Surface sediment diatoms from the western Pacific marginal seas and their correlation to environmental variables

Diatom data of 192 surface sediment samples from the marginal seas in the western Pacific together with modern summer and winter sea surface temperature and salinity data were analyzed.The results of canonical correspondence analysis show that summer sea-surface salinity(SSS) is highly positively correlated with winter SSS and so is summer sea-surface temperature(SST) with winter SST.The correlations between SSSs and SSTs are less positively correlated,which may be due to interactions of regional current pattern and monsoon climate.The correlations between diatom species,sample sites and environmental variables concur with known diatom ecology and regional oceanographic characters.The results of forward selection of the environmental variables and associated Monte Carlo permutation tests of the statistical significance of each variable suggest that summer SSS and winter SST are the main environmental factors affecting the diatom distribution in the area and therefore preserved diatom data from down core could be used for reconstructions of summer SSS and winter SST in the region.

Atmospheric Circulations and Sea Surface Temperatures Related to the convection over the western Pacific Warm Pool on the Interannual Scale

The difference is examined in atmospheric circulation and Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) in the trop-ics and subtropics between weak and strong convection over the tropical western Pacific warm pool (signified as WPWP). The WPWP is chosen as the region (110–160°E, 10–20°N), where the Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) shows a great year-to-year variance. A composite study was carried out to examine the differences in atmospheric circulation and SSTs between weak and strong convection over WPWP. First, NCEP/NCAR re-analysis data and satellite-observed OLR data are used to examine the differences. ERA data, in which the OLR data are calculated, are then used for re-examination. The composite results show that the differences are remarkably similar in these two sets of data. The difference in circulations between weak and strong convection over WPWP is significantly associated with westward extension of the North Pacific subtropical anticyclone and stronger westerlies at the northwestern edge of the subtropical anticyclone. It also corresponds with the significant easterly anomaly and the descent anomaly in situ, i.e., over the WPWP. The most prominent characteristics of the difference of SSTs between weak and strong convection over the WPWP are the significant positive SST anomalies in the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea. In WPWP, however, there are only weak negative SST anomalies. Thus, the anomaly of OLR over WPWP is weakly associated with the SST anomalies in situ, while closely associated with the SST anomalies west of WPWP. Key words Convection over the western Pacific warm pool - Northwest Pacific subtropical high - Sea surface temperatures This study was supported by the “ National Key Programme for Developing Basic Sciences” G1998040900 Part 1.

Variation of sulfate aerosol concentrations over the western Pacific and their effect on clouds, radiation and precipitation

Under bilateral cooperation between the United States of America and the People's Republic of China, a series of research cruises were conducted over the western Pacific Ocean. It was found that a) the non-sea-salt sulfate aerosol particles are the major source of cloud condensation nuclei, b) the population of clouds and the total albedo are proportional to the concentration of condensation nuclei and consequently to the concentration of the non-sea-salt aerosol particles, and c) the amount of rainfall is inversely proportional to the concentration of non-sea-salt sulfate aerosol particles. It seems that anthropogenic sulfate aerosol particles affect the regional planetary albedo and climate and that the contribution from biogenically derived sulfate aerosol particles is of lesser importance.

INTERANNUAL VARIATION IN HEAT CONTENT OF THE WESTERN PACIFIC WARM POOL AND ITS EFFECT ON EASTERN ASIAN CLIMATE ANOMALIES

Using the 1980-2010 winter GODAS oceanic assimilations, study is conducted of the winter heat content(HC) established in the subsurface layer(5 to 366 m in depth) over the western Pacific warm pool(WP), followed by investigating the HC spatiotemporal characteristics, persistence and the impacts on the climate anomalies of neighboring regions. Results are as follows: 1) the pattern of integral consistency is uncovered by the leading EOF1(PC1) mode of HC interannual variability, the year-to-year fluctuation of the time coefficients being well indicative of the interannual anomaly of the WP winter subsurface-layer thermal regime. The HC variation is bound up with El Ni觡o-Southern Oscillation, keeping pronounced autocorrelation during the following two seasons and more, with the persistence being more stable in comparison to sea surface temperature anomaly in the equatorial middle eastern Pacific; 2) the winter HC anomalies produce lasting effect on the WP thermal state in the following spring and summer and corresponding changes in the warm water volume lead to the meridional transport and vertical exchange of warm water, which exerts greater impacts upon the sea surface temperature/heat flux over the warm pool per se and neighboring regions, especially in the Philippine Sea during the posterior spring and summer; 3) the increase in the winter HC corresponds to the spring outgoing longwave radiation(OLR) decrease and richer precipitation over the waters east to the Philippine Sea and the resultant convective heating anomalies are responsible for the rise of geopotential isobaric surfaces over tropical and subtropical western North Pacific, thereby producing effect on the western Pacific subtropical high(anomaly). Subsequently, the sea-surface heat flux exchange is intensified in the warm pool, a robust anomalous cyclone shows up at lower levels, air-sea interactions are enhanced and abnormal convective heating occurs, together making the winter HC anomalies even more closely associated with the variation in the summer subtropical high. As a result, the WP winter HC can be used as an effective predictor of the variation in spring/summer western Pacific subtropical high and the strength of summer monsoon over the northwestern Pacific.

