Progress in the Study on the Formation of the Summertime Subtropical Anticyclone

The studies in China on the formation of the summertime subtropical anticyclone on the climate timescale are reviewed. New insights in resent studies are introduced. It is stressed that either in the free atmosphere or in the planetary boundary, the descending arm of the Hadley cell cannot be considered as a mechanism for the formation of the subtropical anticyclone. Then the theories of thermal adaptation of the atmosphere to external thermal forcing and the potential vorticity forcing are developed to understand the formation of the subtropical anticyclone in the three-dimensional domain. Numerical experiments are designed to verify these theories. Results show that in the boreal summer, the formation of the strong South Asian High in the upper troposphere and the subtropical anticyclone over the western Pacific in the middle and lower troposphere is, to a great extent, due to the convective latent heating associated with the Asian monsoon, but affected by orography and the surface sensible heating over the continents. On the other hand, the formation of the subtropical anticyclone at the surface over the northern Pacific and in the upper troposphere over North America is mainly due to the strong surface sensible heating over North America, but affected by radiation cooling over the eastern North Pacific. Moreover, in the real atmosphere such individual thermal forcing is well organized. By considering the different diabatic heating in synthesis, a quadruple heating pattern is found over each subtropical continent and its adjacent oceans in summer. A distinct circulation pattern accompanies this heating pattern. The global summer subtropical heating and circulation may be viewed as 'mosaics' of such quadruplet heating and circulation patterns respectively. At last, some important issues for further research in understanding and predicting the variations of the subtropical anticyclone are raised.

Seasonal Evolution of Subtropical Anticyclones in the Climate System Model FGOALS-s2

The simulation characteristics of the seasonal evolution of subtropical anticyclones in the Northern Hemisphere are documented for the Flexible Global Ocean-Atmosphere-Land System model, Spectral Version 2 （FGOALS-s2）, developed at the State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, the Institute of Atmospheric Physics. An understanding of the seasonal evolution of the subtropical anticyclones is also addressed. Compared with the global analysis established by the European Centre for Medium-Range Forecasts, the ERA-40 global reanalysis data, the general features of subtropical anticyclones and their evolution are simulated well in both winter and summer, while in spring a pronounced bias in the generation of the South Asia Anticyclone（SAA） exists. Its main deviation in geopotential height from the reanalysis is consistent with the bias of temperature in the troposphere. It is found that condensation heating （CO） plays a dominant role in the seasonal development of the SAA and the subtropical anticyclone over the western Pacific （SAWP） in the middle troposphere. The CO biases in the model account for the biases in the establishment of the SAA in spring and the weaker strength of the SAA and the SAWP from spring to summer. CO is persistently overestimated in the central-east tropical Pacific from winter to summer, while it is underestimated over the area from the South China Sea to the western Pacific from spring to summer. Such biases generate an illusive anticyclonic gyre in the upper troposphere above the middle Pacific and delay the generation of the SAA over South Asia in April. In mid- summer, the simulated SAA is located farther north than in the ERA-40 data owing to excessively strong surface sensible heating （SE） to the north of the Tibetan Plateau. Whereas, the two surface subtropical anticyclones in the eastern oceans during spring to summer are controlled mainly by the surface SE over the two continents in the Northern Hemisphere, which are simulated reasonably well, albeit with their centers shifted westwards owing to the weaker longwave radiation cooling in the simulation associated with much weaker local stratiform cloud. Further improvements in the related parameterization of physical processes are therefore identified.

Relationship among subtropical anticyclone,drought and earth rotation

The deep reason of severe disaster weather with the relationship among the earth nutation,rotation and atmospheric change is explored based on the effective results about the disaster weather prediction of the long term made by the variation of the earth rotation in near 10 years. It is discussed the relationship between the subtropical anticyclone and subtropical easterlies to aim at the problem of high temperature and drought in the globe,further more,the comparison analysis has been made to the earth nutation and the variation of rotation. The research results show that the reasons of severe disaster weather not only are due to atmosphere itself,but have some variation information of earth movement which could be used for the weather forecast.

