The influence of sea surface temperature anomalies on low-frequency variability of the North Atlantic Oscillation

The influence of sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) on multi-year persistence of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) during the second half of the twentieth century is investigated using the Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies (COLA) Atmospheric GCM (AGCM) with an emphasis on isolating the geographic location of the SSTA that produce this influence. The present study focuses on calculating the atmospheric response to the SSTA averaged over 1988–1995 (1961–1968) corresponding to the observed period of strong persistence of the positive (negative) phase of the decadal NAO. The model response to the global 1988–1995 average SSTA shows a statistically significant large-scale pattern characteristic of the positive phase of the NAO. Forcing with the global 1961–1968 average SSTA generates a NAO of the opposite polarity compared to observations. However, all large-scale features both in the model and observations during this period are weaker in magnitude and less significant compared to 1988–1995. Additional idealized experiments show that over the northern center of the NAO the non-linear component of the forced response appears to be quite important and acts to enhance the positive NAO signal. On the other hand, over the southern center where the model response is the strongest, it is also essentially linear. The 1988–1995 average SSTA restricted to the western tropical Pacific region produce a positive NAO remarkably similar in structure but stronger in magnitude than the model response to the global and tropical Indo-Pacific 1988–1995 forcing. A 200-hPa geopotential height response in these experiments shows a positive anomaly over the southern center of the NAO embedded in the Rossby wave trains propagating from the western tropical Pacific. Indian Ocean SSTA lead to much weaker positive NAO primarily through the effect on its northern center. SST forcing confined to the North Atlantic north of equator does not produce a response statistically different from the control simulation, suggesting that it is not strong enough to significantly affect the phase of the decadal NAO. Inclusion of the South Atlantic north of 45° south does not change this result.

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Influence of sea surface temperature on the intraseasonal variability of the South China Sea summer monsoon

The objective of this study is to examine, based on recently available high resolution satellite and observational data, the evolution and role of sea surface temperature (SST) in influencing the intraseasonal variability of the South China Sea (SCS) summer monsoon (SM). The study focuses on the 30–60?day timescale when the northward propagating anomalies are dominant over the SCS. Composite analysis of the SST maximum events during SCS SM shows that increased SST anomalies over the SCS are significantly influenced by the downward shortwave radiation flux anomalies, with the suppressed surface latent heat flux anomalies supplementing to it. A thermal damping of the positive SST anomalies induces positive upward heat fluxes, which then destabilize the lower atmosphere between 1,000 and 700?hPa. The positive SST anomalies lead the positive precipitation anomalies over the SCS by 10?days, with a significant correlation (r?=?0.44) between the SST-precipitation anomalies. The new findings here indicate an ocean-to-atmosphere effect over the SCS, where underlying SST anomalies tend to form a favorable condition for convective activity and sustain enhanced precipitation during the SCS SM. It is also argued, based on our observations, that the negative sea level pressure anomalies induced by the positive SST anomalies play a role in enhancing the northward propagation of the intraseasonal anomalies over the SCS.     

Influence of the South Atlantic convergence zone and SouthAtlantic Sea surface temperature on interannual summerrainfall variability in Southeastern South America

Summary  In subtropical Argentina, Paraguay and southern Brazil, precipitation is most abundant during summer but its interannual variability is large. At this time a zone of low-level convergence, upper-level divergence, and intense convection is developed to the north of this area. This feature is known as the South Atlantic convergence zone (SACZ) and seems to be related to the interannual variability of summer rainfall to its south. The aim of this work is to document this relationship. Reduced (increased) precipitation in southern Brazil, most of Uruguay and northeastern Argentina is associated with a strong (weak) SACZ and a northward (southward) displacement of it, while increased (reduced) rainfall occurs further south in subtropical Argentina. Also, warm (cold) SST in the region 20° S–40° S and west of 30° W is likely accompanied by a southward (northward) shift of the SACZ. Aside of this relation with the SACZ that affect on the precipitation field of Southeastern South America, the proximate Atlantic Ocean SST seems to force the precipitation over this region by other mechanisms as well. The result of this additional SST forcing is to enhance the signal of the SACZ in northeastern Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil and to oppose the SACZ effect in southern subtropical Argentina. Received July 24, 1999 Revised July 5, 2000     

