Laterally‐propagating Rossby waves in the easterly acceleration phase of the quasi‐biennial oscillation

Abstract

It is shown that oscillating mean flow solutions exist in the one‐dimensional Holton‐Lindzen (1972) model in the presence of a single Kelvin wave, mean flow diffusion, and an easterly zonal force per unit mass that is constant in height and time except at those points in the time‐height cross‐section where the latitudinally‐integrated mean flow is less than some prescribed easterly value. The latter forcing is intended to crudely represent the absorption of quasi‐stationary planetary Rossby waves at the tropical zero‐wind line. Our results suggest an alternative, and somewhat simpler, possible interpretation of the quasi‐biennial mean zonal wind oscillation in the equatorial lower stratosphere.     

Calculation of the effect of stratospheric mean wind variations on the solar semidiurnal barometric oscillation

Abstract

A simple perturbation procedure is developed for incorporating the effects of mean zonal winds in atmospheric tidal calculations. This method is used to determine the variation of the solar semidiurnal surface pressure oscillation, S₂(p), that is expected to result from the mean wind changes during the course of the quasi‐biennial oscillation of the tropical stratosphere. The results are consistent with earlier observations of a quasi‐biennial variation in S₂(p). Some new observations of biennial variability in S₂(p) at four tropical stations are also discussed.     

低平流层准两年变率研究

分析ＮＣＡＲ／ＮＣＥＰ４０年分析资料得出,赤道低平流层纬向风年际变率的平均周期约２８．２个月,最大振幅的２０ｈＰａ,西（东）风距平平垂直下传平均速度１．２１（１．０４）ｋｍ／月。用１０ｈＰａ和７０ｈＰａ月平均纬向风标准化距平之差反映整层准两年变率的相位。低平流层两半球中纬气温有与之配合的振荡,西（东）风切变时,中纬气温偏低（高）。赤道纬向风准两年变率引起的经圈环流异常是联系低续续向风与中纬气温准年     

低平流层准两年变率研究

分析NCAR/NCEP40年再分析资料得出,赤道低平流层纬向风年际变率的平均周期约28.2个月,最大振幅在20hPa,西(东)风距平垂直下传平均速度1.21(1.04)km/月。用10hPa和70hPa月平均纬向风标准化距平之差可反映整层准两年变率的相位,低平流层两半球中纬气温有与之配合的振荡,西(东)风切变时,中纬气温偏低(高)。赤道纬向风准两年变率引起的经圈环流异常是联系低纬纬向风与中纬气温准两年变率的纽带。     

The vertical structure of the quasi‐biennial oscillation: Observations and theory

Abstract

Rocketsonde observations of the zonal wind over Ascension Island (8°S) were analysed to obtain the amplitude and phase of the quasi‐biennial oscillation (QBO) in the height range 25–58 km. It was found that the amplitude peaked at about 30km and decreased rapidly above 40km. In fact, above 45 km there is no clear evidence that a QBO actually exists.

A number of simulations using the Holton‐Lindzen model of the QBO were performed. It was found that when the waves in the model were damped with Dickinson's (1973) Newtonian cooling, the simulated QBO extended to higher levels than actually observed. However, when the wavelength‐dependent cooling rates of Fels(1981) were used, a fairly realistic vertical structure resulted.     

The westerly acceleration phase of the stratospheric quasi‐biennial oscillation as revealed in FGGE analyses: Research note

Abstract

The initial development of the westerly acceleration phase of the tropical quasi‐biennial oscillation in late 1979 was examined using FGGE analyses at the 20‐ and 10‐mb levels. The analysed winds were found to undergo strong equatorially‐centred westerly accelerations. These accelerations are narrower in meridional extent than those expected to result from the interaction of the Wallace‐Kousky Kelvin wave with the mean flow.     

Non‐linear coupling between modes in a low‐dimensional model of ENSO

Abstract

An intermediate coupled model of the tropical Pacific ocean‐atmosphere system was reduced by projecting the non‐linear model onto a truncated basis set of its own empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs). For moderate coupling strengths, the simulated El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability consists of a dominant quasi‐quadrennial mode with a period of approximately four years and a smaller quasi‐biennial mode at a period of approximately two years. In the absence of a seasonal cycle, the leading two EOFs capture the dynamics of the leading interannual mode, with a further two EOFs being required to capture the secondary oscillation. The presence of seasonal forcing increases the EOF requirement by two, the leading pair of EOFs being dominated by the annual cycle. Normal mode analysis of the reduced models indicates that the quasi‐biennial mode manifests itself, even though it is linearly stable, by non‐linear coupling to the quasi‐quadrennial mode. The nonlinearity does not produce the quasi‐biennial signal unless the spatial degrees of freedom associated with the linear quasi‐biennial mode are present. Other linearly stable modes also couple non‐linearly to the leading interannual mode and to the seasonal cycle, but the quasi‐biennial mode is favoured over other, less‐damped linear modes because of its proximity to a multiple of the quasi‐quadrennial frequency.     

