Storm track sensitivity to sea surface temperature resolution in a regional atmosphere model

A high resolution regional atmosphere model is used to investigate the sensitivity of the North Atlantic storm track to the spatial and temporal resolution of the sea surface temperature (SST) data used as a lower boundary condition. The model is run over an unusually large domain covering all of the North Atlantic and Europe, and is shown to produce a very good simulation of the observed storm track structure. The model is forced at the lateral boundaries with 15–20 years of data from the ERA-40 reanalysis, and at the lower boundary by SST data of differing resolution. The impacts of increasing spatial and temporal resolution are assessed separately, and in both cases increasing the resolution leads to subtle, but significant changes in the storm track. In some, but not all cases these changes act to reduce the small storm track biases seen in the model when it is forced with low-resolution SSTs. In addition there are several clear mesoscale responses to increased spatial SST resolution, with surface heat fluxes and convective precipitation increasing by 10–20% along the Gulf Stream SST gradient.     

A new paradigm for the predominance of standing Central Pacific Warming after the late 1990s

Canonical El Niño has a warming center in the eastern Pacific (EP), but in recent decades, El Niño warming center tends to occur more frequently in the central Pacific (CP). The definitions and names of this new type of El Niño, however, have been notoriously diverse, which makes it difficult to understand why the warming center shifts. Here, we show that the new type of El Niño events is characterized by: 1) the maximum warming standing and persisting in the CP and 2) the warming extending to the EP only briefly during its peak phase. For this reason, we refer to it as standing CP warming (CPW). Global warming has been blamed for the westward shift of maximum warming as well as more frequent occurrence of CPW. However, we find that since the late 1990s the standing CPW becomes a dominant mode in the Pacific; meanwhile, the epochal mean trade winds have strengthened and the equatorial thermocline slope has increased, contrary to the global warming-induced weakening trades and flattening thermocline. We propose that the recent predominance of standing CPW arises from a dramatic decadal change characterized by a grand La Niña-like background pattern and strong divergence in the CP atmospheric boundary layer. After the late 1990s, the anomalous mean CP wind divergence tends to weaken the anomalous convection and shift it westward from the underlying SST warming due to the suppressed low-level convergence feedback. This leads to a westward shift of anomalous westerly response and thus a zonally in-phase SST tendency, preventing eastward propagation of the SST anomaly. We anticipate more CPW events will occur in the coming decade provided the grand La Niña-like background state persists.     

Causes of the Intraseasonal SST Variability in the Tropical Indian Ocean

Satellite observations reveal a much stronger intraseasonal sea surface temperature (SST) variability in the southern Indian Ocean along 5-10oS in boreal winter than in boreal summer. The cause of this seasonal dependence is studied using a 2?-layer ocean model forced by ERA-40 reanalysis products during 1987-2001. The simulated winter-summer asymmetry of the SST variability is consistent with the observed. A mixed-layer heat budget is analyzed. Mean surface westerlies along the ITCZ (5-10oS) in December-January-February (DJF) leads to an increased (decreased) evaporation in the westerly (easterly) phase of the intraseasonal oscillation (ISO), during which convection is also enhanced (suppressed). Thus the anomalous shortwave radiation, latent heat flux and entrainment effects are all in phase and produce strong SST signals. During June-July-August (JJA), mean easterlies prevail south of the equator. Anomalies of the shortwave radiation tend to be out of phase to those of the latent heat flux and ocean entrainment. This mutual cancellation leads to a weak SST response in boreal summer. The resultant SST tendency is further diminished by a deeper mixed layer in JJA compared to that in DJF. The strong intraseasonal SST response in boreal winter may exert a delayed feedback to the subsequent opposite phase of ISO, implying a two-way air-sea interaction scenario on the intraseasonal timescale. Citation: Li, T., F. Tam, X. Fu, et al., 2008: Causes of the intraseasonal SST variability in the tropical Indian ocean, Atmos. Oceanic Sci. Lett., 1, 18-23     

Combining compositional zoning and foliation intersection axes (FIAs) in garnet to quantitatively determine early P-T-t paths in multiply deformed and metamorphosed schists: north central Massachusetts,USA

Quantitative compositional and microstructural analysis of garnet porphyroblasts in kyanite–staurolite–garnet grade rocks from the northeastern flank of the Pelham dome, north central Massachusetts, distinguishes the effects of Acadian deformation and metamorphism from extensive overprinting Alleghanian shearing. The P–T conditions and the metamorphic path during the Acadian were determined using samples preserving well defined stages in a lengthy tectonic history revealed by a succession of five foliation intersection axis trends preserved within porphyroblasts (FIAs). This Acadian succession extends at least 120 km to the north into rocks where no evidence has been found of an Alleghanian overprint. For each sample where garnet first nucleated during one of these stages in the tectonic history, the PT of core growth was determined by plotting the intersection of the Mn, Fe and Ca isopleths calculated for the core composition on a P–T pseudosection for that sample using THERMOCALC. Combining the PT data from all these samples indicates that the temperature and pressure increased throughout Acadian orogenesis, causing episodic garnet growth. During the Alleghanian, locally intense shearing, especially against the margin of the Pelham dome, formed the dominant schistosity, which truncated all foliations defined by inclusion trails in porphyroblasts and obliterated all remains of Acadian deformation and metamorphism in the rock matrix. Shearing was accompanied by near complete homogenization of the compositional zoning in garnet porphyroblasts and an associated apparent increase in the temperature of the matrix to 700°C in those rocks lying directly adjacent to the Pelham dome, and resulted from the rocks of the Northfield syncline being thrust a large distance southwards over the gneisses in the dome.