CONTOUR DYNAMICS FOR THE MOTION OF MULTIPLE RING VORTICES Luo Zhexian Nanjing Institute of Meteorology,Nanjing 210044

This paper generalizes the contour dynamics for single ring vortices to that for multiple ring vortices,wherein sixsets of numerical computation are performed.The phenomenon of the counterclockwise loop of a moving vortex is clearly shown in the computational results and the asymmetric change with time of the vortex structure may serve as a pre-cursor for the phenomenon.Besides,we also discuss the dependence of the motion direction of a vortex upon the degreeof its contour denseness,and the dependence of the westward component of vortex motion upon its asymmetricstructure.The results are fairly consistent with those of previous dynamical analyses and numerical experiments.

Mechanism of Formation of the Ozone Valley over the Tibetan Plateau in Summer-Transport and Chemical Process of Ozone

With the 3D chemical transport model OSLO CTM2, the valley of total column ozone over the Tibetan Plateau in summer is reproduced. The results show that when the ozone valley occurs and develops, the transport process plays the main part in the ozone reduction, but the chemical process partly compensates for the transport process. In the dynamic transport process of ozone, the horizontal transport process plays the main part in the ozone reduction in May, but brings about the ozone increase in June and July. The vertical advective process gradually takes the main role in the ozone reduction in June and July. The effect of convective activities rises gradually so that this effect cannot be overlooked in July, as its magnitude is comparable to that of the net changes. The effect of the gaseous chemical process brings about ozone increases which are more than the net changes sometimes, so the chemical effect is also important.

Diagnostic Analyses and Application of the Moist Ageostrophic Vector Q

Considering the main thermal forcing factor, which is critical for the development of synoptic systems, the concept of the moist ageostrophic vector Q is introduced. A formula of the moist ageostrophic Q and the ageostrophic diabatic equation, in which the divergence of the moist ageostrophic Q is taken as a single forcing term, is derived. Meanwhile, the moist ageostrophic Q is applied to diagnose a torrential rain process in North China. The results suggest that the moist ageostrophic Q can clearly reveal the system development during the torrential rain process; the corresponding relationship between the divergence of the moist ageostrophic Q and the rainfall area is better than that of the vertical velocity (w) and the divergence of the dry Q; the 6-h rainfall region can be correctly drawn according to the negative area of the divergence of the moist ageostrophic Q, and its precipitation is positively correlated to the magnitude of the divergence of the moist ageostrophic Q. The research provides valuable information for improving short-term weather forecast.

A Modeling Study of the Effects of Anomalous Snow Cover over the Tibetan Plateau upon the South Asian Summer Monsoon

The e?ect of anomalous snow cover over the Tibetan Plateau upon the South Asian summer monsoon is investigated by numerical simulations using the NCAR regional climate model (RegCM2) into which gravity wave drag has been introduced. The simulations adopt relatively realistic snow mass forcings based on Scanning Multi-channel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) pentad snow depth data. The physical mechanism and spatial structure of the sensitivity of the South Asian early summer monsoon to snow cover anomaly over the Tibetan Plateau are revealed. The main results are summarized as follows. The heavier than normal snow cover over the Plateau can obviously reduce the shortwave radiation absorbed by surface through the albedo e?ect, which is compensated by weaker upward sensible heat ?ux associated with colder surface temperature, whereas the e?ects of snow melting and evaporation are relatively smaller. The anomalies of surface heat ?uxes can last until June and become unobvious in July. The decrease of the Plateau surface temperature caused by heavier snow cover reaches its maximum value from late April to early May. The atmospheric cooling in the mid-upper troposphere over the Plateau and its surrounding areas is most obvious in May and can keep a fairly strong intensity in June. In contrast, there is warming to the south of the Plateau in the mid-lower troposphere from April to June with a maximum value in May. The heavier snow cover over the Plateau can reduce the intensity of the South Asian summer monsoon and rainfall to some extent, but this in?uence is only obvious in early summer and almost disappears in later stages.

