An Asymmetric Spatiotemporal Connection between the Euro-Atlantic Blocking within the NAO Life Cycle and European Climates

This paper examines an asymmetric spatiotemporal connection and climatic impact between the winter atmospheric blocking activity in the Euro-Atlantic sector and the life cycle of the North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO) during the period 1950–2012. Results show that, for positive NAO(NAO+) events, the instantaneous blocking(IB) frequency exhibits an enhancement along the southwest–northeast(SW–NE) direction from the eastern Atlantic to northeastern Europe(SW–NE pattern, hereafter), which is particularly evident during the NAO+decaying stage. By contrast, for negative NAO(NAO-)events, the IB frequency exhibits a spatially asymmetric southeast–northwest(SE–NW) distribution from central Europe to the North Atlantic and Greenland(SE–NW pattern, hereafter). Moreover, for NAO-(NAO+) events, the most marked decrease(increase) in the surface air temperature(SAT) in winter over northern Europe is in the decaying stage. For NAO+events, the dominant positive temperature and precipitation anomalies exhibit the SW–NE-oriented distribution from western to northeastern Europe, which is parallel to the NAO+-related blocking frequency distribution. For NAO-events, the dominant negative temperature anomaly is in northern and central Europe, whereas the dominant positive precipitation anomaly is distributed over southern Europe along the SW–NE direction. In addition, the downward infrared radiation controlled by the NAO's circulation plays a crucial role in the SAT anomaly distribution. It is further shown that the NAO's phase can act as an asymmetric impact on the European climate through producing this asymmetric spatiotemporal connection with the Euro-Atlantic IB frequency.     

An Observed Connection Between Wintertime Temperature Anomalies over Northwest China and Weather Regime Transitions in North Atlantic

In this study, the association between wintertime temperature anomalies over Northwest China and the weather regime transitions in North Atlantic on synoptic scale is analyzed by using observational surface air temperature(SAT) data and atmospheric reanalysis data. Daily SAT anomaly and duration time are used in order to define SAT anomaly cases. Differences with regard to the circulation anomalies over the Ural Mountains and the upstream North Atlantic area are evident. It is found that the colder than normal SAT is caused by the enhanced Ural high and associated southward flow over Northwest China. Time-lagged composites reveal possible connections between the SAT anomalies and the different development phases of the North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO). The Ural highs tend to be strengthened during the negative phase of NAO(NAO–) to Atlantic ridge transition, which are closely related to the downstream-propagating Rossby wave activity. The opposite circulation patterns are observed in the warm SAT cases. A cyclonic circulation anomaly is distinctly enhanced over the Urals during the positive phase of NAO(NAO+) to Scandinavian blocking transition, which would cause warmer SAT over Northwest China. Further analyses suggest that the intensified zonal wind over North Atlantic would favor the NAO– to Atlantic ridge transition, while the weakened zonal wind may be responsible for the transition between NAO+ and Scandinavian blocking.     

Do European Blocking Events Precede North Atlantic Oscillation Events?

Using a two-dimensional blocking index, the cause and effect relationship between European blocking (EB) events and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) events is investigated. It is shown that the EB event frequency is enhanced over Northern (Southern) Europe for negative (positive) phases of the NAO. Enhanced EB events over Northern Europe precede the establishment of negative phase NAO (NAO-) events, while the enhanced frequency of EB events over Southern Europe lags positive phase NAO (NAO+) events. The physical explanation for why enhanced EB events over Northern (Southern) Europe lead (lag) NAO- (NAO+) events is also provided. It is found that the lead-lag relationship between EB events in different regions and the phase of NAO events can be explained in terms of the different latitudinal distribution of zonal wind associated with the different phases of NAO events. For NAO+ events, the self-maintained eastward displacement of intensified midlatitude positive height anomalies owing to the intensified zonal wind can enhance the frequency of EB events over Southern Europe, thus supporting a standpoint that EB events over Southern Europe lag NAO+ events. Over Northern Europe, EB events lead NAO- events because NAO- events arise from the self-maintained westward migration of intensified blocking anticyclones due to the weakened zonal wind in higher latitudes.     

