ADVANCE IN STUDIES OF TROPOSPHERIC BIENNIAL OSCILLATION

There are obvious biennial phenomena of circulation, meteorological and climatic elements in the troposphere, named as Tropospheric (Quasi-) Biennial Oscillation (TBO). Many phenomena of TBO are discovered, such as variations of TBO in tropospheric temperature, pressure, winds field, monsoon and subtropical high etc. The mechanism of TBO is explored and the results demonstrate that tropical ocean (the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, mainly) and Stratospheric QBO play important roles in the TBO. In addition, Eurasian snow cover and solar activity of 11yr period can affect TBO very possibly.

The Features of Ozone Quasi-Biennial Oscillation in Tropical Stratosphere and Its Numerical Simulation

The inlcrunnual variation of the vertical distribution of ozone in the tropical stratosphere and its quasi—biennial oscillation (QBO) is analyzed using HALOE data. The results are compared with the wind QBO. A numerical experiment is carried out to study the effects of wind QBO on the distribution, and variation of ozone in the stratosphere by using (he NCAR interactive chemical, dynamical, and radiative two—dimensional model (SOCRATES). Data analysis shows that the location of the maximum ozone mixing ratio in the stratosphere changes in the meridional and vertical directions, and assumes a quasi—biennial period. The meridional and vertical motion of the maximum mixing ratio leads to a QBO of column ozone and its hemispheric asymmetry. The QBO of the location of the maximum is closely connected with the zonal wind QBO. The data analysis also shows that in the tropical region, the phase of the QBO for ozone density changes many times with height. Numerical simulation shows that the meridional circulation induced by the wind QBO includes three pairs of cells in the stratosphere, which have hemispheric symmetry. The transport of ozone by the induced meridional circulation in various latitudes and heights is the main dynamic cause for the ozone QBO. Cells of the induced circulation in the middle stratosphere (25-35 km) play an important role in producing the ozone QBO.

Spatial Patterns of Tropospheric Biennial Oscillation and Its Numerical Simulation

In order to investigate the spatial patterns of the Tropospheric Biennial Oscillation （TBO） on the global scale, the Climate Prediction Center （CPC） Merged Analysis of Precipitation （CMAP） monthly averaged precipitation and the Climate Diagnostics Center （CDC） monthly outgoing long-wave radiation （OLR） and SST are used in conjunction with TBO bandpass-filtering. The results indicate active biennial variability in the tropical eastern-central Pacific regions. It is evident that observations reflect the biennial component of the ENSO rather than the TBO itself. Since some studies have pointed out that the TBO is a broad-scale phenomenon differing from the ENSO, to investigate the pure TBO the ENSO signal must be excluded. The Scale Interaction Experiment-FRCGC （SINTEX-F） coupled general circulation model （CGCM） developed at Japan Frontier Research Center for Global Change （FRCGC） can capture both the ENSO and the biennial signals. Air-sea interactions in the tropical eastern-central Pacific are decoupled to eliminate the effects of ENSO in a experiment by SINTEX-F and the results show that biennial variability still exists even without ENSO. It seems to mean that the TBO and ENSO are independent from each other. Furthermore, the model results indicate that the two key regions are southwest Sumatra and the tropical western Pacific for the TBO cycle.

Effects of South China Sea/western North Pacific summer monsoon on tropospheric biennial oscillation （TBO）

Several theories have been developed to explain tropical biennial oscillation （TBO）, as an air-sea interactive system to impact Asian and global weather and climate, and some models have been established to produce a TBO. A simple 5-box model, with almost all the key processes associated with TBO, can produce a TBO by including airsea interactions in the monsoon regions. Despite that, the South China Sea/western North Pacific summer monsoon （SCS/WNPSM）, a very important monsoon subsystem, is neglected. In this paper, based on the dynamical framework of 5-box model, the term of SCS/WNPSM has been added and a 6-box model has been developed. Comparing the difference of TBO sensibilities with several key parameters, air-sea coupling coefficient α, SST-thermocline feedback coefficient γand wind-evaporation feedback coefficient λ, between the modified model and original model, TBO is more sensible to the parameters in the new model. The results imply that the eastern Pacific and local wind-evaporation play more important roles in the TBO when including SCS /WNPSM.

Interdecadal variability of the tropospheric biennial oscillation in the western North Pacific

The observed tropospheric biennial oscillation （TBO） in the western North Pacific （WNP） monsoon region has an interdecadal variability with a period of 40-50 yr. That suggests a weaker effect of the TBO on the East Asia followed by a stronger one. A simple analytic model was designed to investigate the mechanism of the interdecadal variability of the TBO. The results indicated that a local TBO air-sea system not only supports the TBO variability in the WNP monsoon region but also produces an interdecadal variability of the TBO.

