Contribution of the sea surface temperature over the Mediterranean-Black Sea to the decadal shift of the summer North Atlantic Oscillation

Recent observational study has shown that the southern center of the summer North Atlantic Oscillation (SNAO) was located farther eastward after the late 1970s compared to before. In this study, the cause for this phenomenon is explored. The result shows that the eastward shift of the SNAO southern center after the late 1970s is related to the variability of the Mediterranean-Black Sea (MBS) SST. A warm MBS SST can heat and moisten its overlying atmosphere, consequently producing a negative sea level pressure (SLP) departure over the MBS region. Because the MBS SST is negatively correlated with the SNAO, the negative SLP departure can enhance the eastern part of the negative-phase of the SNAO southern center, consequently producing an eastward SNAO southern center shift. Similarly, a cold MBS SST produces an eastward positive-phase SNAO southern center shift. The reason for why the MBS SST has an impact on the SNAO after the late 1970s but why it is not the case beforehand is also discussed. It is found that this instable relationship is likely to be attributed to the change of the variability of the MBS SST on the decadal time-scale. In 1951--1975, the variability of the MBS SST is quite weak, but in 1978--2002, it becomes more active. The active SST can enhance the interaction between the sea and its overlying atmosphere, thus strengthening the connection between the MBS SST and the SNAO after the late 1970s. The above observational analysis results are further confirmed by sensitivity experiments.     

The ENSO’s Effect on Eastern China Rainfall in the Following Early Summer

ENSO’s effect on the rainfall in eastern China in the following early summer is investigated by using station precipitation data and the ERA-40 reanalysis data from 1958 to 2002. In June, after the El Nino peak, the precipitation is significantly enhanced in the Yangtze River valley while suppressed in the Huaihe River-Yellow River valleys. This relationship between ENSO and the rainfall in eastern China is established possibly through two teleconnections: One is related to the western North Pacific (WNP) ...     

Latitudinal and downcore (0–750 ka) changes in n-alkane chain lengths in the eastern equatorial Pacific

The n-alkane C₃₁/(C₂₉ + C₃₁) ratios from surface sediments in the eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) exhibit higher values to the north and lower values to the south across the southern edge (2–4°N) of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Since plants tend to synthesize longer chain length n-alkanes in response to elevated temperature and/or aridity, the higher C₃₁/(C₂₉ + C₃₁) ratios at northern sites suggest a higher contribution of vegetation under hot and/or dry conditions. This is consistent with the observation that northern sites receive higher levels of plant waxes transported by northeasterly trade winds from northern South America, where hot and dry conditions prevail. Furthermore, from a sediment core covering the past 750 ka (core HY04; 4°N, 95°W) we found that C₃₁/(C₂₉ + C₃₁) ratios exhibit a long-term decrease from MIS (marine oxygen isotope stage) 17 to 13. During this period, the zonal SST (sea-surface temperature) gradient in the equatorial Pacific increased, suggesting an increase in Walker circulation. Such intensified Walker circulation may have enhanced moisture advection from the equatorial Atlantic warm pool to the adjacent northern South America, causing arid regions in northern South America to contract, which may explain long-term decrease in n-alkane chain lengths.     

Biogenic Sediments and Their Paleoceanographic Implication in West Pacific Warm Pool during the Pleistocene

Primary productivity has played an important role in the global carbon cycle during the Quaternary. The average Corg/N ratio was 7.0 from the core MD97-2140 in the West Pacific Warm Pool (WPWP) over the last 1 755 ka, which indicates a main contribution of marine organic carbon to the organic matter in the sediments. Large fluctuations in mass accumulation rates (MARs) of biogenics and lithogenics from this core since the marine isotope stage (MIS) 6 reflected the moderate variability in oceanographic condi...     

基于MJO的延伸预报

近10年来,2～4周的延伸预报成为天气和气候业务预报发展的一个方向。目前比较有效的方法是根据季节内振荡的传播,尤其是MJO振荡(30～60天周期)的传播来制作延伸期预报。国际上一些天气-气候预报中通过数年的业务试验已取得了初步结果。作者首先介绍了MJO振荡及季风的季节内振荡(MISO)特征,并从季节内振荡与中纬度相互作用的角度讨论了制作延伸预报的理论依据;进一步对延伸预报的可预报性、预报方法及国内外业务应用进展进行了综述,并以江淮梅雨为例探讨了我国延伸预报的可预报性及信号;最后阐述了延伸预报的发展趋势。     

The Effect of Regional Ocean-Atmosphere Coupling on the Long-term Variability in the Pacific Ocean

A fully coupled ocean-atmosphere model is applied to highlight the mechanism of the long-term variability (including decadal and longer time scales) in the Pacific Ocean. We are interested in the effect of ocean-atmosphere coupling of different regions during these processes. The control run successfully simulates the Pacific long-term variability, whose leading modes are the Pacific (inter) Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the North Pacific mode (NPM). Furthermore, three numerical experiments are conducted, s...     