Potential Vorticity Diagnostic Analysis on the Impact of the Easterlies Vortex on the Short-term Movement of the Subtropical Anticyclone over the Western Pacific in the Mei-yu Period

By employing NCEP−NCAR 1°×1°reanalysis datasets,the mechanism of the easterlies vortex(EV)affecting the short-term movement of the subtropical anticyclone over the western Pacific(WPSA)in the mei-yu period is examined using potential vorticity(PV)theory.The results show that when the EV and the westerlies vortex(WV)travel west/east to the same longitude of 120°E,the WPSA suddenly retreats.The EV and WV manifest as the downward transport of PV in the upper troposphere,and the variation of the corresponding high-value regions of PV significantly reflects the intensity changes of the EV and WV.The meridional propagation of PV causes the intensity change of the EV.The vertical movement on both sides of the EV is related to the position of the EV relative to the WPSA and the South Asian high(SAH).When the high PV in the easterlies and westerlies arrive at the same longitude in the meridional direction,the special circulation pattern will lower the position of PV isolines at the ridge line of the WPSA.Thus,the cyclonic circulation at the lower level will be strengthened,causing the abnormally eastward retreat of the WPSA.Analysis of the PV equation at the isentropic surface indicates that when the positive PV variation west of the EV intensifies,it connects with the positive PV variation east of the WV,forming a positive PV band and making the WPSA retreat abnormally.The horizontal advection of the PV has the greatest effect.The contribution of the vertical advection of PV and the vertical differential of heating is also positive,but the values are relatively small.The contribution of the residual was negative and it becomes smaller before and after the WPSA retreats.

A DIAGNOSTIC ANALYSIS OF THE WEAKENING OF WEST PACIFIC SUBTROPICAL ANTICYCLONE DURING THE PERIOD OF SOUTH CHINA SEA SUMMER MONSOON ONSET IN 1998

The onset of South China Sea summer monsoon in 1998 occurred on May 21st. Using the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction reanalysis data, this paper examines the physical process of the weakening of a subtropical anticyclone in West Pacific during the onset period using the Zwack-Okossi vorticity equation. Results show that during the pre-onset period, the positive vorticity advection in front of an upper tropospheric trough was the most dominant physical mechanism for the increase of the cyclonic vorticity on the 850-hPa layer over the South China Sea and its nearby region. The secondary contribution to the increase of the cyclonic vorticity was the warm-air advection. After the onset, the magnitude of the latent-heat warming term rapidly increased and its effect on the increase of the cyclonic vorticity was about the same as the positive-vorticity advection. The adiabatic term and divergence term contributed negatively to the increase of the cyclonic vorticity most of the time. Thus, the positive vorticity advection is the most important physical mechanism for the weakening of the West Pacific subtropical anticyclone over the South China Sea during the onset period.

STUDY ON THE VARIATION IN THE CONFIGURATION OF SUBTROPICAL ANTICYCLONE AND ITS MECHANISM DURING SEASONAL TRANSITION-PART Ⅰ:CLIMATOLOGICAL FEATURES OF SUBTROPICAL HIGH STRUCTURE

Climatological characteristics of subtropical anticyclone structure during seasonal transition are investigated based on NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data.The ridge-surface of subtropical anticyclone is defined by the boundary surface between westerly to the north and easterly to the south (WEB in brief).In Afro-Asian monsoon area,the subtropical high in troposphere whose ridgelines are consecutive in wintertime takes on relatively symmetrical and zonal structure,the WEB tilts southward with increasing height.In summer,the subtropical high ridgelines are discontinuous at low levels and continuous at upper levels,the WEB tilts northward from the bottom up.Under the constraint of thermal wind relation,the WEB usually tilts toward warmer zone.May is the period when subtropical high modality most significantly varies.The structure and properties of subtropical high during seasonal transition are different from area to area.A new concept 'seasonal transition axis' is proposed based on formation and variation of the vertical ridge axis of subtropical anticyclone.The subtropical high of summer pattern firstly occurs over eastern Bay of Bengal in the beginning of May.then stabilizes over eastern Bay of Bengal,Indo-China,and western South China Sea in the 3rd pentad of May,it exists over the South China Sea in the 4th- 5th pentad of May and establishes over central India in the 1st-2nd pentad of June.The three consequential stages when summer modal subtropical high occurs correspond to that of Asian summer monsoon onset,respectively.To a great extent,the summer monsoon onset over the Bay of Bengal depends on the reversal of meridional temperature gradient in vicinity of the WEB in upper troposphere.The meridional temperature gradient at middle-upper levels in troposphere can be used as a good indicator for measuring the seasonal transition and Asian monsoon onset.