The effect of altimetry data in estimating the elastic thickness of the lithosphere in the western Pacific Ocean

The elastic thickness of the lithosphere(Te)is a key parameter used to describe the strength of the lithosphere.It is usually estimated by a spectral analysis between gravity and topography.In previous research on the estimation of Te,altimetry data were used on both the gravity data and topography data,which could lead to deviations.The study described in this paper analyzed the effects of using gravity anomalies derived from different data sources on the estimation of Te,Taking the western Pacific region as an example,this study analyzed the impact of the repeated presence of altimetry satellite data on the calculation of the effective elastic thickness and found that if gravity anomalies and topography model both contain altimetry satellite data,they systematically overestimate effective elasticity.For a uniform area,the difference in Te can reach up to 30%.For a Te distribution,the difference can reach up to about16%.After eliminating this effect,the effective elastic thickness of the western Pacific region was found to be 10 km,and the statistical results of the effective elastic thickness distribution showed that the effective elastic thickness of the lithosphere in most areas of the western Pacific is about 12 km.The paper shows the importance of choosing the appropriate gravity model in evaluating the elastic thickness of lithosphere in the oceans.A figure of Te at seamounts with loading ages demonstrates that Te in the western Pacific is generally distributed within the 100-300℃isotherm depth and does not increase with loading age.

Modeling and Diagnostic Studies on the Variations of the Subtropical High over the Western Pacific from 1880 to 1999

Index series of Subtropical High over the western Pacific was extended to AD 1880 by using of statistical and modeling method. Reconstructed indices by both methods show good accordance each other. Association of the indices to the rainfall patterns over eastern China indicated the robustness of the reconstructions.

Shear wave anisotropy in D” region beneath the western Pacific

Using seismic shear phases from 47 Tonga-Fiji and its adjacent region events recorded by the CENC and IRIS, and from 26 northeast Asia and north Pacific events recorded by IRIS, we studied the shear wave anisotropy in D＂ region beneath the western Pacific utilizing the ScS-S differential travel time method and obtained the splitting time values between the radial and transverse components of each ScS wave corresponding to each core-mantle boundary （CMB） reflection point. We found that most shear waves involved horizontally polarized shear wave components traveling faster than vertically polarized shear wave components through the D＂ region. The splitting time values of ScS wave range from -0.91 s to 3.21 s with an average value of 1.1 s. The strength of anisotropy varies from -0.45% to 1.56% with an average value of 0.52%. The observations and analyses show that in the D＂ region beneath the western Pacific the lateral flow is expected to be dominant and the vertical transverse isotropy may be the main anisotropic structure. This structure feature may be explained by the shape preferred orientation of the CMB chemical reaction products or partial melt and the lattice preferred orientation of the lower mantle materials caused by the lateral flow at lowermost mantle.

Helium and Oxygen isotopic evidence on exchange of waters betweenthe western Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea

The composition and distribution of helium and oxygen isotopes in samples of seawater ob-tained at depths from surface to 300 m in the western Pacific Ocean (7°-26°N, 122° - 130°E) were discussed in detail. The results shaw that both δ18O and δ3He isoline extend eastward in the Pacific side of the Bashi Channel, which may suggest that the South China Sea water intrudes into the western Pacific by the Bashi Channel.

Diagnosis of the Medium-Range Variation of the Subtropical High over the Western Pacific during a Meiyu Process by Three-Dimensional E-P Flux

In this paper, using the daily grid data (2.5 × 2.5) of the ECMWF / WMO, we have computed respectively the three-dimensional wave activity flux in the stages of pre-onset, prevailing and post ending of Meiyu from 1 to 31 July 1982. The potential vorticity field is taken as the physical quantity relating the wave activity flux to the variation of the subtropical high over the Western Pacific. It is found that the three-dimensional wave activity flux is a powerful means for diagnosis of the variation of the subtropical high over the Western Pacific: The region of the subtropical high is just the confluence area of wave energy, whose changes in intensity and range decide the variation of the subtropical high. The confluence of wave energy comes from the monsoon flow in low latitudes, the Meiyu rain belts in middle latitudes and the heating fields on the eastern side of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. The relation between these sources and the subtropical high displays the self-adjusting mechanism among members of East-Asia summer monsoon.