2009年冬季黑龙江省气温异常诊断分析

利用常规观测的温度资料、国家气候中心提供的环流特征量、NCEP/NCAR再分析资料和美国气候预测中心(CPC)提供的AO指数等,分析了2009年11月到2010年2月的北半球大尺度环流及物理量特征。探讨了2009年冬季黑龙江区域温度异常偏低的可能成因。分析表明,北半球极涡向南扩展,欧亚大陆上空经向环流占优势,北方冷空气活动偏强,西伯利亚高压异常强大,AO负异常偏强是造成黑龙江地区2009年冬季温度偏低的主要原因。     

2008年1月乌拉尔阻塞高压异常活动的分析研究

不少研究已经表明, 乌拉尔阻塞高压的持续活动对2008年1月中国南方雨雪冰冻灾害的发生有重要作用。本文针对2008年1月乌拉尔阻塞高压的异常, 利用NCEP再分析逐日环流资料、 哈德莱中心的海温资料等, 从对流层北极涛动(AO)、 平流层极涡(PV) 以及海温异常等几方面, 对2008年1月乌拉尔阻塞高压异常产生的原因进行了分析研究。结果显示, 虽然从以往多年情况来看, 前期AO及平流层极涡的异常很可能会导致其后乌拉尔阻塞高压发生异常, 然而就2008年1月的情况而言, 2007～2008年冬季对流层AO和平流层极涡的异常都不能成为异常乌拉尔阻塞高压产生和偏强的原因, 因为它们的关系与多年存在的长期关系相反。进一步的分析研究则显示, 2007年12月和2008年1月赤道太平洋的La Niña事件也对乌拉尔阻塞高压的活动没有明显影响; 而北大西洋海温正异常, 尤其是北大西洋副热带海温正异常的存在, 是2008年1月乌拉尔阻塞高压持续的重要外强迫因素。     

北太平洋次表层海温异常对中国夏季降水影响的可能途径

利用Godas月平均次表层海温资料, 分析了冬、春季和夏季北太平洋次表层海温层际相似性特征, 据此对次表层海温进行分层。在此基础上研究了500 hPa位势高度场、北太平洋次表层海温、中国夏季降水三者之间的时滞相关关系, 发现春季北太平洋次表层海温场是联系前、后期大气环流的关键因素。前期冬季大气环流对春季北太平洋次表层海温场影响最显著, 春季北太平洋次表层海温场又持续影响同期及后期夏季大气环流异常。异常的夏季大气环流与同期表层、次表层海温相互作用, 共同造成夏季长江流域与华北、华南降水出现相反异常的分布型式。     

东亚夏季风环流和雨带的季节内变化

基于常规气象要素资料及变差度方法, 分析了东亚夏季风环流的演变特征, 发现东亚地区在夏季期间存在两次明显的次季节突变, 主要表现为西太平洋副热带高压 (副高) 的两次东退北跳, 第一次是在6月中旬, 第二次是在7月下旬。由于副高与雨带密切相关, 雨带在演进过程中也呈现出两次明显的突跳, 分别对应于江淮流域至日本一带梅雨期以及中国华北和东北雨季的开始。较第一次北跳而言, 副高的第二次北跳更为明显。副高的第一次北跳主要受南海地区对流活动加强的影响, 而第二次北跳则是暖池对流活动与高纬地区环流共同作用的结果。暖池地区向东北方向传播的Rossby波列以及高纬地区东传的Rossby波通过锁相作用使得副高强烈北跳。此外, 副高与其西部边缘凝结潜热的相互作用导致副高发生季节内的低频振荡。 风场变差度的分析表明, 高纬地区对流层中低层环流的调整随着夏季季节进程逐渐减弱, 这与中高纬地区温差的变化有关。而高纬地区高层环流的调整在夏季后半期随着高度的增加却逐渐增强, 这与高层环流从夏到冬的季节变化有关。从风场相似度的变化上还可以看到, 副高第二次北跳后东亚地区呈现出明显不同的环流状态。 南半球环流对于南海及暖池地区对流活动的增强有重要影响。6月中旬, 南海与暖池地区对流活动的增强是由于南海西边界西风加强并向东扩展造成的, 这与马斯克林高压 (马高) 的加强密切相关。而在7月中旬, 澳大利亚高压 (澳高) 的增强使其东北部的越赤道气流加强, 南半球大量冷空气侵入到暖池地区, 加强了暖池地区的不稳定性以及低层的辐合, 从而使暖池地区的对流活动增强。但在夏季前半期, 暖池对流活动也可调制澳高强度与其东北部越赤道气流强弱的关系, 使得二者呈现出相反的变化趋势。南半球冬季期间, 澳高在振荡中减弱, 这与澳洲大陆下垫面温度及上游马高的能量频散有关, 前者影响澳高的变化趋势 (减弱), 而后者影响澳高的低频振荡。