The Summer Monsoon Onset over the Tropical Eastern Indian Ocean: The Earliest Onset Process of the Asian Summer Monsoon

The onset process of the tropical eastern Indian Ocean （TEIO） summer monsoon （TEIOSM） and its relationship with the cross-equatorial flows are investigated via climatological analysis. Climatologically, results indicate that the earliest onset process of the Asian summer monsoon occurs over the TEIO at pentad 22 （April 15-20）. Unlike the abrupt onset of the South China Sea （SCS） summer monsoon, the TEIOSM onset process displays a stepwise advance. Moreover, a close relationship between the TEIOSM development and the northward push of the cross-equatorial flows over 80^-90~E is revealed. A difference vorticity center, together with the counterpart over the southern Indian Ocean, constitutes a pair of difference cyclonic vortices, which strengthens the southwesterly wind over the TEIO and the northerly wind to the west of the Indian Peninsula from the end of March to late May. Therefore, the occurrence of the southwesterly wind over the TEIO is earlier than its counterpart over the tropical western Indian Ocean, and the cross-equatorial flows emerge firstly over the TEIO rather than over the Somali area. The former increases in intensity during its northward propagation, which provides a precondition for the TEIOSM onset and its northward advance.

A Preliminary Study of the Dynamics of Eastward Shifting Cyclonic Vortices

The dynamics of eastward shifting cyclonic vortices are investigated in terms of a barotropic primitive equation model, and six experiments are performed. Both the interaction of a cyclonic vortex with vorticity lumps and the interaction of the vortex with the shearing basic flow may induce the strengthening of the vortex in a short period, however, the vortex intensity still shows a general decreasing tendency over the whole integration time period. The interaction among the shearing basic flow, cyclonic vortex, and multiple vorticity lumps can change the tendency. The merging of the cyclonic vortex with vorticity lumps in the shearing basic flow of positive vorticity is directly responsible for the maintenance and development of the cyclonic vortex.

A Study of the Effect of Topography on the Merging of Vortices

Eight sets of numerical experiments are performed in 48 hours of integtation by using a barotropic primitive equation model with a topographic term so as to investigate the effect of topography on the merging of vortices. It is pointed out that the introduction of topography may change the track of vortices, and it causes the low vortices and vorticity lumps to be detained on the southeast side of the topography, thus creating a favorable condition for the merging of the low vortex and vorticity lumps. It is also shown that the effect of topography may cause double mergers of vortices in a horizontally shearing basic flow, and it can strengthen the low vortex remarkably.

Initiation Mechanism of Meso-β Scale Convective Systems

With the aid of the Penn State-NCAR MM5 model, the initiation mechanism of meso-β scale convective systems (MCS) is investigated on the basis of simulation of the temporal and spatial thermodynamic structure of the MCS that occurred in Wuhan, Hubei, China and its surrounding area on 21 July 1998. Using the PV inversion method, comparisons among the upper-, middle-, and low-level tropospheric potential vorticity (PV) perturbations, as well as their effects on the initiation of MCS, indicate that the low-level tropospheric PV perturbations play an important role in the triggering of MCS. Further analysis reveals that the interaction between the southwest low-level jet and the gravity-inertia wave indeed initiates MCS in the conditionally unstable ambient atmosphere.

Vertical Circulation Structure, Interannual Variation Features and Variation Mechanism of Western Pacific Subtropical High

The paper investigates the vertical circulation structure of the western Pacific subtropical high (STH) and its interannual variation features in relation tO East Asian subtropical summer monsoon and external thermal forcing by using the high-resolution and good-quality observations from the 1998 South China Sea Summer Monsoon Experiment (SCSMEX), the NCEP 40-year reanalysis data and relevant SST and the STH parameters. It is found that the vertical circulation structures differ greatly in features between quasi-Stationary and transient components of the western Pacific STH. When rainstorms happen in the rainband of East Asian subtropical monsoon on the STH north side, the downdrafts are distinct around the ridge at a related meridian. The sinking at high (low) levels comes from the north (south) side of the STH, thereby revealing that the high is a tie between tropical and extratropical systems. The analyses of this paper suggest that the latent heat release associated with subtropical monsoon precipitation, the offshore SST and East Asian land-sea thermal contrast have a significant effect on the STH interannual anomaly. Our numerical experiment shows that the offshore SSTA-caused sensible heating may excite an anomalous anticyclonic circulation on the west side, which affects the intensity (area) and meridional position of the western Pacific STH.

