印度洋暖池热含量变化对低纬高原汛期降水的影响

利用美国Scripps海洋研究所提供的1961—2003年的海洋热含量再分析资料、低纬高原148站降水资料和NCEP/NCAR环流再分资料,采用EOF分析、相关分析、合成分析等方法研究了印度洋暖池热含量变化,及其对低纬高原6—8月降水的影响及其可能原因.结果表明,印度洋暖池6—8月热含量变化E0F分析第1模态为全场一致型,解释方差为28%.印度洋暖池热含量与中国低纬高原6—8月降水的关系主要体现为与云南北部和东部等地区的显著正相关,这种相关关系源于前期2—4月,且随时间的推移其影响范围不断扩大,至同期时达到最好.在印度洋暖池热含量偏高年,暖池区持续的加热异常在东侧对流层低层激发出反气旋式环流异常,造成副高西伸,从而在副高外围形成一条自孟加拉湾向低纬高原区域的经向水汽输送带,为低纬高原区域输送大量的水汽,从而造成低纬高原区域降水增多.相反,在印度洋暖池热含量异常偏低时,西南风水汽输送带较弱,水汽输送无法穿越山脉输送到低纬高原区,造成低纬高原汛期降水偏少.

印度洋-太平洋暖池的变异研究

为了研究在何种时间尺度上定义研究印度洋-太平洋暖池(简称印-太暖池)更有意义,本文中应用功率谱等统计学方法,对印-太暖池的季节、年际及年代际变化特征进行了分析。结果表明,印-太暖池、东印度洋暖池(简称东印暖池)在季节变化上表现为单峰结构,而西太平洋暖池(简称西太暖池)则为双峰结构;在年际变化上印-太暖池和西太暖池表现出很强的3—6年变化周期,东印暖池则存在准两年的振荡周期;印-太暖池还存在10年以上的年代际周期振荡,特别是70年代中后期的年代际突变明显,而东印暖池的这种变化更为明显。由此可知印-太暖池的年代际变化与东印暖池、西太暖池年代际变化较为相似,季节和年际变化颇为不同,所以,在研究年代际尺度的问题上,定义并研究印-太暖池的意义更大,而在研究年际、季节尺度上的问题时东印暖池、西太暖池应分而视之。

印度洋—太平洋暖池年代际变化及其大气响应

定义了印度洋—太平洋暖池的强度变化指数和面积变化指数,分析了其年代际变化的特征。结果表明:20世纪40年代以前,暖池强度和面积基本没有明显的变化趋势;40-80年代,有一个相对较小的增加趋势;80年代以后至2000年增加的趋势加大。将水平风速分解为无辐散分量和无旋分量,分析了暖池上空大气环流对该暖池年代际变化的响应,发现尽管暖池上空大气环流对该暖池年代际变化的响应并不十分明显,但在特定的季节和特定的对流层高度上这种响应也是明显的。

印度洋—太平洋暖池季节变化及其相应的大气环流形式

首先通过对英国大气科学数据中心海表面温度资料和Levitus随深度变化的海温资料的分析,给出了印度洋—太平洋暖池季节变化的详细描述。另外,利用NCEP/NCAR再分析大气资料中的风场数据,采取将水平风场分量分解为无辐散分量和无旋分量的方法,分析了相应于暖池季节变化的大气环流形式。得到了这样的结论:第一,印度洋—太平洋暖池的位置随季节变化南北移动;暖池面积在北半球的5月和9月达到两个极大值;无论就海表面温度还是深度而言,该暖池分别存在一或两个强度中心。第二,尽管印度洋—太平洋暖池中间被南亚大陆所间隔,但是暖池上空对流层大气运动对于暖池的季节变化却是作为一个整体响应的。

