Through observational analyses,an inter-hemispheric teleconnection is identified between the subtropical region of the South China Sea to the western Pacific near the Philippines(WP)and the region to the east of Australia(AE).The teleconnection is significantly correlated with sea surface temperature anomalies(SSTAs)in key sea areas(including the Indian Ocean,the South China Sea,and the area to the east of Australia).Based on the IAP T42L9 model,numerical experiments are performed to explore a possible mechanism for the formation of the teleconnection.The results show that the positive SST anomalies in the key sea areas may jointly contribute to the occurrence and maintenance of the positive geopotential height anomalies over both the WP and AE and be a critical factor in the teleconnection formation.The large-scale SST anomaly in the Indian Ocean,involving the tropics and subtropics of both hemispheres,may lead to concurrent atmospheric responses over both the WP and AE,while the effect of the local SST anomaly to the east of Australia seems to reinforce and maintain the positive height anomaly over the AE.
This paper analyzes interannual variations of the blocking high over the Ural Mountains in the boreal winter and their association with the Arctic Oscillation/North Atlantic Oscillation(AO/NAO).In January,the relationship between the Ural blocking high(UR) and the AO index is statistically significant.The UR tends to occur more frequently and with greater strength during negative AO periods.Some strong URs also occur during positive AO phases(positive UR-AO events),as in January 2008.This paper discusses the characteristics of atmospheric circulation in the cases of positive UR-AO events and contrast cases(negative UR-AO events).The eastward extending of the Icelandic Low(IL) center and the associated NAO dipole anomaly pattern in the upstream region may play a more important role for the UR-AO events.When the center of the IL shifts eastward to 30 W,the amplitude of zonal wavenumber 2(wavenumber 3) is intensified in the positive(negative) UR-AO events,which favors positive(negative) height anomalies over the Urals.Further analyses indicate that the intensified zonal wind in high latitudes and weakened zonal wind in midlatitudes over the North Atlantic Ocean render the eastward shift of the IL and the NAO dipole anomaly pattern.The Ural blocking in January 2008 bears similar characteristics to the positive UR-AO events.
In this study, the interannual and interdecadal relationship between midsummer Yangtze River-Huaihe River valley (YHRV) rainfall and the position of the East Asia westerly jet (EAWJ) were investigated. The midsummer YHRV rainfall was found to significantly increase after the 1980s. Moreover, the location of the EAWJ was found abnormally south of the climatic mean during 1980–2008 (ID2) compared to 1951–1979 (ID1). During ID2, associated with the southward movement of the EAWJ, an anomalous upper-level conver-gence occurred over middle-high latitudes (35°–55° N) and divergence occurred over lower latitudes (～30°N) of East Asia. Correspondingly, anomalous descending and ascending motion was observed in middle-high and lower latitudes along 90°–130° E, respectively, favoring more precipitation over YHRV. On an interan-nual time scale, the EAWJ and YHRV rainfall exhibited similar relationships during the two periods. When the EAWJ was centered abnormally southward, rainfall over YHRV tended to increase. However, EAWJ-related circulations were significantly different during the two periods. During ID1, the circulation of the southward-moving EAWJ exhibited alternating positive–negative–positive distributions from low to middle– high latitudes along the East Asian coast; the most significant anomaly appeared west of the Okhotsk Sea. However, during ID2 the EAWJ was more closely correlated with the tropical and subtropical circulations. Significant differences between ID1 and ID2 were also recorded sea surface temperatures (SSTs). During ID1, the EAWJ was influenced by the extratropical SST over the northern Pacific; however, the EAWJ was more significantly affected by the SST of the tropical western Pacific during ID2.
In this study, the seasonal transition of precipitation over the middle and lower reaches of the Yang-tze River Valley (YRV) from late spring to early summer is investigated. The results show that the seasonal transition of precipitation exhibits multi-modes. One of these modes is characterized by an abrupt transition from drought to flood (ATDF) over the middle and lower reaches of the YRV in the seasonal transition of precipitation. It is shown that the ATDF event from May to June 2011 is simply one prominent case of the ATDF mode. The ATDF mode exhibits an obvious decadal variability. The mode has occurred more frequently since 1979, and its amplitude has apparently strengthened since 1994. From the climatic view, the ATDF mode configures a typical seasonal circulation transition from winter to summer, for which the winter circulations are prolonged, and the summer circulations with the rainy season are built up early over the YRV.
ZONG Hai-FengBUEH CholawCHEN Lie-TingJI Li-RenWEI Jie