QBO-like Oscillations Induced by Local Thermal Forcing

A zonal-vertical two-dimensional equatorial model is used to study the possibility that the long period oscillation of the zonal mean flow occurring in the lower equatorial stratosphere (QBO) is caused by local thermal ac-tivities at the tropical tropopause. The model successfully reproduces QBO-like oscillations of the zonal mean flow, suggesting that the local heating or cooling at the tropical tropopause is probably the main reason of QBO’s genera-tion. The analysis of the dependence of the oscillation on the wave fencing indicates that the oscillation is not sensible to the forcing scale. The model can reproduce QBO-like oscillations with any forcing scale if the fencing period and amplitude take appropriate values, proving that the internal gravity waves generated by local thermal source take much important roles in QBO.     

Perturbations in tropical middle atmosphere during winter, 1984–1985

Summary Using high altitude rocketsonde data for Thumba (8.5 N, 76.9E) and Balasore (21.5 N, 86.9E) and the stratalert messages for high latitudes for the winter (December–March) 1984–1985, an examination has been made to study the perturbations in the temperature and winds in the tropical middle atmosphere and their linkage with the dynamical events occurring over the high-latitude middle atmosphere during that winter.The results of analysis indicated occurrence of strong cooling in the mesosphere over a period of seven days (5–12 December 1984) and the depth of the cooling layer was 15 km. This incident was followed by a strong warming over a period of seven days (12–19 December 1984) and the depth of the warming layer was 13 km. The major warming event, which occurred over high latitudes during the later part of December and the first week of January, was followed by the cooling in the mesosphere and warming in the stratosphere at Thumba. Also the zonal winds were strong easterly and the meridional winds were northerly in the upper stratosphere and the lower mesosphere over tropics during the same period. Weaker zonal winds/stronger easterly winds were generally noticed to be associated with coolings/warmings over tropics.With 7 Figures     

大气季节内振荡的活动与El Nino

用广东省４７个测站１９５４－１９９０年各月的平均气温、降水、日照时数的标准化资料分别作按时间点分解的主分量分析,取其前６个主分量作为各测站的气候特征量,用相关系数－重心法作聚类分析,作出各月、全年综合要素的气候分区。结果表明：（１）将广东各月分为有较显著差异的５个区,则冬半年（１０－翌年４月）各月的分区形式较类似且规律性明显,夏半年（５－９月）各月的分区逐月变化明显,且分区形式差别较大。（２）若用６个自然季节的平均气温、降水、日照时数标准化资料分别作主分量分析,各取前３个主分量作为全年气候分区的特征量,则广东全年的气候区可分为东南沿海、西南沿海、西北内陆３个区。     

平流层大气动力学及其与对流层大气相互作用的研究:进展与问题

本文综述了近年来关于平流层大气动力学及其与对流层大气相互作用动力过程的研究进展,特别是回顾了近年来关于平流层大气环流和行星波动力学、热带平流层大气波动及其与基本气流相互作用、平流层大气环流变异对对流层环流和气候变异的影响及其动力过程、平流层大气数值模拟以及在全球变暖背景下平流层大气的长期演变趋势预估等的研究进展。最近的研究揭示了大气准定常行星波传播波导的振荡现象、重力波在热带平流层准两年振荡和全球物质输送中的作用、平流层长期的变冷趋势变化、平流层在对流层天气和气候变化中的作用等现象,表明了平流层大气动力学研究的重要性。平流层大气动力学的深入研究,以及对数值模式中平流层模拟性能的提高,最终都会推动整个大气科学和气候变化研究的进一步发展。     

Variation in Brewer–Dobson Circulation During Three Sudden Stratospheric Major Warming Events in the 2000s

As the strongest subseasonal atmospheric variability during boreal winter, three remarkable sudden stratospheric major warming(SSW) events in the 2000 s are investigated in terms of the Brewer–Dobson circulation(BDC) response. Our study shows that the changes of cross-isentropic velocity during the SSWs are not only confined to the polar region, but also extend to the whole Northern Hemisphere: enhanced descent in the polar region, as well as enhanced ascent in the tropics. When the acceleration of the deep branch of the BDC descends to the middle stratosphere, its strength rapidly decreases over a period of one to two weeks. The acceleration of the deep branch of the BDC is driven by the enhanced planetary wave activity in the mid-to-high-latitude stratosphere. Different from the rapid response of the deep branch of the BDC, tropical upwelling in the lower stratosphere accelerates up to 20%–40% compared with the climatology, 20–30 days after the onset of the SSWs,and the acceleration lasts for one to three months. The enhancement of tropical upwelling is associated with the large-scale wave-breaking in the subtropics interacting with the midlatitude and tropical Quasi-Biennial Oscillation–related mean flow.     

