副极地海洋锋区海温异常影响厄尔尼诺的机制研究

基于1979—2021年的ERA5再分析资料,研究了副极地海洋锋区(Subarctic Frontal Zone, SAFZ)海温(Sea Surface Temperature, SST)异常相关的冬季海气相互作用过程及其影响次年冬季厄尔尼诺(El Niño)的机制。研究表明,冬季SAFZ的特征海气异常表现为大尺度的SST暖异常与偶极型的大气环流异常。在SAFZ海气相互作用过程中,海洋首先通过直接的非绝热加热影响低层大气斜压性,随后通过间接的瞬变涡旋反馈使相当正压的位势高度异常在整个冬季内维持。其中,南部的气旋式环流异常通过减弱副热带的平均信风激发太平洋经向模态(Pacific Meridional Mode, PMM)与风—蒸发—SST (Wind-Evaporation-SST, WES)反馈,从而使中纬度SST暖异常南传至热带太平洋中部,随后导致El Niño发生。然而,并非所有的SAFZ暖异常事件都能激发次年冬季的El Niño,中纬度海气耦合异常的初始配置及同期热带太平洋的表现情况将对中纬度信号南传至热带的过程产生较大的影响。     

Remotely forced variability in the tropical Atlantic Ocean

An ensemble of eight hindcasts has been conducted using an ocean-atmosphere general circulation model fully coupled only within the Atlantic basin, with prescribed observational sea surface temperature (SST) for 1950–1998 in the global ocean outside the Atlantic basin. The purpose of these experiments is to understand the influence of the external SST anomalies on the interannual variability in the tropical Atlantic Ocean. Statistical methods, including empirical orthogonal function analysis with maximized signal-to-noise ratio, have been used to extract the remotely forced Atlantic signals from the ensemble of simulations. It is found that the leading external source on the interannual time scales is the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the Pacific Ocean. The ENSO signal in the tropical Atlantic shows a distinct progression from season to season. During the boreal winter of a maturing El Niño event, the model shows a major warm center in the southern subtropical Atlantic together with warm anomalies in the northern subtropical Atlantic. The southern subtropical SST anomalies is caused by a weakening of the southeast trade winds, which are partly associated with the influence of an atmospheric wave train generated in the western Pacific Ocean and propagating into the Atlantic basin in the Southern Hemisphere during boreal fall. In the boreal spring, the northern tropical Atlantic Ocean is warmed up by a weakening of the northeast trade winds, which is also associated with a wave train generated in the central tropical Pacific during the winter season of an El Niño event. Apart from the atmospheric planetary waves, these SST anomalies are also related to the sea level pressure (SLP) increase in the eastern tropical Atlantic due to the global adjustment to the maturing El Niño in the tropical Pacific. The tropical SLP anomalies are further enhanced in boreal spring, which induce anomalous easterlies on and to the south of the equator and lead to a dynamical oceanic response that causes cold SST anomalies in the eastern and equatorial Atlantic from boreal spring to summer. Most of these SST anomalies persist into the boreal fall season.

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夏季东亚高空急流与太平洋-日本遥相关型的关系

利用NCEP/NCAR和NOAA月平均资料,采用奇异值分解方法分析了夏季东亚高空纬向风场和西北太平洋海表温度(SST)的耦合关系,并据此研究了东亚副热带高空急流和太平洋-日本(Pacific-Japan,PJ)遥相关型的可能联系。合成分析结果表明,东亚副热带高空急流正模态年,急流偏南偏强,对流层上层南亚高压增强东进,中层西太平洋副热带高压加强西伸,菲律宾周边海域SST升高,中纬度黑潮延伸体区SST降低,菲律宾海和热带西太平洋地区对流活动偏弱,日本海和黑潮延伸体海区对流活动增强,对应PJ遥相关型的负位相;而东亚副热带高空急流负模态年,急流偏北偏弱,对流层上层南亚高压减弱西退,中层西太平洋副热带高压减弱东撤,菲律宾周边SST降低,中纬度黑潮延伸体区SST升高,菲律宾海和热带西太平洋地区对流活动强盛,日本海和黑潮延伸体海区对流活动减弱,对应PJ遥相关型的正位相。由于夏季东亚副热带高空急流活动与PJ遥相关型存在关联,PJ遥相关型可能是东亚副热带高空急流响应太平洋海温异常的纽带。     

