The relationship between low frequency atmospheric oscillation and SST in equatorial Pacific

Based on analyzing the tropical Pacific SST and ECMWF data in the 1980s, the inverse characteristics between low frequency atmospheric oscillation (LFO), including intraseasonal oscillation and half-year oscillation and the SST anomalies in the tropical Pacific (SSTA) have been found. The positive SSTA corresponds to the weak LFO, the negative SSTA to the strong LFO. The correlation field further demonstrates this kind of negative correlation and points out that the anomalous LFO in Indonesia plays an important role in the variation of SSTA in the tropical centre-eastem Pacific.     

The relationship between sea surface temperature anomaly and wind energy input in the Pacific Ocean

The relationship between sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) and wind energy input in the Pacific Ocean over the period of 1949–2003 is studied by using daily-mean NOAA/NCEP wind stress and monthly mean Reynolds SST data. The results indicate the strong negative correlation between SSTA and local wind energy input to surface waves in most of the domain at low and middle latitudes. The SST is low (high) during the years with more (less) wind energy input. The correlation coefficients are high in the central and eastern tropical Pacific and the central midlatitude North Pacific at the decadal scale, and in the central tropical Pacific at the interannual scale. Vertical mixing processes in the upper ocean are closely associated with wind energy input, indicating that wind energy input may play an important role in interannual and decadal variability in the Pacific Ocean via regulating vertical mixing.     

中国西南秋季旱涝的诊断分析

为了分析中国西南秋季旱涝情况,利用西南地区东部1961~2012年的降水资料和区域旱涝指数对该地区秋季旱涝等级进行了评定,并运用NCEP/NCAR再分析资料与英国气象局海温资料对典型旱涝年的成因进行了探讨。结果表明,西南地区东部降水呈显著减少趋势,并在1990年左右发生了突变。旱年秋季,低层在南中国海附近为显著的气旋性环流异常,西南地区上空存在显著的下沉运动,涝年则相反。进一步分析发现,当西太平洋海温偏高时,可以激发罗斯贝波环流异常,对应在南中国海附近存在异常的气旋性环流,临近的西南地区东部处于异常的下沉气流控制,容易发生干旱,涝年则相反。此外,热带西太平洋海温于20世纪80年代中后期发生了由冷转暖的突变,这与随后西南地区东部秋季降水的突变密切相关。     

副热带太平洋海温异常对赤道海洋的影响

利用完全耦合的气候模式进行敏感性试验, 定量研究副热带太平洋不同经度带的海表面温度异常(SSTA)对赤道太平洋的影响。研究发现, 赤道表层和温跃层海温对副热带太平洋(20°?30°N)西部、中部和东部SSTA的热力响应是相当的。 研究中强调大气?海洋耦合在副热带SSTA影响赤道温跃层过程中的决定性作用, 并提出一种间接的、较“海洋通道”机制更为快速的机制: 副热带SSTA引发局地大气的气旋性响应, 继而引起局地海洋内区的上升流和其面向赤道一侧海洋内区的下沉流, 该下沉流造成的局部温跃层暖异常向着赤道传播, 导致赤道温跃层增暖。     

Precursory SST anomalies associated with the convection over the western Pacific warm pool

The convection over the tropical western Pacific warm pool influences significantly the atmospheric circulation and climate in East Asia. Thus, the precursory signals of the convection may be used in the forecast of summer climate in China. According to the present results, the June-July-August (JJA) mean convection intensity over the warm pool is significantly related to the precursory positive and negative sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the warm pool and in the equatorial central and eastern Pacific, respectively. It is also related to the simultaneous negative surface temperatures west to the Philippines. The analysis on the SSTs associated with the convection over the warm pool in individual month of summer shows that for the convection in June and July, there are precursory SST signals in the warm pool and the equatorial central and eastern Pacific. Therefore, this study shows that only the convection in June and July, rather than that in August, has precursory SST signals, despite the existence of the precursory signals of the JJA mean convection. Accordingly, it is implied that the interaction among the warm pool, equatorial central and eastern Pacific, and the region west to the Philippines may exhibit distinct features in the precursory period (preceding winter and spring) and in the simultaneous period.     