Impacts of large-scale teleconnections on climate variability over Southwest Asia

The atmospheric low frequency variability at a regional or global scale is represented by teleconnection. Using monthly dataset of the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) for the period 1971–2016, the impacts of four large-scale teleconnection patterns on the climate variability over Southwest Asia are investigated. The large-scale features include the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the East Atlantic (EA) teleconnection patterns, as well as western tropical Indian Ocean (WTIO) sea surface temperature anomaly index. Results indicate that ENSO and EA are the first leading modes that explain variation of Southwest Asian precipitation, with positive (negative) anomalies during El Niño (La Niña) and the negative (positive) phase of EA. Variation of Southwest Asian near-surface temperature is most strongly related to WTIO index, with above-average (below-average) temperature during the positive (negative) phase of WTIO index, although the negative (positive) phase of NAO also favours the above-average (below-average) temperature. On the other hand, temperature (precipitation) over Southwest Asia shows the least response to ENSO (WTIO). ENSO and EA individually explain 13 percent annual variance of precipitation, while WTIO index explains 36 percent annual variance of near-surface temperature over Southwest Asia. Analysis of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis Interim (ERA-Interim) data indicated establishments of negative (positive) geopotential height anomalies in the middle troposphere over Southwest Asia during El Niño (La Niña) or the negative (positive) phase of NAO, EA and WTIO. The response of precipitation variability over Southwest Asia to NAO is opposite to that expected from the geopotential height anomalies, but the correlation between precipitation and NAO is not statistically significant. Due to predictability of large-scale teleconnections, results of this study are encouraging for improvement of the state-of-the-art seasonal prediction of the climate over Southwest Asia.     

欧洲地区夏季热浪的特征及其与阻塞环流的联系

选取了一个热浪指数,利用地面2 m气温场和500 h Pa位势高度场的美国环境预报中心和国家大气研究中心(NCEP/NCAR)再分析资料,通过聚类分析发现欧洲大陆容易产生6类热浪:西欧型(WE)、俄罗斯型(RU)、东欧型(EE)、斯堪的纳维亚半岛型(SC)、北海型(NS)、伊比利亚半岛型(IB);这些热浪事件都与欧洲大陆阻塞的位置有关。同时我们发现这6类热浪发生的频率出现明显的年代际变化,特别在20世纪80年代以后欧洲大陆热浪发生频率明显的增多趋势可能与欧洲大陆增暖背景有关,而欧洲大陆热浪发生频率的年代际变化可能是夏季北大西洋涛动(NAO)的年代际变化的结果。夏季NAO偶极子通过欧洲地区的阻塞异常对欧洲大陆气温有重要的调制作用。当夏季NAO指数处于正位相阶段时,欧洲大陆容易产生高纬度热浪,反之则容易产生低纬度热浪,并且欧洲大陆增暖趋势并不影响NAO对欧洲气温的调制作用。同时还发现:大西洋夏季NAO事件可以是欧洲热浪发生的前期条件,欧洲大陆阻塞异常落后于NAO事件1~5 d,其中IB型和WE型与NAO同期相关,其余4类型热浪对应阻塞落后于NAO 4~5 d。另外,也发现大西洋—欧洲大陆定常波列正距平的位置通过对欧洲阻塞的影响,而影响欧洲热浪发生的频率和位置。     

Northern poleward edge of regional Hadley cell over western Pacific during boreal winter: year-to-year variability,influence factors and associated winter climate anomalies

Compared to the zonal-mean Hadley cell (HC), our knowledge of the characteristics, influence factors and associated climate anomalies of the regional HC remains quite limited. Here, we examine interannual variability of the northern poleward HC edge over western Pacific (WPHCE) during boreal winter. Results suggest that interannual variability of the WPHCE is impacted by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Modoki, North Pacific Oscillation (NPO) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The WPHCE tends to shift poleward during negative phase of the ENSO Modoki, and positive phases of the NPO and NAO, which highlights not merely the tropical forcing but also the extratropical signals that modulate the WPHCE. ENSO modoki, NPO and NAO modulate the WPHCE via inducing atmospheric anomalies over the western North Pacific. We further investigate the climatic impacts of the WPHCE on East Asia. The poleward shift of the northern descending branch of the WPHC results in anomalous upward (downward) motions and upper-level divergence (convergence) anomalies over south-central China (northern East-Asia), leading to increased (decreased) rainfall there. Moreover, pronounced cold surface air temperature anomalies appear over south-central China when the sinking branch of the WPHC moves poleward. Based on the temperature diagnostic analysis, negative surface temperature tendency anomalies over central China are mostly attributable to the cold zonal temperature advection and ascent-induced adiabatic cooling, while the negative anomalies over South China are largely due to the cold meridional temperature advection. These findings could improve our knowledge of the WPHCE variability and enrich the knowledge of forcing factors for East Asian winter climate.

