Characteristics and variations of the East Asian monsoon system and its impacts on climate disasters in China

Recent advances in studies of the structural characteristics and temporal-spatial variations of the East Asian monsoon （EAM） system and the impact of this system on severe climate disasters in China are reviewed. Previous studies have improved our understanding of the basic characteristics of horizontal and vertical structures and the annual cycle of the EAM system and the water vapor transports in the EAM region. Many studies have shown that the EAM system is a relatively independent subsystem of the Asian- Australian monsoon system, and that there exists an obvious quasi-biennial oscillation with a meridional tripole pattern distribution in the interannual variations of the EAM system. Further analyses of the basic physical processes, both internal and external, that influence the variability of the EAM system indicate that the EAM system may be viewed as an atmosphere-ocean-land coupled system, referred to the EAM climate system in this paper. Further, the paper discusses how the interaction and relationships among various components of this system can be described through the East Asia Pacific （EAP） teleconnection pattern and the teleconnection pattern of meridional upper-tropospheric wind anomalies along the westerly jet over East Asia. Such reasoning suggests that the occurrence of severe floods in the Yangtze and Hualhe River valleys and prolonged droughts in North China are linked, respectively~ to the background interannual and interdecadal variability of the EAM climate system. Besides, outstanding scientific issues related to the EAM system and its impact on climate disasters in China are also discussed.     

The Impact of Mid- and High-Latitude Rossby Wave Activities on the Medium-Range Evolution of the EAP Pattern During the Pre-Rainy Period of South China

Based on the NCEP DOE AMIP II daily reanalysis data (1979{2005), the evolution of the East Asia/Pacific(EAP) teleconnection pattern during the pre-rainy period of South China is studied on the medium-range time scale. It is found that positive and negative EAP patterns share a similar generation process. In the middle and upper troposphere, Rossby wave packets emanating from the northeast Atlantic or Europe propagate toward East Asia along the Eurasian continent waveguide and finally give rise to the three anomaly centers of the EAP pattern over East Asia. Among the three anomaly centers, the western Pacific subtropical center appears the latest. Rossby wave packets propagate from the high latitude anomaly center toward the mid-latitude and the subtropical ones. The enhancement and maintenance of the subtropical anomaly center is closely associated with the subtropical jet waveguide and the incoming Rossby wave packets from the upstream. In the lower troposphere, Rossby wave packets emanate from the subtropical Asia toward East Asia. Positive and negative EAP patterns could not be regarded as "mirrors" to each other with simply re- versed phase. For the positive pattern, the positive height anomaly center around the Scandinavia Peninsula keeps its strength and position during the mature period, and the Rossby wave packets thus propagate persistently toward East Asia, facilitating a longer mature time of the positive pattern. As for the formation of the negative EAP pattern, however, the incoming Rossby wave energy from the upstream contributes to both the enhancement and southeastward movement of the negative anomaly belt from the Yenisei River to the Bering Strait and the positive anomaly center around Mongolia. At the peak time, the two anomlous circulations are evolved into the Northeast Asia and the mid-latitude anomaly centers of the negative pattern, respectively. The energy dispersion of Rossby wave packets is relatively fast due to the predominant zonal circulation in the extratropics, causing a shorter mature period of the negative pattern. During the pre-rainy period of South China, the prevalence of the EAP pattern signiˉcantly affects the rainfall over the region south of the Yangtze River. The positive (negative) EAP pattern tends to causepositive (negative) precipitation anomalies in that region. This is di?erent from the earlier research findingsbased on monthly mean data.     

中高纬Rossby波活动对盛夏东亚/太平洋事件中期演变过程的影响

在中期时间尺度上探讨了Rossby波活动对盛夏东亚太平洋(EAP)事件的影响。正负EAP事件的形成过程不是简单的反位相过程, 但这一时期的气候平均流波导结构决定了两者在Rossby波能量频散特征上有许多相似之处。在对流层中上层, 源自上游东北大西洋或东欧平原的Rossby波能量经巴尔喀什湖附近向东北方向频散, 它对东北亚异常中心的形成和维持起重要作用。由于盛夏东亚急流位置偏北, 我国华北[CD*2]东北地区成为波导区, Rossby波能量从贝加尔湖附近向该波导区频散, 形成了EAP事件的东亚中纬度异常中心。在EAP事件的三个异常中心中, 东北亚异常中心最先形成, 西太平洋副热带异常中心则最后出现。在对流层上下层波导结构有明显差异, 它导致了Rossby波能量在东亚沿岸中高纬地区的反向经向传播特征。在负事件的对流层低层, 西太平洋副热带异常中心和中纬度两个异常中心间的经向Rossby波链接较为明显。在东亚地区, 盛夏月平均尺度上EAP型的Rossby能量频散特征与中期EAP事件基本一致。     

