An empirical model of decadal ENSO variability

This paper assesses potential predictability of decadal variations in the El Ni?o/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) characteristics by constructing and performing simulations using an empirical nonlinear stochastic model of an ENSO index. The model employs decomposition of global sea-surface temperature (SST) anomalies into the modes that maximize the ratio of interdecadal-to-subdecadal SST variance to define low-frequency predictors called the canonical variates (CVs). When the whole available SST time series is so processed, the leading canonical variate (CV-1) is found to be well correlated with the area-averaged SST time series which exhibits a non-uniform warming trend, while the next two (CV-2 and CV-3) describe secular variability arguably associated with a combination of Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) signals. The corresponding ENSO model that uses either all three (CVs 1–3) or only AMO/PDO-related (CVs 2 and 3) predictors captures well the observed autocorrelation function, probability density function, seasonal dependence of ENSO, and, most importantly, the observed interdecadal modulation of ENSO variance. The latter modulation, and its dependence on CVs, is shown to be inconsistent with the null hypothesis of random decadal ENSO variations simulated by multivariate linear inverse models. Cross-validated hindcasts of ENSO variance suggest a potential useful skill at decadal lead times. These findings thus argue that decadal modulations of ENSO variability may be predictable subject to our ability to forecast AMO/PDO-type climate modes; the latter forecasts may need to be based on simulations of dynamical models, rather than on a purely statistical scheme as in the present paper.     

ENSO循环年代际变化及其数值模拟

从20世纪70年代后期的观测资料分析中显示了全球气候的年代际变化, 同时也表现在热带太平洋上最重要的海气耦合现象ENSO的年代际变化上。本文利用中国科学院大气物理研究研究所 (IAP) 大气科学和地球流体力学数值模拟国家重点实验室 (LASG) 的气候系统海洋模式 (简称LICOM), 对ENSO的年际以及年代际变率进行模拟, 结果表明LICOM基本能够模拟出ENSO年际变化的特征, 通过对海洋上层热含量的计算以及对热量和质量输送的变化分析, 能够看到模式中ENSO循环中的反馈机制与理论研究的结论是一致的。同时, 作者还发现模式能够重现ENSO循环的年代际变化特征, 例如周期、 传播方向和冷暖事件不对称性等特征的模拟也基本接近观测事实, 其中重点分析了冷暖事件的不对称性与非线性加热 (NDH) 之间的关系, 进一步分析还发现ENSO的强度、 不对称性与海洋内部的非线性过程之间在年代际尺度上也存在密切的关系。但是, 模式模拟与观测结果之间仍然存在着一定的误差, 模式有待于进一步改进。     

A further investigation of the decadal variation of ENSO characteristics with instability analysis

Based on instability theory and some former studies, the Simple Ocean Data Assimilation （SODA） data are analyzed to further study the difference between the propagation of the ENSO-related oceanic anomaly in the off-equatorial North Pacific Ocean before and after 1976. The investigation shows that after 1976 in the off-equatorial North Pacific Ocean, there is a larger area where the necessary conditions for baroclinic and/or barotropic instability are satisfied, which may help oceanic anomaly signals propagating in the form of Rossby waves to absorb energy from the mean currents so that they can grow and intensify. The baroclinic energy conversion rate in the North Pacific after 1976 is much higher than before 1976, which indicates that the baroclinic instability has intensified since 1976. Prom another perspective, the instability analysis gives an explanation of the phenomena that the ENSO-related oceanic anomaly signal in the North Pacific has intensified since 1976.     

Irregularity and decadal variation in ENSO: a simplified model based on Principal Oscillation Patterns

A new method of estimating the decay time, mean period and forcing statistics of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has been found. It uses a two-dimensional stochastically forced damped linear oscillator model with the model parameters estimated from a Principal Oscillation Pattern (POP) analysis and associated observed power spectra. It makes use of extended observational time series of 150 years of sea surface temperature (SST) and sea level pressure (SLP) as well as climate model output. This approach is motivated by clear physical relationships that SST and SLP POP patterns have to the ENSO cycle, as well as to each other, indicating that they represent actual physical modes of the climate system. Moreover, the leading POP mode accounts for 20–50 % of the variance on interannual time scales. The POP real part is highly correlated with several Niño indices near zero lag while the imaginary part exhibits a 6–9 month lead time and thus is a precursor. The observed POP power spectra show markedly different behavior for the peak and precursor, the former having more power at ENSO frequencies and the latter dominating at low frequencies. The results realistically suggest a period of oscillation of 4–6 years and a decay time of 8 months, which corresponds to the practical ENSO prediction limit. A fundamental finding of this approach is that the difference between the observed peak and precursor spectra at low frequencies can be related to the forcing statistics using the simple model, as well as to the difference between patterns of decadal and interannual variability in the Pacific.     