华南秋旱的大气环流异常特征

利用实测降水量资料及NCEP再分析资料, 通过统计方法分析了华南秋旱及其相关的环流异常特征。结果发现, 华南秋旱以全区性的干旱出现居多。华南秋旱事件对应的同期海温异常分布型大致可分两类。一类是热带中东太平洋的负海表温度距平 (SSTA) 区的极值中心位于赤道东太平洋, 在海洋性大陆和热带西太平洋有马蹄形的正SSTA, 而在热带西印度洋, 南海至日本东、 南部西北太平洋是负SSTA; 另一类是热带中东太平洋正SSTA极值中心位于赤道中太平洋, 热带—副热带西太平洋、 南海和热带印度洋为负SSTA区, 副热带北太平洋东部和南太平洋东部为显著的正SSTA。 与第一类SSTA相关的华南秋旱与海洋性大陆区域上空的上升运动异常增强 (与其下垫面海温异常偏暖有关)。而与第二类SSTA相关的华南秋旱则与中纬度环流的长波调整造成的东北亚上空的异常上升运动距平有关。而两类华南秋旱都是通过大气环流对华南地区的异常下沉运动产生强迫作用而产生的。另外, 华南秋旱还与菲律宾和台湾东侧洋面上空出现上升运动距平有关。两类华南秋旱都与南海中北部热带气旋频数偏少, 菲律宾和台湾东侧热带气旋频数偏多有关, 因此, 使得登陆华南的热带气旋偏少, 导致华南秋季干旱。     

Joint Impacts of SSTA in Tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans on Variations of the WPSH

Using the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis and HadISST sea surface temperature (SST) data, the joint effects of the tropical Indian Ocean and Pacific on variations of area of the summertime western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) for period 1980–2016 are investigated. It is demonstrated that the central tropical Indian Ocean (CTI) and central equatorial Pacific (CEP) are two key oceanic regions that affect the summertime WPSH. During autumn and winter, warm SST anomalies (SSTAs) in CEP force the Walker circulation to change anomalously, resulting in divergence anomalies over the western Pacific and Maritime Continent (MC). Due to the Gill-type response, the abnormal anticyclonic circulation is generated over the western Pacific and South China Sea (SCS). In the subsequent spring, the warm SSTAs in CEP weaken, while the SST over CTI demonstrates a lagged response to Pacific SSTA. The warm CTISSTA and CEP-SSTA cooperate with the eastward propagation of cold Kelvin waves in the western Pacific, leading to the eastward shift of the abnormal divergence center that originally locates at the western Pacific and MC. The anticyclone forced by this divergence subsequently moves eastward, leading to the intensification of the negative vorticity there. Meanwhile, warm SSTA in CTI triggers eastward propagating Kelvin waves, which lead to easterly anomalies over the equatorial Indian Ocean and Indonesia, being favorable for maintenance and intensification of the anticyclone over the SCS and western Pacific. The monsoonal meridional–vertical circulation strengthens, which is favorable for the intensification of the WPSH. Using SSTA over the two key oceanic regions as predictors, a multiple regression model is successfully constructed for prediction of WPSH area. These results are useful for our better understanding the variation mechanisms of WPSH and better predicting summer climate in East Asia.     

