RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TROPICAL ISO AND TROPICAL CYCLONE ACTIVITY OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

The relationship between the tropical intra-seasonal oscillation (ISO) and tropical cyclones (TCs) activities over the South China Sea (SCS) is investigated by utilizing the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) global reanalysis data and tropical cyclone best-track data from 1949 to 2009. The main conclusions are: (1) A new ISO index is designed to describe the tropical ISO activity over the SCS, which can simply express ISO for SCS. After examining the applicability of the index constructed by the Climate Prediction Center (CPC), we find that the convection spatial scale reflected by this index is too large to characterize the small-scale SCS and fails to divide the TCs activities over the SCS into active and inactive categories. Consequently, the CPC index can’t replace the function of the new ISO index; (2) The eastward spread process of tropical ISO is divided into eight phases using the new ISO index, the phase variation of which corresponds well with the TCs activities over the SCS. TCs generation and landing are significantly reduced during inactive period (phase 4-6) relative to that during active period (phase 7-3); (3) The composite analyses indicate distinct TCs activities over the SCS, which is consistent with the concomitant propagation of the ISO convective activity. During ISO active period, the weather situations are favorable for TCs development over the SCS, e.g., strong convection, cyclonic shear and weak subtropical high, and vice versa; (4) The condensation heating centers, strong convection and water vapor flux divergence are well collocated with each other during ISO active period. In addition, the vertical profile of condensation heat indicates strong ascending motion and middle-level heating over the SCS during active period, and vice versa. Thus, the eastward propagation of tropical ISO is capable to modulate TCs activities by affecting the heating configuration over the SCS.     

IMPACT OF CONVECTION OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA ON TROPICAL CYCLONE MOTION OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC DURING SUMMER MONSOON

The intraseasonal oscillation(ISO) of the South China Sea(SCS, 105-120°E, 5-20°N) convection and its influences on the genesis and track of the western North Pacific(WNP) tropical cyclones(TCs) were explored, based on the daily average of NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data, the OLR data and the western North Pacific tropical cyclone best-track data from 1979 to 2008. The mechanism of the influences of ISO on TC movement and the corresponding large-scale circulation were discussed by a trajectory model. It was found as follows.(1) During the SCS summer monsoon, the SCS convection exhibits the ISO features with active phases alternating with inactive phases. The monsoon circulation patterns are significantly different during these two phases. When the SCS convection is active(inactive), the SCS-WNP monsoon trough stretches eastward(retreats westward) due to the activity(inactivity) of SCS monsoon, and the WNP subtropical high retreats eastward(stretches westward), which enhances(suppresses) the monsoon circulation.(2) The amount of TC genesis in the active phase is much more than that in the inactive phase. A majority of TCs form west of 135 °E during the active phases but east of 135 °E in the inactive phases.(3) The TCs entering the area west of 135 °E and south of 25 °N would move straight into the SCS in the active phase, or recurve northward in the inactive phase.(4) Simulation results show that the steering flow associated with the active(inactive)phases is in favor of straight-moving(recurving) TCs. Meanwhile, the impacts of the locations of TC genesis on the characteristics of TC track cannot be ignored. TCs that occurred father westward are more likely to move straight into the SCS region.     

南海-西北太平洋地区大气准双周振荡对TC生成的调节作用

通过对南海-西北太平洋地区大气10～20 d准双周振荡(QBWO)不同位相的划分(A～D),研究了QBWO对南海-西北太平洋海域热带气旋(TC)生成的调节作用。将TC分为强热带风暴及以下级别(TS)和台风及以上级别(TY),并将QBWO分为干湿位相,发现南海海域生成的TS(TY)在干湿位相的比与西北太平洋海域生成的TS(TY)在干湿位相的比相等,这表明QBWO对TS(TY)生成的调节作用在南海和西太平洋地区可能相同。从A位相到C位相,南海和西北太平洋地区TC的生成频数均逐渐增多,D位相时期,TC生成最少,多数TC发生在QBWO的对流活动湿位相,少数TC发生在干位相。南海-西北太平洋海域TC的生成受到QBWO的明显调制。从位相A到位相C,低频对流和低频风场逐渐向西北方向移动,低频对流强度持续加强,低频风场逐渐由异常西风-东风-西风转为异常东风-西风-东风配置,西北太平洋地区季风槽加强,使得TC生成频数逐渐增多。此外,在QBWO活跃位相,非绝热加热增强和纬向风垂直切变减弱也有利于TC的生成。     

EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES WITH AN OPERATIONAL NUMERICAL MODEL FOR PREDICTION OF TYPHOON TRACKS OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA REGION

Experiments for short range forecasting of typhoon tracks over the South China Sea Region were carried out using limited-area numerical model recently developed by the authors.Due to the shortage of sounding data over the sea, typhoon circulations are usually obtained incompletely from objective analysis, or with significant deviation of the centre from reality.Therefore a set of schemes for typhoon initialization are proposed here to construct a bogus typhoon with the circulation being consistent with the physical processes included in the limited-area model.Based on the schemes bogus data over the model grids are created and analysed together with conventional observational data.Then the normal model initialization scheme is issued to further modulate the model typhoon with the numeriCal modeel.Some experiments of sensitivity in various aspects are conducted for further improvement of typhoon track predictions.The experimental results for a number of typhoon landing in southern China in 1993 and 1994 shows that the limited-area model is capable of predicting typhoon tracks in the southern China region.     