Equatorial pacific SSTA-related decadal variations of potential predictability of ENSO and interannual climate

Summary Based on analysis of NCEP reanalysis data and SST indices of the recent 50 years, decadal changes of the potential predictability of ENSO and interannual climate anomalies were investigated. Autocorrelation of Nino3 SST anomalies (SSTA) and correlation between atmospheric anomalies fields and Nino3 SSTA exhibit obvious variation in different decades, which indicates that Nino3 SSTA-related potential predictability of ENSO and interannual climate anomalies has significant decadal changes. Time around 1977 is not only a shift point of climate on the interdecadal time scale but also a catastrophe point of potential predictability of ENSO and interannual climate. As a whole, ENSO and the PNA pattern in boreal winter are more predictable in 1980s than in 1960s and 1970s, while the Nino3 SSTA-related potential predictability of the Indian monsoon and the East Asian Monsoon is lower in 1980s than in 1960s and 1970s. Received October 19, 1999 Revised December 30, 1999     

Kinetic energy exchanges between the time scales of ENSO and the Pacific decadal oscillation

This paper examines the non-linear kinetic energy interactions of the atmospheric ENSO and decadal oscillations over the Pacific. The calculations are based on a 54-year dataset of tropospheric winds from NCEP reanalysis. We verify that the decadal oscillations have two dominant modes, corresponding well to the pentadecadal and bidecadal modes reported in the literature. Energy interactions involving the range of decadal oscillations and the range of ENSO oscillations are considered in the context of kinetic energy exchanges in the frequency domain. We quantify the relative amplitudes and spatial structures of the quadratic and triplet terms of the kinetic energy exchanges over the Pacific and conclude that quadratic interactions with the mean flow are the dominant term in the kinetic-to-kinetic energy exchanges. Additionally, we show that triplet interactions provide a non-trivial contribution to the total. The interactions between the range of decadal oscillations and the range of ENSO oscillations are found to be the strongest near the regions of maximum oscillation amplitude and of the maximum oscillation amplitude gradient. Due to their similar spatial structures, the two dominant ENSO modes and the bidecadal mode are found to interact in a resonant way. The interactions among the range of ENSO modes and the range of decadal modes are found to strengthen the ENSO modes in the equatorial, subtropical and midlatitude belts, and to weaken the decadal modes in all but the equatorial belt.     

Abrupt changes as indicators of decadal climate variability

 A statistical test has revealed that abrupt regional climate changes are produced in a coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model. Abrupt changes are detected over much of the globe although the occurrence frequency is small over the continents. Over the tropical Pacific Ocean and northern Pacific Ocean, surface air temperature (SAT) and sea level pressure (SLP) shift rapidly on decadal time scales. The regional climate changes presented here have been classified into three types. The first type consists of statistically significant shifts in SLP and statistically significant shifts in SAT which are of opposite sign, and which are reinforced through a positive feedback between the atmosphere and the ocean. The second type is for those occurrences where changes are of the same sign. The third type includes those with a significant shift in only one meteorological element. The second and third types are generally generated by changes in air pressure and wind fields induced by changes of the first type. For example, when SLP increases and sea surface temperature (SST) decreases abruptly in the tropical Pacific Ocean, it triggers abrupt regional changes in middle and high latitudes. The abrupt changes in the model climate have characteristics which are very similar to those of observed rapid shifts. Thus, it is concluded that abrupt changes are a predominant part of regional climate change on decadal time scales. Received: 11 February 1999 / Accepted: 18 May 2000     

A mechanism of decadal variability of the sea-ice volume in the Northern Hemisphere

A long-term simulation performed with a coarse-resolution, global, atmosphere-ocean-sea-ice model displays strong decadal variability of the sea-ice volume in the Northern Hemisphere with a significant peak at about 15-18 years. This model results from the coupling of ECBILT, a spectral T21, 3-level quasi-geostrophic atmospheric model, and CLIO, a sea-ice-ocean general circulation model. First, the mechanism underlying the variability of ice volume in the model was studied by performing correlation analyses between the simulated variables. In a second step, a series of additional sensitivity experiments was performed in order to illustrate the role of specific physical processes. This has allowed us to identify a feedback loop in the ice-ocean system, which proceeds as follows: an increase in Arctic sea-ice volume induces an increase in the salinity there. This salinity anomaly is transported to the Greenland Sea where it promotes convective activity. This warms up the surface oceanic layer and the atmosphere in winter and induces a decrease of the ice volume, completing half a cycle. The changes in ice volume are driven by a geopotential height pattern characterised by centres of action of opposite signs over Greenland and the Barents-Kara-Central Arctic area. Thermodynamic feedback between the ice and the atmosphere appear also to be very important for the persistence of the oscillation. The dynamical response of the atmosphere to sea-ice and temperature anomalies at surface plays a smaller role.     