Predictable and Unpredictable Components of the Summer East Asia–Pacific Teleconnection Pattern

The East Asia–Pacific(EAP) teleconnection pattern is the dominant mode of circulation variability during boreal summer over the western North Pacific and East Asia, extending from the tropics to high latitudes. However, much of this pattern is absent in multi-model ensemble mean forecasts, characterized by very weak circulation anomalies in the mid and high latitudes. This study focuses on the absence of the EAP pattern in the extratropics, using state-of-the-art coupled seasonal forecast systems. The results indicate that the extratropical circulation is much less predictable, and lies in the large spread among different ensemble members, implying a large contribution from atmospheric internal variability. However,the tropical–mid-latitude teleconnections are also relatively weaker in models than observations, which also contributes to the failure of prediction of the extratropical circulation. Further results indicate that the extratropical EAP pattern varies closely with the anomalous surface temperatures in eastern Russia, which also show low predictability. This unpredictable circulation–surface temperature connection associated with the EAP pattern can also modulate the East Asian rainband.     

西太平洋副热带高压异常进退的对比分析

对1980年7月29日—8月16日西太平洋副高位置持续偏南和1983年7月16日—8月12日西太平洋副高位置持续偏北的两次季节内副高中期进退过程的环流特征和加热差异作了对比分析,讨论了东亚季风与对流活动、副高进退之间的关系.      

厄尔尼诺年西北太平洋异常反气旋的年际变化特征及其影响

基于1901-2000年多种海-气资料,分析了厄尔尼诺成熟年冬季-初夏西北太平洋异常反气旋（WNPAC）的年际变化特征及其对东亚气候的影响。结果表明,无论是厄尔尼诺事件成熟期的冬季还是次年的春季和初夏,WNPAC的年际变化主要存在两个空间变化型,即反映其强度变化的经验正交函数分解第1模态和反映其位置变化的第2模态。厄尔尼诺成熟年冬季WNPAC强度不仅与赤道中东太平洋海温异常有关,而且与太平洋西部（WP）型遥相关的强度有关,而其位置的变化则主要与西北太平洋局地海温异常以及北极涛动（AO）有关;次年春季,WNPAC的强度除了与赤道中东太平洋海温异常和太平洋西部型遥相关存在显著相关外,还与赤道大西洋海温异常有关,而其位置的变化则主要与西北太平洋局地海温异常和太平洋西部型遥相关有关;次年初夏,WNPAC强度主要与西北印度洋和西南印度洋的海温异常以及东亚-太平洋（EAP）型遥相关的强度有关。进一步分析表明,成熟年冬季-初夏WNPAC的强度和位置的变化均可对东亚地区降水异常分布产生影响,这对预测厄尔尼诺事件发生后冬季及后期春、夏季节东亚地区降水异常分布具有一定的指示意义。此外,次年初夏,WNPAC强度变化与西北太平洋台风发生频数存在显著负相关,即WNPAC越强,台风发生的频数越少,反之亦然。     

夏季东亚大气遥相关型变化特征及其与长江中下游旱涝的关系

用 ５００ ｈ Ｐａ 高度场资料及中国 １６０ 个站的月平均降水资料,采用 Ｅ Ｏ Ｆ、合成分析和奇异谱分析等方法,分析了长江中下游旱涝年夏季降水与同期东亚大气环流的关系,结果表明长江中下游旱涝与 ５００ ｈ Ｐａ 高度场东亚太平洋遥相关型（ Ｅ Ａ Ｐ）关系密切, Ｅ Ａ Ｐ指数能较好地反映夏季 ５００ ｈ Ｐａ 高度场的配置及长江中下游降水。文中重点讨论了 Ｅ Ａ Ｐ指数的振荡周期及高低指数年西太平洋副高的变化特征。 Ｅ Ａ Ｐ指数 ３～６ 年、准两年及年代际变化反映了长江中下游旱涝的年际变化及年代际变化趋势。 Ｅ Ａ Ｐ高指数年（对应涝年）,西太平洋副热带高压为纬向型,随季节南北移动较缓慢,副高位置偏南偏西,并且强度偏强;而 Ｅ Ａ Ｐ低指数年（对应旱年）,西太平洋副高呈经向型,随季节由西南向东北移动较迅速,副高偏东偏北,并且强度偏弱。     