局地海表温度异常影响热带气旋路径的模拟研究

本文以热带气旋"鲇鱼"(2010)为例,利用WRF模式和"鲇鱼"移动路径上不同的局地海表温度(SST)强迫进行了敏感性数值模拟。控制试验(CTRL)采用NCEP的SST强迫,敏感性试验分别在"鲇鱼"登陆菲律宾前的路径上增加(EXP1)和减小(EXP2)SST。结果表明:CTRL试验模拟的热带气旋路径与实况非常一致,EXP1试验模拟的热带气旋路径提前转向,移动路径偏东,EXP2试验模拟的热带气旋路径转向滞后,且移动路径偏西。对SST异常导致热带气旋路径出现差异的原因分析发现,热带气旋在吕宋岛东侧经过异常暖SST海面时,热带气旋强度增强,产生异常的正涡度平流,且500 h Pa以上凝结潜热释放增强副热带高压敏感区出现温度场的正异常,500h Pa以下水凝物的混合和蒸发作用增强造成副热带高压敏感区温度场的负异常,加之正的异常涡度平流和异常的上暖下冷温度场配置使得500 h Pa位势高度降低,副热带高压强度减弱,副热带高压西伸范围减小,导致热带气旋提前向北转向,移动路径偏东。反之,当热带气旋在吕宋岛东侧经过异常冷SST海面时,副热带高压西伸范围扩大,导致热带气旋向北转向滞后,路径偏西。     

南印度洋热带气旋生成频数气候变率对海温异常模响应的研究

基于1980—2014年的哈德莱中心海冰及海温的月平均SST资料,美国联合台风警报中心(JTWC)的best-track资料以及NCEP/NCAR再分析月平均资料,利用广义平衡反馈方法(GEFA)研究南印度洋热带气旋(TC)生成频数对海表温度异常的响应特征。研究表明:(1)南印度TC生成频数对北太平洋第一模态(NP1)和热带大西洋第二模态(TA2)有显著响应,分别通过了置信度为99%和96%的Monte-Carlo检验,对应的响应振幅分别为0.67和0.49。(2)局地环境要素对关键SSTA模的GEFA响应结果显示:当NP1出现类似于太平洋年代际振荡(PDO)的正位相时,850 h Pa相对涡度在15°S附近的印度洋海域上都有一个自西向东的显著正响应带,垂直风切变在马达加斯加以东的大部分海域都表现为显著的负响应,600 h Pa相对湿度在马达加斯加以东的部分海域表现为显著的正响应;当TA2对应的时间系数为正异常时,850 h Pa相对涡度和600 h Pa相对湿度在澳大利亚的西北部印度洋海域表现为显著的正响应,垂直风切变在澳大利亚的西北部印度洋海域表现为显著的负响应。     

A note on the relationship between temperature and water vapor over oceans, including sea surface temperature effects

An ideal and simple formulation is successfully derived that well represents a quasi-linear relationship found between the domain-averaged water vapor, Q (mm), and temperature, T (K), fields for the three tropical oceans (i.e., the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans) based on eleven GEOS-3 [Goddard Earth Observing System (EOS) Version-3] global re-analysis monthly products. A Q ? T distribution analysis is also performed for the tropical and extra-tropical regions based on in-situ sounding data and numerical simulations [GEOS-3 and the Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) model]. A similar positively correlated Q ? T distribution is found over the entire oceanic and tropical regions; however, Q increases faster with T for the former region. It is suspected that the tropical oceans may possess a moister boundary layer than the Tropics. The oceanic regime falls within the lower bound of the tropical regime embedded in a global, curvilinear Q ? T relationship. A positive correlation is also found between T and sea surface temperature (SST); however, for one degree of increase in T, SST is found to increase 1.1 degrees for a warmer ocean, which is slightly less than an increase of 1.25 degrees for a colder ocean. This seemingly indicates that more (less) heat is needed for an open ocean to maintain an air mass above it with a same degree of temperature rise during a colder (warmer) season [or in a colder (warmer) region]. Q and SST are also found to be positively correlated. Relative humidity (RH) exhibits similar behaviors for oceanic and tropical regions. RH increases with increasing SST and T over oceans, while it increases with increasing T in the Tropics. RH, however, decreases with increasing temperature in the extratropics. It is suspected that the tropical and oceanic regions may possess a moister local boundary layer than the extratropics so that a faster moisture increase than a saturated moisture increase is favored for the former regions. T,Q, saturated water vapor, RH, and SST are also examined with regard to the warm and cold “seasons” over individual oceans. The Indian Ocean warm season dominates in each of the five quantities, while the Atlantic Ocean cold season has the lowest values in most categories. The higher values for the Indian Ocean may be due to its relatively high percentage of tropical coverage compared to the other two oceans. However, Q is found to increase faster for colder months from individual oceans, which differs from the general finding in the global Q?T relationship that Q increases slower for a colder climate. The modified relationship may be attributed to a possible seasonal (warm and cold) variability in boundary layer depth over oceans, or to the small sample size used in each individual oceanic group.     

