A dipole mode in the tropical Indian Ocean

For the tropical Pacific and Atlantic oceans, internal modes of variability that lead to climatic oscillations have been recognized, but in the Indian Ocean region a similar ocean-atmosphere interaction causing interannual climate variability has not yet been found. Here we report an analysis of observational data over the past 40 years, showing a dipole mode in the Indian Ocean: a pattern of internal variability with anomalously low sea surface temperatures off Sumatra and high sea surface temperatures in the western Indian Ocean, with accompanying wind and precipitation anomalies. The spatio-temporal links between sea surface temperatures and winds reveal a strong coupling through the precipitation field and ocean dynamics. This air-sea interaction process is unique and inherent in the Indian Ocean, and is shown to be independent of the El Ni?o/Southern Oscillation. The discovery of this dipole mode that accounts for about 12% of the sea surface temperature variability in the Indian Ocean--and, in its active years, also causes severe rainfall in eastern Africa and droughts in Indonesia--brightens the prospects for a long-term forecast of rainfall anomalies in the affected countries.     

The pathway of the interdecadal variability in the Pacific Ocean

Cases of the interdecadal variability in the Pacific Ocean and their evolution were examined in the paper with the statistic methods (CEOF and composite analysis) over the period of 1950–1993. Observations of oceanic temperatures in the upper 400 m revealed an obvious region of the interdecadal signals in the central North Pacific. Such signals propagated southwestward, then subducted to the subtropics. The hypothesized link for interdecadal oceanic variability between the subtropics and the tropics, especially with the western tropical Pacific was unraveled in order to detect the cause of decadal signals in the tropics. The thermal anomalies subducted in the central North Pacific east to the dateline only reach 18°N. There has been no further southward propagation since then due to a certain barrier. The origin of the interdecadal signals in the western tropical Pacific was traced to the southern tropical Pacific. There is a meridional pathway around the dateline where the signals were loaded. These variabilities were in the nature of the thermocline circulation.     

A local positive feedback of the tropical Pacific ocean-atmosphere system on interdecadal timescales

SINCE THE 1990S, THE CLIMATIC VARIABILITY ON INTERDE- CADAL TIME SCALES BECAME THE FOCUS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CLIMATOLOGY RESEARCH MISSIONS[1―3]. ON TIME SCALES OF A DECADE OR MORE, THE OCEAN CIRCULATION PREDOMINATEDHEAT BALANCE AND HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE, S…     

年际和年代际气候变化的全球时空特征比较

5利用1950－1998年全球海洋同化分析资料和全球大气再分析资料，分析比较了全球海气系统年际和年代际变化的主要时空特征。结果表明：1）全球上层海洋年际变化主要为位于热带太平洋的ENSO模态，年代际变化最显区域中纬度海洋、赤道外热带东太平洋和大西洋及南半球高纬度区域；2）全球大气年际和年代际变化均主要位于中高纬地区尤其是两极地区，在年际时间尺度上，气温异常和气压异常没有明显的对应关系，但在年代际时间尺度上，气温增暖（变冷）常常伴随着气压的降低（升高）；3）在年际时间尺度上，发生在中高纬度陆地地区的大气年际变化和主要发生在热带海洋的上层海洋年际变化没有一致性的内在联系，前主要表现为大气内部（浑沌）变化，而后主要为热带海气相互作用产生的ENSO变化；4）在年代际时间尺度上，全球海洋大气系统大约在20世纪70年代均一致性地经历了一次跃变，其结果导致80年代以来，全球大范围地区（尤其是两极和西伯利亚地区）气温明显偏暖，赤道两侧的热带东太平洋、北美和南美西海岸及非洲西海岸等海域海表温度偏高，伴随着这种全球大范围背景增暖现象，青藏高原北部地区和格陵兰岛气温具有变冷趋势，而中纬度北太平洋和南半球高纬度海域海表温度也表现为降低。     

Spatial teleconnection pattern between Indian Ocean Dipole and the southern high-latitude sea level pressure field

Sea level pressure (SLP) anomalies over the southern high latitudes associated with the Indian Ocean Dipole Mode (IOD) are investigated. Partial correlation and composite analysis depict, for the first time, the seasonal spatial variability in the relationship of SLP field in Southern Ocean with IOD. Results suggest that the IOD signal exists in the southern high latitudes and it is enhanced in boreal autumn, an active season of IOD. On interannual to subdecadal timescales, the spatial teleconnection pattern exhibits a wavenumber-3 pattern around the circumpolar Southern Ocean and the lead-lag correlation analysis shows that there are about 3 months of SLP anomalies in southern high latitudes lagging IOD, which indicates that the response time is almost instantaneous.     

