Variability and teleconnections of South and East Asian summer monsoons in present and future projections of CMIP5 climate models

Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) model outputs of the South and East Asian summer monsoon variability and their tele-connections are investigated using historical simulations (1861-2005) and future projections under the RCP4.5 scenario (2006-2100). Detailed analyses are performed using nine models having better representation of the recent monsoon teleconnections for the interactive Asian monsoon sub-systems. However, these models underestimate rainfall mainly over South Asia and Korea-Japan sector, the regions of heavy rainfall, along with a bias in location of rainfall maxima. Indeed, the simulation biases, underestimations of monsoon variability and teleconnections suggest further improvements for better representation of Asian monsoon in the climate models. Interestingly, the performance of Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator version 1.0 (ACCESS1.0) in simulating the annual cycle, spatial pattern of rainfall and multi-decadal variations of summer monsoon rainfall over South and East Asia appears to more realistic. In spite of large spread among the CMIP5 models, historical simulations as well as future projections of summer monsoon rainfall indicate multi-decadal variability. These rainfall variations, displaying certain epochs of more rainfall over South Asia than over East Asia and vice versa, suggest an oscillatory behaviour. Teleconnections between South and East Asian monsoon rainfall also exhibit a multi-decadal variation with alternate epochs of strengthening and weakening relationship. Furthermore, large-scale circulation features such as South Asian monsoon trough and north Pacific subtropical high depict zonal oscillatory behaviour with east-west-east shifts. Periods with eastward or westward extension of the Mascarene High, intensification and expansion of the upper tropospheric South Asian High are also projected by the CMIP5 models.     

欧亚大陆冷季积雪与亚洲夏季风的关系:区域特征与季节性

主要回顾了欧亚大陆冷季积雪与亚洲夏季风的关系,特别是积雪对季风演变和强度的影响。从Blanford(1884)着眼喜马拉雅山测站积雪开始,到20世纪70年代卫星测量的大范围雪盖资料的问世,直至近几十年来全球气候模式模拟与资料分析的结合,回顾了人们在不同时期对积雪-季风关系的不同认识以及对积雪影响季风的物理过程的不同理解。一方面,积雪通过反照率效应影响温度、温度梯度和大气环流包括季风环流;另一方面,积雪通过融化效应影响大气,特别是增强大气异常信号的持续性。在这些过程中,陆面积雪与大气运动的相互作用是一个正反馈的过程。另外,特别关注不同地区和季节的欧亚大陆积雪对不同亚洲区域季风的不同影响,以及积雪在季风演变过程中对不同阶段季风特征的作用。虽然积雪与季风的关系非常复杂,加深对这些复杂关系的认识,对理解季风系统的整体变化以及改进季风预报都尤为重要。     

全球和亚洲人为气溶胶影响东亚气候的数值模拟研究

利用海气耦合的全球气候模式CSIRO-Mk3.6分析比较了全球和亚洲人为气溶胶对东亚各季节气候的不同影响。结果表明,全球和亚洲外人为气溶胶使得东亚地区年平均地表温度分别下降0.9℃和0.55℃。亚洲区域气溶胶强迫决定了东亚近地面降温的时空分布特征,而亚洲区域外气溶胶进一步增强了我国北方夏季的近地面降温。各个季节对流层中上层的降温主要受区域外气溶胶的影响,并引起东亚高空急流强度和位置的变化,造成夏季和秋季明显的经向环流异常。同时,亚洲气溶胶影响各季节东亚低层环流场的响应,使得东亚陆地降水减少,而区域外气溶胶则主要影响冬季中高纬度和夏、秋季南海地区的低层风场。总体上,亚洲区域内、外人为气溶胶会增强我国冬、夏季风低层环流,并共同决定南海地区的降水变化。     