亚洲区域海—陆—气相互作用对全球和亚洲气候变化的作用研究进展

围绕全球变化研究国家重大研究计划项目"亚洲区域海—陆—气相互作用机理及其在全球变化中的作用"预定的总体研究内容和科学目标,项目执行两年多以来,取得了一系列阶段性科研成果。关于气候动力学方面,项目揭示了热带印度洋—西太平洋暖池的海温变化是全球热带气候年代际变化的重要驱动力,是全球尺度副热带干旱的重要调控器;发现热带东太平洋海温存在冷舌模态,它是一个海气耦合模态,阐明在全球变暖背景下其对ENSO型态变异的作用及影响东亚气候的机理;揭示了青藏高原热力强迫的异常特征及其气候效应;提出了水平非均匀基流中行星波传播的理论,研究了其在不同东亚夏季风背景下的传播特征。关于气候预测方法方面,提出了若干有物理基础的气候预测方法,如尺度分离的降尺度预测新方法、基于北大西洋涛动(NAO)—ENSO的东亚夏季风预测模型、基于南半球环状模的东亚气候预测模型等,为业务部门提供了重要参考。关于观测方面,项目在亚洲区域海气补充观测和海洋资料同化方面也取得突出进展,成功进行了南海18°N断面海洋综合观测,为形成我国第一条南海断面长期海气观测打下了基础。在国际合作方面,项目还继续推动和领导了"亚洲季风年"(AMY2007-2012)与"东亚气候模拟"国际计划,提升了我国在该领域的国际地位。

北半球夏季Hadley环流的主导模态及其变率

本文分析了1948~2007年北半球夏季Hadley环流的主导模态及其变率,结果表明:北半球夏季Hadley环流变率的主导模态包括两个赤道非对称模态,其主体分别位于北半球(简称为AMN)和南半球(简称AMS)和一个赤道准对称的模态(简称QSM),AMN和AMS主要表征Hadley环流的年代际变率部分,而QSM主要表征Hadley环流的年际变率部分。AMN的时间系数呈现明显的减弱趋势,AMS的时间系数则表现为明显的增强趋势,两个模态的年代际变率表明:北半球夏季Hadley环流发生了显著的年代际转型,在1970年代以前呈现"北强南弱"型,之后转变为"南强北弱"型。印度洋—西太平洋暖池和热带大西洋赤道带海温的异常增暖以及由热带大西洋和印度洋海温非均匀增暖形成的减弱的北半球大尺度经向海温梯度和加强的南半球大尺度经向海温梯度可能是导致上述Hadley环流变率的重要影响因子。不同于两个非对称模态,QSM模态的变率主要与热带东太平洋的海温以及Ni^no3.4指数有明显的线性关系,说明ENSO对夏季Hadley环流的影响主要是在年际尺度上。对Hadley环流年代际转型的进一步分析发现,其越赤道部分的减弱与东半球热带季风区经向越赤道环流的减弱有密切联系。相关和合成分析的结果显示,南海季风、南亚东区季风以及西非季风的强弱与越赤道环流异常有显著相关,热带季风在这些区域的减弱趋势很可能共同受到北半球夏季Hadley环流年代际转型中越赤道环流减弱的影响。然而,南亚西区季风与经向环流没有明显相关,同时也未呈现显著的年代际趋势,这一结果从环流的角度验证了Li and Zeng(2002)将南亚季风区划分为东区和西区的合理性。

Variations in the eastern Indian Ocean warm pool and its relation to the dipole in the tropical Indian Ocean

Based on the monthly average SST and 850 hPa monthly average wind data,the seasonal,interannual and long-term variations in the eastern Indian Ocean warm pool(EIWP) and its relationship to the Indian Ocean Dipole(IOD),and its response to the wind over the Indian Ocean are analyzed in this study.The results show that the distribution range,boundary and area of the EIWP exhibited obviously seasonal and interannual variations associated with the ENSO cycles.Further analysis suggests that the EIWP had obvious long-term trend in its bound edge and area,which indicated the EIWP migrated westwards by about 14 longitudes for its west edge,southwards by about 5 latitudes for its south edge and increased by 3.52×106 km2 for its area,respectively,from 1950 to 2002.The correlation and composite analyses show that the anomalous westward and northward displacements of the EIWP caused by the easterly wind anomaly and the southerly wind anomaly over the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean played an important and direct role in the formation of the IOD.