ENSO多样性研究进展

El Ni?o是热带中东太平洋异常偏暖的现象,发展过程具有显著的季节锁相特征。近年来,新形态事件更频繁发生引起了科学界广泛关注。学者们根据空间分布形态或爆发时间将ENSO事件分为两类,虽然选取标准不同,分类结果却有诸多相似点:中太平洋(Dateline、Modoki、CP、WP及SU型)El Ni?o事件发展至成熟时,正SSTA中心位于赤道太平洋中部;东太平洋(传统、EP、CT及SP型)El Ni?o发展至成熟时,正SSTA中心位于赤道东太平洋,低层西风异常更强,向东传输的距离也更远。研究结果显示,东太平洋El Ni?o比中太平洋El Ni?o持续时间更长,强度也更强;两类事件对全球气候的影响模态有很大的差异。近几十年,中太平洋El Ni?o出现频率有所增加,但其原因尚未清楚。关于两类事件生成发展和位相转换的动力原因,目前科学界普遍认为东太平洋El Ni?o是一个海盆尺度的海气耦合过程,其生消过程与温跃层的变化有紧密联系,但对中太平洋El Ni?o的动力机制尚未有统一的认识。      

Recent recovery of surface wind speed after decadal decrease: a focus on South Korea

Climate Dynamics - We investigate the multi-decadal variability of observed surface wind speed around South Korea. It is found that surface wind speed exhibits decreasing trend from mid-1950s until...     

On the predictability of decadal changes in the North Pacific

 The predictability of decadal changes in the North Pacific is investigated with an ocean general circulation model forced by simplified and realistic atmospheric conditions. First, the model is forced by a spatially fixed wind stress anomaly pattern characteristic for decadal North Pacific climate variations. The time evolution of the wind stress anomaly is chosen to be sinusoidal, with a period of 20 years. In this experiment different physical processes are found to be important for the decadal variations: baroclinic Rossby waves dominate the response. They move westward and lead to an adjustment of the subtropical and subpolar gyre circulations in such a way that anomalous temperatures in the central North Pacific develop as a delayed response to the preceding wind stress anomalies. This delayed response provides not only a negative feedback but also bears the potential for long-term predictions of upper ocean temperature changes in the central North Pacific. It is shown by additional experiments that once these Rossby waves have been excited, decadal changes of the upper ocean temperatures in the central North Pacific evolve without any further anomalous atmospheric forcing. In the second part, the model is forced by surface heat flux and wind stress observations for the period 1949–1993. It is shown that the same physical processes which were found to be important in the simplified experiments also govern the evolution of the upper ocean in this more realistic simulation. The 1976/77 cooling can be mainly attributed to anomalously strong horizontal advection due to the delayed response to persistent wind stress curl anomalies in the early 1970s rather than local anomalous atmospheric forcing. This decadal change could have been predicted some years in advance. The subsequent warming in the late 1980s, however, cannot be mainly explained by advection. In this case, local anomalous atmospheric forcing needs to be considered. Received: 6 July 1998 / Accepted: 16 October 1999     

一个新的ENSO监测指标的研究

利用1982～1996年逐月平均SST和OLR资料,首先通过奇异值分解（SVD）技术研究了热带太平洋大气对流活动和海温场的时间和空间结构及其相互关系。结果表明,第一模态都明显地反映出ENSO信息,两场间具有很高的相关。分析了80年代以来的E1 Ni?o/La Ni?a盛期的热带太平洋对流活动场以及NINO 3指数与OLR场的点相关,结果指出,中东太平洋和西太平洋上存在类似偶极子型的两个符号相反的相关区,与SVD第一模态空间分布型十分相似。由此建立了反映ENSO期间热带中东太平洋和西太平洋反向变化的对流涛动     

太平洋年代际振荡的年代际预测方法

太平洋年代际振荡(PDO)是北太平洋海表温度年代际变率的主模态。由于太平洋年代际振荡对区域乃至全球气候的显著影响,其合理的预测结果可以带来多方面收益。然而,针对太平洋年代际振荡及其有关的海表温度的年代际预测,目前气候模式的预测水平还十分有限,因此,提出了一个新的增量方法。一系列的验证结果表明,增量方法可以有效预测太平洋年代际振荡,其中包括成功预测出其振荡的年代际转折。增量方法的预测过程主要包括3个步骤:(1)采用5 a滑动平均得到太平洋年代际振荡的年代际变率;(2)利用3 a增量形式的预测因子构建预测模型,预测3 a增量的太平洋年代际振荡(DI_PDO);(3)将预测得到的DI_PDO加上3 a前的观测PDO,得到最后预测的PDO。增量方法亦可以应用到气候系统年代际内部变率的其他模态(如:北大西洋年代际振荡)和其他气候变量的年代际预测(如:海表温度)。     