The Role of the Asian/Australian Monsoons and the Southern/Northern Oscillation in the ENSO Cycle

Summary  In this paper, we first examine the relationship of El Nino and La Nina events with the westerly wind anomalies over the western Pacific warm pool. On this basis, the roles of the Asian and Australian winter monsoons in the formation and progress of the westerly wind anomalies are studied. Finally, we analyze the associations of the Asian and Australian winter monsoons, the westerly wind anomalies and the El Nino and La Nina alternations with the propagating anomalies of the Southern and Northern Oscillation. The results show that the westerly wind bursts are frequent over the Maritime Continent and western Pacific, only those which can further intensify and propagate eastward are accompanied by an El Nino event. It is identified that the establishment and eastward propagation of westerly wind bursts are related to enhanced East Asian and Australian winter monsoon, respectively. The activities of the East Asian and Australian winter monsoon, the variation of the Pacific westerly and trade winds and the alternate appearance of El Nino and La Nina events should be internally connected. The main agents of this relationship are the eastward propagation of alternate positive and negative height anomalies associated with the Southern and Northern Oscillation on a 3–5 year time scale over the south and north tropical Pacific. Received January 4, 1998/Revised January 19, 1999     

Pacific interdecadal variability driven by tropical–extratropical interactions

Interactions between the tropical and subtropical northern Pacific at decadal time scales are examined using uncoupled oceanic and atmospheric simulations. An atmospheric model is forced with observed Pacific sea surface temperatures (SST) decadal anomalies, computed as the difference between the 2000–2009 and the 1990–1999 period. The resulting pattern has negative SST anomalies at the equator, with a global pattern reminiscent of the Pacific decadal oscillation. The tropical SST anomalies are responsible for driving a weakening of the Hadley cell and atmospheric meridional heat transport. The atmosphere is then shown to produce a significant response in the subtropics, with wind-stress-curl anomalies having the opposite sign from the climatological mean, consistent with a weakening of the oceanic subtropical gyre (STG). A global ocean model is then forced with the decadal anomalies from the atmospheric model. In the North Pacific, the shallow subtropical cell (STC) spins down and the meridional heat transport is reduced, resulting in positive tropical SST anomalies. The final tropical response is reached after the first 10 years of the experiment, consistent with the Rossby-wave adjustment time for both the STG and the STC. The STC provides the connection between subtropical wind stress anomalies and tropical SSTs. In fact, targeted simulations show the importance of off-equatorial wind stress anomalies in driving the oceanic response, whereas anomalous tropical winds have no role in the SST signal reversal. We further explore the connection between STG, STC and tropical SST with the help of an idealized model. We argue that, in our models, tropical SST decadal variability stems from the forcing of the Pacific subtropical gyre through the atmospheric response to ENSO. The resulting Ekman pumping anomaly alters the STC and oceanic heat transport, providing a negative feedback on the SST. We thus suggest that extratropical atmospheric responses to tropical forcing have feedbacks onto the ocean dynamics that lead to a time-delayed response of the tropical oceans, giving rise to a possible mechanism for multidecadal ocean-atmosphere coupled variability.     

滤除ENSO信号前后夏季热带印度洋海盆尺度海温距平对西太平洋副热带高压的不同影响

使用NCEP/NCAR再分析资料、哈得来海表温度和中国国家气候中心的西太平洋副热带高压（西太副高）特征指数,对比分析了ENSO背景下的夏季印度洋海盆尺度模（Indian Ocean basin mode,IOBM）与独立于ENSO的纯IOBM（pure Indian Ocean basin mode,IOBM_P）对西太副高的影响机理。结果表明,滤除前期ENSO信号后,西北太平洋上为海温负距平,并在其西北侧强迫出Gill型反气旋。另外,印度洋与海洋性大陆间存在西高东低的海温距平梯度,印度洋正、负海温距平激发出的赤道开尔文波影响至海洋性大陆西部地区,强迫出的异常大气环流关于赤道基本对称。加之此时中国南海至西北太平洋地区降水偏弱,潜热释放偏少,从而非绝热冷却,导致西太副高异常偏强、偏南。而在前期厄尔尼诺的影响下,次年夏季印度洋与海洋性大陆地区均有利于出现海温正距平,开尔文波的影响偏强、偏东,强迫出的异常环流偏向北半球,通过“埃克曼抽吸”和非绝热冷却在对流层低层制造出异常负涡度进而影响西太副高,使其明显偏强、偏西、偏南。由于IOBM_P在2和8年周期上对西太副高的影响最明显,而ENSO信号中主要是3—7 a的短周期振荡,因此,ENSO背景下的印度洋变暖对西太副高的遥强迫实际包含了来自热带中太平洋的3—7 a周期信号的滞后影响和印度洋地区局地变化特别是2和8年周期变化的作用。这些结果为人们深入理解西太副高变化规律和做出有效预报提供了线索。      

