Reconstructed index of summer monsoon dry-wet modes in East Asia for the last millennium

Monthly precipitation datasets collected at 160 stations in China as well as the monthly winds and humidity data derived from the US National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) were used to construct the relationship between six summer dry-wet modes in eastern China and the summer monsoon airflow northward advance in East Asia. A millennial series of the monsoon dry-wet index (MDWI) was reconstructed based on Wang??s six summer dry-wet modes in eastern China since 950 AD. A high (low) index indicates that the strong (weak) East Asian summer monsoon airflow can reach northern (southern) China and cause above (below) normal precipitation. Interdecadal periodic variations, such as the approximate 70-year oscillation, can be found in the MDWI series. In the last millennium, northern China has experienced persistent decadal wet periods and persistent decadal dry periods. At present, the MDWI is a low period on the interdecadal time scale so above-normal precipitation is observed in southern China and below-normal precipitation in northern China.     

Modeling impacts of East Asian Ocean-Land thermal contrast on spring southwesterly winds and rainfall in eastern China

Using the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research （NCEP–NCAR） reanalysis dataset, the NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center’s merged analysis of precipitation, and the MM5v3 Meso-scale Model, the impacts of surface temperature differences between the East Asian land and its adjacent oceans on spring southwesterly winds and rainfall over eastern China are studied. The modeling results show that the temperature differences exert strong influence on the occurrence of the southwesterly winds and rainfall over southern China and their northward advances. When surface temperature increases over the land and decreases over the oceans, the temperature gradient with a winter feature earlier changes toward the gradient with a summer feature. Both the low-pressure system east of the Tibetan Plateau and the subtropical high-pressure system over the western Pacific strengthen, accompanying with the strengthening of the lower-tropospheric southwesterly winds over eastern China. Accordingly, the upward motion increases over the Yangtze-Huaihe River （YHR） valleys and decreases over southern China, leading to an increase of spring rainfall over the YHR valleys and a decrease over southern China. Thus, the rain belt over eastern China appears over the YHR valleys but not over southern China. Under a weaker condition of the spring thermal contrast, the rain belt does not occur over eastern China. When the spring thermal contrast pronouncedly strengthens, the rain belt over southern China may advance northward into the YHR valleys during spring, though there is no onset of the tropical monsoon over the South China Sea. This forms a rain belt similar to that of the YHR valleys during the summer Meiyu period.     

用湿位涡定义的南海西南季风指数及其与我国区域降水的关系研究

使用美国NCEP／NCAR1958－1997年逐日资料,对南海季风爆发前后的气象要素场作了分析。结果表明：南海季风爆发时,南海南、北部要素场变化有差异,北部西南季风爆发特征更为显著。针对南海西南季风爆发特征,提出了用湿位势涡度定义季风指数,它能很好地反映夏季风爆发的特征。其中,用湿位热涡度定义的季风指数对长江中下及华北华南地区的旱涝具有一定的预示性。相关分析表明：前一年冬季的季风指数和秋季的季风指数分别与华北次年夏季降水、华南次年春季降水有显著的相关,而当年夏季的季风指数与长江中下游当年秋季降水呈显著正相关。     

Precursory influence of the Antarctic Oscillation on the onset of Asian summer monsoon

The Asian summer monsoon(ASM) begins firstly over the Indo-China Peninsula in early May and over the South China Sea(SCS) in mid-May.The different monsoon onset dates can exert distinct effects on the summer rainfall in Asia.Statistical results indicate that the Antarctic Oscillation(AAO) in the boreal winter has a significant precursory influence on the ASM onset dates.In stronger AAO years,both the Mascarene high and the Australia high in March are stronger owing to the "see-saw" structure of atmospheric circulation over the subtropics and higher latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere,and the tropical intertropical convergence zone(ITCZ) is deeper.Thus,the pressure gradient between the subtropical and tropical regions increases in spring.As a result,the Somalia cross-equatorial flow(SCEF) occurs earlier,strengthens,and enhances the westerlies over the tropical Indian Ocean.The enhanced westerlies impel an eastward withdrawal of the western Pacific subtropical high and intensify the convergence and rising motion at the lower troposphere,accelerating the burst of ASM.Differently,weaker AAO weakens the pressure gradient between the tropical and subtropical regions and delays the establishment of SCEF,resulting in a delayed onset of ASM.This study extends the leading time of seasonal forecast of ASM onset from the previous spring to winter and provides useful information about precursory signals in climate prediction operation.     