A note on the role of meridional wind stress anomalies and heat flux in ENSO simulations

Four comparative experiments and some supplementary experiments were conducted to examine the role of meridional wind stress anomalies and heat flux variability in ENSO simulations by using a high-resolution Ocean General Circulation Model （OGCM）. The results indicate that changes in the direction and magnitude of meridional wind stress anomalies have little influence on ENSO simulations until meridional wind stress anomalies are unrealistically enlarged by a factor of 5.0. However, evidence of an impact on ENSO simulations due to heat flux variability was found. The simulated Nino-3 index without the effect of heat flux anomalies tended to be around 1.0° lower than the observed, as well as the control run, during the peak months of ENSO events.     

A mechanism for long-term changes of Atlantic tropical cyclone intensity

Although previous studies reported upward trends in the basin-wide average lifetime, annual frequency, proportion of intense hurricanes and annual accumulated power dissipation index of Atlantic tropical cyclones (TCs) over the past 30?years, the basin-wide intensity did not increase significantly with the rising sea surface temperature (SST). Observational analysis and numerical simulation conducted in this study suggest that Sahel rainfall is the key to understanding of the long-term change of Atlantic TC intensity. The long-term changes of the basin-wide TC intensity are generally associated with variations in Sahara air layer (SAL) activity and vertical wind shear in the main development region (MDR), both of which are highly correlated with Sahel rainfall. The drying Sahel corresponds to an equatorward shift in the African easterly jet and African easterly wave activity, introducing the SAL to lower latitudes and increasing the MDR vertical wind shear. As a result, Atlantic TCs are more vulnerable to the suppressing effects of the SAL and vertical wind shear. Since the SST warming, especially in the tropical Indian Ocean, is a dominant factor for the Sahel drying that occurred over the past 30?years, it is suggested that the remote effect of SST warming is important for the long-term change of Atlantic TC intensity. Although influence of the AMO warm phase that started in the early 1990s alone can provide a favorable condition for TC intensification, its influence may have been offset by the influence of the ongoing SST warming, particularly in the Indian Ocean. As a result, there was no significant trend observed in the basin-wide average and peak intensity of Atlantic TCs.     

The retrospective prediction of ENSO from 1881 to 2000 by a hybrid coupled model: (II) Interdecadal and decadal variations in predictability

In this study, the retrospective predictions of ENSO (El Niño and Southern Oscillation) were performed for the period from 1881 to 2000 using a hybrid coupled model, which is an ocean general circulation model coupled to a linear statistical atmospheric model, and using a newly developed initialization scheme of SST assimilation by Ensemble Kalman Filter. With the retrospective predictions of the past 120 years, some important issues of ENSO predictability (measured by correlation and RMSE skills of NINO3 sea surface temperature anomaly index) were studied including decadal/interdecadal variations in ENSO predictability and the mechanisms responsible for these variations. Emphasis was placed on investigating the relationship between ENSO predictability and various characteristics of ENSO system such as the signal strength, the irregularity of periodicity, the noise and the nonlinearity. It is found that there are significant decadal/interdecadal variations in the prediction skills of ENSO during the past 120 years. The ENSO events were more predictable during the late nineteenth and the late twentieth centuries. The decadal/interdecadal variations of prediction skills are strongly related to the strength of sea-surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) signals, especially to the strength of SSTA signals at the frequencies of 2–4 year periods. The SSTA persistence, dominated by SSTA signals at frequencies over 4-year periods, also has a positive relationship to prediction skills. The high-frequency noise, on the other hand, has a strong inverse relationship to prediction skills, suggesting that it also probably plays an important role in ENSO predictability.     

一个可供ENSO预测的海气耦合环流模式及1997/1998 ENSO的预测

利用中国科学院大气物理研究所设计发展的具有较高分辨率的热带太平洋和全球大气耦合环流模式,设计了一个初始化方案,建立了ＥＮＳＯ预测系统,进行了系统性的预测试验。预测结果检验评估表明,该预测系统表现出较强的预报能力,赤道中东太平洋地区（Ｎｉｎｏ３和Ｎｉｎｏ３４）海表温度距平预报相关技巧高于０５２的预报可持续１８个月,该预测系统可应用到试验性的海温预测实践中。利用该系统对１９９７／１９９８年ＥＮＳＯ进行了实际预测,表明预测是成功的,预测的海温距平已提供给今年我国夏季降水预测使用,取得了良好的预测效果。