中间层顶区域大气平均风场年和半年振荡的全球结构

利用2003~2011年TIDI(TIMED Doppler Interferometer)风场观测数据研究了中间层顶区域80~105 km纬向平均风场年振荡和半年振荡振幅和相位的全球分布结构,并给出了它们的年际变化。在热带地区,纬向风半年振荡最显著。振幅峰值中心位于南半球10°S~20°S范围,出现与平流层半年振荡类似的相对于赤道不对称的分布,并且振幅峰值与以前在该区域的研究结果存在较大差别。在中高纬度地区,纬向风和经向风被年振荡所控制。纬向风在高度100 km以下中高纬度都存在振幅大值中心;经向风年振荡只出现在两半球中纬度高度95 km以下,并且南北半球振幅峰值中心分布不一致。分析结果还显示年振荡和半年振荡振幅存在显著地年际变化,相位的年际变化则较小,但北半球热带地区经向风年振荡振幅和相位表现出2年周期的变化。     

Quasi-periodic imprints in the equatorial troposphere and stratosphere in three decades of reanalysis data

Wavelet analysis is applied to zonal mean zonal wind and temperature fields to represent characteristics of temporal periodic features different from the annual and semi-annual recurrence in the troposphere and stratosphere. A daily database of reanalyses is used for the period 1979–2008, which comprises the era of satellite-based data, as some discontinuities have been observed around 1978 in previous studies. Levels for this study have been chosen at 400 and 10 hPa, respectively in the middle troposphere and middle stratosphere. As representative for diverse latitudinal regions we have respectively selected 0°, ±20°, ±40°, ±60°, ±80°. Significant features were only found at the equator. The period of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) is found to exhibit a decreasing trend in time over the 30 years studied. Potential harmonics of the QBO are found in the tropical stratosphere but also troposphere. However, they do not exhibit the same tendency. This fact supports in particular the idea that the QBO and the tropospheric biennial oscillation may be unrelated phenomena. Some of the observed features lie within the known range of variability of the El Niño Southern Oscillation. Faint effects of the 11-year solar cycle variability may have been observed in the troposphere and stratosphere, but no firm assertion may be made due to the low number of observed cycles for this kind of phenomenon in the used data-set time span. Short-term solar variabilities leave no relevant imprint.     

热带基本气流对冬季北半球中高纬度准定常行星波的影响

本文利用一个包括Rayleigh摩擦、Newton冷却及水平涡旋热力扩散的准地转34层球坐标模式来研究冬季北半球地形与热源强迫所产生的准定常行星波与热带基本气流的关系。 计算结果表明,冬季热带平流层基本气流是西风时,其北半球中高纬度平流层波数2准定常行星波的振幅偏大;而当冬季热带平流层基本气流是东风时,其北半球中高纬度平流层波数2准定常行星波的振幅偏小,这与实际结果比较一致。 计算结果还表明冬季热带对流层基本气流对中高纬度准定常波的影响要比平流层基本气流的影响大。     

NUMERICAL STUDY OF TROPICS-EXTRATROPICS INTERACTION

A nonlinear steady-state baroclinic primitive-equation numerical model of atmospheric forced stationarywaves is used to investigate the tropics-extratropics interactions.Newtonian cooling,Rayleigh friction andbiharmonic horizontal diffusion are included in the model.The Eliassen-Palm (EP) cross-section and three-dimensional wave activity flux,which was derived by Plumb (1985) for linear quasi-geostrophic stationarywaves on a zonal flow,are used as diagnostics for the vertical and horizontal propagation of the waves.Results of the numerical experiments and diagnostics analyses suggest that the extratropical influenceon the tropical large-scale motion is important.The mid-latitude orographic forcing,especially of the Qing-hai-Xizang Plateau,and the extratropical thermal forcing make substantial contribution to the main-tenance of the cyclonic circulation over the eastern tropical and subtropical Pacific as well as the inversecirculation over the western Pacific in the upper troposphere.In addition,the longitudinal variation ofdiabatic heating in tropics has a significant influence on the wintertime stationary waves at higher latitudes.     