Dispersion relation of internal waves in thewestern equatorial Pacific Ocean

Based mainly on TOGA-COARE data, that is, the CTD data from R/V Xiangyanghong No. 5 (Pu et al., 1993), the temperature and current data from the Woods Hole mooring and other deep current data, the layered numerical profiles of buoyancy frequency and mean current components are figured out. A numerical method calculating internal wave dispersion relation without background shear current, used by Fliegel and Hunkins (1975), is improved to be fit for the internal wave equation with mean currents and their second derivatives. The dispersion relations and wave functions of the long crested internal wave progressing in any direction can be calculated conveniently by using the improved method. A comparison between the calculated dispersion relation in the paper and the dispersion relation in GM spectral model of ocean internal waves (Garret and Munk, 1972) is performed. It shows that the mean currents are important to the dispersion relation of internal waves in the western equatorial Pacific Ocean and that the currents make the wave progressing co-directional with (against) the currents stretched (shrink). The influence of the mean currents on dispersion relation is much stronger than that of their second derivatives, but that on wave function is less than that of their second derivatives. The influences on wave functions result in the change of vertical wavenumber, that is, making the wave function stretch or shrink. There exists obvious turning depth but no significant critical layer absorption is found.

Zonal displacement of western Pacific warm pool and zonal wind anomaly over the Pacific Ocean

The thermal condition anomaly of the western Pacific warm pool and its zonal displacement have very important influences on climate change in East Asia and even the whole world. However, the impact of the zonal wind anomaly over the Pacific Ocean on zonal displacement of the warm pool has not yet been analyzed based on long-term record. Therefore, it is important to study the zonal displacement of the warm pool and its response to the zonal wind anomaly over the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Based on the NCDC monthly averaged SST (sea surface temperature) data in 2°×2° grid in the Pacific Ocean from 1950 to 2000, and the NCEP/NCAR global monthly averaged 850 hPa zonal wind data from 1949 to 2000, the relationships between zonal displacements of the western Pacific warm pool and zonal wind anomalies over the tropical Pacific Ocean are analyzed in this paper. The results show that the zonal displacements are closely related to the zonal wind anomalies over the western, central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. Composite analysis indicates that during ENSO events, the warm pool displacement was trigged by the zonal wind anomalies over the western equatorial Pacific Ocean in early stage and the process proceeded under the zonal wind anomalies over the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean unless the wind direction changes. Therefore, in addition to the zonal wind anomaly over the western Pacific, the zonal wind anomalies over the central and eastern Pacific Ocean should be considered also in investigation the dynamical mechanisms of the zonal displacement of the warm pool.

Seasonality of the Interaction between Convection over the Western Pacific and General Circulation in the Northern Hemisphere

The seasonality of the interaction between convection over the western Pacific and general circulation in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) is analyzed in the present paper with singular value decomposition (SVD) and empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis approaches, based on 500 hPa monthly mean geopotential height data and high-cloud amount data. The analyses demonstrate that coupled dominant patterns in the interaction between the convection over the western Pacific and the general circulation in NH are different in various seasons. In spring, the convection over the western Pacific is closely related with the western Atlantic (WA) and North Pacific (NP) like patterns of the general circulation in NH, and some associations between the WA and NP like patterns and the El Ni o /Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle are also existed. The Pacific Japan (PJ) pattern is the dominant pattern in the interaction between the interannual variabilities of the convection over the western Pacific and the general circulation in NH summer. The WA like pattern and 3-4 year period oscillation are also relatively obvious for the summer case. In autumn, the convection over the western Pacific is closely linked with the Eurasian (EU) like pattern and the Atlantic oscillation in the general circulation in NH, it is suggested that in autumn the variation of convective activity over the western Pacific is largely affected by the general circulation anomaly (cold air from high latitudes ) through EU like teleconnection pattern. Abrupt change happened by the end of 1980′s in the autumn interaction. The strong interaction between the western Pacific (WP) and EU like patterns in the general circulation in NH and the convection over the western Pacific and a linear trend of increasing of this interaction are also suggested in winter. It is also demonstrated that the interaction in summer and winter is stronger than in the transition seasons (spring and autumn).