A Review of Decadal/Interdecadal Climate Variation Studies in China

Decadal/interdecadal climate variability is an important element in the CLIVAR (Climate Variability and Predictability) and has received much attention in the world. Many studies in relation to interdecadal variation have also been completed by Chinese scientists in recent years. In this paper, an introduction in outline for interdecadal climate variation research in China is presented. The content includes the features of interdecadal climate variability in China, global warming and interdecadal temperature variability, the NAO (the North Atlantic Oscillation)/NPO (the North Pacific Oscillation) and interdecadal climate variation in China, the interdecadal variation of the East Asian monsoon, the interdecadal mode of SSTA (Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly) in the North Pacific and its climate impact, and abrupt change feature of the climate.

Discussion of Meridional Propagation Mechanism of Quasi-40-Day Oscillation

Based on researches made by the author in recent years, discussion is made of the quasi-40-day oscillation (QDO) nature and its characteristic propagation, with emphasis on the Southern Hemisphere mill-latitude quasi-periodic cold air forcing on the tropical atmosphere quasi-40-day oscillation along with its effect upon the Northern Hemisphere summer monsoon. It is proposed that the interaction between, or lateral coupling of, meridional circulation systems may serve as the mechanism of the oscillation propagation in a meridional direction.

The Impact of Pacific SSTA on the Interannual Variability of Northern Pacific Storm Track during Winter

Investigation is conducted of the interannual variability of the northern Pacific storm track and its concurrent association with 500 hPa height and Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) during winter. Evidence suggests that during the studying period the center of the northern winter Pacific storm track experiences substantial interannual variability in the variation of its latitude, longitude and intensity. Singular value decomposition (SVD) of 15 winter 500 hPa filtered geopotential height variance over the storm track with the tropical and northern Pacific SST shows that the first coupled mode depicts the effect on the track of SSTA over the equatorial central and eastern Pacific, while the second one reflects the impact of Kuroshio SSTA on the track. Further Composite analysis indicates, moreover, that the SSTA over Kuroshio (equatorial central and eastern Pacific) during winter, which is relative to WP (PNA) teleconnection response pattern in 500 hPa height field, respectively, exerts crucial influence on the interannual variability in vigor and meridianal (zonal) displacement of the track over its central and western (eastern) part.

Influence of Interannual Variability of Antarctic Sea-Ice on Summer Rainfall in Eastern China

Based on the Antarctic sea-ice coverage reanalysis data from the Hadlcy Center and other observational data during the 30-year period from 1969 to 1998, it is shown that Antarctic sea-ice coverage exhibits considerable interannual variability with a complex relation to El Ni?o and the South Oscillation (ENSO). Besides this, the ice maintains the seasonal persistence of the atmospheric circulation in high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere. Thus it can be used as a predictor in short-term climate prediction. Both correlation and time series analyses demonstrate that summer rainfall in eastern China is closely related to Antarctic sea-ice coverage. When it is extended during boreal spring through summer, there is more rainfall in the lower reaches of the Yellow River of North China, and in contrast, less rainfall is found in the Zhujiang River basin of South China and Northeast China. A further analysis indicates that this rainfall pattern is related to the intensity of the East Asian summer monsoon caused by interannual variability of Antarctic sea-ice coverage.

Effects of Nested Area Size upon Regional Climate Model Simulations

This paper presents a numerical study on the 1998 summer rainfall over the Yangtze River valley in central and eastern China, addressing effect of a nested area size on simulations in terms of the technique of nesting a regional climate model (RCM) upon a general circulation model (GCM). Evidence suggests that the size exerts greater impacts upon regional climate of the country, revealing that a larger nested size is superior to a small one for simulation in mitigating errors of GCM-provided lateral boundary forcing. Also, simulations show that the RCM should incorporate regions of climate systems of great importance into study and a low-resolution GCM yields more pronounced errors as a rule when used in the research of the Tibetan Plateau, and, in contrast, our PσRCM can do a good job in describing the plateau’s role in a more realistic and accurate way. It is for this reason that the tableland should be included in the nested area when the RCM is employed to investigate the regional climate. Our PσRCM nesting upon a GCM reaches more realistic results compared to a single GCM used.

