Possible mechanism of the effect of convection over Asian-Australian “land bridge” on the East Asian summer monsoon onset

The Asian-Australian “land bridge” is an area with the most vigorous convection in Asian monsoon region in boreal spring, where the onset and march of convection are well associated with the onset of East Asian summer monsoon. The convection occurs over Indo-China Peninsula as early as mid-April, which exerts critical impact on the evolution of monsoon circulation. Before mid-April there are primarily sensible heatings to the atmosphere over Indo-China Peninsula and Indian Peninsula, so the apparent heating ratios over them decrease with height. However, after mid-April it changes into latent heating over Indo-China Peninsula due to the onset of convection, and the apparent heating ratio increases with height in mid- and lower troposphere. The vertical distribution of heating ratio and its differences between Indo-China Peninsula and Indian Peninsula are the key factors leading to the splitting of boreal subtropical high belt over the Bay of Bengal. Such mechanism is strongly supported by the fact that the evolution of the vertical heating ratio gradient above Indo-China Peninsula leads that of 850 hPa vorticity over the Bay of Bengal. Convections over Indo-China Peninsula and its surrounding areas further increase after the splitting. Since then, there is a positive feedback lying among the convective heating, the eastward retreat of the subtropical high and the march of monsoon, which is a possible mechanism of the advance of summer monsoon and convection from Indo-China Peninsula to South China Sea.

THE ANALYSIS OF MECHANISM OF IMPACT OF AEROSOLS ON EAST ASIAN SUMMER MONSOON INDEX AND ONSET

RegCM4.3, a high-resolution regional climate model, which includes five kinds of aerosols(dust, sea salt,sulfate, black carbon and organic carbon), is employed to simulate the East Asian summer monsoon(EASM) from 1995 to 2010 and the simulation data are used to study the possible impact of natural and anthropogenic aerosols on EASM.The results show that the regional climate model can well simulate the EASM and the spatial and temporal distribution of aerosols. The EASM index is reduced by about 5% by the natural and anthropogenic aerosols and the monsoon onset time is also delayed by about a pentad except for Southeast China. The aerosols heat the middle atmosphere through absorbing solar radiation and the air column expands in Southeast China and its offshore areas. As a result, the geopotential height decreases and a cyclonic circulation anomaly is generated in the lower atmosphere. Northerly wind located in the west of cyclonic circulation weakens the low-level southerly wind in the EASM region. Negative surface radiative forcing due to aerosols causes downward motion and an indirect meridional circulation is formed with the low-level northerly wind and high-level southerly wind anomaly in the north of 25° N in the monsoon area, which weakens the vertical circulation of EASM. The summer precipitation of the monsoon region is significantly reduced,especially in North and Southwest China where the value of moisture flux divergence increases.

Recent Progress in Studies of the Variabilities and Mechanisms of the East Asian Monsoon in a Changing Climate

Located in a monsoon domain,East Asia suffers devastating natural hazards induced by anomalous monsoon behaviors.East Asian monsoon(EAM)research has traditionally been a high priority for the Chinese climate community and is particularly challenging in a changing climate where the global mean temperature has been rising.Recent advances in studies of the variabilities and mechanisms of the EAM are reviewed in this paper,focusing on the interannual to interdecadal time scales.Some new results have been achieved in understanding the behaviors of the EAM,such as the evolution of the East Asian summer monsoon(EASM),including both its onset and withdrawal over the South China Sea,the changes in the northern boundary activity of the EASM,or the transitional climate zone in East Asia,and the cycle of the EASM and the East Asian winter monsoon and their linkages.In addition,understanding of the mechanism of the EAM variability has improved in several aspects,including the impacts of different types of ENSO on the EAM,the impacts from the Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean,and the roles of mid-to high-latitude processes.Finally,some scientific issues regarding our understanding of the EAM are proposed for future investigation.

东亚夏季风建立前青藏高原地气温差变化特征

利用青藏高原地区112个站1980~2001年和部分站点1960~2000年的气温、地温资料,采用经验正交EOF和旋转经验正交REOF等方法,对东亚夏季风爆发前青藏高原地气温差的变化特征进行分析,并对其与东亚夏季风之间的联系进行了分析。结果表明,青藏高原地气温差一般超前气温、地温1个月达到全年最大值,比中国中东部同纬度地区的地气温差达到最大值超前2个月。随着高原由春季向夏季的过渡(3~6月),高原地气温差年际变化的异常敏感区逐渐由3月中部的河谷地带移动到高原的东南部地区。高原地表积雪的融雪过程和冻土的融冻过程对东亚夏季风建立前期高原4、5月份地气温差具有重要影响。高原地区的地气温差在4、5份的呈现出不同的变化趋势。4月份,由于积雪的反照率引起的辐射冷却作用,地气温差在1960年代到1970年代中期呈显著减小趋,之后呈增大的趋势。1960年代到1990年代5月的地气温差更多地反映出非绝热加热的作用,高原地气温差呈减小趋势。

