夏季索马里越赤道气流垂直结构的变化特征及其与东亚夏季风活动的关系

采用NCEP/NCAR和ERA40再分析月平均资料,对比分析夏季垂直尺度上五层(1000 hPa、925 hPa、850 hPa、700 hPa、600 hPa)索马里越赤道气流(SMJ)的时空演变特征。指出对流层中低层SMJ存在不同的垂直结构,且具有年际、年代际变化特征。夏季SMJ垂直结构主要呈现出全区一致、上下反相两种分布型(“A”型和“B”型),细分为一致增强型(“A+”型)、一致减弱型(“A-”型)、上弱下强型(“B+”型)和上强下弱型(“B-”型)。进一步分析指出,SMJ垂直结构与东亚夏季风活动关系密切,SMJ“A+”(“A-”)型垂直结构对应东亚夏季风偏强(弱),我国内蒙古东部、华北地区降水偏多(少);夏季SMJ“B+”(“B-”)型垂直结构对应东亚夏季风偏弱(强),我国江南、日本地区降水偏少(多)。     

全球气候变暖背景下索马里急流变化的预估研究

索马里急流的变化对亚洲季风和气候变动具有重要的影响,未来索马里急流到底会如何演变？如何受全球变暖的影响？针对这个问题,文中利用IPCC第四次评估报告（IPCC AR4）的多个海气耦合模式的模拟结果,评估了多个模式在当前气候（20C3M）条件下对夏季低空索马里急流的模拟能力;预估模式在SRESA2排放情景下对21世纪（2010—2099）的索马里急流变化。研究结果表明,18个模式在现代气候条件下对索马里急流有较好的模拟能力;18个模式的集合平均结果预测夏季索马里低空急流在21世纪的变化过程是：初期（2010—2040）增强至减弱,中期（2050—2060）增加至最强,末期（2070—2090）减至最弱。与现代气候条件模拟结果相比,夏季索马里低空急流在未来气候变暖背景条件下是趋于减弱的过程,在21世纪末期最弱。研究还表明了夏季低空索马里急流的变化幅度与全球平均气温的变化幅度是一个非线性的关系,各模式对二者关系的描述存在不确定性,鉴于索马里急流对印度季风和东亚季风及中国气候的重要性,索马里急流的变化规律和未来演变是科学界特别需要深入研究的问题。     

夏季索马里越赤道气流垂直结构特征及其与南亚夏季风的关系

采用1950-2009年NCEP/NCAR月平均再分析风场资料,对夏季低空索马里越赤道气流的垂直结构及其与南亚夏季风的关系进行研究.结果表明:夏季索马里越赤道气流在垂直方向上从低层至高层先增强,在925 hPa高度上达到最大值后逐渐减弱.某些年份索马里越赤道气流核心可向上延伸至850 hPa高度,而某些年份则维持在925 hPa高度上.索马里越赤道气流垂直结构不同时,其对应的南亚夏季风也有所不同,这种差异主要体现在对流层低层风场的变化,以及南亚夏季风的强弱差异方面.总体来说,索马里急流核心高度延伸至850 hPa时,对应的南亚夏季风偏强;急流核心高度维持在925 hPa时,南亚夏季风偏弱.     

中国夏季降水对南印度洋偶极子的响应研究

分析了春季印度洋海表温度（SST）与中国160个站夏季降水的关系,得到:印度洋全海盆的增温趋势与我国夏季降水的气候线性变化趋势是十分一致的。另外,热带外南印度洋出现西南印度洋为正（负）、其东北部出现（负）正海温异常的分布模态时,定义为正（负）南印度洋偶极子PSIOD（NSIOD）事件。SIOD事件对中国夏季降水具有重要影响,PSIOD年,5月份中国江南和西南以及长江中下游的降水偏多;6～8月份华北、东北区域、长江中游以及华南地区降水增多,华南与华北之间的区域降水偏少,即主要为两条雨带的分布。NSIOD年,5月份中国大部降水偏少; 6～8月中国西南、江南地区以及黄淮地区降水偏多。不同时段SIOD所起的作用是不同的,5月,SIOD主要通过改变马斯克林局地环流的变化,影响印度洋低层越赤道的水汽通量输送;6～8月,通过改变海洋大陆下垫面SST热状态,改变其上空对流强度以及水汽输送方向,并间接影响西北太平洋副热带高压的强度和南北位置,进而对中国雨带的分布产生影响。     