Mid-Holocene tropical Pacific climate state,annual cycle,and ENSO in PMIP2 and PMIP3

Using the Paleoclimate Modeling Inter-comparison Project Phase 2 and 3 (PMIP2 and PMIP3), we investigated the tropical Pacific climate state, annual cycle, and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) during the mid-Holocene period (6,000 years before present; 6 ka run). When the 6 ka run was compared to the control run (0 ka run), the reduced sea surface temperature (SST) and the reduced precipitation due to the basin-wide cooling, and the intensified cross-equatorial surface winds due to the hemispheric discrepancy of the surface cooling over the tropical Pacific were commonly observed in both the PMIP2 and PMIP3, but changes were more dominant in the PMIP3. The annual cycle of SST was weaker over the equatorial eastern Pacific, because of the orbital forcing change and the deepening mixed layer, while it was stronger over the equatorial western pacific in both the PMIP2 and PMIP3. The stronger annual cycle of the equatorial western Pacific SST was accompanied by the intensified annual cycle of the zonal surface wind, which dominated in the PMIP3 in particular. The ENSO activity in the 6 ka run was significantly suppressed in the PMIP2, but marginally reduced in the PMIP3. In general, the weakened air-sea coupling associated with basin-wide cooling, reduced precipitation, and a hemispheric contrast in the climate state led to the suppression of ENSO activity, and the weakening of the annual cycle over the tropical eastern Pacific might lead to the intensification of ENSO through the frequency entrainment. Therefore, the two opposite effects are slightly compensated for by each other, which results in a small reduction in the ENSO activity during the 6 ka in the PMIP3. On the whole, in PMIP2/PMIP3, the variability of canonical (or conventional) El Niño tends to be reduced during 6 ka, while that of CP/Modoki El Niño tends to be intensified.     

2016年秋季中国南方降水异常的环流特征及海温影响

本文利用中国气象台站观测降水、英国Hadley中心海温和NCEP/NCAR再分析数据集等资料,研究了2016年秋季中国南方降水异常偏多的环流特征及其海温影响。结果表明,2016年秋季东亚副热带西风急流偏强,我国南方地区位于急流入口区的右侧,有利于产生上升运动;同时西太平洋副热带高压强度偏强、面积偏大、位置偏北偏西,对应副高西南侧的东南风将热带太平洋的暖湿气流向我国南方输送,有利于降水偏多。另外,2016年秋季登陆我国的台风异常偏多,频繁活动的台风给我国南方带来了大量降水,也是导致我国南方降水异常偏多的原因之一。进一步研究表明,2016年秋季南方降水异常偏多主要与同期赤道西太平洋和东南太平洋海温异常偏高有关,上述海区的海温异常通过激发向下游传播的遥相关波列或通过Gill响应对东亚环流产生影响,进而有利于中国南方降水增多。通过CAM5.3（Community Atmosphere Model Version 5.3）一系列的敏感性试验,验证了上述的结果。     