A METHOD OF RAPID CLASSIFICATION OF TROPICAL CYCLONE TRACKS OVER CHINA AND ITS APPLICATION

Using data of tropical cyclones making landfall in China between May and October each year during the 1951-2015 period from the Shanghai Typhoon Institute, China Meteorological Administration (CMA-STI) Tropical Cyclone (TC) Best Track Dataset, we developed a method of rapid classification of TC tracks based on their average movement velocities and noted three types of tracks: a westward type, a northwestward type, and a northward type. We compared the climate characteristics of the westward and northward types and discuss their corresponding causes. The results show that the westward and northward types account for more than 80% of all TCs making landfall in China. Their climate characteristics, such as the frequency, landfall intensity, duration over land, velocity over land, movement distance over land, and other changes, show both similarities and differences. Both TC types show significant increases in their over-land durations, indicating that the effects of these landfalling TCs are increasing. However, the causes of these two TC types are similar and different in certain respects. The changes in large-scale steering flows have significantly affected the frequencies and over-land velocities of the landfalling TCs of the westward and northward types. In addition, differences between the changes in formation locations of the westward and northward types may lead to significant difference in their landfall intensities.     

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF TROPICAL CYCLONE FREQUENCIES OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND ITS AFFECTING OCEANIC FACTORS IN THE PAST 50 YEARS

The characteristics of temporal and spatial distribution of tropical cyclone frequencies over the South China Sea areas and its affecting factors in the past 50yrs are analyzed based on typhoon data that provided by CMA and Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA). The results show that the tropical cyclone frequencies from June to October show concentrated geographic distribution, for they mainly distribute over the SCS area from 15 - 20 °N. The characteristics present significant interdecadal changes. The impact of oceanic factors on the tropical cyclone frequencies in the SCS area is mainly realized by La Ni(n)a and La Ni(n)a-like events before 1975 but mainly by El Ni(n)o and El Nifo-like events after 1975.     

近50年南海热带气旋时空分布特征及其海洋影响因子

用中国气象局组织整编的《台风年鉴》资料和全球近表层简易海洋数据同化(SODA)资料,研究了近50年南海海域生成和经过的热带气旋位置点频数的时空分布特征及其海洋影响因子。结果表明,6～10月的热带气旋位置点频数表现出明显的地理分布集聚性特征,主要分布在南海15～22°N海域,并有明显的年代际变化特征。在1975年以前,海洋因子对南海海域生成和经过的热带气旋位置点频数的影响主要以La Nia和类La Nia事件为主,1975年之后以El Nio和类El Nio事件为主。     

SEASONAL VARIATIONS OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITIES OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND ITS NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEIR COMPARATIVE ANALYSES IN THE STRONG AND WEAK CONVECTION YEARS

The seasonal variations of convective activities over the South China Sea(SCS)and itsneighborhood.as well as the similarities and differences of convection in the different key regionsduring the strong and weak convection years are analyzed by using the pentad data of TBB from1980 to 1993.The results show that in winter and summer the seasonal variations of the convectiveactivities are synchronous over the SCS and its neighborhood,the anomalous convection amplitudesare obviously different in different regions.The significant extents of convective activities havesomewhat seasonal differences in the strong and weak convection years.In the strong convectionyears,it is in winter,spring and autumn that the convection anomaly is more evident than that inthe normal years,however,after the summer monsoon onset the convection is sustained.stableand similar to that in the normal years.In the weak convection years.the convection weakensgreatly in each season.but the primary weakening occurs in spring.summer and autumn.Nomatter in the strong or the weak convection years.the convective activities are somewhat ofdifference in the Bay of Bengal.the Indochina Peninsula.the SCS and the Philippines.In addition.the convective activities are also different over the south and the north parts of the SCS.theconvection variation in the strong year is similar to that in the weak year over the north part of theSCS.but over the south part there are great differences.     

SEASONAL VARIATIONS OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITIES OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND ITS NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEIR COMPARATIVE ANALYSES IN THE STRONG AND WEAK CONVECTION YEARS*

The seasonal variations of convective activities over the South China Sea(SCS) and its neighborhood.as well as the similarities and differences of convection in the different key regions during the strong and weak convection years are analyzed by using the pentad data of TBB from 1980 to 1993.The results show that in winter and summer the seasonal variations of the convective activities are synchronous over the SCS and its neighborhood,the anomalous convection amplitudes are obviously different in different regions.The significant extents of convective activities have somewhat seasonal differences in the strong and weak convection years.In the strong convection years,it is in winter,spring and autumn that the convection anomaly is more evident than that in the normal years,however,after the summer monsoon onset the convection is sustained.stable and similar to that in the normal years.In the weak convection years.the convection weakens greatly in each season.but the primary weakening occurs in spring.summer and autumn.No matter in the strong or the weak convection years.the convective activities are somewhat of difference in the Bay of Bengal.the Indochina Peninsula.the SCS and the Philippines.In addition.the convective activities are also different over the south and the north parts of the SCS.the convection variation in the strong year is similar to that in the weak year over the north part of the SCS.but over the south part there are great differences.