索马里急流的年际变化及其对半球间水汽输送和东亚夏季降水的影响

利用美国国家环境预报中心和美国国家大气科学研究中 心（NCEP/NCAR）再分析月平均气候资料以及Xie和Arkin分析的月平均降水资料（1968～199 8年），针对索马里低空急流（SMJ）的年际变化及其对东亚夏季降水的影响问题展开了分析 研究. 结果揭示，SMJ作为最主要的越赤道气流，对两个半球间水汽输送起最关键的作用， 它把水汽从冬半球输送到夏半球. 夏季SMJ的年际变化有全球范围内的环流异常与之相联系 ，特别是东亚沿岸的波列状异常分布、南亚高压以及澳大利亚以南的偶极型异常分布；它 也同春季的北印度洋等海区的海温异常有密切关系. 研究还表明，春季SMJ的年际变化对东 亚夏季降水和大气环流有显著影响，由于SMJ影响的超前性，因此它在东亚夏季气候预测上 有重要意义.     

REASONS FOR THE LATE ONSET AND ANOMALOUS SOUTHWARD PERSISTENCE OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA SUMMER MONSOON IN 2005

Features of atmospheric circulation and thermal structures are discussed using the NCAR/NCEP data to reveal the reasons for the late onset and anomalous southward persistence of the South China Sea Summer Monsoon (SCSSM) in 2005. The results show that three factors are crucial. First, a strong Arabian High overlaps with a high-latitude blocking high and channels strong cold air to southern Asia. Second, the Tibetan Plateau has a bigger snow cover than usual in spring and the melting of snow cools down the surface. Third, the Somali Jet breaks out at a much later date, being not conducive to convection over Indochina. The former two factors restrict atmospheric sensible heating over the Tibetan Plateau and nearby regions while the third one limits latent heating over Indochina. All of the factors slow down atmospheric warming and postpone the onset of SCSSM. Long after the onset of SCSSM, strong cold air over India advances the Southwest Monsoon northward slowly, resulting in weaker convection and latent heating over the Tibetan Plateau and nearby areas. The negative feedback conversely inhibits further northward movement of Southwest Monsoon.     

A steady state model of the Somali current

A steady state model of the Somali current including forcing by both the curl and the divergence of the wind stress is discussed. The model equations are linear, but the results presented are for the one nonlinear case. The grid resolution was 12 km in the zonal and 24 km in the meridional direction. The streamfunction and velocity potential of the current are presented for forcing by divergence and compared with a situation when only the curl is present. The results indicate that a two-gyre system appears in July, a representative month for the summer monsoon, only when divergence is included. Computations with available data indicate that the divergence is comparable in magnitude to the curl near the location of the Somali current. The model produces three other important features: (i) strong upwelling off the east coast of Africa, (ii) downwelling over central Arabian sea and (iii) a strong eastward current in the upper layer towards the interior of the Arabian sea near 12°N.     