Indonesian Throughflow in an eddy-permitting oceanic GCM

An eddy-permitting quasi-global oceanic GCM was driven by wind stresses from reanalysis data for the period of 1958-2001 to get the time series of the upper circulation in the Indonesian Sea. The model represents a reasonable pathway of Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) with Makassar Strait making the major passage transfer the North Pacific water southward. The simulated annual mean ITF transport is 14.5 Sv, with 13.2 Sv in the upper 700 m. Annual cycle is the dominant signal for the seasonal climatology of the upper layer transport. Both the annual mean and seasonal cycle agree well with the observation. The overall correlation between the interannual anomaly of the ITF transport and Nino 3.4 index reaches -0.65 in the simulation,which indicates that ENSO-related interannual variability in the Pacific is dominant in controlling the ITF transport. The relationship between the interannual anomalies of ITF and sea surface temperature in the Pacific, the Indian Ocean is not fixed in the simulation. In 1994, for instance, the intensive Indian Ocean sea surface temperature anomaly plays a dominant role in the formation of an impressive large transport of ITF.     

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.     

热带印度洋海温与海表面高度相关关系分析

为了研究热带印度洋偶极子(IOD)与海平面异常之间的相关性,采用经验正交函数分析方法(EOF)及Hilbert-Huang变换等统计方法,分析热带印度洋的海表面温度(SST)与海平面高度异常(SLA)的相关关系。通过对热带印度洋偶极子指数(DMI)与南方涛动指数(SOI)和SLA的相关性分析,得出IOD与El Nio-Southern Oscillation(ENSO)之间可能存在一定相关关系,此外,IOD与海平面变化有很好的相关性。通过对IOD爆发年的DMI以及海平面变化的分析,证实IOD具有季节锁相的重要特征,并探讨了该季节变化与海平面变化的相关关系。结果表明,IOD事件与海平面的变化这两者之间存在很强的一致性。     

Connection between interannual variability of the western Pacific and eastern Indian Oceans in the 1997 - 1998 El Nino event

In this paper, the sea surface height and the heat content of the upper ocean are analyzed to retrieve the relationship of interannual variabilities between the tropical western Pacific and eastern Indian Oceans during the 1997 - 1998 El Nino event. In the prophase of this El Nino, the negative sea level anomalies (SLA) occurred in the tropical western Pacific (TWP) firstly, and then appeared in the tropical eastern Indian Ocean (TEI). The negative heat content anomalies (HCA) emerged in the TWP before this El Nino burst while the SLA signals developed over there. During the mature stage of this El Nino, two kinds of signals in the TWP and TEI turned to be the maximum negative sequently. Due to the connected interannual adjustment between the TEI and TWP, we adopted a method to estimate the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) transport by calculating the HCA budget in the TEI. The indirect estimation of the ITF was comparable to the observation values. Therefore, the anomalies in the TEI had been proved as adv     

Interannual atmospheric variability forced by the deep equatorial Atlantic Ocean

Climate variability in the tropical Atlantic Ocean is determined by large-scale ocean-atmosphere interactions, which particularly affect deep atmospheric convection over the ocean and surrounding continents. Apart from influences from the Pacific El Ni?o/Southern Oscillation and the North Atlantic Oscillation, the tropical Atlantic variability is thought to be dominated by two distinct ocean-atmosphere coupled modes of variability that are characterized by meridional and zonal sea-surface-temperature gradients and are mainly active on decadal and interannual timescales, respectively. Here we report evidence that the intrinsic ocean dynamics of the deep equatorial Atlantic can also affect sea surface temperature, wind and rainfall in the tropical Atlantic region and constitutes a 4.5-yr climate cycle. Specifically, vertically alternating deep zonal jets of short vertical wavelength with a period of about 4.5?yr and amplitudes of more than 10?cm?s(-1) are observed, in the deep Atlantic, to propagate their energy upwards, towards the surface. They are linked, at the sea surface, to equatorial zonal current anomalies and eastern Atlantic temperature anomalies that have amplitudes of about 6?cm?s(-1) and 0.4?°C, respectively, and are associated with distinct wind and rainfall patterns. Although deep jets are also observed in the Pacific and Indian oceans, only the Atlantic deep jets seem to oscillate on interannual timescales. Our knowledge of the persistence and regularity of these jets is limited by the availability of high-quality data. Despite this caveat, the oscillatory behaviour can still be used to improve predictions of sea surface temperature in the tropical Atlantic. Deep-jet generation and upward energy transmission through the Equatorial Undercurrent warrant further theoretical study.     