Air-sea interactions associated with tropospheric biennial oscillation in South China Sea summer monsoon and their effects on El Nio-Southern Oscillation

The South China Sea summer monsoon （SCSSM） behaves with prominent climate variability from the in- traseasonal to interdecadal time scales. On the interannual time scale, the biennial variability （so-called tropospheric biennial oscillation, TBO） is as important as the E1 Nifio-Southem Oscillation （ENSO） period. Some observed data sets, including reanalysis data, are used to explore the associated air-sea interactive physical processes and how the SCSSM TBO affects the ENSO. The results show that the shearing vorticity induced by the north Indian Ocean sea surface temperature anomalies （SSTAs） and the anomalous Philip- pine Sea anticyclone both contribute to the TBO in the SCSSM. The results also indicate that the ENSO has a weak effect on the SCSSM TBO, whereas the latter affects the ENSO to some extent.

Dynamical mechanism of the stratospheric quasibiennial oscillation impact on the South China Sea Summer Monsoon

The National Center for the Atmospheric Research(NCAR)middle atmospheric model is used to study the effects of the quasi-biennial oscillation in the stratosphere(QBO)on the tropopause and uppe troposphere,and the relationship between the QBO and South China Sea Summer Monsoon SCSSM is explored through NCEP(the National Centers for Environmental Prediction)/NCAR,ECMWF(Euro pean Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts)monthly mean wind data and in situ sounding data The simulations show that the QBO-induced residual circulations propagate downwards,and affect the tropopause and upper troposphere during the periods of mid-late QBO phase and phase transition Meanwhile,diagnostic analyses indicate that anomalous circulation similar to SCSSM circulation is generated to strengthen the SCSSM during the easterly phase and anomalous Hadley-like circulation weakens the SCSSM during the westerly.Though the QBO has effects on the SCSSM by meridiona circulation,it is not a sole mechanism on the SCSSM TBO mode.

Origin of the TBO-Interaction between Anomalous East-Asian Winter Monsoon and ENSO Cycle

Based on the data analyses by using NCEP/ NCAR reanalysis data and other data (OLR, precipitation and temperature), it is shown that the tropospheric circulation and climate in East Asia and the northwestern Pacific region have the evident quasi-biennial oscillation (TBO) feature. It is also shown that anomalous East Asian winter monsoon can impact the atmospheric circulation and climate variations in the following summer, particularly in East Asian region; there is clear interaction between anomalous East Asian winter monsoon and ENSO cycle. The continuous strong (weak) East Asian winter monsoon can excite El Ni o (La Ni a) through the air-sea interaction, the El Ni o (La Ni a) event can lead the East Asian winter monsoon to be weak (strong) through the teleconnections or remote responses. The strong or weak winter monsoon and ENSO cycle are linked each other. It can be suggested that interaction between anomalous East Asian winter monsoon and ENSO cycle is a fundamental origin of the TBO.

FURTHER RESEARCH ON MECHANISM OF TBO IN SOUTH ASIAN MONSOON REGION

The results of this study prove that there is significant troposphere biennial oscillation(TBO) in the South Asian climate, especially with the Indian summer monsoon rainfall. In order to explore the mechanism of TBO in the South Asian region, we defined a unified South Asian monsoon index to depict South Asian summer monsoon(SASM) and South Asian winter monsoon(SAWM) and the transition features between SASM and SAWM. Through further analysis, the connection between the abnormity of SASM and SAWM was discovered. Normally, a strong SAWM is beneficial for a weak SASM later, while a weak SAWM favors a strong SASM. Meanwhile, a strong SASM is favorable for a weak SAWM and a weak SAWM always happens after a weak SASM. Such results suggest the evolution of the South Asian monsoon, which may be an important mechanism to excite TBO in South Asia.

Low Frequency Characteristics of Tropical Pacific Wind Stress Anomalies in Observations and Simulations from a Simple and a Comprehensive Models

Low frequency characteristics of tropical Pacific wind stress anomalies in observation and simulations from the CZ simple atmospheric model and COLA R15 AGCM are analyzed.The results show that ENSO event may be a multi-scale process,that is,ENSO time scale has the period longer than three years; biennial oscillation and annual variability.Dynamical characteristics are involved in the evolution process of wind stress anomaly with ENSO time scale: 1) the development and eastward movement of a cyclonic anomaly circulation in subtropical northwestern Pacific and weakening of Southern Oscillation result in the eastward propagation of westerly anomaly along the equator,therefore,interactions between flows in subtropics and in tropics play an important role in the evolution of wind stress anomaly with ENSO time scale; 2) easterly and westerly anomalies with ENSO time scale are one kind of propagating wave,which differs from Barnett's (1991).It is interesting that the evolution of observed and simulated wind stress anomalies with biennial time scale bears a strong resemble to that with ENSO time scale although their period is different.Observed annual variability is weak during 1979-1981 and intensified after 1981,especially it reaches to maximum during 1982-1984,and the spatial structure of the first mode is the ENSO-like pattern.