     

Temporal structures of the North Atlantic Oscillation and its impact on the regional climate variability

In this study, the temporal structure of the variation of North Atlantic Oscillation （NAO） and its impact on regional climate variability are analyzed using various datasets. The results show that blocking formations in the Atlantic region are sensitive to the phase of the NAO. Sixty-seven percent more winter blocking days are observed during the negative phase compared to the positive phase of the NAO. The average length of blocking during the negative phase is about 11 days, which is nearly twice as long as the 6-day length observed during the positive phase of the NAO. The NAO-related differences in blocking frequency and persistence are associated with changes in the distribution of the surface air temperature anomaly, which, to a large extent, is determined by the phase of the NAO. The distribution of regional cloud amount is also sensitive to the phase of the NAO. For the negative phase, the cloud amounts are significant, positive anomalies in the convective zone in the Tropics and much less cloudiness in the mid latitudes. But for the positive phase of the NAO, the cloud amount is much higher in the mid-latitude storm track region. In the whole Atlantic region, the cloud amount shows a decrease with the increase of surface air temperature. These results suggest that there may be a negative feedback between the cloud amount and the surface air t.emperature in the Atlantic region.     

Impacts of SST anomalies on the North Atlantic atmospheric circulation: a case study for the northern winter 1995/1996

The present paper selects the northern winter of December 1995–February 1996 for a case study on the impact of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies on the atmospheric circulation over the North Atlantic and Western Europe. In the Atlantic, the selected winter was characterized by positive SST anomalies over the northern subtropics and east of Newfoundland, and negative anomalies along the US coast. A weak La Niña event developed in the Pacific. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index was low, precipitation over the Iberian Peninsula and northern Africa was anomalously high, and precipitation over northern Europe was anomalously low. The method of study consists of assessing the sensitivity of ensemble simulations by the UCLA atmospheric general circulation model (UCLA AGCM) to SST anomalies from the observation, which are prescribed either in the World Oceans, the Atlantic Ocean only, or the subtropical North Atlantic only. The results obtained are compared with a control run that uses global, time-varying climatological SST. The ensemble simulations with global and Atlantic-only SST anomalies both produce results that resemble the observations over the North Atlantic and Western Europe. It is suggested that the anomalous behavior of the atmosphere in the selected winter over those regions, therefore, was primarily determined by conditions within the Atlantic basin. The simulated fields in the tropical North Atlantic show anomalous upward motion and lower (upper) level convergence (divergence) in the atmosphere overlying the positive SST anomalies. Consistently, the subtropical jet intensifies and its core moves equatorward, and precipitation increases over northern Africa and southern Europe. The results also suggest that the SST anomalies in the tropical North Atlantic only do not suffice to produce the atmospheric anomalies observed in the basin during the selected winter. The extratropical SST anomalies would provide a key contribution through increased transient eddy activity, which causes an extension of the subtropical jet eastward from the coast of North America.     

A new North Atlantic Oscillation index and its variability

A new North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, the NAOI, is defined as the differences of normalized sea level pressures regionally zonal-averaged over a broad range of longitudes 80°W-30°E. A comprehensive comparison of six NAO indices indicates that the new NAOI provides a more faithful representation of the spatial-temporal variability associated with the NAO on all timescales. A very high signal-to-noise ratio for the NAOI exists for all seasons, and the life cycle represented by the NAOI describes well the seasonal migration for action centers of the NAO. The NAOI captures a larger fraction of the variance of sea level pressure over the North Atlantic sector (20°-90°N, 80°W-30°E), on average 10% more than any other NAO index. There are quite different relationships between the NAOI and surface air temperature during winter and summer. A novel feature, however, is that the NAOI is significantly negative correlated with surface air temperature over the North Atlantic Ocean between 10°-25°N and     