Two interannual variability modes of the Northwestern Pacific Subtropical Anticyclone in boreal summer

Using the reanalysis data and 20th century simulation of coupled model FGOALS_gl developed by LASG/IAP, we identified two distinct interannual modes of Northwestern Pacific Subtropical Anticyclone （NWPAC） by performing Empirical Orthogonal Function （EOF） analysis on 850 hPa wind field over the northwestern Pacific in summer. Based on the associated anoma- lous equatorial zonal wind, these two modes are termed as ＂Equatorial Easterly related Mode＂ （EEM） and ＂Equatorial Westerly related Mode＂ （EWM）, respectively. The formation mechanisms of these two modes are similar, whereas the maintenance mechanisms, dominant periods, and the relationships with ENSO are different. The EEM is associated with E1 Nifio decaying phase, with the anomalous anticyclone established in the preceding winter and persisted into summer through local positive air-sea feedback. By enhancing equatorial upwelling of subsurface cold water, EEM favors the transition of ENSO from E1 Nifio to La Nifia. The EWM is accompanied by the E1 Nifio events with long persistence, with the anomalous anticyclone formed in spring and strengthened in summer due to the warm Sea Surface Temperature anomalies （SSTA） forcing from the equatorial central-eastern Pacific. The model well reproduces the spatial patterns of these two modes, but fails to simulate the percentage variance accounted for by the two modes. In the NCEP reanalysis （model result）, EEM （EWM） appears as the first mode, which accounts for 35.6% （68.2%） of the total variance.

Case Study on the Impact of the Vortex in the Easterlies in the Tropical Upper Troposphere on the Western Pacific Subtropical Anticyclone

By employing the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data （1000-10 hPa, 2.5°×2.5°）, the impact of the vortex in the easterlies （EV） over the tropical upper troposphere on the zonal movement of the western Pacific subtropical anticyclone （WPSA） during 19-25 June 2003 is analyzed in this paper. It is shown that the EV can extend from middle troposphere to the height of 50 hPa, reaching a maximum at 200 hPa. The vertical thermal distribution appears to be ＂warmer in the upper layer and colder in the lower layer＂. The WPSA retreats eastward abnormally when the EV and the vortex in the westerlies （WV） encounter around the same longitude while they move toward each other. It is also shown that the vorticity variation extends from the troposphere to the height of 50 hPa, with the most prominent change occurring at 200 hPa by the diagnostic analyses of the vertical vorticity equation. The WPSA appears to retreat abnormally eastward while the negative/positive vorticity change becomes stronger near the east/west side of the EV, and the areas with positive vorticity tendency both in the EV and WV join together into one belt along 130°E during the process of the EV and the WV moving toward each other. In the vorticity equation, the positive contribution caused by the horizontal advection term is the maximum, and the minimum is caused by theβ effect. It is also found that enhanced horizontal vorticity advection andβ effect, as well as the ＂barotropic development＂ resulted from the in-phase superposition of the southerly and the northerly winds in the easterlies and westerlies near 130~E, are in agreement with the WPSA eastward retreat.

Interaction Between Typhoon and Western Pacific Subtropical Anticyclone:Data Analyses and Numerical Experiments

Three kinds of typhoons with distinct tracks are sorted based on a set of typhoon data from 1958 to 1998. The results of composite analyses confirm that different typhoon tracks correspond to different patterns of the subtropical anticyclone over the western Pacific （SAWP）. When the tracks are westward, the SAWP is strong, with a zonal form, and stretches westward; when the tracks are recurving, the main body of the SAWP shifts eastward and breaks near 160~E; and when the tracks are northward, the SAWP is located far east of its normal position. Based on the above result, two different initial fields are configured, one has a zonal and strong SAWP, and the other has a meridional and weak SAWP. By using the GOALS R42L9 climate model, a temperature disturbance is added into these two different initial fields to force the formation of a typhoon. Westward and northward tracked typhoons are well simulated, thus verifying that different patterns of the SAWP have different effects on typhoon tracks. Results also show that typhoons can induce barotropic Rossby waves propagating to the mid and high latitudes. Under different background zonal flows, the wave trains triggered by the typhoons of westward and northward tracks are also different, and their effects on the mid and high latitude circulations and the SAWP are different. Compared to a n.orthward tracked typhoon, a westward tracked typhoon is able to induce positive geopotential height anomaly to its north and northwest, resulting in the SAWP strengthening and developing westward.