土壤湿度初始异常对东亚区域气候模拟影响的敏感性试验

利用耦合了CLM3.5陆面模式的区域气候模式RegCM4.0,通过敏感性试验,探讨了人为减小春季初始土壤体积水含量对短期时间尺度东亚夏季气候模拟的可能影响。结果表明:较低的初始土壤湿度场能够明显改变区域的地表能量平衡,引起地表净长波辐射和感热通量的显著增加,进而加强了地表对大气的加热,因而引起东亚大范围地区特别是中国东部、印度北部和中亚地区地表温度、气温的升高。与气温不同,初始土壤湿度场对降水的影响很小而且有较大的不确定性,同时偏暖的下垫面使得对流层中高层出现暖高压异常,但这些影响均不显著。综合来看,土壤湿度初始场的初始异常,对RegCM4.0 模式东亚气候模拟的结果有一定影响,特别是在地表温度、气温和能量平衡方面,应在以后的模拟中加以考虑。     

Simulations of the Indian summer monsoon using a nested regional climate model: domain size experiments

Seasonal simulations of the Indian summer monsoon using a 50-km regional climate model (RCM) are described. Results from three versions of the RCM distinguished by different domain sizes are compared against those of the driving global general circulation model (AGCM). Precipitation over land is 20% larger in the RCMs due to stronger vertical motions arising from finer horizontal resolution. The resulting increase in condensational heating helps to intensify the monsoon trough relative to the AGCM. The RCM precipitation distributions show a strong orographically forced mesoscale component (similar in each version). This component is not present in the AGCM. The RCMs produce two qualitatively realistic intraseasonal oscillations (ISOs) associated respectively with monsoon depressions which propagate northwestward from the Bay of Bengal and repeated northward migrations of the regional tropical convergence zone. The RCM simulations are relatively insensitive to domain size in several respects: (1) the mean bias relative to the AGCM is similar for all three domains; (2) the variability simulated by the RCM is strongly correlated with that of the driving AGCM on both daily and seasonal time scales, even for the largest domain; (3) the mesoscale features and ISOs are not damped by the relative proximity of the lateral boundaries in the version with the smallest domain. Results (1) and (2) contrast strongly with a previous study for Europe carried out with the same model, probably due to inherent differences between mid-latitude and tropical dynamics.     

增暖背景下东亚夏季风区降水演变的空间模态及其形成机制

基于CMIP5中全新世(Mid-Holocene,6 ka BP)试验及RCP8.5试验的对比,本文研究了不同增暖情景下东亚夏季风区降水演变的空间模态及其成因.结果表明,两种增暖情景下东亚夏季风区降水演变的空间模态存在显著差异.轨道辐射主导的中全新世暖期期间,东亚夏季风区降水演变的空间模态为经向三极子结构;而大气C...     

The effect of regional warming on the East Asian summer monsoon

Climate Dynamics - East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) precipitation has changed significantly due to regional warming. In this study, effect of regional warming on the EASM summer precipitation is...     

Recent advances in studies of the interaction between the East Asian winter and summer monsoons and ENSO cycle

Recent advances in studies on the interaction between the East Asian monsoon and the ENSO cycle are reviewed in this paper. Through the recent studies, not only have the responding features and processes of the East Asian winter and summer monsoon circulation anomalies and summer rainfall anomalies in East Asia to the ENSO cycle during its different stages been understood further, but also have the thermal and dynamic effects of the tropical western Pacific on the ENSO cycle been deeply analyzed from the observational facts and dynamic theories. The results of observational and theoretical studies showed that the dynamical effect of the atmospheric circulation and zonal wind anomalies in the lower troposphere over the tropical western Pacific on the ENSO cycle may be through the excitation of the equatorial oceanic Kelvin wave and Rossby waves in the equatorial Pacific. These studies demonstrated further that the ENSO cycle originates from the tropical western Pacific. Moreover, these recent studies also showed that the atmospheric circulation and zonal wind anomalies over the tropical western Pacific not only result from the air-sea interaction over the tropical western Pacific, but are also greatly influenced by the East Asian winter and summer monsoons. Additionally, the scientific problems in the interaction between the Asian monsoon and the ENSO cycle which should be studied further in the near future are also pointed out in this paper.     