北极—欧亚温度偶极型对应环流的非对称特征及可能成因

基于1950—2021年美国国家环境预报中心/大气研究中心(NCEP/NCAR)再分析资料以及英国哈德莱中心提供的海温、海冰密集度资料,分析了年际尺度上北极—欧亚温度偶极型模态及其对应环流的非对称特征和可能形成机理。结果表明,这种模态自身即相关地表气温异常的位置和强度在其正负位相下非对称性都较弱,其中暖北极—冷欧亚(Warm Arctic-Cold Eurasia,WACE)事件下的温度异常分布略偏北,在欧亚大陆的冷异常相较于冷北极—暖欧亚(Cold Arctic-Warm Eurasia,CAWE)事件暖异常的强度略强。然而,WACE模态正负位相对应的环流有明显的非对称性,WACE事件对应着弱的北大西洋涛动(North Atlantic Oscillation,NAO)正位相以及欧亚大陆上空的强大的高压异常,而CAWE事件则对应着强NAO负位相。进一步研究表明,这种环流的非对称性特征与热带太平洋海温调控的非对称性有关,当La Niña事件出现,尤其海温的负异常中心偏西时,欧亚大陆中高纬地区地表气温易呈现WACE的形态,而CAWE事件则主要由大气内部变率调控,与热带太平洋海温的联系不明显。     

The variable link between PNA and NAO in observations and in multi-century CGCM simulations

The link between the Pacific/North American pattern (PNA) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is investigated in reanalysis data (NCEP, ERA40) and multi-century CGCM runs for present day climate using three versions of the ECHAM model. PNA and NAO patterns and indices are determined via rotated principal component analysis on monthly mean 500?hPa geopotential height fields using the varimax criteria. On average, the multi-century CGCM simulations show a significant anti-correlation between PNA and NAO. Further, multi-decadal periods with significantly enhanced (high anti-correlation, active phase) or weakened (low correlations, inactive phase) coupling are found in all CGCMs. In the simulated active phases, the storm track activity near Newfoundland has a stronger link with the PNA variability than during the inactive phases. On average, the reanalysis datasets show no significant anti-correlation between PNA and NAO indices, but during the sub-period 1973?C1994 a significant anti-correlation is detected, suggesting that the present climate could correspond to an inactive period as detected in the CGCMs. An analysis of possible physical mechanisms suggests that the link between the patterns is established by the baroclinic waves forming the North Atlantic storm track. The geopotential height anomalies associated with negative PNA phases induce an increased advection of warm and moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and cold air from Canada. Both types of advection contribute to increase baroclinicity over eastern North America and also to increase the low level latent heat content of the warm air masses. Thus, growth conditions for eddies at the entrance of the North Atlantic storm track are enhanced. Considering the average temporal development during winter for the CGCM, results show an enhanced Newfoundland storm track maximum in the early winter for negative PNA, followed by a downstream enhancement of the Atlantic storm track in the subsequent months. In active (passive) phases, this seasonal development is enhanced (suppressed). As the storm track over the central and eastern Atlantic is closely related to the NAO variability, this development can be explained by the shift of the NAO index to more positive values.     

Physical mechanisms of European winter snow cover variability and its relationship to the NAO

Annual snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere has decreased in the past two decades, an effect associated with global warming. The regional scale changes of snow cover during winter, however, vary significantly from one region to another. In the present study, snow cover variability over Europe and its connection to other atmospheric variables was investigated using Cyclostationary Empirical Orthogonal Function (CSEOF) analysis. The evolution of atmospheric variables related to each CSEOF mode of snow cover variability was derived via regression analysis in CSEOF space. CSEOF analysis clearly shows that the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is related to European snow cover, particularly in January and February. A negative NAO phase tends to result in a snow cover increases, whereas a positive NAO phase results in snow cover decreases. The temporal changes in the connection between the NAO and European snow cover are explained by time-dependent NAO-related temperature anomalies. If the NAO phase is negative, the temperature is lower in Europe and snow cover increases; by contrast, when the NAO phase is positive, the temperature is higher and snow cover decreases. Temperature and snow cover variations in Europe are associated with the thermal advection by anomalous wind by NAO. CSEOF analysis also shows an abrupt increase of snow cover in December and January and a decrease in February and March since the year 2000, approximately. This abrupt change is associated with sub-seasonal variations of atmospheric circulation in the study region.     