赤道印度洋—太平洋海面经向风的年际低频振荡

通过对COADS1950—1979年海面经向风和海温资料的分析，本文探讨了印度洋—太平洋近赤道地区经向风的长期变化特征及其与厄尼诺发生发展间的关系。结果表明:（1）热带太平洋辐合带系统与海温具有相同的季节变化趋势，冬季赤道辐合带和高海温位于南半球，夏季位于北半球。厄尼诺年经向风发生异常，近赤道地区出现强烈的经向风辐合。（2）近赤道经向风存在准2年（QBO），准3.5年（SO）和准5年（FYO）3种年际低频振荡。QBO对厄尼诺年经向风异常起着重要作用，SO对厄尼诺年和冷水年的经向风变化均十分重要，这两种振荡可以很好的拟合经向风的实际变化，FYO则起着加强的作用。（3）经向风年际低频振荡起源于印度洋—海洋大陆和东太平洋沿岸地区，南北半球冬季风异常和东太平洋沿岸地区信风异常是其主要原因。（4）季风—信风（V）相互作用表现为当异常经向风扰动从季风区东传到信风区时明显增幅，这与信风区海气系统之间时间尺度约1年的自我正反馈有关。     

CMIP5模式对春季北极涛动影响后期冬季ENSO不对称性的模拟能力分析

根据观测资料的研究指出春季北极涛动(Arctic Oscillation, AO)对随后冬季厄尔尼诺-南方涛动(El Nino–Southern Oscillation, ENSO)的影响具有明显不对称性。春季AO处于正位相时,它对随后冬季厄尔尼诺(El Nino)事件的影响显著,然而春季AO负位相对随后冬季拉尼娜(La Nina)的影响不明显。本研究分析了30个来自CMIP5的耦合模式对春季AO与随后冬季ENSO不对称性关系的模拟能力。30个CMIP5耦合模式中,只有CNRM-CM5和GISS-E2-H-CC模式能较好地抓住春季AO与冬季ENSO的联系。进一步分析这两个模式中春季AO与冬季ENSO的不对称性关系,发现CNRM-CM5模式能较好地再现春季AO与冬季ENSO的非对称关系,即春季AO正(负)位相会导致赤道中东太平洋出现El Nino(La Nina)型海表温度增暖(冷却)。然而,GISS-E2-H-CC模式的模拟结果显示,春季AO对随后冬季ENSO的影响是对称的。本文随后解释了CNRM-CM5(GISS-E2-H-CC)模式能(不能)模拟出春季AO与冬季ENSO不对称关系的原因。对于CNRMCM5模式,在春季AO正位相年,副热带西北太平洋上空存在明显的异常气旋和正降水异常,正降水异常通过Gill型大气响应对赤道西太平洋异常西风的形成和维持起着重要作用,异常西风通过激发向东传播的暖赤道Kelvin波对随后冬季El Nino事件的发生产生显著的影响;然而,在春季AO负位相年,副热带北太平洋的异常反气旋和负降水异常较弱,导致赤道西太平洋的异常东风不明显,因此,春季AO负异常对随后冬季La Nina的影响不显著。所以,CNRM-CM5模式能够较好地抓住春季AO对随后冬季ENSO事件的非对称性影响。相比之下,对于GISS-E2-H-CC模式,春季AO正(负)位相年副热带西北太平洋上存在显著的正(负)降水异常,通过Gill型大气响应在赤道西太平洋激发出明显的异常西(东)风从而影响随后冬季的El Nino(La Nina)事件。因此,在GISS-E2-H-CC模式中,春季AO对随后冬季ENSO具有对称性影响。另外,模式捕捉春季AO对随后冬季ENSO非对称性影响的能力与模式对春季AO空间结构的模拟能力有一定的联系。     

Diversity on the Interannual Variations of Spring Monthly Precipitation in Southern China and the Associated Tropical Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies

There is a continuous and relatively stable rainy period every spring in southern China (SC). This spring precipitation process is a unique weather and climate phenomenon in East Asia. Previously, the variation characteristics and associated mechanisms of this precipitation process have been mostly discussed from the perspective of seasonal mean. Based on the observed and reanalysis datasets from 1982 to 2021, this study investigates the diversity of the interannual variations of monthly precipitation in spring in SC, and focuses on the potential influence of the tropical sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies. The results show that the interannual variations of monthly precipitation in spring in SC have significant differences, and the correlations between each two months are very weak. All the interannual variations of precipitation in three months are related to a similar western North Pacific anomalous anticyclone (WNPAC), and the southwesterlies at the western flank of WNPAC bring abundant water vapor for the precipitation in SC. However, the WNPAC is influenced by tropical SST anomalies in different regions each month. The interannual variation of precipitation in March in SC is mainly influenced by the signal of El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation, and the associated SST anomalies in the equatorial central-eastern Pacific regulate the WNPAC through the Pacific-East Asia (PEA) tele-connection. In contrast, the WNPAC associated with the interannual variation of precipitation in April can be affected by the SST anomalies in the northwestern equatorial Pacific through a thermally induced Rossby wave response. The interannual variation of precipitation in May is regulated by the SST anomalies around the western Maritime Continent, which stimulates the development of low-level anomalous anticyclones over the South China Sea and east of the Philippine Sea by driving anomalous meridional vertical circulation.     

The influence of tropical sea surface temperatures and precipitation on north Pacific atmospheric blocking

Blocking is a major component of the extratropical climate and any changes in it would be a very important aspect of climate change there. Previous studies have shown that mid-latitude variability such as blocking is sensitive to tropical sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies and to variations in tropical precipitation. Climate models exhibit a wide range of skill in representing blocking, with all models having deficiencies in certain respects. In addition, coupled climate models often exhibit significant biases in both tropical precipitation and tropical and extratropical SSTs. This suggests that tropical systematic biases in coupled climate models may influence the representation of blocking and its sensitivity to climate change. We examine the relationship between winter north Pacific blocking and tropical precipitation and tropical SSTs through the use of idealised SST anomaly experiments. We find that interannual variations in convection over the Maritime Continent and eastern equatorial Pacific regions both influence the central and eastern Pacific winter blocking frequency. In addition, systematic underestimation of tropical rainfall over the Maritime Continent region in climate models can lead to underestimation of time-mean winter Pacific blocking. Finally, the sign, magnitude and variability of tropical SST biases in a coupled model, and their associated effects on tropical precipitation, could influence its representation of northern hemisphere blocking, and thus affect its ability to represent this mode of remotely-forced mid-latitude variability. These results have important implications for model development.     

INTERANNUAL LOW-FREQUENCY OSCILLATIONS OF MERIDIONAL WINDS OVER THE EQUATORIAL INDIAN-PACIFIC OCEANS

Based on analysis of the meridional winds over oceanic areas and SST for 1950-1979 extracted from the data sets of COADS, the long-term variability of the meridional winds over the equatorial Indian-Pacific oceans and its relationship to the onset and development of El Nino events have been studied. The major results are as follows:(1) There is a great similarity between ITCZ over the Pacific and SST in the seasonal trend, with ITCZ and high SST found in the Southern Hemisphere in winter and in the Northern Hemisphere in summer.During El Nino years, unusual meridional winds were often observed, with significant convergence of meridional winds occurring over near-equatorial regions.(2) For the near-equatorial meridional winds, there are three types of interannual LFO:QBO, SO, FYO. QBO plays an important role in the unusual behavior of meridional winds for El Nino years, while SO is very important for both El Nino and cold water years. These two oscillations may fit well to the observed variation in the meridional wind. FYO may enhance the variation of meridional winds.(3) Interannual LFO of meridional winds originates in the Indian Ocean-Maritime Continent and coastal area of East Pacific. Unusual activities of winter monsoon in both hemispheres and trade winds off the coastal area of East Pacific are believed to be their major cause.(4) Monsoon-trade interaction shows up in the significant amplification of the disturbances of meridional winds while they propagate eastward from monsoon area to trade wind area.     