A DISCUSSION OF NON-LINEAR MECHANISM ON SUBTROPICAL ANTICYCLONE'S EXTENDING/SHRINKING OVER EAST-ASIA IN SUMMER

Based on the actual circulation structure as well as weather characters over East_Asia subtropical region in summer, by using three_dimension non_linear forced/dissipated dynamic model, the activities of subtropical anticyclone over East_Asia have been studied and discussed. The potential enstrophy criteria of system stability have been derived and also been analysed. The criterion can provide useful reference for analysing and predicting subtropical anticyclone's extending/shrinking as well as corresponding weather over East_Asia in summer.

THERMAL FORCING IMPACTS OF THE EASTERLY VORTEX ON THE EAST-WEST SHIFT OF THE SUBTROPICAL ANTICYCLONE OVER WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN

By employing the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data sets(1 000 to 10 hPa,2.5°× 2.5°),the thermal forcing impacts are analyzed of an easterly vortex(shortened as EV) over the tropical upper troposphere on the quasi-horizontal movement of the Western Pacific Subtropical Anticyclone(shortened as WPS A) during 22-25 June 2003.The relevant mechanisms are discussed as well.It is shown that the distribution and intensity of the non-adiabatic effect near the EV result in the anomalous eastward retreat of the WPSA.The WPSA prefers extending to the colder region,i.e.,it moves toward the region in which the non-adiabatic heating is weakening or the cooling is strengthening.During the WPSA retreat,the apparent changes of non-adiabatic heating illustrate the characteristics of enhanced cooling in the east side of the EV.Meanwhile,the cooling in the west side exhibits a weakened eastward trend,most prominently at 300 hPa in the troposphere.The evidence on the factors causing the change in thermal condition is found:the most important contribution to the heating-rate trend is the vertical transport term,followed in turn by the local change in the heating rate term and the horizontal advection term.As a result,the atmospheric non-adiabatic heating generated by the vertical transport and local change discussed above is mainly connected to the retreat of the WPSA.

Climatic Features Related to Eastern China Summer Rainfalls in the NCAR CCM3

The climatic features associated with the eastern China summer rainfalls (ECSR) are examined in the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Climate Model Version 3 (CCM3) of the United States of America, and run with time-evolving sea surface temperature (SST) from September 1978 to August 1993. The CCM3 is shown to capture the salient seasonal features of ECSR. As many other climate models, however, there are some unrealistic projections of ECSR in the CCM3. The most unacceptable one is the erroneously intensified precipitation center on the east periphery of the Tibetan Plateau and its northeastward extension. The artificial strong rainfall center is fairly assessed by comparing with the products of the station rainfall data, Xie and Arkin (1996) rainfall data and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis (Gibson et al., 1997). The physical processes involved in the formation of the rainfall center are discussed. The preliminary conclusion reveals that it is the overestimated sensible heating over and around the Tibetan Plateau in the CCM3 that causes the heavy rainfall. The unreal strong surface sensible heating over the southeast and northeast of Tibetan Plateau favors the forming of a powerful subtropical anticyclone over the eastern China. The fake enclosed subtropical anticyclone center makes the moist southwest wind fasten on the east periphery of the Tibetan Plateau and extend to its northeast. In the southeast coast of China, locating on the southeast side of the subtropical anticyclone, the southwest monsoon is decreased and even replaced by northeast wind in some cases. In the CCM3, therefore, the precipitation is exaggerated on the east periphery of the Tibetan Plateau and its northeast extension and is underestimated in the southeast coast of China. Key words Eastern China summer rainfall - Model validation - Subtropical anticyclone - Diabatic heating This study was sponsored by Chinese Academy of Sciences under grant “ Hundred Talents” for “ Validation of Coupled Climate models” and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.49823002), and IAP innovation fund (No. 8-1204).