南海海温变化与初夏西太平洋副高活动及长江中、下游汛期降水关系的分析

本文对南海海温、西太平洋副热带高压的特征指数及长江中、下游汛期降水等要素做了统计分析,结果表明,南海秋、冬季节的海表温度与同海区第二年初夏的海温状态、长江中、下游的降水有明显的相关;初夏南海海温与同时期西太平洋副热带高压西部脊有密切的联系,而副高西部脊的西伸位置和强度变化又对长江中、下游的降水有显著的影响.也就是说,当秋、冬季节南海海温高时,下年初夏南海海温也偏高,南海副热带高压脊偏强,西太平洋副高脊位置偏西,相应地长江中、下游降水偏多.这个相关联系表明南海秋、冬季节海温的热状态是影响长江中、下游初夏降水的重要因素之一,而且副高西部脊又是这个过程的重要环节.     

Future surface mass balance of the Antarctic ice sheet and its influence on sea level change, simulated by a regional atmospheric climate model

A regional atmospheric climate model with multi-layer snow module (RACMO2) is forced at the lateral boundaries by global climate model (GCM) data to assess the future climate and surface mass balance (SMB) of the Antarctic ice sheet (AIS). Two different GCMs (ECHAM5 until 2100 and HadCM3 until 2200) and two different emission scenarios (A1B and E1) are used as forcing to capture a realistic range in future climate states. Simulated ice sheet averaged 2 m air temperature (T_2m) increases (1.8–3.0 K in 2100 and 2.4–5.3 K in 2200), simultaneously and with the same magnitude as GCM simulated T_2m. The SMB and its components increase in magnitude, as they are directly influenced by the temperature increase. Changes in atmospheric circulation around Antarctica play a minor role in future SMB changes. During the next two centuries, the projected increase in liquid water flux from rainfall and snowmelt, together 60–200 Gt year^?1, will mostly refreeze in the snow pack, so runoff remains small (10–40 Gt year^?1). Sublimation increases by 25–50 %, but remains an order of magnitude smaller than snowfall. The increase in snowfall mainly determines future changes in SMB on the AIS: 6–16 % in 2100 and 8–25 % in 2200. Without any ice dynamical response, this would result in an eustatic sea level drop of 20–43 mm in 2100 and 73–163 mm in 2200, compared to the twentieth century. Averaged over the AIS, a strong relation between $\Updelta$ SMB and $\Updelta\hbox{T}_{2{\rm m}}$ of 98 ± 5 Gt w.e. year^?1 K^?1 is found.     

A climatological study of the influence of synoptic-scale flows on sea breeze evolution in the Bay of Alicante (Spain)

The focus of this study is on sea breeze (SB) characteristics during May and August in the Bay of Alicante (south-eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula, IP, Spain) for the period 2000–2005 in relation to dominating synoptic-scale winds. A dataset containing 292 SB events was objectively constructed to study the impact of the daily synoptic winds at 850 hPa on the main characteristics of SBs. The winds were used to designate three major synoptic-scale regimes: offshore, onshore, and coast-parallel flows. The SB features examined include mean lag of the SB passage, wind speed and direction at the time of onset, mean lag of SB cessation, mean duration of SB, mean maximum velocity, and inland propagation of SB. Some of the characteristics had not been previously considered in the literature. It is found that in comparison with onshore synoptic flows, offshore favors the delayed arrival and termination of SBs, resulting in a longer mean duration. Further, they produce the most intense passages, cause a more frequent southeasterly component, and result in a higher SB gust speed and shorter mean inland penetration. Results from coast-parallel flows are also presented. The strength of the large-scale flows plays a major role upon SB parameters, which essentially support other numerical modeling results.     

Climate model simulation of anthropogenic influence on greenhouse-induced climate change (early agriculture to modern): the role of ocean feedbacks

