Two Northward Jumps of the Summertime Western Pacific Subtropical High and Their Associations with the Tropical SST Anomalies

Based on the pentad mean ridgeline index of the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH), the authors identified the two northward jumps of the WPSH from 1979 to 2008 and revealed their associations with the tropical SST anomalies. The authors show that the northward jumps, especially the second jump, exhibited remarkable interannual variability. In addition, the authors find that the two northward jumps were mutually independent and were influenced by the SST anomalies in the different regions of the tropical Pacific. The first jump was positively correlated with the SST anomalies in the tropical central Pacific from the preceding winter to June. In contrast, the second jump was positively related to ENSO in the preceding winter, but this correlation tended to weaken with the decay of ENSO and disappeared in July. Instead, a positive correlation was found in the Indian Ocean. We therefore suggest that ENSO plays an indirect role in the second jump through the capacitor effect of the Indian Ocean.     

Isotopic tracers of paleohydrologic change in large lakes of the Bolivian Altiplano

We have developed an ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, ²³⁴U/²³⁸U, and δ¹⁸O data set from carbonates associated with late Quaternary paleolake cycles on the southern Bolivian Altiplano as a tool for tracking and understanding the causes of lake-level fluctuations. Distinctive groupings of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios are observed. Ratios are highest for the Ouki lake cycle (120-95 ka) at 0.70932, lowest for Coipasa lake cycle (12.8-11.4 ka) at 0.70853, and intermediate at 0.70881 to 0.70884 for the Salinas (95-80 ka), Inca Huasi (~ 45 ka), Sajsi (24-20.5 ka), and Tauca (18.1-14.1 ka) lake cycles. These Sr ratios reflect variable contributions from the eastern and western Cordilleras. The Laca hydrologic divide exerts a primary influence on modern and paleolake ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios; waters show higher ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios north of this divide. Most lake cycles were sustained by slightly more rainfall north of this divide but with minimal input from Lake Titicaca. The Coipasa lake cycle appears to have been sustained mainly by rainfall south of this divide. In contrast, the Ouki lake cycle was an expansive lake, deepest in the northern (Poópo) basin, and spilling southward. These results indicate that regional variability in central Andean wet events can be reconstructed using geochemical patterns from this lake system.     

热带西太平洋海域上层海洋热含量的CSEOF分析

基于月平均Argo温、盐度剖面、纬向风和Ni o3.4指数等资料,利用循环平稳经验正交函数(CSEOF)分解法、最大熵谱分析和相关分析等方法,研究了热带西太平洋海域上层(0—700m)海洋热含量的时空变化特征,并探讨了其年际变化的可能原因。结果表明,热带西太平洋海域上层海洋热含量距平场具有显著的东-西向反位相振荡,且这种振荡除了具有较明显的季节变化外,还存在着较强的准2a振荡。此外,热含量距平场还存在着负-正-负的三极式经向模态,该模态除了具有明显的季节变化外,还存在着显著的准4a振荡。进一步分析表明,热含量的准2a振荡与ENSO事件的发生有着非常密切的联系,并对赤道西太平洋纬向风异常有1—2月的滞后响应。     

Interannual variability of tropical cyclone activity along the Pacific coast of North America

The interannual variability of near-coastal eastern North Pacific tropical cyclones is described using a data set of cyclone tracks constructed from U.S. and Mexican oceanic and atmospheric reports for the period 1951-2006. Near-coastal cyclone counts are enumerated monthly, allowing us to distinguish interannual variability during different phases of the May-November tropical cyclone season. In these data more tropical cyclones affect the Pacific coast in May-July, the early months of the tropical cyclone season, during La Niña years, when equatorial Pacific sea surface temperatures are anomalously cool, than during El Niño years. The difference in early season cyclone counts between La Niña and El Niño years was particularly pronounced during the mid-twentieth century epoch when cool equatorial temperatures were enhanced as described by an index of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. Composite maps from years with high and low near-coastal cyclone counts show that the atmospheric circulation anomalies associated with cool sea surface temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific are consistent with preferential steering of tropical cyclones northeastward toward the west coast of Mexico.     

ENSO冷暖事件与郑州地区汛期气候异常关系

利用1951—2000年郑州站汛期气温和降水资料，分析了ENSO冷暖事件与郑州地区汛期气候异常的关系。结果发现：ENS0冷暖事件对郑州地区汛期降水和气温均有较大影响，对降水异常的影响更显著。暖事件出现当年，郑州地区汛期易出现降水异常偏少，次年则易出现降水异常偏多；冷事件出现当年，郑州地区汛期降水易出现异常偏多，次年降水出现异常的几率较小。     

用于ENSO预测的一种广义典型混合回归模式及其预报试验

提出一种基于主分量典型相关分析（ＰＣ－ＣＣＡ）的广义典型混合回归模式，用于建立ＮＩＮＯ海区ＳＳＴ预报方案．该模式引入ＥＥＯＦ、ＰＲＥＳＳ准则和集成预报等技术思想，在优选物理因子，确定最佳模式参数的基础上，对ＮＩＮＯ海区海温指数所作的超前１—４季度预报试验取得优良效果．试验表明，该模式方案性能稳定，其总体预报技术水平已达到美国ＮＯＡＡ／ＮＷＳ／ＮＣＥＰ／气候诊断公报（ＣＰＣ）所用同类模式水平．而本模式方案预报同类产品所需因子数远少于ＣＰＣ方法。这就有可能为建立我国的ＥＮＳＯ业务监测系统提供有益的基础。     