南海夏季风爆发与华南前汛期锋面降水气候平均的联系

利用1958-2000年NCEP/NCAR再分析日平均资料、中国气象局气候中心常规地面观测日降水资料,从气候平均角度诊断分析了南海夏季风爆发和撤退前后大气结构特征及其与南亚季风的差异,探讨华南前汛期锋面降水对南海夏季风爆发的可能影响。结果表明:①季节转换期间南海地区大气热力结构、动力结构的配置具有与孟加拉湾和南亚地区明显不同的特征,大气低层(850 hPa以下)温度梯度的逆转(由负变正)发生在西南季风爆发之后。②850hPa西风建立在南海大气低层(850 hPa以下)经向温度梯度为弱负值的时候,是受热成风约束的结果。③季节转换期间南海地区大气热力结构、动力结构的配置具有独特性,是由于东亚地区独特的地理位置,受来源于中纬度冷空气影响的缘故。④随着华南降水强度加强,对流释放潜热加热了中高层大气,有利于南海经向温度梯度的逆转,从而在热成风关系约束下使高层南亚高压的北移,因此华南前汛期第一阶段锋面降水是南海夏季风爆发的有利因素。     

南海夏季风建立期间副高带断裂和东撤及其可能机制

使用1998年南海夏季风试验（SCSMEX）资料和日本气象研究所（MRI）所提供的TBB资料，分析了南海夏季风建立期间副高带断裂和东撤过程的主要特征及其可能机制。发现北半球副热带高压带的断裂（低层早于高层）和印缅槽（或孟加拉湾槽）的形成是南海夏季风建立的重要前期征兆之一，也为副高东撤和南海夏季风的建立提供了重要条件。斯里兰卡附近低涡的持续北移是副高断裂和印缅槽建立过程的显特征。分析表明，南海夏季风建立之前，印度半岛的感热加热和中南半岛的潜热加热所激发的气旋性流场在孟加拉湾地区是相互迭加的，这有利于孟加拉湾低涡活动和低槽的形成，这可能是副高断裂和印缅槽活跃的机制。伴随着印缅前西南气流和赤道副高东撤、季风加强和对流加热之间存在一种正反馈作用，这导致了副高的连续东撤和南海夏季风的“爆发性”以及各种要素的突变特征。当南海夏季风对流减弱后，西太平洋副高则会西伸。     

Thermal difference between the Tibetan Plateau and the plain east of Plateau and its influence on rainfall over China in the summer

There exist thermal differences between the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and the plain east of the TP, and between land and sea in East Asia. The influence of the land-sea thermal contrast on the precipitation in East China has been widely investigated; however, a few studies have paid attention to the role of the TP-plain thermal difference. Thus, using the National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis data and the observation data of China from 1951 t...     

Natural interdecadal weakening of East Asian summer monsoon in the late 20th century

Based on the reanalysis data throughout 1948-2002 as derived from the United States National Centers for Environmental Prediction and National Center for Atmospheric Research, it is revealed that East Asian summer monsoon （EASM） intensity weakens on an interdecadal timescale since the mid-1960s, and twice interdecadal jumps are recorded in the EASM intensity index series in the late 20th century, respectively occurring in the mid-1960s and mid- to late 1970s. Six globally coupled atmosphere-ocean models＇ outputs under the SRES A2 greenhouse gas and aerosol emission scenario, provided by the IPCC Data Distribution Center and the Hadley Center for Climate Prediction and Research, are then systematically examined. It follows that the above EASM weakening is not closely related to synchro- nizing anthropogenic global warming, and, therefore, it should be qualitatively natural change process. Over the 21st century, the EASM intensity is likely increased slightly by continually intensified greenhouse effect relative to the late 20th century.     