东亚上空急流位置经向变化及其与东亚夏季气候异常的联系

利用1979—2010年逐月CMAP降水资料和NCEP/NCAR再分析资料集,通过定义夏季东亚急流位置指数,采用统计和动力诊断方法研究了东亚上空急流位置经向变化及其与东亚夏季气候的联系。所定义的东亚急流位置指数较好地反映了东亚上空急流位置的经向移动。结果表明:东亚上空急流经向位置的移动存在显著的年际变化,其主要周期为2~3 a和8 a。当夏季东亚急流位置偏北(南)时,从低纬到高纬,东亚地区降水异常主要呈现出偏多—偏少—偏多(偏少—偏多—偏少)的经向分布;相应地,气温则在副热带西太平洋地区偏低(高),我国华东、华北及日本地区气温偏高(低),西伯利亚东部较高纬地区气温偏低(高)。东亚上空急流经向位置异常年,异常环流随高度呈略有西倾的准正压结构。东亚上空急流经向位置的偏北(南)与由西太平洋—南海热带地区非绝热加热相关的经圈环流异常有关,亦与中纬度波扰能量东传有关,并由此可部分解释我国长江中下游至日本地区的气温异常偏高(低)。     

Impact of global SST on decadal shift of East Asian summer climate

East Asia experienced a significant interdecadal climate shift around the late 1970s, with more floods in the valley of the Yangtze River of central-eastern China and more severe drought in North China since then. Whether global SST variations have played a role in this shift is unclear. In the present study, this issue is investigated by ensemble experiments of an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM), the GFDL AM2, since one validation reveals that the model simulates the observed East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) well. The results suggest that decadal global SST variations may have played a substantial role in this climate shift. Further examination of the associated atmospheric circulation shows that these results are physically reasonable.     

Equilibrium climate response of the East Asian summer monsoon to forcing of anthropogenic aerosol species

We used an online aerosol–climate model to study the equilibrium climate response of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) to increases in anthropogenic emissions of sulfate, organic carbon, and black carbon aerosols from 1850 to 2000. Our results show that each of these aerosol species has a different effect on the EASM as a result of changes in the local sea–land thermal contrast and atmospheric circulation. The increased emission of sulfate aerosol leads to a decrease in the thermal contrast between the land and ocean, a southward shift of the East Asian subtropical jet, and significant northerly wind anomalies at 850 hPa over eastern China and the ambient oceans, markedly dampening the EASM. An increase in organic carbon aerosol results in pronounced surface cooling and the formation of an anomalous anticyclone over the oceans north of 30°N. These effects cause a slight increase in the sea–land thermal contrast and southerly flow anomalies to the west of the anticyclonic center, strengthening the northern EASM. An increase in organic carbon emission decreases the sea–land thermal contrast over southern China, which weakens the southern EASM. The response of the summer 850-hPa winds and rainfall over the East Asian monsoon region to an increase in black carbon emission is generally consistent with the response to an increase in organic carbon. The increase in black carbon emission leads to a strengthening of the northern EASM north of 35°N and a slight weakening of the southern EASM south of 35°N. The simulated response of the EASM to the increase in black carbon emission is unchanged when the emission of black carbon is scaled up by five times its year 2000 levels, although the intensities of the response is enhanced. The increase in sulfate emission primarily weakens the EASM, whereas the increases in black carbon and organic carbon emissions mitigate weakening of the northern EASM.     

Validating the dynamic downscaling ability of WRF for East Asian summer climate

This work aims, as a first step, to analyze rainfall variability in Northern Algeria, in particular extreme events, during the period from 1940 to 2010. Analysis of annual rainfall shows that stations in the northwest record a significant decrease in rainfall since the 1970s. Frequencies of rainy days for each percentile (5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, 95th, and 99th) and each rainfall interval class (1–5, 5–10, 10–20, 20–50, and ≥50 mm) do not show a significant change in the evolution of daily rainfall. The Tenes station is the only one to show a significant decrease in the frequency of rainy days up to the 75th percentile and for the 10–20-mm interval class. There is no significant change in the temporal evolution of extreme events in the 90th, 95th, and 99th percentiles. The relationships between rainfall variability and general atmospheric circulation indices for interannual and extreme event variability are moderately influenced by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation and Mediterranean Oscillation. Significant correlations are observed between the Southern Oscillation Index and annual rainfall in the northwestern part of the study area, which is likely linked with the decrease in rainfall in this region. Seasonal rainfall in Northern Algeria is affected by the Mediterranean Oscillation and North Atlantic Oscillation in the west. The ENSEMBLES regional climate models (RCMs) are assessed using the bias method to test their ability to reproduce rainfall variability at different time scales. The Centre National de Recherches Météorologiques (CNRM), Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI), Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETHZ), and Forschungszentrum Geesthacht (GKSS) models yield the least biased results.     