Relationship between East Asian winter monsoon, warm pool situation and ENSO cycle

Based on the observational data analyses and numerical simulations with the air-sea coupled model (CGCM), a new perspective on the occurrence mechanism of ENSO is advanced in this paper. The continuous strong (weak) East Asian winter monsoon will lead to continuous westerly (easterly) wind anomalies over the equatorial western Pacific region. The anomalous equatorial westerly (easterly) winds can cause eastward propagation of the subsurface ocean temperature anomalies (SOTA) in the warm pool region, the positive (negative) SOTA have been in the warm pool region for quite a long time. The eastward propagating of positive (negative) SOTA along the thermocline will lead to positive (negative) SSTA in the equatorial eastern Pacific and the occurrence of El Niño (La Niña) event. After the occurrence of ENSO, the winter monsoon in East Asia will be weak (strong) due to the influence of El Niño (La Niña).     

Relationship between the tropical cyclone genesis over the Northwest Pacific and the sea surface temperature anomalies

Using the tropical cyclone (TC) data derived from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and the sea surface temperature data derived from the Joint Environmental Data Analysis Center (JEDAC) at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography from January 1955 to December 2000, we analyzed the relationship between the TC genesis over the Northwest Pacific (NWP) and the sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) over the Pacific basin. A long-term trend indicated that the highest frequency of monthly TC genesis appeared earlier and the annual genesis sum increased gradually during the last half century with some oscillations. No significant synchronous correlation was found between the NWP TC events and the SSTA over the Pacific basin, while the annual sum of TC genesis was closely related with the SSTA averaged from the first three months (January, February and March) of the year in the equatorial western and eastern Pacific and over mid-high latitudes of the North Pacific. The results implied that there are an interannual El Nio SSTA mode in the equatorial western and eastern Pacific and an interdecadal SSTA mode in the northern Pacific, which affected the TC genesis. A regression analysis between the first three-month SSTA and the annual TC sum based on two time scales was conducted. The correlation coefficient between simulated and observed TC sums reached a high value of 0.77.     

The wavelet analysis of satellite sea surface temperature in the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean

Using wavelet transform, the sea surface temperature (SST) during the period of 1982–1999 of the South China Sea and the equatorial Pacific, from datasets of NOAA/AVHRR, was analyzed. It is shown that there are 4- and 8-year interannual oscillations in the eastern equatorial Pacific and 8-year interannual oscillation in the western equatorial Pacific. In terms of attractive time-frequency localization and multi-scale properties of wavelet transform, as shown by the Morlet wavelet, it is found that an in-phase coupling oscillation occurs between the SCS and the equatorial Pacific. The SST changes of SCS will have echoed every event of EI Niño (abnormally warm) and La Niño (abnormally cold) in the equatorial Pacific. There is a positive correlation between the SCS and the western equatorial Pacific in the 8-year time-scale. Evidence is presented that the SST anomalies of the equatorial Pacific influence the SST of the SCS.     

Signal propagations and linkages of subsurface temperature anomalies in the tropical Pacific and Indian Ocean

The propagation characteristics of signals along different zonal-time profiles are analyzed using surface and subsurface temperature anomalies over the tropical Pacific and Indian oceans. Analyses show that there are intrinsic relationships between El Nio events in the eastern equatorial Pacific and dipole events in the equatorial Indian Ocean. In the region of tropical North Pacific between the equator and 16°N, there is a circle of propagation of subsurface temperature anomalies. El Nio events only happen when the warm subsurface signals reach the eastern equatorial Pacific. Dipole events are characterized when a warm subsurface signal travels along off-equatorial Indian Ocean to the western boundary. From these analyses, we believe that subsurface temperature anomalies can be considered to be the oceanographic early signal to forecast El Nio events in Pacific Ocean and dipole events in Indian Ocean, respectively.     