The Possible Influences of the Increasing Anthropogenic Emissions in India on Tropospheric Ozone and OH

A 3-D chemical transport model (OSLO CTM2) is used to investigate the influences of the increasing anthropogenic emission in India. The model is capable of reproducing the observational results of the INDOEX experiment and the measurements in summer over India well. The model results show that when NOx and CO emissions in India are doubled, ozone concentration increases, and global average OH decreases a little. Under the effects of the Indian summer monsoon, NOx and CO in India are efficiently transported into the middle and upper troposphere by the upward current and the convective activities so that the NOX, CO, and ozone in the middle and upper troposphere significantly increase with the increasing NOx and CO emissions. These increases extensively influence a part of Asia, Africa, and Europe, and persist from June to September.

Interaction of Typhoon and Mesoscale Vortex

Under two types of initial tropical cyclone structures that are characterized by high and low vorticity zones, four sets of numerical experiments have been performed to investigate the interaction of a tropical cyclone with an adjacent mesoscale vortex (MSV) and its impact on the tropical cyclone intensity change, using a quasi-geostrophic barotropic vorticity equation model with a horizontal resolution of 0.5 km. The results suggest that the interaction of a tropical cyclone characterized by a high vorticity zonal structure and an MSV would result in an intensification of the cyclone. Its central pressure decreases by more than 14 hPa. In the process of the interaction, the west and middle segments of the high vorticity zone evolve into two peripheral spiral bands of the tropical cyclone, and the merging of the east segment and the inward propagating MSV forms a new vorticity accumulation area, wherein the maximum vorticity is remarkably greater than that in the center of the initial tropical cyclone circulation. It is this process of merging and strengthening that causes a greater pressure decrease in the center of the tropical cyclone. This process is also more complicated than those that have been studied in the past, which indicated that only the inward transfer of vorticity of the MSV can result in the strengthening of the tropical cyclone.

Study of Effects of Beta Term and Nonlinear Advection on the Structure of Tropical Cyclones

The effects of the Beta term on the typhoon structure are examined within the linear framework in terms of an analytical method of 2-D Fourier representation and numerical experiments by a Beta-plane quasi-geostrophic barotropic model. Results show that the joint effects of the difference of Rossby phase velocities and the dispersion of typhoon energy keep the maximum wind velocity reasonably evolving rather than irrestrictively increasing. On the one hand, the nonlinear advection accelerates typhoon vortex damping, and on the other, the high pressure system formed downstream due to energy dispersion makes it easy to maintain.

QBO Features of Tropical Pacific wind Stress Field with the Relation to El Nino

Analysis has been implemented of 1970-1992 tropical Pacific wind stress anomaly and sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) datasets, indicating that quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) of the tropical Pacific WS and SSTA is featured both by a standing and a progressive form, the former emerging in the most intense centers of action and the latter travelling east- or west-ward out of the SSTA sources. Results show that the SSTA is in the warm (cold) phase as zonal component of euqatorial wind stress anomaly gets weakened (reinforced) and the QBO of wind stress anomaly is well related to the El Nino cycle.

A WAVELET PACKET ENERGY DIAGNOSIS OF SOUTH ASIAN SUMMER MONSOON INFLUENCING ON THE WEST PACIFIC SUBTROPICAL HIGH

Based on the wavelet packet decomposition/reconstruction method and the NCEP/NCAR daily reanalysis data set, the relation between the south Asian summer monsoon and the west Pacific subtropical high seasonal variation was discussed, and a corresponding summer monsoon frequency-band energy criterion was defined and introduced for diagnosing the west Pacific subtropical high. Besides, some existing characteristics and rules about the west Pacific subtropical high were further argued and proofed, a few new phenomena and correlation between the south Asian summer monsoon and the west Pacific subtropical high were also revealed and presented.

THE SOUTH CHINA SEA SUMMER MONSOON AND THE SEASONAL MODALITY AND WEST EXTENDING OF THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE PACIFIC SUBTROPICAL HIGH

Based on the 4-layer dbl wavelet packet and shannon entropy decomposition /reconstruction method and the NCEP/NCAR daily reanalysis data set, the correlation between the South China Sea summer monsoon and the Northern Hemisphere Pacific subtropical high seasonal modality/shift xvas studied and discussed, and a corresponding summer monsoon frequency-band energy criterion was defined and introduced for diagnosing the Pacific subtropical high’s modality/shift. A few new phenomena and correlation between the South China Sea summer monsoon and the Northern Hemisphere Pacific subtropical high were also revealed and presented.