冬季东亚副热带急流和温带急流协同变化与我国冷空气活动的关系

利用NCEP/NCAR再分析资料和地面台站气温观测资料,分析了冬季东亚副热带急流(EASJ)和东亚温带急流(EAPJ)强度变化特征及其与我国境内冷空气活动的关系。以(45°N^60°N,70°E^110°E)和(27.5°N^37.5°N,130°E^160°E)区域平均的300 hPa全风速分别表征冬季EAPJ和EASJ的强度,将两支急流的强度变化分为四种情况:EAPJ和EASJ同强(SS)、同弱(WW)、以及强弱(SW)、弱强(WS)。分析四种急流强度变化情形下中国境内冷空气活动强度、路径、持续时间以及源地的不同特征,发现当EAPJ和EASJ均强时,冷空气从内蒙古中东部入侵,主要影响华北、东北和东部沿海地区,强度较弱,持续时间短,冷空气源地位于新地岛以东的洋面及陆地上;当EAPJ和EASJ均弱时,冷空气从新疆北部入侵,影响我国大部分地区,强度强,持续时间长,冷空气源地位于巴尔喀什湖西部;当EAPJ强,EASJ弱时,冷空气从我国东北入侵,主要影响我国东北部,中国南部降温不明显,冷空气强度较强,持续时间短,冷空气源地位于中、西西伯利亚地带;当EAPJ弱,EASJ强时,冷空气从内蒙古中部入侵,进而影响华北和我国东部地区,但冷空气强度较弱,冷空气源地位于贝加尔湖的西侧。进一步分析急流强度四种变化情形下的环流特征发现,EAPJ、EASJ均弱时,西伯利亚高压偏强,阿留申低压偏弱,东亚大槽偏深,中国东部的偏北风强,而EAPJ弱、EASJ强时,尽管西伯利亚高压和阿留申低压偏强,东亚大槽偏深,但中国东部的偏北风并不是很强,而另两种情况时,西伯利亚高压较弱,东亚大槽也较弱,中国东部的偏北风偏弱。

东亚副热带西风急流位置变化与亚洲夏季风爆发的关系

利用1961～2000年的NCEP/NCAR候平均再分析资料,初步探讨了季节转换期间东亚副热带西风急流南北和东西向位置变化与亚洲季风爆发之间的联系。结果表明,亚洲夏季风爆发伴随着东亚副热带西风急流轴线的北跳和急流中心西移,急流轴北跳至35°N以北的青藏高原上空,南支西风急流消失,亚洲季风环流形势建立。南海季风爆发早年,低纬的东风向北推进的时间早,到达的纬度偏北,中纬的西风急流强度偏弱,季风爆发晚年则相反。同时,南海夏季风爆发早年,青藏高原上空急流核出现较早,西太平洋上空急流核减弱较快,急流中心"西移"较早。而在南海夏季风爆发晚年,西太平洋上空的急流核减弱较迟,青藏高原上空急流核形成偏晚,急流中心"西移"较迟。此外,急流中心东西向位置和强度变化与江淮流域梅雨的开始和结束也有密切关系。

Spatiotemporal characteristics of the sea level anomaly in the Kuroshio Extension using a self-organizing map

Satellite altimeter SSH data in the Kuroshio Extension （KE） region gathered during the period January 1993 to December 2014 are analyzed using self-organizing map （SOM） analysis. Four spatial patterns （SOM1, SOM2, SOM3, and SOM4） are extracted, and the corresponding time series are used to characterize the variation of the sea level anomaly. Except in some individual months, SOM1 and SOM2 with single-branch jet structures appear alternately during the periods 1993-1998 and 2002-2011. However, during 1999-2001 and 2012-2014, SOM3 and SOM4 with double-branch jet structures are dominant.The sea level anomalies exhibit interannual variations, while the KE stream demonstrates decadal variation. For SOM1, the change in the KE path is less evident, although the KE jet is strong and narrow. For SOM2, the KE jet is weakened and widened and its jet axis moves towards the southwest. Compared with the SOM3, for SOM4 the trough and ridge in the upstream KE region are deeper in the northeast-southwest direction, and accompanied by a jet weakening and splitting.This study shows that SOM analysis is a useful approach for characterizing KE variability.