2003年东亚夏季风活动的特点

利用2003年国家气象中心提供的再分析资料以及台站降水资料，诊断分析了2003我国东部地区汛期降水和东亚夏季风的活动特点，并对二者之间的联系进行讨论。结果表明：(1)2003年南海夏季风于5月第5候在南海南部建立。6月第1候全面爆发，比常年偏晚，南海夏季风强度也比常年偏弱；(2)该年夏季，副热带高压的一个显著特点是强度强、位置偏西，其中从6月下旬至7月中旬，副热带高压的位置稳定少变，其北脊线位25oN附近，且副高位置偏西，这导致了长江以南的犬部分地区高温少雨。这个阶段副热带高压西侧的南风气流将南海地区的水汽源源不断地输送到淮河流域，是淮河流域强降水过程水汽主要来源。     

南海夏季风爆发与华南前汛期锋面降水异常变化的联系

利用1958-2000年NCEP/NCAR再分析日平均资料、中国气象局气候中心常规地面观测日降水资料,分析南海夏季风爆发异常情况下大气结构的变化特征,讨论华南冷空气活动、前汛期锋面降水情况与南海夏季风爆发异常之间的关系。结果表明:①南海夏季风爆发日期的异常变化主要取决于低层纬向风变化。②200 hPa以下对流层温度经向梯度逆转较早(晚),并且有(无)从上往下逐渐传播的变化趋势,则南海夏季风爆发偏早(晚)。③华南春季冷空气活跃(不活跃),降水偏多(偏少),南海季风爆发偏早(晚)。④综合提出了一个关于华南冷空气活动、锋面降水与夏季风爆发之间关系的物理概念模型。     

南海夏季风建立日期的预报研究

利用1958-2001年ECMWF和1948-2006年NCEP的全球再分析气象资料,研究南海夏季风爆发迟早与前期气象要素场之间的关系。结果表明,南海夏季风建立日期与当年2月份全球风场(u、v、ω分量)、位势高度场、气温场等气象要素场之间都存在显著相关区。把各要素场中的显著高相关区视为影响季风建立日期的关键区,并定义关键区内的要素平均值为建立日期的预报因子,从中选取10个与建立日期关系最为紧密的预报因子建立预报方程,对季风建立日期进行预测。分析发现,有10个预报因子与季风建立日期有密切联系,对季风爆发迟早有一定的指示能力和预测作用。最后,经过SAS系统的分析和试验选择最好的回归预测方案,利用10个预测因子建立南海夏季风建立日期回归预报方程(简称回归预报方程)。对回归预测方程进行回报实验发现,拟合得到的南海夏季风建立日期与许多学者确定的建立日期之间的相关系数都达到95%以上的置信度,拟合误差基本控制在2候以内,有一定的预报能力。可以说,该方法是作为预报南海夏季风爆发迟早的一种新的尝试。     

冬季西太平洋副热带高压脊线位置异常与热带对流异常的关系

利用NCEP/NCAR再分析资料、射出长波辐射(OLR)资料,国家气候中心提供的1979~2008年1月西太副高脊线指数和逐日降水资料,对1月西太副高脊线位置与热带对流异常的关系进行了分析。结果表明,1月西太副高脊线位置与南海及菲律宾以东地区OLR场存在显著的负相关关系。进一步研究发现,副高脊线的南北位置异常是由于南海及菲律宾以东地区对流偏强(弱)造成这一区域出现异常的上升(下沉)运动;由于对流层高层(低层)南风距平的作用,在我国东南部的下沉运动增强(减弱);同时,在对流层的低(高)层出现了异常北风,从而构成了一个向北(南)的经向环流,有利于副高脊线的北抬(南退)。这种对流异常是造成2008年初我国南方超过1/3区域出现了50年一遇的低温、雨雪、冰冻灾害的间接原因之一。     

