The Tropical Intraseasonal Oscillation in SAMIL Coupled and Uncoupled General Circulation Models

Simulations of tropical intraseasonal oscillation （TISO） in SAMIL, the Spectral Atmospheric Model from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics （IAP） State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics （LASG） coupled and uncoupled general circulation models were comprehensively evaluated in this study. Compared to the uncoupled model, the atmosphere-ocean coupled model improved the TISO simulation in the following aspects： （1） the spectral intensity for the 30-80-day peak eastward periods was more realistic; （2） the eastward propagation signals over western Pacific were stronger; and （3） the variance distribution and stronger signals of Kelvin waves and mixed Rossby gravity waves were more realistic. Better performance in the coupled run was assumed to be associated with a better mean state and a more realistic relationship between precipitation and SST. In both the coupled and uncoupled runs, the unrealistic simulation of the eastward propagation over the equatorial Indian Ocean might have been associated with the biases of the precipitation mean state over the Indian Ocean, and the unrealistic split of maximum TISO precipitation variance over the Pacific might have corresponded to the exaggeration of the double Intertropical Convergence Zone （ITCZ） structure in precipitation mean state. However, whether a better mean state leads to better TISO activity remains questionable. Notably, the northward propagation over the Indian Ocean during summer was not improved in the mean lead-lag correlation analysis, but case studies have shown some strong cases to yield remarkably realistic northward propagation in coupled runs.

Intensified Eastward and Northward Propagation of Tropical Intraseasonal Oscillation over the Equatorial Indian Ocean in a Global Warming Scenario

Northward propagation in summer and eastward propagation in winter are two distinguished features of tropical intraseasonal oscillation （TISO） over the equatorial Indian Ocean. According to numerical modeling results, under a global warming scenario, both propagations were intensified. The enhanced northward propagation in summer can be attributed to the enhanced atmosphere-ocean interaction and the strengthened mean southerly wind; and the intensified eastward propagation in winter is associated with the enhanced convection-wind coupling process and the strengthened equatorial Kevin wave. Future changes of TISO propagations need to be explored in more climate models.

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF THE TROPICAL INTRASEASONAL OSCILLATION AND THE EFFECT OF WARM SST

An atmospheric general circulation model is used in a series of three experiments to simulate the intraseasonal oscillation in the tropical atmosphere.Analyses of the model daily data show that various physical variables,from sever- al different regions,exhibit fluctuations with a spectral peak between 30 and 60 days.This represents a 30—60 day oscillation in the tropical atmosphere and possesses several features which are consistent with observations.These in- clude a horizontal structure dominated by zonal wavenumber 1 and a vertical structure which is predominantly baroclinic. The effect of warm SST (sea surface temperature) anomalies on the 30—60 day oscillation in the tropical atmos- phere is also simulated by prescribing global SST as observed in 1983.This has the effect of weakening the oscillation while at the same time the vertical structure becomes less baroclinic. The importance of cumulus convection to the propagational characteristics of this oscillation is demonstrated by a comparison of results based on different parameterizations for convection.In one case,where the maximum convection over the Pacific is simulated to be too far east,the simulated 30—60 day oscillation shows evidence of westward propa- gation.In the second case,where the convection maximum is located near the observed position in the western Pacific, there is more clearly evidence of eastward propagation. Both results suggest that the location of maximum convection in the Pacific can have an important influence on the strength,structure and propagation of the 30—60 day oscillation.

Simulations of the Tropical Intraseasonal Oscillation by the Atmospheric General Circulation Model of the Beijing Climate Center

The performance of BCC （Beijing Climate Center） AGCM 2.0.1 （Atmospheric General Circulation Model version 2.0.1） in simulating the tropical intraseasonal oscillation （TIO） is examined in this paper.The simulations are validated against observation and compared with the NCAR CAM3 （Community Atmosphere Model version 3） results.The BCC AGCM2.0.1 is developed based on the original BCC AGCM （version 1） and NCAR CAM3.New reference atmosphere and reference pressure are introduced into the model.Therefore,the original prognostic variables of temperature and surface pressure become their departures from the reference atmosphere.A new Zhang-McFarlane convective parameterization scheme is incorporated into the model with a few modifications.Other modifications include those in the boundary layer process and snow cover calculation.All simulations are run for 52 yr from 1949 to 2001 under the lower boundary conditions of observed monthly SST.The TIOs from the model are analyzed.The comparison shows that the NCAR CAM3 has a poor ability in simulating the TIO.The simulated strength of the TIO is very weak.The energy of the eastward moving waves is similar to that of the westward moving waves in CAM3.While in observation the former is much larger than the latter.The seasonal variation and spatial distribution of the TIO produced by CAM3 are also much different from the observation.The ability of the BCC AGCM2.0.1 in simulating the TIO is significantly better.The simulated TIO is evident.The strength of the TIO produced by the BCC AGCM2.0.1 is close to the observation.The energy of eastward moving.waves is much stronger than that of the westward moving waves,which is consistent with the observation.There is no significant difference in the seasonal variation and spatial distribution of the TIO between the BCC model simulation and the observation.In general,the BCC model performs better than CAM3 in simulating the TIO.