THERMAL FORCING IMPACTS OF THE EASTERLY VORTEX ON THE EAST-WEST SHIFT OF THE SUBTROPICAL ANTICYCLONE OVER WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN

By employing the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data sets(1 000 to 10 hPa,2.5°× 2.5°),the thermal forcing impacts are analyzed of an easterly vortex(shortened as EV) over the tropical upper troposphere on the quasi-horizontal movement of the Western Pacific Subtropical Anticyclone(shortened as WPS A) during 22-25 June 2003.The relevant mechanisms are discussed as well.It is shown that the distribution and intensity of the non-adiabatic effect near the EV result in the anomalous eastward retreat of the WPSA.The WPSA prefers extending to the colder region,i.e.,it moves toward the region in which the non-adiabatic heating is weakening or the cooling is strengthening.During the WPSA retreat,the apparent changes of non-adiabatic heating illustrate the characteristics of enhanced cooling in the east side of the EV.Meanwhile,the cooling in the west side exhibits a weakened eastward trend,most prominently at 300 hPa in the troposphere.The evidence on the factors causing the change in thermal condition is found:the most important contribution to the heating-rate trend is the vertical transport term,followed in turn by the local change in the heating rate term and the horizontal advection term.As a result,the atmospheric non-adiabatic heating generated by the vertical transport and local change discussed above is mainly connected to the retreat of the WPSA.

Numerical Simulation of the Relationship between the Anomaly of Subtropical High over East Asia and the Convective Activities in the Western Tropical Pacific

In this paper, a close relationship between the intraseasonal variation of subtropical high over East Asia and the convective activities around the South China Sea and the Philippines is analysed from OLR data.This relationship is studied by using the theory of wave propagating in a slowly varying medium and by using a quasi-geoslrophic, linear, spherical model and the IAP-GCM, respectively. The results show that when the SST is warming around the western tropical Pacific or the Philippines, the convective activities are intensified around the Philippines. As a consequence, the subtropical high will be intensified over East Asia. The computed results also show that when the anomaly of convective activities are caused around the Philippines, a teleconnection pattern of circulation anomalies will be caused over South Asia, East Asia and North America.

Primary productivity in the western tropical Pacific and equatorial warm waters

Primary productivity in the western tropical Pacific and equatorial warm waters was studied in the WOCE cruise in November of 1991 and the TOGA-COARE cruise from November of 1992 to February of 1993.It is shown that the total amount of integrated chlorophyll a(chloro a)was 19 79 mg/m 2 in depthof0～150 m and the average daily primary productivity was 171 mg/(m 2·d)(C)appeared in the western tropical Pacific while a higher chloro a(21 68 mg/m 2)and primary productivity [228 mg/(m 2·d)(C)]were observed in the equatorial warm waters.The highest chloro a was found at the coastal stations of Philippines and Irian while the lowest chloro a was at the offshore areas bounded by 2°～4°N.The distribution pattern of chloro a biomass was related to different physical processes.Upwelling,which may have led to a high biomass, was a critical factor changing the distributions of temperature,salinity and nutrient in these areas.

The Heat Balance in the Western Equatorial Pacific Warm Pool during the Westerly Wind Bursts: A Case Study

The responses of sea surface temperature (SST) in the western equatorial Pacific warm pool to the westerly wind bursts (WWBs) play an important role in the relationship between WWB and ENSO. By using data collected from eight buoys of TOGA (Tropical Ocean-Global Atmosphere)- COARE (Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment), the heat balances of the upper ocean in the western equatorial Pacific around 0 degrees, 156 degreesE during two WWB events were calculated according to Stevenson and Niiler's (1983) method. In both events, SST increased before and after the WWBs, while decreased within the WWBs. The SST amplitudes approximated to 1 degreesC. Although sometimes the horizontal heat advections may become the biggest term in the heat balance, the variation of SST was dominated by the surface heat flux. On the other aspect, some different features of the two events are also revealed. The two cases have different variation of mixed layer depth. The depth of mixed layer is almost double in the first case (35 in to 70 m), which is caused by Ekman convergence, while only 10m increments due to entrainment in the second one, There are also differences in the currents structure. The different variations of thermal and currents structure in the mixing layers accounted for the different variation of the heat balance during the two events, especially the advection and residue terms. The seasonal variation of SST in this area is also investigated simply. The first WWB event happened just during the seasonal transition. So we considered that it is a normal season transition rather than a so-called anomaly. That also suggested that the seasonal distinction of the WWB is worthy of more attention in the researches of its relationship to ENSO.