January temperature anomalies over Northeast China and precursors

This paper analyzes the large-scale atmospheric circulation characteristics of anomalous cases of January temperatures that occurred in Northeast China during 1960-2008 and precursory oceanic conditions.The January monthly mean surface air temperature(SAT) anomalies and the duration of low temperature are used to define temperature anomaly cases.The anomalous cyclonic circulation over northeast Asia strengthens the northerly flow in cold Januarys,while the anomalous anticyclonic circulation weakens the northerly flow in the warm Januarys.The negative(positive) North Pacific sea surface temperature anomaly(SSTA) and increased(decreased) sea ice concentration in the Barents-Kara seas in the preceding month are probably linked to the cyclonic(anticyclonic) circulation pattern over northeast Asia in the cold(warm) cases.Further analyses indicate that the preceding oceanic conditions play distinct roles in the SAT anomalies over Northeast China on different time scales.Strong relationships exist between North Pacific SSTA and the SAT in Northeast China on the interannual time scale.On the other hand,the sea ice concentration is more closely associated with the interdecadal variations of SAT in Northeast China.     

Features of tropical cyclone landfalls over East Asia corresponding to three types of Pacific warming decaying phase

This study examines the tropical cyclone （TC） landfall activities over the East Asia in three types of decaying phase of warm sea surface temperature anomalies （SSTAs） over the equatorial central-eastern Pacific： eastern Pacific warming decaying to La Nifia, eastern Pacific warming decaying to a neutral E1 Nifio-Southern Oscilla- tion phase, and a central Pacific warming decaying year. Results show that, for the type of eastern Pacific wanning decaying to La Nifia, more TCs make landfall over Hainan Island and Beibu Gulf, whereas fewer TCs reach eastern China coast. In particular, the number of landfalling TCs remarkably decreases in the decaying phase of eastern Pacific E1 Nifio to a neutral year. During the decaying phase of central Pacific E1 Nifio events, more TCs tend to make landfall over southern China, Indochina Peninsula and the Philippines. The anomalies of atmospheric circu- lation and environmental conditions induced by the SSTAs over the tropical Pacific in the different decaying types are responsible for the evident variation in features of TC landfall.     

Different types of La Niña events and different responses of the tropical atmosphere

Historical La Nia events since 1950 are divided into Eastern Pacific(EP) type and Central Pacific(CP) type,and the SSTA developing features as well as the different responses of the tropical atmosphere are further analyzed by using multiple datasets.Classification of different types La Nia is based on the normalized Ni o3 and Ni o4 indices and the SSTA distribution pattern during the mature phase.The minimum negative SSTA for CP La Nia is located over the equatorial central Pacific near the dateline,more westward than that of EP La Nia.It has stronger intensity and larger east-west zonal difference of SSTA over the equatorial Pacific than EP La Nia.Influenced by the different SSTA distribution pattern,CP La Nia induces more westward location of the anomalous sinking motion and the anomalous low-level divergent and high-level convergent winds over the equatorial eastern Pacific.The different response of the tropical atmospheric circulation between EP and CP La Nia is more significant in the upper troposphere than in the lower troposphere.However,the tropical precipitation patterns during the mature phase of EP and CP La Nia are much similar,except the less(more) precipitation over the equatorial central Pacific(eastern Indian Ocean-western Pacific) during CP La Nia than during EP La Nia.     

大西洋热盐环流减弱对热带太平洋气候平均态及年际变率的影响

利用一个完全耦合的海气模式, 通过对比分析两组试验中海表温度、盐度、风应力等气候态变化特征以及ENSO强度和频率的变化, 研究热带太平洋气候平均态及年际变率对热盐环流减弱的响应。在北大西洋高纬地区注入1 Sv淡水后, 大西洋经向翻转流(AMOC)减弱约90%, 这直接导致向北的经向热量输送减少, 使北大西洋有明显降温, 南大西洋略有升温。这些变化会经过大气和海洋的远程传播以及局地海气反馈作用, 影响热带太平洋气候平均态: 赤道东西太平洋的SST都略有增温, 但纬向温度梯度和纬向风应力并没有太大变化, 赤道太平洋温跃层的深度和倾斜度也基本保持不变。相应地, ENSO强度和频率也没有明显变化。由此得出结论: 热盐环流减弱会引起全球气候平均态的变化, 但对热带太平洋的年际变率没有太大影响。     

冬春海温异常对东亚初夏季风环流的影响

用ＯＳＵ的两层大气环流模式进行了热带西太平洋冬春海温异常对东亚初夏（５月）季风环流影响的数值试验．结果表明：①海温的负距平引起西太平洋副热带高压脊南落和西伸，东亚热带季风环流减弱，我国西南和华南地区的降水增加；②海温的正距平引起西太平洋副热带高压明显减弱，西太平洋的赤道西风加强，我国西南和华南地区的降水减少     