Projection of the East Asian westerly jet under six global warming targets

This study investigates the projected changes in the East Asian westerly jet(EAJ)under six global warming targets(1.5℃,2.0℃,2.5℃,3.0℃,3.5℃,and 4.0℃)relative to the present climate,using the outputs of CMIP5 models.The results show that the westerly tends to weaken slightly under the 1.5℃warming target.Under the 2.0℃target,it is projected to intensify south of the EAJ’s axis(approximately 40°N)and decay north of the axis.This change becomes increasingly evident under the 2.5℃and higher warming targets,which suggests that the EAJ’s axis will move farther and farther southward,but its intensity will change little with increasing global warming.Further analyses suggest that the change in the EAJ is closely related to the inhomogeneous rising rate of air temperature in the mid–upper troposphere.The relatively slow-rising air temperature in the mid–upper troposphere over the EAJ’s entrance and exit regions will lead to a negative(positive)meridional temperature gradient to the south(north),and will then accelerate(decelerate)the westerly on the EAJ’s south/north side.

A tripole winter precipitation change pattern around the Tibetan Plateau in the late 1990s

Classical monsoon dynamics considers the winter/spring snow amount on the Tibetan Plateau(TP)as a major factor driving the East Asian summer monsoon(EASM)for its direct influence on the land-sea thermal contrast.Actually,the TP snow increased and decreased after the late 1970s and 1990s,respectively,accompanying the two major interdecadal changes in the EASM.Although studies have explored the possible mechanisms of the EASM interdecadal variations,and change in TP snow is considered as one of the major drivers,few studies have illustrated the underlying mechanisms of the interdecadal changes in the winter TP snow.This study reveals a tripole pattern of change,with decreased winter precipitation over the TP and an increase to its north and south after the late 1990s.Further analyses through numerical experiments demonstrate that the tropical Pacific SST changes in the late 1990s can robustly affect the winter TP precipitation through regulating the Walker and regional Hadley circulation.The cooling over the tropical central-eastern Pacific can enhance the Walker circulation cell over the Pacific and induce ascending motion anomalies over the Indo-Pacific region.These anomalies further drive descending motion anomalies over the TP and ascending motion anomalies to the north through regulating the regional Hadley circulation.Therefore,the positive-negative-positive winter precipitation anomalies around the TP are formed.This study improves the previously poor understanding of TP climate variation at interdecadal timescales.

Simulation of the East Asian Subtropical Westerly Jet Stream with GFDL AGCM (AM2.1)

The present study validated the capability of the AM2.1,a model developed at NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL),in reproducing the fundamental features of the East Asian Subtropical Westerly Jet Stream (EASWJ).The main behaviors of the EASWJ are also investigated through the reanalysis of observational NCEP/NCAR data.The mean state of the EASWJ,including its intensity,location,structure,and seasonal evolution is generally well-portrayed in the model.Compared with the observation,the model tends to reproduce a weaker jet center.And,during summer,the simulated jet center is northward-situated.Results also demonstrate the model captures the variability of EASWJ during summer well.The results of the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) applied on the zonal wind at 200 hPa (U200) over East Asia for both the observation and simulation indicate an inter-decadal shift around the late 1970s.The correlation coefficient between the corresponding principle components is as great as 0.42 with significance at the 99% confidence level.

MULTI-TIMESCALE VARIATIONS OF SOMALI JET AND ITS RELATION WITH PRECIPITATION IN CHINA

Based on the ERA reanalysis winds data, the multi-time scale variations of Somali jet are analyzed synthetically. The jet's influences on rainfall in China on interannual, interdecadal and sub-monthly scales are also studied using correlation and composite analyses. The results demonstrate that the interdecadal variations of the jet are significant.The Somali jet became weaker in the 1960 s and became the weakest in the early 1970 s before enhancing slowly in the late 1970 s. Moreover, the relation between the Somali jet and summer precipitation in China is close, but varies on different timescales. Preliminary analysis shows that the intensity variations in May and June during the early days of establishment are well correlated with summer precipitation in China. The Somali jet intensity on the interdecadal scale is closely related with interdecadal variations of the precipitation in China. Regardless of leading or contemporaneous correlation, the correlations between the Somali jet intensity and the rainfall in northern and southern China show obvious interdecadal variations. Moreover, the link between the anomalies of the jet intensity in May-August and precipitation evolution on synoptic scale in China is further studied. China has more rainfall with positive anomalies of the Somali jet but less rainfall with negative anomalies during the active period of the jet. The influence of positive Somali jet anomalies on China precipitation is more evident.