Spring Indian Ocean-western Pacific SST contrast and the East Asian summer rainfall anomaly

studying the relationship between SST in the tropical Indian Ocean （TIO）, tropical western Pacific （TWP）, and tropical eastern Pacific （TEP） and East Asian summer rainfall （EASR）, using data provided by NOAA/OAR/ESRL PSD and the National Climate Center of China for the period 1979-2008, an index, SSTDI, was defined to describe the SST difference between the TIO and TWP. In comparison with the winter ENSO, the spring SST contrast between the TIO and TWP was found to be more significantly associated with summer rainfall in East Asia, especially along the EASR band and in Northeast China. This spring SST contrast can persist into summer, resulting in a more significant meridional teleconnection pattern of lower-tropospheric circulation anomalies over the western North Pacific and East Asia. These circulation anomalies are dynamically consistent with the summer rainfall anomaly along the EASR band. When the SSTDI is higher （lower） than normal, the EASR over the Yangtze River valley, Korea, and central and southern Japan is heavier （less） than normal. The present results suggest that this spring SST contrast can be used as a new and better predictor of EASR anomalies.     

Causes of mid-Pliocene strengthened summer and weakened winter monsoons over East Asia

The mid-Pliocene warm period was the most recent geological period in Earth's history that featured long-term warming.Both geological evidence and model results indicate that East Asian summer winds(EASWs) strengthened in monsoonal China, and that East Asian winter winds(EAWWs) weakened in northern monsoonal China during this period, as compared to the pre-industrial period. However, the corresponding mechanisms are still unclear. In this paper, the results of a set of numerical simulations are reported to analyze the effects of changed boundary conditions on the mid-Pliocene East Asian monsoon climate, based on PRISM3(Pliocene Research Interpretation and Synoptic Mapping) palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. The model results showed that the combined changes of sea surface temperatures, atmospheric CO2 concentration,and ice sheet extent were necessary to generate an overall warm climate on a large scale, and that these factors exerted the greatest effects on the strengthening of EASWs in monsoonal China. The orographic change produced significant local warming and had the greatest effect on the weakening of EAWWs in northern monsoonal China in the mid-Pliocene. Thus,these two factors both had important but different effects on the monsoon change. In comparison, the effects of vegetational change on the strengthened EASWs and weakened EAWWs were relatively weak. The changed monsoon winds can be explained by a reorganization of the meridional temperature gradient and zonal thermal contrast. Moreover, the effect of orbital parameters cannot be ignored. Results showed that changes in orbital parameters could have markedly affected the EASWs and EAWWs, and caused significant short-term oscillations in the mid-Pliocene monsoon climate in East Asia.     

Consistent responses of East Asian summer mean rainfall to global warming in CMIP5 simulations

East Asia summer rainfall is of great social–economic importance. Based on observations, reanalysis and simulations of 16 Coupled Models Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) models, the responses of East Asia summer precipitation, as well as some relevant features, to global warming are investigated. The CMIP5 historical simulation reasonably reproduces the climatology of summer rainfall, the associated circulation, the moisture and its transportation, and the mid-troposphere horizontal advection of temperature as well. Under global warming, the rainfall enhancement is robustly projected in the state-of-the-art models over North China, Northeast China, northern coast of Japan and the Kuroshio. As well, the total summer rainfall over East Asia is consistently increased in the models. For the consistent responses, the moisture budget analysis based on the simulations shows that two factors are responsible: one is increased moisture. As East Asia is a climatological ascent region in northern summer, increased moisture induced by global warming leads to more moisture transported upward and thus the rainfall rise. The other is enhanced evaporation, which may be caused by surface warming and provides more precipitable water to the atmosphere column. Furthermore, the results may provide some implications to the long-term variability of East Asia summer rainfall over the last several decades.