Coupled ocean-atmosphere dynamics in the Indian Ocean during 1997-98

Climate variability in the Indian Ocean region seems to be, in some aspects, independent of forcing by external phenomena such as the El Ni?o/Southern Oscillation. But the extent to which, and how, internal coupled ocean-atmosphere dynamics determine the state of the Indian Ocean system have not been resolved. Here we present a detailed analysis of the strong seasonal anomalies in sea surface temperatures, sea surface heights, precipitation and winds that occurred in the Indian Ocean region in 1997-98, and compare the results with the record of Indian Ocean climate variability over the past 40 years. We conclude that the 1997-98 anomalies--in spite of the coincidence with the strong El Ni?o/Southern Oscillation event--may primarily be an expression of internal dynamics, rather than a direct response to external influences. We propose a mechanism of ocean-atmosphere interaction governing the 1997-98 event that may represent a characteristic internal mode of the Indian Ocean climate system. In the Pacific Ocean, the identification of such a mode has led to successful predictions of El Ni?o; if the proposed Indian Ocean internal mode proves to be robust, there may be a similar potential for predictability of climate in the Indian Ocean region.     

四川南部秋季降水变化及相应大气环流异常特征

利用1961—2014年全国756站的降水资料和美国NOAA-CIRES的20CR月平均再分析资料,研究了四川南部秋季(9～11月)降水变化及其相应的大气环流异常特征。结果表明,四川南部秋季降水具有显著的年际和年代际变化特征,其年际周期以2～4 a和准6 a为主,年代际周期以9～15 a为主。它与黄淮流域同期降水存在显著的负相关关系,与四川南部秋季降水关系密切的大气环流结构是北大西洋—俄罗斯西部—蒙古西部—东亚(NRMA)遥相关波列,NRMA遥相关波列在东亚地区激发出一个气旋性环流,与此同时,中南半岛西侧存在一个反气旋性环流,以上环流型有利于北方冷空气和来自孟加拉湾的暖湿气流在四川南部地区汇合,从而容易导致该地区降水的产生,反之亦然。     

西北太平洋热带气旋气候特征及其变化研究的若干进展

为了对我国气象工作者全面了解和参与热带气旋的研究有所帮助,在大量阅读和调研的基础上,介绍了近20年西北太平洋热带气旋活动在季节、年际和年代际尺度上研究的若干主要成果.重点阐述了EN-SO与热带气旋的关系,温室效应热带气旋的数值模拟和观测研究等的最新动态.     

初夏南亚高压中心经向位置年际变化的一个关键预测信号

基于欧洲中期天气预报中心的ERA-interim再分析资料,应用统计和动力诊断方法,分析了初夏南亚高压（SAH）中心位置年际变化规律及其与青藏高原东南部热源异常的联系.结果显示：初夏SAH中心位置具有显著的准6 a变化特征,但仅有其经向位置与初春青藏高原东南部（SETP）大气潜热活动存在显著的负相关关系;与偏强的初春SETP潜热活动相联系,异常的西风出现在青藏高原的南侧20°N附近,偏西风异常北侧的正涡度异常及其南侧的负涡度异常,加强了青藏高原附近的异常气旋以及印度次大陆半岛及印度洋上空的异常反气旋,这一异常环流形势可以从初春一直维持到初夏,不利于SAH向北移动,最终导致初夏SAH中心位置偏南;反之,初春SETP异常偏弱的潜热活动将以大致相反的物理过程,最终使得初夏SAH中心位置偏北.冬末春初的SETP潜热活动是预报初夏SAH中心经向位置年际变化的一个关键信号.     

全球对流层顶气压场和温度场的时空演变结构特征

 利用1948~2004年共57年的对流层顶气压场和温度场资料,对全球对流层顶平均温压场的空间分布结构、年际和年代际变化以及季节变化进行了分析.结果表明:①热带对流层顶和极地对流层顶的平均气压场的空间位置和热状况大致吻合,并存在空间波动性,两半球对流层顶的温压场具有显著的非对称性;②对流层顶的纬向气压与温度距平场都具有不同尺度的年际和年代际变化,两极地区对流层顶的温压场最不稳定,两半球中纬度地区的时间演变尺度存在明显差异.对流层顶断裂带及其对应温度的时空波动存在反位相关系,20世纪70年代末温度出现突变现象,此时对流层顶断裂带迅速向南部空间移动;③不同季节对流层顶的温压场都将进行空间结构的调整,两者之间存在着季节变化的协调性,但北半球较南半球的演变过程复杂;④对流层顶温压场纬向距平的季节变率可划分为5个位相不同的时空波动区域,构成了气压场和温度场的经向型相关结构.北极地区气压场变化有超前于温度场变化的趋势,对流层顶断裂带的温度季节变化存在着双峰波动结构.冬半年断裂区的地理位置较夏半年稳定,气压场和温度场的最大季节变程均发生在南极.     