Southern Hemisphere extra-tropical forcing: a new paradigm for El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation

The main goal of this paper is to shed additional light on the reciprocal dynamical linkages between mid-latitude Southern Hemisphere climate and the El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) signal. While our analysis confirms that ENSO is a dominant source of interannual variability in the Southern Hemisphere, it is also suggested here that subtropical dipole variability in both the Southern Indian and Atlantic Oceans triggered by Southern Hemisphere mid-latitude variability may also provide a controlling influence on ENSO in the equatorial Pacific. This subtropical forcing operates through various coupled air?Csea feedbacks involving the propagation of subtropical sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies into the deep tropics of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans from boreal winter to boreal spring and a subsequent dynamical atmospheric response to these SST anomalies linking the three tropical basins at the beginning of the boreal spring. This atmospheric response is characterized by a significant weakening of the equatorial Atlantic and Indian Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). This weakened ITCZ forces an equatorial ??cold Kelvin wave?? response in the middle to upper troposphere that extends eastward from the heat sink regions into the western Pacific. By modulating the vertical temperature gradient and the stability of the atmosphere over the equatorial western Pacific Ocean, this Kelvin wave response promotes persistent zonal wind and convective anomalies over the western equatorial Pacific, which may trigger El Ni?o onset at the end of the boreal winter. These different processes explain why South Atlantic and Indian subtropical dipole time series indices are highly significant precursors of the Ni?o34 SST index several months in advance before the El Ni?o onset in the equatorial Pacific. This study illustrates that the atmospheric internal variability in the mid-latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere may significantly influence ENSO variability. However, this surprising relationship is observed only during recent decades, after the so-called 1976/1977 climate regime shift, suggesting a possible linkage with global warming or decadal fluctuations of the climate system.     

Influence of PDO on South Asian summer monsoon and monsoon–ENSO relation

This study has investigated the possible relation between the Indian summer monsoon and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) observed in the sea surface temperature (SST) of the North Pacific Ocean. Using long records of observations and coupled model (NCAR CCSM4) simulation, this study has found that the warm (cold) phase of the PDO is associated with deficit (excess) rainfall over India. The PDO extends its influence to the tropical Pacific and modifies the relation between the monsoon rainfall and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). During the warm PDO period, the impact of El Niño (La Niña) on the monsoon rainfall is enhanced (reduced). A hypothesis put forward for the mechanism by which PDO affects the monsoon starts with the seasonal footprinting of SST from the North Pacific to the subtropical Pacific. This condition affects the trade winds, and either strengthens or weakens the Walker circulation over the Pacific and Indian Oceans depending on the phase of the PDO. The associated Hadley circulation in the monsoon region determines the impact of PDO on the monsoon rainfall. We suggest that knowing the phase of PDO may lead to better long-term prediction of the seasonal monsoon rainfall and the impact of ENSO on monsoon.     

Role of the southern Indian Ocean in the transitions of the monsoon-ENSO system during recent decades

