An Assessment on the Performance of IPCC AR4 Climate Models in Simulating Interdecadal Variations of the East Asian Summer Monsoon

Observations from several data centers together with a categorization method are used to evaluate the IPCC AR4 （Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the Fourth Assessment Report） climate models＇ performance in simulating the interdecadal variations of summer precipitation and monsoon circulation in East Asia. Out of 19 models under examination, 9 models can relatively well reproduce the 1979-1999 mean June-July-August （JJA） precipitation in East Asia, but only 3 models （Category-1 models） can capture the interdecadal variation of precipitation in East Asia. These 3 models are： GFDL-CM2.0, MIROC3.2 （hires）, and MIROC3.2 （medres）, among which the GFDL-CM2.0 gives the best performance. The reason for the poor performance of most models in simulating the East Asian summer monsoon interdecadal variation lies in that the key dynamic and thermal-dynamic mechanisms behind the East Asian monsoon change are missed by the models, e.g., the large-scale tropospheric cooling and drying over East Asia. In contrast, the Category-1 models relatively well reproduce the variations in vertical velocity and water vapor over East Asia and thus show a better agreement with observations in simulating the pattern of ＂wet south and dry north＂ in China in the past 20 years.
It is assessed that a single model＇s performance in simulating a particular variable has great impacts on the ensemble results. More realistic outputs can be obtained when the multi-model ensemble is carried out using a suite of well-performing models for a specific variable, rather than using all available models. This indicates that although a multi-model ensemble is in general better than a single model, the best ensemble mean cannot be achieved without looking into each member model＇s performance.     

Seesaw Pattern of Rainfall Anomalies between the Tropical Western North Pacific and Central Southern China during Late Summer

It is well known that suppressed convection in the tropical western North Pacific(WNP) induces an anticyclonic anomaly,and this anticyclonic anomaly results in more rainfall along the East Asian rain band through more water vapor transport during summer, as well as early and middle summer. However, the present results indicate that during late summer(from mid-August to the beginning of September), the anomalous anticyclone leads to more rainfall over central southern China(CSC), a region quite different from preceding periods. The uniqueness of late summer is found to be related to the dramatic change in climatological monsoon flows: southerlies over southern China during early and middle summer but easterlies during late summer. Therefore, the anomalous anticyclone, which shows a southerly anomaly over southern China, enhances monsoonal southerlies and induces more rainfall along the rain band during early and middle summer. During late summer,however, the anomalous anticyclone reflects a complicated change in monsoon flows: it changes the path, rather than the intensity, of monsoon flows. Specifically, during late summers of suppressed convection in the tropical WNP, southerlies dominate from the South China Sea to southern China, and during late summers of enhanced convection, northeasterlies dominate from the East China Sea to southern China, causing more and less rainfall in CSC, respectively.     

气候系统模式FGOALS模拟的南亚夏季风：偏差和原因分析

本文通过与观测和再分析资料的对比,评估了LASG/IAP发展的气候系统模式FGOALS的两个版本FGOALS-g2和FGOALS-s2对南亚夏季风的气候态和年际变率的模拟能力,并使用水汽收支方程诊断,研究了造成降水模拟偏差的原因。结果表明,两个模式夏季气候态降水均在陆地季风槽内偏少,印度半岛附近海域偏多,在降水年循环中表现为夏季北侧辐合带北推范围不足。FGOALS-g2中赤道印度洋"东西型"海温偏差导致模拟的东赤道印度洋海上辐合带偏弱,而FGOALS-s2中印度洋"南北型"海温偏差导致模拟的海上辐合带偏向西南。水汽收支分析表明,两个模式中气候态夏季风降水的模拟偏差主要来自于整层积分的水汽通量,尤其是垂直动力平流项的模拟偏差。一方面,夏季阿拉伯海和孟加拉湾的海温偏冷而赤道西印度洋海温偏暖,造成向印度半岛的水汽输送偏少;另一方面,对流层温度偏冷,冷中心位于印度半岛北部对流层上层,同时季风槽内总云量偏少,云长波辐射效应偏弱,对流层经向温度梯度偏弱以及大气湿静力稳定度偏强引起的下沉异常造成陆地季风槽内降水偏少。在年际变率上,观测中南亚夏季风环流和降水指数与Ni?o3.4指数存在负相关关系,但FGOALS两个版本模式均存在较大偏差。两个模式中与ENSO暖事件相关的沃克环流异常下沉支和对应的负降水异常西移至赤道以南的热带中西印度洋,沿赤道非对称的加热异常令两个模式中越赤道环流季风增强,导致印度半岛南部产生正降水异常。ENSO相关的沃克环流异常下沉支及其对应的负降水异常偏西与两个模式对热带南印度洋气候态降水的模拟偏差有关。研究结果表明,若要提高FGOALS两个版本模式对南亚夏季风气候态模拟技巧,需减小耦合模式对印度洋海温、对流层温度及云的模拟偏差;若要提高南亚夏季风和ENSO相关性模拟技巧需要提高模式对热带印度洋气候态降水以及与ENSO相关的环流异常的模拟能力。     

