Intensity of the Trough over the Bay of Bengal and Its Impact on the Southern China Precipitation in Winter

In this study, the intensity of the trough over the Bay of Bengal (BBT) and its association with the southern China precipitation, the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) and the Rossby wave propagation along the African-Asian subtropical Jet stream (AASJ) are investigated on the intraseasonal time scale. The results show that the intensity of the BBT affects the southern China precipitation more directly and to a greater degree than the MJO. The peak amplitude of the BBT tended to occur in phase-3 of the MJO. The strong BBT was substantially modulated by the Rossby wave propagation along the AASJ, which was triggered by the anomalous upstream circulation similar to the pattern of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Therefore, from the perspective of medium- and extended-range weather forecasts, the NAO- like pattern may be regarded as a precursory signal for the strong BBT and thus the southern China precipitation.

Spatial and temporal distribution of storms and their activities over the Bay of Bengal

By statistically analyzing the storm data from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center(JTWC) over the Bengal Bay during the period 1945-2006,it is found that the yearly averaged tropical cyclone(TC) number over the Bay of Bengal is 8.12,which takes place in any month of the whole year;February and March have the fewest TC numbers.The TC numbers begin to increase starting in April and arrive at a peak in October.Differing from TC over the Bay of Bengal,the tropical storms(TS) over the Bay of Bengal has two peak periods,appear in May and in October or November,respectively.With regard to TS intensity,the super severe storm of H4 criterion appeared only one time during the period 1971-1986,but appeared eight times during the period 1987-2006.The monthly change of the original position,the averaged maintaining time,and the longest maintaining time of TS also have two peak values:They appear in April or May and in October or November,respectively.The peak value of the original position in October or November is bigger than that in April or May.The peak value of the average maintaining time and the longest main-taining time of the TS in April or May is bigger than that in October or November.TC landfall path is mostly moving toward northwest or west and accounts for 56.7 percent.The landfall path of the TS differs from that of TC in some respects.The main difference is that the numbers of the northwestern path and un-landfall of TS are less than those for TC,and the numbers of the western path and northeastern path of TS are greater than for TC.Because of the landfall TS in the north-east path has a peak,it and the beginning of the rainy season in Yunnan Province are closely related;it is on Yunnan Province's early summer precipita-tion that they have a great impact.

Structural Features and Proto-Type Basin Reconstructions of the Bay of Bengal Basin:A Remnant Ocean Basin Model

Remnant ocean basin is a key to understand the plate suturing and subsequent uplift and erosion of orogen. The Bay of Bengal Basin （BOBB） provides a typical example to analyze the remnant ocean basin structures, evolution, and relationships between depositional filling and uplifting of the Himalayan Orogen. Thirty-nine seismic profiles as well as interval velocities of well BODC3 were used to compile isopach maps of the basin. Among the seismic data, 26 seismic profiles were applied to estab- lish 8 cross sections. The cross sections suggest the basin is asymmetric, bounded to the west by the eastern continental margin of India （ECMI） with graben-horst and to the east by the Sunda conver- gence margin dominated by trench-arc system. The BOBB is characterized by a prominent down flex- ure structures caused by huge amount of Bengal fan turbidite sediments accumulation. Our isopach maps and chronology data collected from adjacent regions reveal the initial development and fast southward growth of the Bengal fan were related to the early and major stage uplift and erosion of the Himalayan Orogen, respectively. The BOBB has experienced a critical transition from an ocean basin to a remnant ocean basin at Late Oligocene. Such basin structures and evolution features indicate the BOBB provides whole records of oblique convergence of the India and Asia plates, and the early and major stage evolution of the Himalayan Orogen.

Extensive Cold-Precipitation-Freezing Events in Southern China and Their Circulation Characteristics

Concurrence of low temperature,precipitation and freezing weather in an extensive area would cause devastating impacts on local economy and society.We call such a combination of concurrent disastrous weather“extensive coldprecipitation-freezing”events(ECPFEs).In this study,the ECPFEs in southern China(15°−35°N,102°−123°E)are objectively defined by using daily surface observational data for the period 1951−2013.An ECPFE in southern China is defined if the low temperature area,precipitation area and freezing area concurrently exceed their respective thresholds for at least three consecutive days.The identified ECPFEs are shown to be reasonable and reliable,compared with those in previous studies.The circulation anomalies in ECPFEs are characterized by a large-scale tilted ridge and trough pairing over mid-and high-latitude Eurasia,and the intensified subtropical westerlies along the southern foot of the Tibetan Plateau and the anomalous anticyclonic circulation over the subtropical western Pacific.Comparative analysis reveals that the stable cold air from the north and the warm and moist air from the south converge,facilitating a favorable environment for the concurrence of extensive low-temperature,precipitation and freezing weather.

CLIMATIC FEATURES OF SCS SUMMER MONSOON ONSET AND ITS POSSIBLE MECHANISM

The high quality dataset from the SCS (South China Sea) Monsoon Experiment and 40-year NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data are used to investigate the large-scale features and abrupt change in meteorological elements during the onset of the SCS summer monsoon.It is found that the SCS summer monsoon establishment is characterized by the South Asian high migrating swiftly from the eastern side of Philippines to the northern part of Indo-China Peninsula and the enhancement of the Bay of Bengal trough and equatorial westerly over the Indian Ocean associated with the equatorial westerly expanding towards northeastward,and followed by the mid-low latitude interaction and continuous retreat eastward of the western Pacific subtropical high.Further study shows that the meridional temperature difference and the zonal wind vertical shear over the Asian lower latitudes also experience abrupt change during the onset of the SCS summer monsoon. Numerical experiments reveal that the Indian Peninsula acts as a critical role for the enhancement of the Bay of Bengal trough with a cyclonic difference circulation excited to the east side of the peninsula through ground sensible heating in such a way that the SCS summer monsoon occurs prior to the Indian summer monsoon.