The focus of this study is to document the possible role of the southern subtropical Indian Ocean in the transitions of the monsoon-ENSO system during recent decades. Composite analyses of sea surface temperature (SST) fields prior to El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Indian summer monsoon (ISM), Australian summer monsoon (AUSM), tropical Indian Ocean dipole (TIOD) and Maritime Continent rainfall (MCR) indices reveal the southeast Indian Ocean (SEIO) SSTs during late boreal winter as the unique common SST precursor of these various phenomena after the 1976–1977 regime shift. Weak (strong) ISMs and AUSMs, El Niños (La Niñas) and positive (negative) TIOD events are preceded by significant negative (positive) SST anomalies in the SEIO, off Australia during boreal winter. These SST anomalies are mainly linked to subtropical Indian Ocean dipole events, recently studied by Behera and Yamagata (Geophys Res Lett 28:327–330, 2001). A wavelet analysis of a February–March SEIO SST time series shows significant spectral peaks at 2 and 4–8 years time scales as for ENSO, ISM or AUSM indices. A composite analysis with respect to February–March SEIO SSTs shows that cold (warm) SEIO SST anomalies are highly persistent and affect the westward translation of the Mascarene high from austral to boreal summer, inducing a weakening (strengthening) of the whole ISM circulation through a modulation of the local Hadley cell during late boreal summer. At the same time, these subtropical SST anomalies and the associated SEIO anomalous anticyclone may be a trigger for both the wind-evaporation-SST and wind-thermocline-SST positive feedbacks between Australia and Sumatra during boreal spring and early summer. These positive feedbacks explain the extraordinary persistence of the SEIO anomalous anticyclone from boreal spring to fall. Meanwhile, the SEIO anomalous anticyclone favors persistent southeasterly wind anomalies along the west coast of Sumatra and westerly wind anomalies over the western Pacific, which are well-known key factors for the evolution of positive TIOD and El Niño events, respectively. A correlation analysis supports these results and shows that SEIO SSTs in February–March has higher predictive skill than other well-established ENSO predictors for forecasting Niño3.4 SST at the end of the year. This suggests again that SEIO SST anomalies exert a fundamental influence on the transitions of the whole monsoon-ENSO system during recent decades.     

前期热带太平洋次表层海温异常与东亚夏季风的可能联系

利用1979—2012年日本气象厅次表层海温资料和NCEP/NCAR再分析资料,分析了前期冬季热带太平洋次表层海温与东亚夏季风的关系,并讨论了其可能机制。结果表明,前期冬季热带太平洋次表层海温与后期东亚夏季风强弱有显著的相关关系。冬季次表层海温呈现东正西负的类El Nio分布型时,夏季副热带高压偏强,西北太平洋地区受反气旋型环流控制,能将大量的水汽输送到长江和淮河流域,有利于水汽在该区域辐合,为夏季降水偏多创造了条件,此时东亚夏季风活动整体偏弱,反之亦然。但类El Nio分布型对东亚夏季气候变化的影响较类La Nia分布型更显著。此外,冬季热带太平洋次表层海温可能通过其自身能够持续性地影响东亚—太平洋地区的大气环流异常,次表层海温随季节变化有明显的发展和移动趋势:冬季西太平洋暖池次表层冷(暖)海温不断堆积,沿温跃层向东传播使得中东太平洋次表层海温逐渐变冷(暖),冷(暖)海温上翻加强使得海表温度异常,进一步影响到西太平洋副热带高压的位置和强度,并在东亚地区形成经向遥相关波列,通过西北太平洋地区异常反气旋(气旋)环流的作用,影响东亚地区大气环流以及气候变化。     

Tropical Pacific impacts of convective momentum transport in the SNU coupled GCM

Impacts of convective momentum transport (CMT) on tropical Pacific climate are examined, using an atmospheric (AGCM) and coupled GCM (CGCM) from Seoul National University. The CMT scheme affects the surface mainly via a convection-compensating atmospheric subsidence which conveys momentum downward through most of the troposphere. AGCM simulations—with SSTs prescribed from climatological and El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions—show substantial changes in circulation when CMT is added, such as an eastward shift of the climatological trade winds and west Pacific convection. The CMT also alters the ENSO wind anomalies by shifting them eastward and widening them meridionally, despite only subtle changes in the precipitation anomaly patterns. During ENSO, CMT affects the low-level winds mainly via the anomalous convection acting on the climatological westerly wind shear over the central Pacific—so that an eastward shift of convection transfers more westerly momentum toward the surface than would occur without CMT. By altering the low-level circulation, the CMT further alters the precipitation, which in turn feeds back on the CMT. In the CGCM, CMT affects the simulated climatology by shifting the mean convection and trade winds eastward and warming the equatorial SST; the ENSO period and amplitude also increase. In contrast to the AGCM simulations, CMT substantially alters the El Nino precipitation anomaly patterns in the CGCM. Also discussed are possible impacts of the CMT-induced changes in climatology on the simulated ENSO.