Somali Jet Changes under the Global Warming

Somali Jet changes will influence the variability of Asian monsoon and climate. How would Somali Jet changes respond to the global warming in the future climate？ To address this question, we first evaluate the ability of IPCC-AR4 climate models and perform the 20th century climate in coupled models （20C3M） experiments to reproduce the observational features of the low level Somali Jet in JJA （June-July-August） for the period 1976 1999. Then, we project and discuss the changes of Somali Jet under the climate change of Scenario A2 （SRESA2） for the period 2005 2099. The results show that 18 IPCC-AR4 models have performed better in describing the climatological features of Somali Jet in the present climate simulations. Analysis of Somali Jet intensity changes from the multi-model ensemble results for the period 2005-2099 shows a weakened Somali Jet in the early 21st century （2010-2040）, the strongest Somali Jet in the middle 21st century （2050 2060）, as well as the weakest Somali Jet at the end of the 21st century （2070-2090）. Compared with the period 1976-1999, the intensity of Somali Jet is weakening in general, and it becomes the weakest at the end of the 21st century. The results also suggest that the relationship between the intensity of Somali Jet in JJA and the increment of global mean surface air temperature is nonlinear, which is reflected differently among the models, suggesting the uncertainty of the IPCC-AR4 models. Considering the important role of Somali Jet in the Indian monsoon and East Asian monsoon and climate of China, the variability of Somali Jet and its evolvement under the present climate or future climate changes need to be further clarified.     

Variations of the summer Somali and Australia cross-equatorial flows and the implications for the Asian summer monsoon

The temporal variations during 1948-2010 and vertical structures of the summer Somali and Australia cross-equatorial flows(CEFs) and the implications for the Asian summer monsoon were explored in this study.The strongest southerly and northerly CEFs exist at 925 hPa and 150 hPa level,respectively.The low-level Somali(LLS) CEFs were significantly connected with the rainfall in most regions of India(especially the monsoon regions),except in a small area in southwest India.In comparison to the climatology,the lowlevel Australia(LLA) CEFs exhibited stronger variations at interannual time scale and are more closely connected to the East Asian summer monsoon circulation than to the LLS CEFs.The East Asian summer monsoon circulation anomalies related to stronger LLA CEFs were associated with less water vapor content and less rainfall in the region between the middle Yellow River and Yangtze River and with more water vapor and more rainfall in southern China.The sea-surface temperature anomalies east of Australia related to summer LLA CEFs emerge in spring and persist into summer,with implications for the seasonal prediction of summer rainfall in East Asia.The connection between the LLA CEFs and East Asian summer monsoon rainfall may be partly due to its linkage with El Nino-Southern Oscillation.In addition,both the LLA and LLS CEFs exhibited interdecadal shifts in the late 1970s and the late 1990s,consistent with the phase shifts of Pacific Decadal Oscillation(PDO).     

Impact of the Preceding Boreal Winter Southern Annular Mode on the Summertime Somali Jet

One of the major high-latitude circulation systems in the Southern Hemisphere is the Southern Annular Mode（SAM）. Its effect on the Somali Jet（SMJ）, which connects the Southern and Northern hemispheres, cannot be ignored. The present reported results show that time series of both the Southern Annular Mode Index（SAMI） during the preceding winter and the summertime Somali Jet intensity Index（SMJI） display a significant increasing trend and have similar interdecadal variation. The latter was rather strong around 1960, then became weaker up to the mid-1980 s, before starting to strengthen again. The lead-lag correlations of monthly mean SAMI with the following summertime SMJI showed significant positive correlations in November, December, and January. There are thus connections across two seasons between the SAM and the SMJ. The influence of the winter SAM on the summer SMJ was explored via analyses of SST anomalies in the Southern Indian Ocean. During strong（weak） SAM/SMJ years, the SST east of Madagascar is colder（warmer） while the SST west of Australia is warmer（colder）, corresponding to the positive（negative） Southern Indian Ocean Dipole-like（SIODL） event. Subsequently, the SIODL excites an anticyclone located over the Arabian Sea in summer through air-sea coupling from winter to summer, which causes an increase in the summer SMJ intensity. The anticyclone/high branch of the SAM over the Southern Hemisphere subtropics and the cyclone/low over the east coast of Madagascar play an important role in the formation of Southern Indian Ocean ＂bridge＂ from winter to summer.