Tropospheric biennial oscillation of the western Pacific subtropical high and its relationships with the tropical SST and atmospheric circulation anomalies

There is the significant period of tropospheric biennial Oscillation(TBO)over East Asian monsoon region at the interannual timescales,which has the important influences on East China climate.Based on a set of reconstructed indices which describes the western Pacific subtropical high(WPSH)objectively,this paper focuses on the TBO component of WPSH,one of the key members of the East Asian Monsoon system,and its relationships with the tropical SST and atmospheric circulation anomalies.It is found that(1)As an important interannual component of WPSH,the time series of TBO has the obvious transition in the late1970s,and the variability of the WPSH’s TBO component is more significant after the late 1970s.(2)The time-lag correlations between the WPSH’s TBO and the tropical sea surface temperature(SST)anomalies in several key ocean regions are more significant and have longer correlation duration than the raw data.The response of the western boundary index to ENSO is earlier than the intensity index,and the time-lag correlations of them are up to maximum when lagging ENSO by 3–5 months and 5–6months,respectively.(3)In the course of the WPSH’s TBO cycle,the occurrence of the El Ni o-like anomaly in the tropical central-eastern Pacific in winter is always coupled with the weak East Asian winter monsoon,with the most significant enhancing phase of the WPSH’TBO.In contrast,the La Ni a-like anomaly in the central-eastern Pacific in winter is coupled with the strong East Asian winter monsoon,with the most weakening phase of the WPSH’s TBO.(4)The distribution of the tropical SST and atmospheric circulations anomalies are asymmetric in the TBO cycle.The WPSH’s TBO is more significant in the period of the developing El Ni o-like anomaly in central-eastern Pacific than in the period of the developing La Ni a-like anomaly.Therefore,during the period of developing El Ni o-like anomaly,more attention should be paid to the interannual component of TBO signal in the short-term climate prediction.     

Sea surface temperature east of Australia： A predictor of tropical cyclone frequency over the western North Pacific？

The relationship between sea surface temperature (SST) east of Australia and tropical cyclone frequency over the western North Pacific (WNPTCF) is analyzed by use of observation data.The WNPTCF from June to October is correlated negatively to spring SST east of Australia.When the spring SST is in the positive phase,a cyclonic circulation anomaly in the upper troposphere and an anticyclonic circulation anomaly in the lower troposphere prevail over the western North Pacific from June to October,concurrent with an anomalous atmospheric subsidence and an enlarged vertical zonal wind shear.These conditions are unfavorable for tropical cyclone genesis,and thus WNPTCF decreases.The negative phase of the spring SST east of Australia leads to more tropical cyclones over the western North Pacific.The spring SST east of Australia may give rise to simultaneous change in tropical atmospheric circulation via the teleconnection wave train,and then subsequently affect atmospheric circulation variation over the western North Pacific.     

Preliminary results of a new global ocean reanalysis

Using a new global ocean reanalysis of the second generation Global Ocean Data Assimilation System of the Beijing Climate Center(BCC_GODAS2.0) spanning the period 1990-2009,we firstly quantify the accuracy of BCC_GODAS2.0 in representing the temperature and salinity by comparing with OISST and SODA data.The results show that the assimilation system may effectively improve the estimations of temperature and salinity by assimilating all kinds of observations,especially in the equatorial eastern Pacific.Moreover,the root mean square errors of monthly temperature and salinity are respectively reduced by 0.53℃ and 0.28 psu,compared with the model control simulation results.Then,the applicability of this ocean reanalysis for sea surface temperature(SST) anomaly variability in the tropical Pacific is evaluated with the observational HadISST data.The NINO3 index of the new reanalysis shows a good agreement with that of HadISST,with a correlation of 93.6%.Variations in SST from BCC_GODAS2.0 are similar to those obtained from HadISST data along the equator,showing the major large zonal-scale features such as the strong magnitude of seasonal cycle.The amplitude of SST anomaly standard deviation in the equatorial eastern Pacific is also closer to observations(HadISST) than NCEP GODAS does.Besides,the first two leading empirical orthogonal function(EOF) modes of the monthly SST anomalies over the tropical Pacific region are explored.The EOF1 pattern of BCC_GODAS2.0 captures a traditional El Ni o pattern,which improves magnitudes of the positive SST anomaly in the cold tongue of the eastern Pacific.The EOF2 pattern exhibits a El Ni o Modoki pattern.Comparatively,the EOF2 pattern of BCC_GODAS2.0 extends more strongly toward the subtropics.It also overcomes the problem that negative loadings are confined in the narrow equatorial eastern Pacific.Consequently,the magnitude and spatial distribution of the leading EOF patterns of BCC_GODAS2.0 are well consistent with those of HadISST.     