We present further steps in our analysis of the early anthropogenic hypothesis (Ruddiman, Clim Change 61:261–293, 2003) that increased levels of greenhouse gases in the current interglacial, compared to lower levels in previous interglacials, were initiated by early agricultural activities, and that these increases caused a warming of climate long before the industrial era (～1750). These steps include updating observations of greenhouse gas and climate trends from earlier interglacials, reviewing recent estimates of greenhouse gas emissions from early agriculture, and describing a simulation by a climate model with a dynamic ocean forced by the low levels of greenhouse gases typical of previous interglacials in order to gauge the magnitude of the climate change for an inferred (natural) low greenhouse gas level relative to a high present day level. We conduct two time slice (equilibrium) simulations using present day orbital forcing and two levels of greenhouse gas forcing: the estimated low (natural) levels of previous interglacials, and the high levels of the present (control). By comparing the former to the latter, we estimate how much colder the climate would be without the combined greenhouse gas forcing of the early agriculture era (inferred from differences between this interglacial and previous interglacials) and the industrial era (the period since ～1750). With the low greenhouse gas levels, the global average surface temperature is 2.7 K lower than present day—ranging from ～2 K lower in the tropics to 4–8 K lower in polar regions. These changes are large, and larger than those reported in a pre-industrial (～1750) simulation with this model, because the imposed low greenhouse gas levels (CH₄ = 450 ppb, CO₂ = 240 ppm) are lower than both pre-industrial (CH₄ = 760 ppb, CO₂ = 280 ppm) and modern control (CH₄ = 1,714 ppb, CO₂ = 355 ppm) values. The area of year-round snowcover is larger, as found in our previous simulations and some other modeling studies, indicating that a state of incipient glaciation would exist given the current configuration of earth’s orbit (reduced insolation in northern hemisphere summer) and the imposed low levels of greenhouse gases. We include comparisons of these snowcover maps with known locations of earlier glacial inception and with locations of twentieth century glaciers and ice caps. In two earlier studies, we used climate models consisting of atmosphere, land surface, and a shallow mixed-layer ocean (Ruddiman et al., Quat Sci Rev 25:1–10, 2005; Vavrus et al., Quat Sci Rev 27:1410–1425, 2008). Here, we replaced the mixed-layer ocean with a complete dynamic ocean. While the simulated climate of the atmosphere and the surface with this improved model configuration is similar to our earlier results (Vavrus et al., Quat Sci Rev 27:1410–1425, 2008), the added information from the full dynamical ocean is of particular interest. The global and vertically-averaged ocean temperature is 1.25 K lower, the area of sea ice is larger, and there is less upwelling in the Southern Ocean. From these results, we infer that natural ocean feedbacks could have amplified the greenhouse gas changes initiated by early agriculture and possibly account for an additional increment of CO₂ increase beyond that attributed directly to early agricultural, as proposed by Ruddiman (Rev Geophys 45:RG4001, 2007). However, a full test of the early anthropogenic hypothesis will require additional observations and simulations with models that include ocean and land carbon cycles and other refinements elaborated herein.     

The influence of volcanic, solar and CO2 forcing on the temperatures in the Dalton Minimum (1790–1830): a model study

The Dalton Minimum (1790–1830) was a period with reduced solar irradiance and strong volcanic eruptions. Additionally, the atmospheric CO₂ concentrations started to rise from the background level of previous centuries. In this period most empirical climate reconstructions indicate a minimum in global or hemispheric temperatures. Here, we analyse several simulations starting in 1755 with the coupled atmosphere-ocean model ECHO-G driven by different forcing combinations to investigate which external forcing could have contributed most strongly to the reduced temperatures during the Dalton Minimum. Results indicate that on global and hemispheric scales, the volcanic forcing is largely responsible for the temperature drop in this period, especially during its second half, whereas changes in solar forcing and the increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations were of minor importance. At regional scales, especially the extratropical, the impact of volcanic forcing is much less discernible due to the large regional variability, a finding that agrees with empirical temperature reconstructions.     

A systematic approach to synoptic tornado climatology of Hungary for the recent years (1996–2001) based on official damage reports

Due to the significant amount of severe storm damage from the mid 1990s, a practical need has arisen for updating risk assessment. For reliable and systematic sampling of events, data acquisition has been arranged through the disaster management official body using a pyramidal national coverage. Post-analysis, including its meteorological part, proceeds in a GIS environment. This paper focuses specifically on damaging tornadoes, since those are the most violent and best-documented phenomena. Different statistics are calculated and explained, such as seasonal, diurnal and magnitude distributions. Spatial occurrence and features are mapped. A complete synoptic climatology is given by typifying the generating conditions and categorizing events into certain classes, while discussing the role of the Carpathian Basin. In the end a conceptual issue in connection with self-similarity is raised for further discussion.     

中国科学院珠穆朗玛峰大气与环境综合观测研究站:一个新的研究喜马拉雅山区地气相互作用过程的综合基地

喜马拉雅山区的高海拔冰雪覆盖使主山体两侧形成下泄流,而在强太阳辐射的加热作用下,无冰雪覆盖的周边山体形成山谷风环流.上述两者叠加形成地气间的强烈交换过程.这种交换过程使得地面的物质和能量与北半球自由大气相联系,将青藏高原置于全球变化的背景中.在本文中作者介绍了中国科学院珠穆朗玛峰大气与环境综合观测研究站的建站背景及其研究喜马拉雅山地气相互作用过程中的作用,同时介绍了台站建设及其在该地区地气相互作用研究中所取得的初步研究成果.