大兴安岭和长白山地形影响东北夏季降水的数值模拟研究

利用区域数值模式WRF-ARW（V3.9）开展高分辨率数值模拟试验,研究了东北地区大兴安岭和长白山地形对该地区夏季降水的单独和共同影响。结果表明,东北地区两大山脉地形可以显著影响东北及其周边区域的大气环流和降水。大兴安岭和长白山地形的阻挡作用使得夏季偏南气流在两个山脉的迎风坡一侧堆积,引起局地水汽增加并产生上升运动,因此两个山脉的迎风坡一侧降水增加;而在两个山脉的背风坡一侧,局地水汽减少并伴随下沉运动,因此两个山脉的背风坡一侧降水减少。大兴安岭地形的存在使得其东侧到松嫩平原地区夏季降水增加1.09 mm d?1（相较参照试验增幅为30%）,而使其西侧蒙古东部地区夏季降水减少0.69 mm d?1（相较参照试验减幅为24%）;长白山地形的存在使得长白山南侧到朝鲜半岛地区夏季降水增加1.76 mm d?1（相较参照试验增幅为26%）,而使其北侧三江平原地区夏季降水减少0.81 mm d?1（相较参照试验减幅为22%）。当大兴安岭与长白山同时存在时,两者的协同作用会减弱蒙古东部、松嫩平原和朝鲜半岛地区夏季降水的响应,而增强三江平原地区夏季降水的响应。该研究结果对于理解东北地区当代气候的形成具有重要的科学意义。     

Predicting June Mean Rainfall in the Middle/Lower Yangtze River Basin

We demonstrate that there is significant skill in the GloSea5 operational seasonal forecasting system for predicting June mean rainfall in the middle/lower Yangtze River basin up to four months in advance. Much of the rainfall in this region during June is contributed by the mei-yu rain band. We find that similar skill exists for predicting the East Asian summer monsoon index(EASMI) on monthly time scales, and that the latter could be used as a proxy to predict the regional rainfall. However, th...     

中世纪温暖期气候变化的花粉化石记录

麦里泥炭剖面高分辨率花粉化石记录表明,东北科尔沁沙地在相当于中世纪温暖期阶段夏季降水量曾显著增加,主要表现为沙丘上的乔木和草本植物均获得了繁茂的生长,花粉沉积速率明显上升。作者推测,在中世纪温暖期中,欧亚大陆作为一个整体夏季温度可能暖于今天,这可能通过增强夏季风环流使中国东北夏季雨量增多,为沙丘植物茂盛生长提供了有利条件。     

ABRUPT SEASONAL CHANGE OF ZONAL CIRCULATION OVER THE TIBETAN PLATEAU

The abrupt changes of zonal circulation in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) region and their likely causes are derived from National Centers for Environmental Prediction and the National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis data. The zonal circulation over the TP abruptly changed in summer (31st pentad) and winter (59th pentad). The switch from summer to winter circulation is characterized by a sudden northward shift of the westerlies and the zero-velocity curve and disappearance of the westerly jet. The winter–summer switch is characterized by the reverse pattern. Therefore, the circulation conversion between summer and winter can be judged from the position of the zero-velocity curve. Curves located north of 20 °N indicate summer circulation over the TP and vice versa. The abrupt change of zonal circulation is mainly caused by the thermodynamic effect of the TP. In June, this effect causes a huge monsoon circulation cell extending from the TP to low latitudes. Consequently, the westerlies jump to the north as easterlies develop. This process, which is enhanced by the strong northerly in Coriolis, establishes the summer circulation. In October, the Hadley cell recurs as the thermal effects of the TP diminish, the westerlies rush southward, and the winter circulation is established.     