Contrast between the Climatic States of the Warm Pool in the Indian Ocean and in the Pacific Ocean

Based on the analysis of Levitus data, the climatic states of the warm pool in the Indian Ocean (WPIO) and in the Pacific Ocean (WPPO) are studied. It is found that WPIO has a relatively smaller area, a shallower bottom and a slightly lower seawater temperature than those of WPPO. The horizontal area at different depths, volumes, central positions, and bottom depths of both WPIO and WPPO show quite apparent signals of seasonal variation. The maximum amplitude of WPIO surface area’s seasonal variation is 58% larger over the annual mean value. WPIO’s maximum volume variation amplitude is 66% larger over the annual mean value. The maximum variation amplitudes of the surface area and volume of WPPO are 20. 9% and 20.6% larger over the annual mean value respectively. WPIO and WPPO show different temporal and spatial characteristics mainly due to the different wind fields and restriction of ocean basin geometry. For instance, seasonal northern displacement of WPIO is, to some extent, constrained by the basin of the Indian Ocean, while WPPO moves relatively freely in the longitudinal direction. The influence of WPIO and WPPO over the atmospheric motion must be quite different.

Variation in joint mode of the tropical Indian-Pacific Ocean thermodynamic anomaly

Previous research has defined the index of the Indian-Pacific thermodynamic anomaly joint mode (IPTAJM) and suggested that the winter IPTAJM has an important impact on summer rainfall over China. However, the possible causes for the interannual and decadal variability of the IPTAJM are still unclear. Therefore, this work investigates zonal displacements of both the western Pacific warm pool (WPWP) and the eastern Indian Ocean warm pool (EIOWP). The relationships between the WPWP and the EIOWP and the IPTAJM are each examined, and then the impacts of the zonal wind anomalies over the equatorial Pacific and Indian Oceans on the IPTAJM are studied. The WPWP eastern edge anomaly displays significant interannual and decadal variability and experienced a regime shift in about 1976 and 1998, whereas the EIOWP western edge exhibits only distinct interannual variability. The decadal variability of the IPTAJM may be mainly caused by both the zonal migration of the WPWP and the 850 hPa zonal wind anomaly over the central equatorial Pacific. On the other hand, the zonal migrations of both the WPWP and the EIOWP and the zonal wind anomalies over the central equatorial Pacific and the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean may be all responsible for the interannual variability of the IPTAJM.

Monsoon-Ocean Coupled Modes in the South China Sea and Their Linkage with the Eastern Indian Ocean-Western Pacific Warm Pool

Monsoon-ocean coupled modes in the South China Sea （SCS） were investigated by a combined singular value decomposition （CSVD） analysis based on sea surface temperature （SST） and sea surface wind stress （SWS） fields from SODA （Simple Ocean Data Assimilation） data spanning the period of 1950-1999. The coupled fields achieved the maximum correlation when the SST lagged SWS by one month, indicating that the SCS coupled system mainly reflected the response of the SST to monsoon forcing. Three significant coupled modes were found in the SCS, accounting for more than 80% of the cumulative squared covariance fraction. The first three SST spatial patterns from CSVD were： （Ⅰ） the monopole pattern along the isobaths in the SCS central basin; （Ⅱ） the north-south dipole pattern; and （Ⅲ） the west-east seesaw pattern. The expansion coefficient of the SST leading mode showed interdecadal and interannual variability and correlation with the Indo-Pacific warm pool （IPWP）, suggesting that the SCS belongs to part of the IPWP at interannual and interdecadal time scales. The second mode had a lower correlation coefficient with the warm pool index because its main period was at intra-annual time scales instead of the interannual and interdecadal scales with the warm pools. The third mode had similar periods to those of the leading mode, but lagged the eastern Indian Ocean warm pool （EIWP） and western Pacific warm pool （WPWP） by five months and one year respectively, implying that the SCS response to the warm pool variation occurred from the western Pacific to the eastern Indian Ocean, which might have been related to the variation of Indonesian throughflow. All three modes in the SCS had more significant correlations with the EIWP, which means the SCS SST varied much more coherently with the EIWP than the WPWP, suggesting that the SCS belongs mostly to part of the EIWP. The expansion coefficients of the SCS SST modes all had negative correlations with the Nino3 index, which they lag by several months, indicating a remote response of SCS SST variability to the El Nifio events.