两类ENSO事件前期的热带太平洋海温距平场

分析了１９５６年以来两类ＥＮＳＯ事件热带太平洋海温距平场的特征。结果指出,东部型ＥｌＮｉｎｏ事件前期为ＬａＮｉｎａ事件年,热带中东太平洋为强的海温负距平,东部型ＬａＮｉｎａ事件前期为ＥｌＮｉｎｏ事件年,热带中不太平洋为强的海温正距平,中部型ＥｌＮｉｎｏ事件前期热带中西太平洋多为明显的海温正距平,中部型ＬａＮｉｎａ事件前期热带东太平洋多为明显的海渐负距平。两类ＥＮＳＯ事件前期海温距平场特殊基本相反。     

The ENSO Events in the Tropical Pacific and Dipole Events in the Indian Ocean

A depth map (close to that of the thermocline as defined by 20℃) of climatically maximum seatemperature anomaly was created at the subsurface of the tropical Pacific and Indian Ocean, based on which the evolving sea-temperature anomaly at this depth map from 1960 to 2000 was statistically analyzed. It is noted that the evolving sea temperature anomaly at this depth map can be better analyzed than the evolving sea surface one. For example, during the ENSO event in the tropical Pacific, the seatemperature anomaly signals travel counter-clockwise within the range of 10°S-10°N, and while moving, the signals change in intensity or even type. If Dipole is used in the tropical Indian Ocean for analyzing the depth map of maximum sea-temperature anomaly, the sea-temperature anomalies of the eastern and western Indian Oceans would be negatively correlated in statistical sense (Dipole in real physical sense), which is unlike the sea surface temperature anomaly based analysis which demonstrates that the inter-annual positive and negative changes only occur on the gradients of the western and eastern temperature anomalies. Further analysis shows that the development of ENSO and Dipole has a time lag features statistically, with the sea-temperature anomaly in the eastern equatorial Pacific changing earlier (by three months or so). And the linkage between these two changes is a pair of coupled evolving Walker circulations that move reversely in the equatorial Pacific and Indian Oceans.     

Late Tertiary paleoclimatic interpretation from lacustrine rhythmites in the Gray Fossil Site,northeastern Tennessee,USA

The Gray Fossil Site (GFS) includes a small (<2 ha) paleosinkhole lake fill with an exceptionally well-preserved record of sedimentation and fossils from the latest Miocene to earliest Pliocene. The uppermost lacustrine stratigraphy is characterized by rhythmites that regularly alternate between coarse-grained and organic-rich (A) laminae and fine-grained, silty clay (B) laminae. Both the A and B components are almost exclusively comprised of exogenic sediment (including organic matter). Periodicities of 24 and 4.4 are recorded within a continuous 96 interpreted year sequence of rhythmite sediment. In a small lake with a poorly oxygenated bottom, the presence of laterally continuous laminated sediment that includes well-known periodicities in rhythmite thickness is interpreted as representing annually generated varves that correspond to seasonal variations in sedimentation. The distinctly larger fraction of medium sand-size quartz grains present within the A laminae, as well as the abrupt transitions between A and B components suggest that the rhythmites represent deposition during alternating high-energy and lower-energy seasons, which is consistent with a monsoonal precipitation pattern. The seasonal climate may relate to changes in the ocean circulation pattern prior to 4.6 Ma that resulted in an increased temperature and atmospheric pressure gradient between the east coast of North America and the Atlantic Ocean, but this climate phase seems to be only a temporary condition, as underlying and overlying sediment are both consistent with drier conditions. The periodicity at 24 interpreted years is consistent with the well-known Hale solar cycle. The 4.4 interpreted-year periodicity occurs within the ENSO frequency band, and if this documentation of ENSO-like interannual climate change is correct, then it suggests that ENSO operated at times during the warm Earth conditions characterizing the late Tertiary.     

ENSO signals and their spatial-temporal variation characteristics recorded by the sea-level changes in the northwest Pacific margin during 1965–2005

Sea-level is closely linked to the Earth’s climate and its change is important as a metric for global and regional climate change. Identifying, extracting, and revealing such information through detailed analysis is the prerequisite for understanding the mechanisms of sea-level change. The monthly- average tide-change records reported and examined in this paper are from 10 tide gauge stations distributed in the northwest margin of the Pacific Ocean, registered during the period 1965-2005. In particular, we have utilized the Second Order Blind Identification (SOBI) method to identify and the Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) method to extract the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) signals imprinted in those tide gauge records; and subsequently, we have investigated the spatial-temporal characteristics of the extracted ENSO signals using wavelet analysis methods. The following results are obtained: (1) the ENSO events recorded by each tide gauge series are of different types and intensity, which show considerable temporal-spatial variation characteristics, with sea-level responses to ENSO signals remarkably stronger in low latitude areas than in medium-high latitude areas; (2) due to the influences of ocean currents, topographical conditions, and other factors, there exist variations in the type of relationship between the sea-level changes and the recorded ENSO events at different latitudes; (3) sea-level changes can also denote scale-variation characteristics of ENSO events, and particularly, since 1980s, all the tide gauges located south of Kanmen show intense responses to ENSO and the timescale of ENSO events extended gradually from around 4 years to 2–8 years, reflecting variations in the intensity and frequency of ENSO events; and (4) reverse changes of certain scale were noted before and after strong ENSO events recorded by sea-level changes, supporting the research findings about the interaction (mutual coupling and superimposition) between the probability of occurrence of strong ENSO events and their time scale.