热带大气环流平均状况的研究

应用NMCl7年热带u、v风及OLR资料研究了热带地区大气环流的平均结构和特征。指出热带大尺度环流基本上是由东西向的walker环流和南北向的Hadley环流所组成的。这些环流是由热力作用直接驱动的,它具有高低层风向相反的特征。扰动风场与平均风场有密切关系。西风基本气流对应着扰动动能的极大值而东风则对应着扰动动能的极小值。热带地区存在着明显的辐散辐合作用,它也是由热力作用引起的并与热带对流活动有密切联系。      

A NUMERICAL STUDY FOR THE EFFECT OF TROPICAL 40-50 DAY OSCILLATION ON ASIAN SUMMER MONSOON

By using a five-layer primitive equation model with P-sigma coordinates,the effect of convective heating source with the oscillation of a dipole pattern over the tropical Indian Ocean-Western Pacific on Asian summer monsoon is investigated.The results from simulations show that the oscillatary heating source may cause oscillations in east-west zonal circulation at the equator,in cross-equatorial flow,in meridional monsoon circulation and in the phase of high-low level circulation over Asia,with period same as that of the oscillating heat source.Furthermore,the influence mechanism of the tropical heating source associated with oscillations on Asian summer monsoon circulation is also studicd.It is clearly shown that the westward propagation of thermally-forced Rossy waves to the west of the oscillatary heating source and the northward propagation of disturbances can give rise to oscillations of the equatorial east-west zonal circulation and monsoonal meridional circulation.Finally,the oscillation of all the Asian summer monsoon circulation is formed.     

Comprehensive simulation of the middle atmospheric climate: some recent results

This study discusses the results of comprehensive time-dependent, three-dimensional numerical modelling of the circulation in the middle atmosphere obtained with the GFDL SKYHI troposphere-stratosphere-mesosphere general circulation model (GCM). The climate in a long control simulation with an intermediate resolution version (3° in horizontal) is briefly reviewed. While many aspects of the simulation are quite realistic, the focus in this study is on remaining first-order problems with the modelled middle atmospheric general circulation, notably the very cold high latitude temperatures in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) winter/spring, and the virtual absence of a quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) in the tropical stratosphere. These problems are shared by other extant GCMs. It was noted that the SH cold pole problem is somewhat ameliorated with increasing horizontal resolution in the model. This suggests that improved resolution increases the vertical momentum fluxes from the explicitly resolved gravity waves in the model, a point confirmed by detailed analysis of the spectrum of vertical eddy momentum flux in the winter SH extratropics. This result inspired a series of experiments with the 3° SKYHI model modified by adding a prescribed zonally-symmetric zonal drag on the SH winter westerlies. The form of the imposed momentum source was based on the simple assumption that the mean flow drag produced by unresolved waves has a spatial distribution similar to that of the Eliassen-Palm flux divergence associated with explicitly resolved gravity waves. It was found that an appropriately-chosen drag confined to the top six model levels (above 0.35 mb) can lead to quite realistic simulations of the SH winter flow (including even the stationary wave fields) through August, but that problems still remain in the late-winter/springtime simulation. While the imposed momentum source was largely confined to the extratropics, it produced considerable improvement in the simulation of the equatorial semiannual oscillation, with both the easterly and westerly phases being somewhat more intense than in the control simulation. A separate experiment was conducted in which the SKYHI model was simplified so that it had no topography and so that the seasonal cycle was frozen in perpetual equinox conditions. These changes result in a model that has much reduced interhemispheric asymmetry. This model spontaneously produces a long period mean flow oscillation of considerable amplitude in the tropical upper stratopause. The implication of this result for the general issue of obtaining a QBO in comprehensive GCMs is discussed.     

A study on the physical processes of the formation of the ENSO cycle

The physical processes involved in the formation of the ENSO cycle,as well as the possible roles of the Hadley circulation （HC）,Walker circulation （WC）,and the propagating waves of the Southern Oscillation/Northern Oscillation （SO/NO） in its formation,were studied using composite and regression methods.The analysis showed that the convection and heat release triggered by ENSO in the central-eastern equatorial Pacific are the primary drivers for the 3-5 year cycle of the HC,WC and the meridional/zonal circulation.The HC plays a key role in the influence of ENSO on the circulation outside the tropics through angular momentum transportation.Meanwhile,the feedback effects of the anomalous circulation in the mid-high latitudes on ENSO are accomplished by the propagating waves of SO/NO associated with the evolutions of HC and WC.These propagating waves are the main agents of the connections among the meridional/zonal circulation outside the tropics,the Asian/Australian monsoon,the anomalous easterly/westerly winds over the tropical Pacific,and ENSO events.It was found that the 3-5 year cycle of the meridional/zonal circulation forced by ENSO is quite different from the several-week variation of the circulation index triggered by the inner dynamic processes of the atmosphere.The former occurs at the global scale with a definite flow pattern,while the latter occurs only in a wide area without a definite flow pattern.Finally,a physical model for the formation of the ENSO cycle composed of two fundamental processes at the basin and global scale,respectively,is proposed.