Changes in fossil-fuel carbon emissions in response to interannual and interdecadal temperature variability

Relationships on interannual and interdecadal timescales among global mean air temperature,CO2 concentrations and fossil-fuel carbon emissions in four major developed countries (the United States,the United Kingdom,France,and Germany) were analyzed.On an interannual timescale,the United States fossil-fuel carbon emissions tend to increase during cold winters and decrease during warm winters,which is opposite to the situation in summer.On an interdecadal timescale,cold (warm) periods both in the United States and globally agree with high (low) periods of fossil-fuel carbon emissions,with the temperature variability leading by 5–7 years.The leading correlation on the interdecadal timescale and the asymmetry in seasonal correlation on the interannual timescale indicate that temperature variability is a possible cause of changes in fossil-fuel carbon emissions.     

Monsoon regions: The highest rate of precipitation changes observed from global data

The global dibtributiorls of the rale of precipitation change at seasonal, interannual and interdeadel scales are computed from the observed global data sets. The analysis has revealed that the monscnn regions in hie and West Africa, and to lesser extent Australia, have the highest rate of precipitation change at all time scales in the world. Thew changes are manifested as seasonal jump, high interannual and interdecadal variability and abrupt changes between climate regimes.     

热带太平洋和印度洋海温对东南亚降水的影响

 应用谱分析的方法,讨论了东南亚降水分别与热带印度洋和太平洋海温的关系.得出热带印度洋和太平洋海温变化对东南亚降水影响的最佳落后时间长度.同时找出了上述2片海域对东南亚降水影响的几个关键区,它可以作为东南亚旱涝预报的强信号因子.     

Forcing of wet phases in southeast Africa over the past 17,000 years

Intense debate persists about the climatic mechanisms governing hydrologic changes in tropical and subtropical southeast Africa since the Last Glacial Maximum, about 20,000?years ago. In particular, the relative importance of atmospheric and oceanic processes is not firmly established. Southward shifts of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) driven by high-latitude climate changes have been suggested as a primary forcing, whereas other studies infer a predominant influence of Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures on regional rainfall changes. To address this question, a continuous record representing an integrated signal of regional climate variability is required, but has until now been missing. Here we show that remote atmospheric forcing by cold events in the northern high latitudes appears to have been the main driver of hydro-climatology in southeast Africa during rapid climate changes over the past 17,000 years. Our results are based on a reconstruction of precipitation and river discharge changes, as recorded in a marine sediment core off the mouth of the Zambezi River, near the southern boundary of the modern seasonal ITCZ migration. Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures did not exert a primary control over southeast African hydrologic variability. Instead, phases of high precipitation and terrestrial discharge occurred when the ITCZ was forced southwards during Northern Hemisphere cold events, such as Heinrich stadial 1 (around 16,000?years ago) and the Younger Dryas (around 12,000?years ago), or when local summer insolation was high in the late Holocene, that is, during the past 4,000?years.     

Seasonal characteristics of the Indian Ocean Dipole during the Holocene epoch

The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)--an oscillatory mode of coupled ocean-atmosphere variability--causes climatic extremes and socio-economic hardship throughout the tropical Indian Ocean region. There is much debate about how the IOD interacts with the El Ni?o/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Asian monsoon, and recent changes in the historic ENSO-monsoon relationship raise the possibility that the properties of the IOD may also be evolving. Improving our understanding of IOD events and their climatic impacts thus requires the development of records defining IOD activity in different climatic settings, including prehistoric times when ENSO and the Asian monsoon behaved differently from the present day. Here we use coral geochemical records from the equatorial eastern Indian Ocean to reconstruct surface-ocean cooling and drought during individual IOD events over the past approximately 6,500 years. We find that IOD events during the middle Holocene were characterized by a longer duration of strong surface ocean cooling, together with droughts that peaked later than those expected by El Ni?o forcing alone. Climate model simulations suggest that this enhanced cooling and drying was the result of strong cross-equatorial winds driven by the strengthened Asian monsoon of the middle Holocene. These IOD-monsoon connections imply that the socioeconomic impacts of projected future changes in Asian monsoon strength may extend throughout Australasia.