中国北方秋雨与热带中太平洋海表冷却的关系

本文利用1951～2011年中国160站降水、NCEP/NCAR再分析资料和NOAA延长重建海表温度 (NOAA extended reconstructed SST) 资料,研究了中国9月北方秋雨的年际变化特征及其成因,并用ECHAM5大气环流模式开展了数值试验,最后对2011年9月历史罕见秋雨进行了分析。研究发现,中国北方秋雨有明显的年际和年代际变化,19世纪60年代到1980年代中期,北方秋雨偏多,1950年代、1980年代后期和1990年代秋雨偏少。北方秋雨与西太平洋副热带高压的西伸有密切联系,北方秋雨偏多时,副热带高压偏西偏强,有利于偏南风向北输送水汽并在中国北方辐合。西太平洋副热带高压的加强西伸与热带中太平洋的海表冷却密切有关,偏低的热带中太平洋海表温度(CTSSTI)使其上的对流活动受到抑制,热带西太平洋对流异常旺盛,在西北太平洋出现异常反气旋,加强东亚—西北太平洋的EAP波列,引起西太平洋副热带高压明显西伸,导致秋雨偏多。反之,热带中太平洋海表偏暖,副热带高压偏弱偏南,秋雨偏少。2011年9月北方秋雨的环流异常及成因与统计分析和数值模拟结果基本一致。     

中高纬度Rossby波活动对华南前汛期EAP事件中期演变过程的影响

文中从中期过程的角度探讨了Rossby波活动在华南前汛期东亚-太平洋遥相关型事件的形成、成熟和衰减过程中的作用,并得出如下结果:(1)正负东亚-太平洋遥相关型事件的形成过程有相似之处:在对流层中上层,源自东北大西洋或欧洲的Rossby波在欧亚大陆中高纬弱波导区中不断地向下游频散,最终在东亚地区形成东亚-太平洋遥相关型事件的3个异常中心。在东亚-太平洋遥相关型事件的3个异常中心之间,Rossby波能量从高纬度向中纬度和副热带地区频散。东亚-太平洋遥相关型事件副热带异常中心的形成归因于东亚副热带急流波导的存在以及上游中高纬度地区Rossby波能量的注入。在对流层低层,Rossby波则从亚洲副热带地区向东亚中纬度地区频散。(2)东亚-太平洋遥相关型事件的3个异常中心在对流层中上层中,西太平洋副热带地区异常中心最后形成。(3)正负东亚-太平洋遥相关型事件也并不是简单的反位相演变过程:在对流层中上层,在正事件成熟阶段,斯堪的纳维亚半岛上的正异常环流基本维持了其中心强度和位置,它不断地向下游东亚地区频散能量,使正事件的持续时间较长;在负事件中,由于中高纬度盛行纬向型环流,波能量的频散较快,因而负事件成熟阶段的持续时间比正事件短。(4)在这一时期,东亚-太平洋遥相关型事件对中国长江以南地区的降水形势具有显著的影响。正(负)东亚-太平洋遥相关型事件易引起长江以南降水异常偏多(少)。     

The Impact of Mid- and High-Latitude Rossby Wave Activities on the Medium-Range Evolution of the EAP Pattern During the Pre-Rainy Period of South China

Based on the NCEP DOE AMIP II daily reanalysis data (1979–2005), the evolution of the East Asia/Pacific (EAP) teleconnection pattern during the pre-rainy period of South China is studied on the medium-range time scale. It is found that positive and negative EAP patterns share a similar generation process. In the middle and upper troposphere, Rossby wave packets emanating from the northeast Atlantic or Europe prop-agate toward East Asia along the Eurasian continent waveguide and finally give rise to the three anomaly centers of the EAP pattern over East Asia. Among the three anomaly centers, the western Pacific subtropical center appears the latest. Rossby wave packets propagate from the high latitude anomaly center toward the mid-latitude and the subtropical ones. The enhancement and maintenance of the subtropical anomaly center is closely associated with the subtropical jet waveguide and the incoming Rossby wave packets from the upstream. In the lower troposphere, Rossby wave packets emanate from the subtropical Asia toward East Asia. Positive and negative EAP patterns could not be regarded as "mirrors" to each other with simply reversed phase. For the positive pattern, the positive height anomaly center around the Scandinavia Peninsula keeps its strength and position during the mature period, and the Rossby wave packets thus propagate persistently toward East Asia, facilitating a longer mature time of the positive pattern. As for the formation of the negative EAP pattern, however, the incoming Rossby wave energy from the upstream contributes to both the enhancement and southeastward movement of the negative anomaly belt from the Yenisei River to the Bering Strait and the positive anomaly center around Mongolia. At the peak time, the two anomlous circulations are evolved into the Northeast Asia and the mid-latitude anomaly centers of the negative pat- tern, respectively. The energy dispersion of Rossby wave packets is relatively fast due to the predominant zonal circulation in the extratropics, causing a shorter mature period of the negative pattern. During the pre-rainy period of South China, the prevalence of the EAP pattern significantly affects the rainfall over the region south of the Yangtze River. The positive (negative) EAP pattern tends to cause positive (negative) precipitation anomalies in that region. This is different from the earlier research findings based on monthly mean data.