The inversion of the Equatorial Undercurrent in the western tropical Pacific during 1986/1987 El Nino event

On the basis of time series measurements of winds, currents, temperature and salinity from equatorial current meter mooring and acoustic Doppler current profiler during the PRC/USA joint air-sea interaction studies in the western tropical Pacifc Ocean and sea level data provided by Prof. Wyrtki, analyses are made of the physical process and mechanism for the exceptionally inverse phenomenon (westward) of the Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC) in the western tropical Pacific after entering the mature stage of 1986/1987 ENSO event, and the numerical simulation is also conducted by 'cross section' model. The results indicate that the inversion of the EUC is related to that of pressure gradient force near the equator under the influence of non-local permanent westerlies.

STRUCTURAL AND EVOLUTION CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EASTERLY VORTEX OVER THE TROPICAL REGION

By employing the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data sets (1000-10hPa, 2.5°× 2.5°), the characteristics have been analyzed of the structure and evolution of an easterly vortex over the tropical upper troposphere relating to the east-west direction shift of the subtropical anticyclone over the Western Pacific Ocean. It is shown that there exists a westward shift simultaneously between the anticyclone and the vortex locating south of it. The anticyclone retreats eastward abnormally while the easterly encounters with the westerly around the same longitudes as they move from the opposite directions. The former is an upper weather system, extending from mid-troposphere to the height of 50 hPa with the center locating on 200 hPa. The vertical thermal distribution illustrates the characteristics of being"warm in the upper layer but cold in the lower layer". The divergence effect and the vertical motion change largely within the east and west sides of the easterly vortex and ascending branch transforms to descending branch near its center.

The responses of CO_2 to El Nino and La Nina in different seasons along 22°-18°N line

The analyses on the responses of partial pressure difference between sea and air (PCO2), and total dissolved CO2 concentration (TCO2), to abnormal air-sea event in different seasons, were based on observational data measured during cruises from Nov. 1986 to Dec 1997 in area of 22°N - 18°N, 114°E-130°E. The results indicated that in every season, TCO2 was high and PCO2 was positive during onset and mature period of El Nino, but they were low and negative respectively during La Nina. Before and after El Nino, partial pressure of CO2 in the sea and air were in the state of equilibrium. Both PCO2 (air) and PCO2 (air) had same responses to E1 Nino in each season. PCO2 (air) and PCO2 (sw) were high during mature period of El Nino were low before and in onset period of El Nino PCO2 and PCO2 (sw) reached peak value during E1 Nino and variation of PCO2 and PCO2 (sw) were same The mean exchange of CO2 from sea to air (flux) reached peak value during El Nino in autumn, and decreased during La Nina. Before and after El Nino the flux is weak, but in opposite direction from air to sea. According to the 1986-1993 average the characteristics of response of TCO2 anomaly to El Nino and La Nina and the range of outstanding variation in different season were discussed. From above it can be deduced some signals showing ENSO event as follows: in Oct.1995, El Nino of 91/95 was over: In May 1995 it is before a new El Nino: In July 1997 it is in onset of new El Nino; In Dec.1997 it is in the mature stage of E1 Nino event.

Interaction Between Typhoon and Western Pacific Subtropical Anticyclone:Data Analyses and Numerical Experiments

Three kinds of typhoons with distinct tracks are sorted based on a set of typhoon data from 1958 to 1998. The results of composite analyses confirm that different typhoon tracks correspond to different patterns of the subtropical anticyclone over the western Pacific （SAWP）. When the tracks are westward, the SAWP is strong, with a zonal form, and stretches westward; when the tracks are recurving, the main body of the SAWP shifts eastward and breaks near 160~E; and when the tracks are northward, the SAWP is located far east of its normal position. Based on the above result, two different initial fields are configured, one has a zonal and strong SAWP, and the other has a meridional and weak SAWP. By using the GOALS R42L9 climate model, a temperature disturbance is added into these two different initial fields to force the formation of a typhoon. Westward and northward tracked typhoons are well simulated, thus verifying that different patterns of the SAWP have different effects on typhoon tracks. Results also show that typhoons can induce barotropic Rossby waves propagating to the mid and high latitudes. Under different background zonal flows, the wave trains triggered by the typhoons of westward and northward tracks are also different, and their effects on the mid and high latitude circulations and the SAWP are different. Compared to a n.orthward tracked typhoon, a westward tracked typhoon is able to induce positive geopotential height anomaly to its north and northwest, resulting in the SAWP strengthening and developing westward.