Transition of the annual cycle of precipitation from double-peak mode to single-peak mode in South China

Previous studies revealed the double-peak mode (DPM) in South China precipitation, corresponding to the two stages in the rainy season, i.e. the first rainy stage (FRS) and the second rainy stage (SRS). But observations in recent two decades show that the DPM has changed to a single-peak mode (SPM). Both the precipitation amount and the heavy rainfall event frequency enhanced significantly in the gap between the FRS and the SRS in 1991–2010, compared to those in 1961-1990. This change can be linked to the effects of the global warming. During the warmer period, the July sea surface temperature over the western Pacific has greater increases than that over the central and eastern Pacific, especially west of 140°E. It may generate more tropical cyclones (TCs) in the inshore areas and then more typhoon rainfall over South China. On the other hand, the increments of the air temperature over the East Asian continent are greater than those of the SST over the western Pacific under the global warming, which enlarges the land-ocean temperature/pressure contrast and leads to a trend of the earlier onset dates of the Asian summer monsoon (ASM) in recent two decades. Then, the earlier ASM will facilitate the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) to retreat earlier from the South China Sea and enhance the convective precipitation in South China between the FRS and the SRS. Also, due to the warmer ocean, the WPSH locates more westward in July, and more moisture will be transported to South China from the southwest side to the WPSTH. All these influences favor a remarkably increasing precipitation in the gap in the warmer period and changes the seasonal cycle from double-peak mode to single-peak mode.     

伴随南海季风爆发区域尺度环流演变机理的诊断分析和数值模拟

利用1957－1998年NCEP／NCAR候平均再分析资料，分析伴随南海夏季风爆发中南半岛和南海地区环流系统的演变，揭示该地区热力特征与南海夏季风爆发之间的可能联系。结果发现，不同高度上标志着南海爆发的环流系统如500hPa上的副热带高压、200hPa上的南亚高压以及850hPa 上的孟加拉湾低槽等系统在南海季风爆发期间具有显的变化特征，对流层中高层以上的环流系统反映了大尺度环流的季节变化特征，而对流层低层环流系统的变化可能与局地特征具有密切关系。从中南半岛和南海两个地区地面感热和潜热加热与该地区温压场变化之间的关系上看，中南半岛地区的热力作用对南海季风爆发期间区域环流系统演变具有重要作用，数值试验结果进一步证实了这一点。     

伴随南海季风爆发热带环流演变的合成分析

为了研究伴随南海夏季风爆发的热带环流的演变,利用40 a的NCEP逐日再分析资料,采用合成分析的方法对季风爆发前后的环流形势变化进行了讨论。合成结果中重点分析了随南海季风的爆发在对流层和平流层低层的流场都有显著变化的南亚、东南亚地区。结果表明,在对流层中印度洋赤道地区,在季风爆发前有东风扰动发展成为一对南北对称的低涡,随后北边的低涡演变成孟加拉湾低槽,低槽前的西南气流不断东扩,使西太副高东撤,南海季风爆发。低涡的演变和发展是影响南海季风爆发的重要因子之一。而高层的环流形势与低层不同,伴随季风爆发高层环流的演变则更多地体现出了全球尺度的特征。     

1998年南海夏季风爆发过程数值模拟

用中尺度模式MM5(V3)对1998年南海（SCS）夏季风爆前后低纬环流的演变过程进行了数值模拟，共做了2个数值试验，分别是固定海温试验和日平均海温试验。结果表明，在两种海温强迫下，模式系统都能模拟出南海季风爆发前后区域环流的演变特征，并且进一步证实5月21日是1998年南海季风爆发日。日平均海温强迫模拟的降水中心位置和实况更接近，而两种海温强迫对环流和降水影响的差别主要表现在对中尺度特征的影响方面。     