两类ENSO对中国北方冬季平均气温和极端低温的不同影响

利用1961-2012年观测、再分析资料以及全球大气环流模式数值试验,探讨了中国北方冬季平均气温对于不同类型（即东部型和中部型）ENSO事件的气候响应,并分析了不同类型ENSO对极端低温事件的可能影响,重点关注了北大西洋涛动（NAO）在其中的桥梁作用。结果表明,ENSO信号能通过调制北大西洋地区的大气环流改变欧亚中高纬度地区的纬向温度平流输送和西伯利亚高压的强度,进而影响中国北方冬季气温,由于不同类型ENSO事件海温分布的差异,这种影响具有明显的非线性特征。在两类厄尔尼诺和东部型拉尼娜事件冬季,北大西洋涛动均呈现负位相,不利于北大西洋的暖湿空气向欧亚大陆输送,西伯利亚高压偏强,因而中国北方地区较气候态偏冷。中部型厄尔尼诺和东部型拉尼娜事件冬季气温负异常的显著区域分别位于东北大范围地区、内蒙古河套附近;东部型厄尔尼诺事件冬季显著的冷异常信号仅局限于黑龙江北部与大兴安岭地区;而中部型拉尼娜事件冬季虽伴随北大西洋涛动正位相,但其空间结构向西偏移,对下游中国北方地区气温的直接影响并不显著,可能受局地信号干扰较大。数值试验再现了北大西洋涛动以及中国北方冬季气温对不同类型ENSO的响应,进一步佐证了上述结论。此外,两类厄尔尼诺事件冬季中国东北地区日平均气温容易偏低,极端低温事件的发生频次增多;而两类拉尼娜事件对极端低温的影响较弱。      

Intraseasonal non-stationarity of the leading modes of atmospheric moisture over Europe during summer

A gridded monthly precipitable water (PW) data for 1979?C2007 from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis are used to investigate summertime interannual PW variability over Europe and its relation to the key climate parameters in the region. During summer season the first EOF mode of PW, explaining 27?C41% of its total variance, demonstrates significant month-to-month changes in its structure, thus, implying its essential non-stationarity. The second EOF mode of PW is also non-stationary during the summer season. In contrast to precipitation, both leading modes of PW are not associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), as well as with other regional teleconnections, suggesting relatively minor role of the atmospheric dynamics in atmospheric moisture variability over Europe during summer season. Analysis of links between leading EOF modes of regional PW and air temperature (AT) has revealed a strong link between PW and AT over Europe, persisting during entire summer season. Locally, these links imply that positive (negative) AT anomalies result in enhanced (decreased) PW over particular region. Revealed links between leading modes of PW and AT highlight important role of thermodynamics in summertime PW variability over Europe. Detected relatively weak and unstable links between leading modes of PW and precipitation over Europe were somewhat expected since in contrast to atmospheric moisture, regional precipitation variability is largely driven by the atmospheric dynamics (particularly, the NAO).     

Impact of the North Atlantic sea surface temperature tripole on the East Asian summer monsoon

A strong (weak) East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) is usually concurrent with the tripole pattern of North Atlantic SST anomalies on the interannual timescale during summer, which has positive (negative) SST anomalies in the northwestern North Atlantic and negative (positive) SST anomalies in the subpolar and tropical ocean. The mechanisms responsible for this linkage are diagnosed in the present study. It is shown that a barotropic wave-train pattern occurring over the Atlantic-Eurasia region likely acts as a link between the EASM and the SST tripole during summer. This wave-train pattern is concurrent with geopotential height anomalies over the Ural Mountains, which has a substantial effect on the EASM. Diagnosis based on observations and linear dynamical model results reveals that the mechanism for maintaining the wave-train pattern involves both the anomalous diabatic heating and synoptic eddy-vorticity forcing. Since the North Atlantic SST tripole is closely coupled with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the relationships between these two factors and the EASM are also examined. It is found that the connection of the EASM with the summer SST tripole is sensitive to the meridional location of the tripole, which is characterized by large seasonal variations due to the north-south movement of the activity centers of the NAO. The SST tripole that has a strong relationship with the EASM appears to be closely coupled with the NAO in the previous spring rather than in the simultaneous summer.     