Regional relationship between the Jiang-Huai Meiyu and the equatorial surface-subsurface temperature anomalies

The Jiang-Huai Meiyu rainy season can be distinguished into the Jiangnan Meiyu spell and the Huaihe Meiyu spell. The Jiangnan Meiyu spell appears on the last ten days in June and the Huaihe Meiyu spell lasts from early July to middle July. An inter-decadal transition was observed in 1998 respectively from the anomalies of Jiangnan Meiyu rainfall, the sea surface temperature (SST), and the subsurface tem- perature in the equatorial Pacific. Since the beginning of the 21^_st century, opposite trends and biennial oscillations of the Meiyu rainfall are observed in the Jiangnan and Huaihe basins. Before the strong La Niña of 1999―2000, the positive SST anomalies usually occurred in the eastern equatorial Pacific. Since the beginning of the 21^_st century, a precursory warming signal of SST anomaly comes from the subsurface temperature which is centrally exposed near the dateline in the central equatorial Pacific. The above-normal Meiyu rainfall in 2003, 2005 and 2007 over the Huaihe basin followed the prior winter- spring positive SST anomaly near the dateline. A relationship shows that the more Jiangnan (Huaihe) Meiyu follows the winter-spring warm water in the eastern (central) equatorial Pacific.     

Covarying modes of the Pacific SST and northern hemispheric midlatitude atmospheric circulation anomalies during winter

The interannual-to-interdecadal relationship between the Pacific sea surface temperature （SST） and the northern hemispheric midlatitude＇s atmosphere represented by the circumpolar vortex was documented with the global oceanic and atmospheric reanalysis data of recent 50 years. Two covarying modes of the Pacific SST and northern circumpolar vortex anomalies during winter were examined using the singular value decomposition and wavelet analysis techniques. One is the interannual, ENSO-related mode and the other is the interdecadal, North Pacific SST-related mode with a period of around 20 years. The two modes exhibit distinct spatial structures. For the interannual mode, the SST anomaly is characterized by a typical ENSO pattern with the principal signature in the tropical eastern Pacific and secondary one in the central North Pacific, while the atmospheric anomaly is regional, characterized by a Pacific-North American pattern. For the inter- decadal mode, large SST anomaly is located in the central North Pacific, while the atmospheric anomaly is zonally global, associated with the midlatitute＇s standing long-wave variations. When the central North Pacific is colder, the long-wave is stronger, and vice versa. Further investigations suggest that the interdecadal mode could involve an interaction between ＂two oceans and an atmosphere＂.     

江淮流域夏季降水异常及与全球中低纬海温异常关系的诊断研究

对1951－1999年中国夏季江淮流域降水异常与海温异常关系的分析表明,前期及同期各季节三大洋海表温度异常（SSTA）与长江流域降水异常的关系是非常显著的,而对淮河流域降水异常总体上的影响较小,前期冬季SSTA的影响显著区主要有：热带印度洋、黑潮、热带中东太平洋和大西洋,各关键区海温异常对亚洲夏季风的影响特征为：当前期冬季赤道印度洋、黑潮、赤道大西洋和热带东太平洋海表温度异常升高（降低）,当年夏季印度西南季风和东亚热带辐合带减弱（加强）,副热带高压位置偏南（北）,副热带辐合带加强（减弱）,长江流域易发生洪涝（干旱）,相关显著性分析表明,前冬赤道印度洋和黑潮区的海温异常对中国夏季降水的影响更为显著。