华北河套地区气候干燥度的影响因素研究

利用中国1961-2013年661个气象台站观测资料以及亚洲夏季风指数,通过旋转正交分析（REOF）等方法,选择华北河套干旱气候区的代表站,分析了该区域气候干燥度的变化特征,发现该地区整体呈现干旱化趋势。在此基础上讨论了夏季风与气象因子对气候干燥度的影响,结果表明,南亚西区夏季风的年际及整体减弱趋势对华北河套地区气候干燥度的年际趋势变化影响最为显著,主要影响期在20世纪90年代之前,随着区域气候变暖,这种影响程度减弱。各气象要素对气候干燥度的影响存在年际与年代际差异,热力因子的年际变化对干燥度影响较小,而热力因子的年代际变化在20世纪90年代之后对干燥度的影响十分显著。这说明区域气候长期变暖导致当地水汽压差增大,相对湿度减小,空气需要更多的水分才能达到饱和,同时增大了潜在蒸发能力,加剧了华北河套气候区的干旱化。     

中国东部城市群发展对南海夏季风爆发影响的模拟研究

本文利用NCAR开发的CAM5.1(Community Atmosphere Model Version 5.1)模式,针对我国东部大规模城市下垫面发展对南海夏季风爆发的影响进行了数值模拟研究。结果表明我国东部大规模城市群发展可能使得南海夏季风提前1候爆发;机理分析表明:在南海夏季风爆发之前,中国东部城市群发展引起的陆面增温,使得南海及其附近地区南北温差提前逆转、中国东部区域海平面气压降低,导致中南半岛到南海地区西南气流加强,中南半岛到南海地区降水增加,而凝结潜热垂直变化强迫出的异常环流,促进了南亚高压的加强及提前北跳,相伴随的高层抽吸作用有助于季风对流的建立和西太平洋副高的减弱东撤,从而形成了有利于南海夏季风爆发的高低层环流条件,导致南海夏季风提前爆发。另外,观测结果表明1993年之后南海夏季风爆发的日期相对上一个年代明显提前约2候,城市化快速发展阶段与南海夏季风爆发的年代际变化存在时间段的吻合,表明城市下垫面发展可能是南海夏季风提前爆发的原因之一。     

The Congo basin zonal overturning circulation

The Gulf of Guinea in the equatorial Atlantic is characterized by the presence of strong subsidence at certain times of the year. This subsidence appears in June and becomes well established from July to September. Since much of theWest African monsoon flow originates over the Gulf, Guinean subsidence is important for determining moisture sources for the monsoon. Using reanalysis products, I contribute to a physical understanding of what causes this seasonal subsidence, and how it relates to precipitation distributions across West Africa.There is a seasonal zonal overturning circulation above the Congo basin and the Gulf of Guinea in the ERA-Interim, ERA-40, NCEP2, and MERRA reanalyses. The up-branch is located in the Congo basin around 20°E. Mid-tropospheric easterly flows constitute the returning-branch and sinking over the Gulf of Guinea forms the down-branch, which diverges at 2°W near the surface, with winds to the east flowing eastward to complete the circulation. This circulation is driven by surface temperature differences between the eastern Gulf and Congo basin. Land temperatures remain almost uniform, around 298 K, throughout a year, but the Guinean temperatures cool rapidly from 294 K in May to about 290 K in August. These temperature changes increase the ocean/land temperature contrast, up to 8 K, and drive the circulation.I hypothesize that when the overturning circulation is anomalously strong, the northward moisture transport and Sahelian precipitation are also strong. This hypothesis is supported by ERA-Interim and PERSIANN-CDR (Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks-Climate Data Record) data.