冬季与北大西洋涛动相关Rossby波列传播特征及对下游气候的影响

利用再分析数据,以在北半球冬季与北大西洋涛动(North Atlantic Oscillation,NAO)相关的向下游传播的准定常波列在欧洲地区是否发生反射为标准,将1957/1958年至2001/2002年这45个冬季分为高纬型和低纬型两类冬季,分别简称为在H型和L型冬季。在H(L)型冬季,和NAO相联系的向下游传播的Rossby波列主要沿高纬度(低纬度)路径传播。对比了在两种类型冬季NAO与同期大气环流、近地面温度(Surface Air Temperature,SAT)、海表面温度(Sea Surface Tempertaure,SST)和降水的关系。结果表明:大气环流方面,在H型冬季,300 hPa位势高度异常在西-西伯利亚和中-西伯利亚西部与NAO呈现正相关,而在L型冬季300 hPa位势高度异常在亚洲东海岸(约40°N)和北太平洋呈现正相关,在H型冬季与NAO相关的经向风异常在中纬度形成波列,而在L型冬季与NAO相关的经向风异常在副热带形成波列;SAT方面,在H型冬季SAT异常在欧亚大陆腹地高纬度地区与NAO呈现正相关,而在L型冬季与NAO相关的SAT异常在欧亚大陆腹地的高纬度地区相对较弱,但NAO造成的SAT异常可以扩展到亚洲东北部;降水方面,H型冬季与L型冬季主要区别在中国南方,在H型冬季降水异常与NAO的关系相对较弱,而在L型冬季降水异常与NAO呈现正相关关系;SST方面,同期SST异常在北大西洋中纬度海域与NAO呈现正相关,而在L型冬季与NAO相关的SST异常在北大西洋中纬度地区相对较弱,在北大西洋北部和南部较强。总体而言,在H型和L型冬季,NAO具有不同下游影响。     

Relationship between the Late Spring NAO and Summer Extreme Precipitation Frequency in the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River

The relationship between the late spring North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the summer extreme precipitation frequency (EPF) in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Valley (MLYRV) is examined using an NECP/NCAR reanalysis dataset and daily precipitation data from 74 stations in the MLYRV. The results show a significant negative correlation between the May NAO index and the EPF over the MLYRV in the subsequent summer. In positive EPF index years, the East Asian westerly jet shifts farther southward, and two blocking high positive anomalies appear over the Sea of Okhotsk and the Ural Mountains. These anomalies are favorable to the cold air from the mid-high latitudes invading the Yangtze River Valley (YRV). The moisture convergence and the ascending motion dominate the MLYRV. The above patterns are reversed in negative EPF index years. A wave train pattern that originates from the North Atlantic extends eastward to the Mediterranean and then moves to the Tibetan Plateau and from there to the YRV, which is an important link in the May NAO and the summer extreme precipitation in the MLYRV. The wave train may be aroused by the tripole pattern of the SST, which can explain why the May NAO affects the summer EPF in the MLYRV.     

冬季北半球大气对秋冬季巴伦支海海冰异常的敏感性研究

基于ERA-Interim再分析资料,借助大气模式CAM4,分析了北半球冬季不同月份的平均大气对巴伦支海不同振幅及不同季节海冰扰动的敏感性,并考察了中高纬度典型大气模态的分布变化情况.结果表明,冬季巴伦支海海冰的减少,会导致湍流热通量异常向上、局地异常变暖及水汽含量的异常升高,且相关异常的强度和范围随着海冰减少幅度的减...     

Role of tropical atlantic SST variability as a modulator of El Niño teleconnections

The present study suggests that the off-equatorial North Atlantic (NATL) SST warming plays a significant role in modulating El Niño teleconnection and its impact on the North Atlantic and European regions. The El Niño events accompanied by NATL SST warming exhibit south-north dipole pattern over the Western Europe to Atlantic, while the ENSO teleconnection pattern without NATL warming exhibits a Rossby wave-like pattern confined over the North Pacific and western Atlantic. Especially, the El Niño events with NATL warming show positive (negative) geopotential-height anomalies over the North Atlantic (Western Europe) which resemble the negative phase of the NAO. Consistently, it is shown using a simple statistical model that NATL SSTA in addition to the tropical Pacific SSTA leads to better prediction on regional climate variation over the North Atlantic and European regions. This role of NATL SST on ENSO teleconnection is also validated and discussed in a long term simulation of coupled global circulation model (CGCM).     

春季欧亚大陆地表气温变化特征的气候意义

研究了春季欧亚大陆地表气温的年际变化及其相联系的环流场特征,发现春季欧亚大陆地表气温年际变化呈现为大陆尺度的南北跷跷板式的空间分布特征, 即当中高纬度地表气温为正距平时,副热带地区则为负距平,反之亦然。这种空间分布型代表了欧亚大陆中高纬度地表气温年际变化的主要特征。进一步的研究表明,这种变化与前期冬季北大西洋涛动（NAO）有着显著的正相关,而与同期的NAO无关。同时,欧亚大陆地表气温异常存在着明显的从冬到夏的持续性。与东亚初夏气候变化关系的研究表明,春季欧亚大陆地表气温的变化通过影响鄂霍次克高压的变化进一步影响初夏梅雨的变化。当春季欧亚大陆中高纬度地表气温为正距平时,鄂霍次克高压偏强,初夏梅雨较活跃,反之亦然。