机制.结果表明:(1)南海季风爆发于5月6日,青藏高原和中南半岛热源较常年弱,对季风爆发无明显影响.(2)中高纬度环流中期变化过...     

热带北大西洋海温异常对南海夏季风的影响及其机理

利用HadiSST资料、CMAP降水资料和NCEP/NCAR再分析资料,分析了热带北大西洋(Northern Tropical Atlantic,NTA)海表温度异常(Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly,SSTA)与南海夏季风(South China Sea Summer Monsoon,SCSSM)的联系及可能机制。观测分析表明,夏季NTA海温异常与SCSSM存在显著的负相关关系;NTA海温正异常时,北半球副热带东太平洋至大西洋区域存在气旋式环流异常,有利于热带大西洋(热带中太平洋)地区产生异常上升(下沉)运动,使得西北太平洋地区出现反气旋环流异常,该反气旋环流异常西侧的南风异常使得SCSSM增强。利用春季NTA指数、东南印度洋海温异常指数、北太平洋海温异常指数、南太平洋经向模(South Pacific Ocean Meridional Dipole,SPOMD)及Niňo3.4指数构建了SCSSM季节预测模型,预测模型后报与观测的SCSSM指数的相关系数为0.81,表明该模型可较好预测SCSSM。     

West Pacific subtropical high double ridges and intraseasonal variability of the South China Sea summer monsoon

In this study, the National Center for Environmental Prediction-National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP-NCAR) reanalysis data from 1979 to 2005 is used to investigate the possible impact of IntraSeasonal Oscillation (ISO) of the South China Sea (SCS) monsoon on the West Pacific Subtropical High (WPSH) double ridges. Three WPSH modes are defined as the 3/6 mode, the 1/2 mode and the dual mode, for the amplitude of the 30–60-day oscillation of SCS summer monsoon which is larger, smaller and comparable to the 10–20-day oscillation, respectively. The results show that there are no double ridges of WPSH present during 3/6 mode, but a weak process can be found during 1/2 mode. However, a powerful double-ridge structure of WPSH is present in several phases of the dual mode during both the 10–20-day oscillation and the 30–60-day oscillation. Then two typical WPSH double ridge cases in 1999, a special year of the dual mode, are chosen to further discuss this interesting phenomenon. Case 1 (24 July–27 July) is much weaker, and in this case the southern ridge disappears after several days, while during case 2 (3 August–11 August), the southern ridge finally replaces the northern ridge. The double ridges are much stronger compared to case 1. The ISO evolution feature is different between case 1 and case 2. The anomalous circulation of 10–20-day oscillation is anticyclonic over the southern ridge during both case 1 and case 2. However, the anomalous circulation of 30–60-day oscillation is cyclonic during case 1 and anticyclonic during case 2. It is this difference that leads to the double ridges being more powerful in case 2 than in case 1. This indicates that the 10–20-day oscillation of the SCS summer monsoon plays a key role in the WPSH double-ridge formation, while the 30–60-day oscillation provides a favorable background for it.     

基于海温异常的南海夏季风爆发的可预报性分析

定义了综合评估南海地区大气对海温异常等外强迫响应的指数,并以此作为中间变量提出了利用前期海温异常预报南海夏季风爆发早晚的方法,进一步分析了基于海温异常的南海夏季风爆发的可预报性。分析表明:基于前期海温的异常,对于以日为单位预报对象的定量的南海夏季风爆发日期来说,基本没有可预报性;而对于定性的南海夏季风爆发早晚的预测,则可预报性大为提高。其预报时效可以提前至前期秋季的11月份。     

Roles of the tropical convective activities over different regions in the earlier onset of the South China Sea summer monsoon after 1993

The South China Sea summer monsoon (SCSSM) onset experiences evidently an interdecadal change around mid-1990s. Generally, the SCSSM broke out half a month earlier during 1994–2010 than IN 1978–1993. Possible causes are analyzed in this study. The results suggest that the earlier onset of the SCSSM is due to earlier retreat of the subtropical high (STH) over the western Pacific, which is closely related to enhanced intraseasonal oscillations of tropical convections. The enhanced convective activities can be found in three regions: the eastern tropical Indian Ocean (TIO), the equatorial SCS-Kalimantan (ESK) and the tropical western Pacific (TWP). Both convections in the TIO and the ESK are greatly influenced by the interaction of the westerly wind from the TIO and the easterly wind from the TWP. The convections in the TIO are never found to propagate to the east of 100°E, while those in the ESK are usually quite weak and not great help to the SCSSM onset. Our results suggest that the earlier retreat of the STH is mainly caused by the enhanced convections in the TWP, while the later may be the consequence of warming over the TWP on the interdecadal timescale. Therefore, the La Niña-like interdecadal change of the sea surface temperature (SST) in the Pacific is likely to be responsible for the interdecadal advance of the SCSSM onset.     

Interannual variability in the onset of the South China Sea summer monsoon from 1997 to 2014

本文基于南海地区850 hPa风场,降水以及海温定义了南海夏季风爆发指数,将南海季风爆发过程分为季节转换和季风爆发两个过程来进行研究。对18年的观测分析发现,南海季风爆发可归纳为三种情况:第一种是季风正常爆发,随着季节转换结束后,西南季风和降水在南海地区有明显增强;第二种是间接性爆发,在季节转换结束后,西南季风和降水的建立不是特别明显;第三种是推迟爆发,在季节转换结束后,南海地区没有建立西南季风也没有降水产生。进一步研究发现,西太副高异常西伸是导致南海季风延迟爆发的重要因素之一。此外,大尺度环流背景ENSO的影响也对南海季风爆发时间的早晚有重要影响,但并不是唯一决定性因素,印度洋和亚洲大地形的局地热力差异变化是影响季风爆发的另一重要因素。     

2013年5月华南强降水与中国南海夏季风爆发

利用2013年"华南季风强降水外场试验与研究"的外场试验数据、美国NCEP FNL资料和卫星云顶黑体辐射温度资料,对2013年5月7—17日华南地区出现的两次强降水过程(7—12日和14—17日)中的高低空环流以及相关气象要素场的变化进行了对比分析。中国南海夏季风于5月第3候建立,两次过程分处于夏季风爆发前后。通过对比影响两次强降水过程的主要环流系统如南亚高压、高空副热带西风急流、500 hPa环流型、水汽来源等,指出影响两次强降水过程大尺度环流场之间的显著区别,说明南海季风爆发前后大尺度环流场对暴雨影响的典型差异。7—12日过程主要受北方锋面影响和南方暖湿气流辐合作用,导致华南地区出现南北两条雨带。14—17日过程则由于季风爆发后强的暖湿空气活动致使华南地区对流活跃,从而形成一条位于广东北部的雨带,此次过程强降水比第1次过程集中且对流性更强。两次降水过程的内在物理机制是一个准平衡态的热力适应过程,由于第2次过程降水更强,导致热源作用明显增强,动力向热力的适应过程也更显著。利用探空资料揭示出两次过程暖区暴雨大气热力和动力条件存在显著区别,7—12日南海季风爆发前的暖区暴雨主要受低层强垂直风切变导致的大气斜压不稳定影响;14—17日南海季风爆发后的暖区暴雨主要受高低空急流的强耦合作用影响。