Precipitation Structures of a Thermal Convective System Happened in the Central Western Subtropical Pacific Anticyclone

In this paper, characteristics of precipitating clouds in a thermal convective system （TCS） occurred in the southeastern mainland of China at 15：00 BT （Beijing time） on August 2, 2003 in the central western subtropical Pacific anticyclone （WSPA） is studied by using TRMM tropical rainfallmeasuring mission PR （precipitution radar） and IR Infrared radiation measurements. The precipitating cloud structures in both horizontal and vertical, relationship among storm top, cloud top, and surface rain rate are particularly analyzed. Results show that a strong ascending air at 500 hPa and a strong convergence of moisture flux at 850 hPa in the central WSPA supply necessary conditions both in dynamics and moisture for the happening of the TCS precipitation. The TRMM PR observation shows that the horizontal scale of the most TCS precipitating clouds is about 30-40 kin, their averaged vertical scale is above 10 kin, and the maximum reaches 17.5 kin. The maximum rain rate near surface of those TCS clouds is beyond 50 mm h^-1. The mean rain profile of the TCS clouds shows that its maximum rain rate at 5 km altitude is i km lower than the estimated freezing level of the environment. Compared with the mesoscale convective system （MCS） of ＂98.7.20＂, both systems have the same altitude of the maximum rain rate displayed from both mean rain profiles, but the TCS is much deeper than the MCS. From the altitude of the maximum rain rate to near surface, profiles show that rain rate reducing in the TCS is faster than that in the MCS, which implies a strong droplet evaporation process occurring in the TCS. Relationship among cloud top, storm top, and surface rain rate analysis indicates a large variation of cloud top when storm top is lower. On the contrary, the higher the storm top, the more consistent both cloud top and storm top. And, the larger the surface rain rate, the higher and more consistent for both cloud top and storm top. At the end, results expose that area fractions of non-precipitating clouds and clear sky are 86% and 2%, respectively. The area fraction of precipitating clouds is only about 1/8 that of non-precipitating clouds.

STRUCTURAL AND EVOLUTION CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EASTERLY VORTEX OVER THE TROPICAL REGION

By employing the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data sets (1000-10hPa, 2.5°× 2.5°), the characteristics have been analyzed of the structure and evolution of an easterly vortex over the tropical upper troposphere relating to the east-west direction shift of the subtropical anticyclone over the Western Pacific Ocean. It is shown that there exists a westward shift simultaneously between the anticyclone and the vortex locating south of it. The anticyclone retreats eastward abnormally while the easterly encounters with the westerly around the same longitudes as they move from the opposite directions. The former is an upper weather system, extending from mid-troposphere to the height of 50 hPa with the center locating on 200 hPa. The vertical thermal distribution illustrates the characteristics of being"warm in the upper layer but cold in the lower layer". The divergence effect and the vertical motion change largely within the east and west sides of the easterly vortex and ascending branch transforms to descending branch near its center.

Interdecadal Variations of ENSO Impacts over the Indo-Northwest Pacific Region and the Related Mechanisms

Owing to limited observations,it remains unknown whether the impact of El Niño-Southern Oscillation(ENSO)on the Indian Ocean-Northwest Pacific(IO-NWP)climate showed decadal changes in the early 20th century.Using multi-source reanalysis and hindcast datasets from the ECMWF and NOAA extending back to 1901,this study investigates interdecadal variations of the impact of ENSO on the IO-NWP climate from 1901 to 2009.It is found that the influence of ENSO on the IO-NWP climate shows“strong-weak-strong”interdecadal change during 1901-2009.This is characterized by much weaker Indian Ocean sea surface temperature(SST)warming and a weaker NWP subtropical anticyclone(NWPSA)in the following summer of El Ni?o during 1946-1967,compared with those in the other two periods(1901-1945 and 1968-2009).Analyses of the datasets indicate that the interdecadal variation is mainly associated with the change in ENSO amplitude.In contrast to the period of 1946-1967,a greater SST variance occurred in the central-eastern equatorial Pacific during 1901-1945 and 1968-2009.A stronger El Ni?o tends to generate more significant anticyclonic anomalies over the southeast Indian Ocean through teleconnection.The northwesterly anomalies to the south of the anticyclone weaken the southeast trade winds and warm the south Indian Ocean SST via wind-evaporation-SST feedback,and the positive south Indian Ocean SST anomalies trigger westward-propagating oceanic Rossby waves to induce stronger warming of the southwest Indian Ocean,leading to a significant asymmetric wind pattern across the equator in spring.The profound northeastward winds on the north side weaken the southwest monsoon,leading to a“second warming”over the north Indian Ocean in summer,which anchors the eastward-propagating warm Kelvin waves and results in a stronger NWPSA by inducing surface divergence and suppressing deep convection.