用区域气候模式对1951——2000年我国夏季降水的模拟

为了检验区域气候模式对我国夏季降水的模拟能力,利用高分辨率区域气候模式RegCM3对1951?2000年的夏季中国区域降水进行了数值模拟。初始值及边界值取自美国国家环境预测中心(NCEP)和国家大气中心(NCAR)的全球再分析资料。每年的模拟积分时段从5月1日开始到9月1日结束, 但是每年降水量的分析只使用6?8月的模拟结果。主要结论如下: (1) 从全国平均总降水量看,该区域模式的模拟结果与观测比较接近,明显好于NCEP的降水资料,但模拟的降水量空间分布不理想; (2) 从降水量距平的空间分布来看,该区域模式对我国的东北夏季降水的模拟结果明显好于全国其他地区,黄河中下游最差; (3) 从时间分布上看,该模式模拟能力呈现出明显的年代际变化,20世纪60年代及90年代模拟较好,也比较稳定,70年代及80年代的模拟能力呈大起大落不稳定状态; (4) 模式未能模拟出70—80年代我国降水偏少的观测事实,说明模式对我国夏季降水年代际变率的模拟能力不足。     

综合GPS和NCEP在区域降雨预报中的应用研究

利用GPS估计大气可降雨量（Precipitable Water Vapor,PWV）时,除了需要GPS观测数据外,还需要对相应的GPS测站进行气象观测.然而,我国多数GPS网是用于大地测量学的应用与研究,并未配备相应的气象传感器.针对这一情况,本文利用美国环境预报中心（NCEP）和国家大气研究中心（NCAR）联合推出的逐6h再分析资料,提出一种GPS测站附近无气象传感器时估算PWV的新方法.利用此方法对上海地区的GPS数据进行试验,结果证明,即使在GPS测站附近没有气象观测设备时,地基GPS气象学同样能够获得精度较高的PWV,可以用于区域降雨预报.     

Change in the tilting of the ridgeline surface of the subtropical anticyclone and the predictability of the onset of the Asian summer monsoon

The NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data are used to study the relationships among the change in the tilting of the ridgeline surface of the subtropical anticyclone, the establishment of the so-called "seasonal transition axis (STA)" and the onset of the Asian summer monsoon. It is shown that the monsoon onset is characterized by the overturning of the meridional temperature gradient (MTG) in the vicinity of the ridgeline surface. A MTG index is then constructed to investigate the predictability of the Asian summer monsoon onset conceptually. Data diagnoses show that if the initial MTG is known and the meridional gradient across the ridgeline surface of the local temperature tendency can be estimated, a late or early onset of the summer monsoon can be qualitatively predicted in advance.     

Changes of climate extremes of temperature and precipitation in summer in eastern China associated with changes in atmospheric circulation in East Asia during 1960–2008

Climate extremes and changes in eastern China are closely related to variations of the East Asian summer monsoon and corresponding atmospheric circulations.The relationship between frequencies of temperature and precipitation extremes in China during the last half century is investigated using Singular Value Decomposition analysis.During 1980-1996,there was a typical pattern with fewer hot days and more precipitation extremes in the northern part of eastern China,and more hot days and fewer precipitation extremes in the southern part.This geographic pattern tended to reverse after 1997,with fewer hot days and more extreme precipitation days south of the Yangtze River and vice versa to the north.Differences in atmospheric circulation between the former and latter periods are presented.We conclude that a mid-level anomalous high/low,upper-level anomalous easterlies/westerlies over the north/south of eastern China,a weakened East Asian summer monsoon and associated upper-tropospheric center of cooling(30°N,110°E) are all favorable for the changes in frequencies of temperature and precipitation extremes.