Sensitivity of the Simulated Tropical Intraseasonal Oscillation to Cumulus Parameterizations

The sensitivity of the simulated tropical intraseasonal oscillation or MJO （Madden and Julian oscillation） to different cumulus parameterizations is studied by using an atmospheric general circulation model （GCM）--SAMIL （Spectral Atmospheric Model of IAP LASG）. Results show that performance of the model in simulating the MJO alters widely when using two different cumulus parameterization schemes-the moist convective adjustment scheme （MCA） and the Zhang-McFarlane （ZM） scheme. MJO simulated by the MCA scheme was found to be more realistic than that simulated by the ZM scheme. MJO produced by the ZM scheme is too weak and shows little propagation characteristics. Weak moisture convergence at low levels simulated by the ZM scheme is not enough to maintain the structure and the eastward propagation of the oscillation. These two cumulus schemes produced different vertical structures of the heating profile. The heating profile produced by the ZM scheme is nearly uniform with height and the heating is too weak compared to that produced by the MCA, which maybe contributes greatly to the failure of simulating a reasonable MJO. Comparing the simulated MJO by these two schemes indicate that the MJO simulated by the GCM is highly sensitive to cumulus parameterizations implanted in. The diabatic heating profile plays an important role in the performance of the GCM. Three sensitivity experiments with different heating profiles are designed in which modified heating profiles peak respectively in the upper troposphere （UH）, middle troposphere （MH）, and lower troposphere （LH）. Both the LH run and the MH run produce eastward propagating signals on the intraseasonal timescale, while it is interesting that the intraseasonal timescale signals produced by the UH run propagate westward. It indicates that a realistic intraseasonal oscillation is more prone to be excited when the maximum heating concentrates in the middle-low levels, especially in the middle levels, while westward propagating disturbances are more prone to be produced when the maximum heating appears very high.

Characteristics and Numerical Simulation of the Tropical Intraseasonal Oscillations under Global Warming

Using the ECMWF reanalysis daily 200-hPa wind data during the two 20-yr periods from 1958 to 1977 and from 1980 to 1999, the characteristics and changes of Intraseasonal Oscillations （ISO） in the two periods associated with global warming are analyzed and compared in this study. It is found that during the last 20 years, the ISO has weakened in the central equatorial Pacific Ocean, but becomes more active in the central Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal; under the background of the global warming, increase in the amplitude of ISO intensity suggests that the ISO has become more active than before, with an obvious seasonal cycle, i.e., strong during winter and spring, but weak during summer and autumn; the energy of the upper tropospheric zonal winds has more concentrated in wave numbers 1-3, and the frequency of ISO tended to increase. Comparison between the results of control experiment and CO2 increase （1% per year） experiment of FGOALS-1.0g （developed at LASG） with the first and second 20-yr observations, is also performed, respectively. The comparative results show that the spatial structure of the ISO was well reproduced, but the strength of ISO was underestimated. On the basis of space-time spectral analysis, it is found that the simulated ISO contains too much high frequency waves, leading to the underestiniation of ISO intensity due to the dispersion of ISO energy. However, FGOALS-1.0g captured the salient features of ISO under the global warming background by two contrast experiments, such as the vitality and frequency-increasing of ISO in the central Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal.

MODULATION OF TC GENESIS OVER THE NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC BY ATMOSPHERIC INTRASEASONAL OSCILLATION

The influence of intraseasonal oscillation (ISO) on TC genesis over the northwestern Pacific is studied through comparing analyses of the more and less TC years from 1979 to 2006. It is indicated that the ISO strongly affects the TC genesis. In the years for more TC genesis, the ISO is weak and propagates insignificantly in the area to the west of the Philippines, but the ISO is strong in the area to the east of the Philippines and propagates significantly northwestward. In this situation, the Walker cell shifts gradually westward from the tropical western Pacific to the tropical eastern Indian Ocean. Convergent winds appear in the lower atmosphere while divergent winds in the upper atmosphere, suggesting the presence of enhanced ascending flow over the 140-160°E region and a favorable condition for TC genesis. Moreover, in the years for less TC genesis, the ISO gradually becomes stronger in the area to the west of the Philippines and significant eastward propagation prevails from the eastern Indian Ocean to the area around 120°E; the ISO is weak in the area to the east of the Philippines. During these years, the Walker circulation gradually moved eastward, with convergent winds in the upper troposphere and divergent winds in the lower troposphere. Sinking motion was significant, unfavorable for the TC genesis over the Northwestern Pacific.

Research Progress in China on the Tropical Atmospheric Intraseasonal Oscillation

Tropical intraseasonal oscillation （including the Madden-Julian oscillation） is an important element of the atmospheric circulation system. The activities and anomalies of tropical intraseasonal oscillations affect weather and climate both inside and outside the tropical region. The study of these phenomena therefore represents one of the frontiers of atmospheric sciences. This review aims to synthesize and summarize studies of intraseasonal oscillation （ISO） by Chinese scientists within the last 5-10 years. We focus particularly on ISO＇s mechanisms, its numerical simulations （especially the impacts of diabatic heating profiles）, relation- ships and interactions with ENSO （especially over the western Pacific）, impacts on tropical cyclone genesis and tracks over the northwestern Pacific, and influences on the onset and activity of the South and East Asian monsoons （especially rainfall over China）. Among these, focuses of ongoing research and unresolved issues related to ISO are also discussed.