南海夏季风建立日期的确定和东亚夏季风强度指数的选取

对近几年来南海夏季风建立日期的确定和东亚夏季风强度指数的选取方面的研究成果进行比较全面的概述,并提出了有待进一步解决的问题。

气溶胶对东亚夏季风指数和爆发的影响及其机理分析

利用高分辨率区域气候模式Reg CM4.3,通过引入沙尘、海盐、硫酸盐、黑碳和有机碳等5种气溶胶,对1995—2010年的东亚夏季风进行数值模拟,研究了自然和人为气溶胶对东亚夏季风的可能影响。结果表明:区域气候模式对东亚夏季风和气溶胶的时空分布都有较好的模拟效果,自然和人为气溶胶造成东亚夏季风指数减小约5%,且除我国东南部地区外,气溶胶使整个季风区的季风爆发时间推迟了1候左右。在我国东南部及近海地区,气溶胶通过吸收太阳辐射对中层大气起到加热作用,气柱受热会出现膨胀,从而造成了低层大气的位势高度下降并激发出气旋式环流距平,气旋式环流距平西侧偏北风能削弱东亚夏季风区低层的偏南气流。气溶胶的加入引起的地表负的辐射强迫造成了空气出现下沉运动并配合低层偏北风和高层偏南风距平,在25°N以北地区形成了间接经向环流距平,从而也削弱了东亚夏季风的垂直环流。气溶胶增加了我国季风区的水汽通量散度值,从而造成了夏季降水的明显减少,其中我国华北和西南地区为2个主要的降水减少区域。

南海夏季风爆发与前期东亚冬季风异常的关系以及ENSO的作用

基于ERA-interim再分析资料采用相关分析研究了东亚冬季风和南海夏季风爆发的关系,并探讨了ENSO在其中的作用。结果表明,弱冬季风之后的南海地区5月有异常东风、降水偏少,对应于夏季风爆发偏晚;强冬季风之后则相反;但上述关系并不十分显著。进一步利用线性回归将东亚冬季风分为与ENSO有关和无关的部分,对于与ENSO有关的冬季风,上述冬季风—夏季风爆发的关系的显著性有明显提高;但与ENSO无关的冬季风和夏季风爆发并无显著联系。这说明冬季风—南海夏季风爆发的关系主要是由与ENSO有关的冬季风造成的。这一关系可以用ENSO激发的菲律宾异常反气旋或气旋来解释,以弱冬季风之后夏季风爆发偏晚为例:El Ni?o事件一方面激发出菲律宾异常反气旋,使得冬季风偏弱;另一方面又引起热带印度洋增暖,由于局地海气相互作用正反馈和印度洋电容器效应,菲律宾异常反气旋得以维持到晚春。该异常反气旋及其南侧的异常东风不利于南海夏季风的爆发,从而导致夏季风爆发偏晚。

湿静力能视角下东亚夏季风的爆发和推进

东亚夏季风雨季爆发和推进对我国农业生产和社会经济有重要的影响,与各区域大气不稳定能量的累积密切相关.湿静力能(moist static energy,MSE)包含了大气主要能量过程,便于从能量守恒和转化的角度理解降水的特征和时间演变.基于欧洲中期天气预报中心提供的ERA5再分析资料,将4月之后整层积分MSE时间倾向达到最大的候定义为南海、华南、梅雨雨季的爆发候,7月上旬之后整层积分MSE时间倾向达到最大的候定义为华北雨季爆发候.结果表明,该定义可较好地给出雨季爆发时间,与前人研究的爆发时间重合或提前1~2候;通过MSE收支诊断表明,南海雨季爆发(第26候)由纬向湿平流主导;华南夏季风爆发时(第28候),湿焓平流的大值区由暖平流主导;梅雨爆发时(第34候),MSE时间倾向强度最强,由纬向暖平流主导;华北雨季爆发(第39候)与前3个雨季爆发不同,净能量通量的贡献超过湿焓平流,由潜热通量和晴空净短波辐射主导.通过整层积分MSE时间倾向定义东亚夏季风爆发能够为预测和预估季风演变提供清晰的物理图像和统一的理论框架.