Flying the Flag

2021 ◽  
pp. 244-265
Author(s):  
Steven Casey
Keyword(s):  
Large Reward ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Front Page ◽  
Central Pacific

With MacArthur’s return to the Philippines grabbing the headlines, the navy made renewed efforts to publicize its battles in the central Pacific. Photojournalists were the biggest beneficiaries, with access to a new laboratory on Guam and fewer censorship rules. During the bloody battle on Iwo Jima, these improvements reaped a large reward, with the prompt publication of Joe Rosenthal’s famous picture of the flag raising on the top of Mount Suribachi. During the next campaign, on Okinawa, the correspondents struggled to achieve the same impact. Ernie Pyle, the most prominent of them, fell to an enemy bullet, while the survivors initially had to compete for front-page space with the end of the war in Europe.

scholarly journals Using Microwave Satellite Data to Assess Changes in Storminess over the Pacific Ocean

2015 ◽  
Vol 143 (8) ◽  
pp. 3214-3229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael C. Kruk ◽  
Kyle Hilburn ◽  
John J. Marra
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Pacific Ocean ◽  
Rain Rate ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Tropical Pacific ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Pacific Ocean ◽  
Increasing Trends

Abstract This study analyzes 25 years of Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) retrievals of rain rate and wind speed to assess changes in storminess over the open water of the Pacific Ocean. Changes in storminess are characterized by combining trends in both the statistically derived 95th percentile exceedance frequencies of rain rate and wind speed (i.e., extremes). Storminess is computed annually and seasonally, with further partitioning done by phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) index and the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) index. Overall, rain-rate exceedance frequencies of 6–8 mm h−1 cover most of the western and central tropical Pacific, with higher values present around the Philippines, Japan, Mexico, and the northwest coast of Australia. Wind speed exceedance frequencies are a strong function of latitude, with values less (greater) than 12 m s−1 equatorward (poleward) of 30°N/S. Statistically significant increasing trends in rain rate were found in the western tropical Pacific near the Caroline Islands and the Solomon Islands, and in the extratropics from the Aleutian Islands down the coast along British Columbia and Washington State. Statistically significant increasing trends in wind speed are present in the equatorial central Pacific near Kiribati and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and in the extratropics along the west coast of the United States and Canada. Thus, while extreme rain and winds are both increasing across large areas of the Pacific, these areas are modulated according to the phase of ENSO and the PDO, and their intersection takes aim at specific locations.

scholarly journals Cluster Analysis of Tropical Cyclone Tracks over the Western North Pacific Using a Self-Organizing Map

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (10) ◽  
pp. 3731-3751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han-Kyoung Kim ◽  
Kyong-Hwan Seo
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Cyclone ◽  
North Pacific ◽  
Western North Pacific ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Self Organizing Map ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
Philippine Sea ◽  
Genesis Frequency ◽  
Sst Anomalies ◽  
Self Organizing

Abstract Tropical cyclone (TC) tracks over the western North Pacific (WNP) in 1979–2013 are classified by a self-organizing map technique. A false detection rate method identifies five optimal TC clusters. Physical mechanisms of the intraseasonal and interannual variations in the TC genesis frequency are investigated for each cluster. The five clusters are separated by genesis location, from the westernmost area (east of the Philippines, C1) to the easternmost (~150°E, C5) onset area over the WNP. The intraseasonal Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) significantly affects the genesis frequency for all clusters except for C5. In particular, MJO phases 5 and 6 (1 and 2) provide significantly favorable (unfavorable) large-scale conditions for TC genesis. Two types of El Niño–Southern Oscillation influence the interannual variation of the genesis frequency for only C2 (generated over the western Philippine Sea and East China Sea) and C4 (formed near the eastern Philippine Sea). Enhanced eastern Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies lead to a ~40% decrease in the C2 TC frequency through a reversed Walker circulation with downward motion over the WNP. Conversely, increased central Pacific SST anomalies generate a cyclonic Rossby wave northwest of the forcing, inducing a significant increase (~50%) in the C4 TC frequency. The interannual variability for the C5 TCs is strongly controlled by the variation of the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH). A positive WPSH variation reduces the C5 TC genesis frequency by 66%, while negative WPSH anomalies enhance the frequency by 50%. A prediction scheme using information from the first four 6-h TC locations demonstrates a skillful determination of TC clusters.

scholarly journals Westerly Wind Bursts and Their Relationship with Intraseasonal Variations and ENSO. Part II: Energetics over the Western and Central Pacific

2007 ◽  
Vol 135 (10) ◽  
pp. 3346-3361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayako Seiki ◽  
Yukari N. Takayabu
Keyword(s):  
El Niño ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Westerly Wind ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Wind Bursts ◽  
Westerly Wind Bursts

Abstract The mechanism of synoptic-scale eddy development in the generation of westerly wind bursts (WWBs) over the western–central Pacific, and their relationship with the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO), were examined. In the WWB occurrences, barotropic structures of equatorial eddy westerlies with cyclonic disturbances were found from the surface to the upper troposphere. The dominant contributions to substantial eddy kinetic energy (EKE) were the barotropic energy conversion (KmKe) in the lower and middle tropospheres and the conversion from eddy available potential energy (PeKe) in the upper troposphere. Low-frequency environmental westerlies centered near the equator preceded strong zonal convergence and meridional shear, resulting in the substantial KmKe. The activation of synoptic convection also contributed to an increase in EKE through PeKe. These energies were redistributed to the lower-equatorial troposphere through energy flux convergence (GKe). These results showed that environmental fields contribute to the EKE increase near the equator and are important factors in WWB occurrences. Next, eddy growth was compared under different phases of MJO and ENSO. The MJO westerly phases of strong MJO events were classified into two groups, in terms of ENSO phases. Higher EKE values were found over the equatorial central Pacific in the WWB–ENSO correlated (pre–El Niño) periods. The energetics during these periods comported with those of the WWB generations. In the uncorrelated periods, the enhancement of eddy disturbances occurred far from the equator near the Philippines, where the activities of the easterly wave disturbances are well known. It is noteworthy that the enhanced region of the disturbances in the pre–El Niño periods coincided with the vicinity of large-scale MJO convection. It is suggested that coincidence corresponds with an enhancement of the internal disturbances embedded in the MJO, which is found only when the environmental conditions are favorable in association with ENSO.

scholarly journals A root for massive crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks in the Pacific Ocean

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Yasuda ◽  
June Inoue ◽  
Michael R. Hall ◽  
Manoj R. Nair ◽  
Mehdi Adjeroud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Ocean ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
French Polynesia ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Marshall Islands ◽  
Western Pacific ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Pacific Ocean ◽  
The Western Pacific

AbstractRecurring outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) severely damage healthy corals in the Western Pacific Ocean. To determine the source of outbreaking COTS larvae and their dispersal routes across the Western Pacific, complete mitochondrial genomes were sequenced from 243 individuals collected in 11 reef regions. Our results indicate that Pacific COTS comprise two major clades, an East-Central Pacific clade (ECP-C) and a Pan-Pacific clade (PP-C). The ECP-C consists of COTS from French Polynesia (FP), Fiji, Vanuatu and the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), and does not appear prone to outbreaks. In contrast, the PP-C, which repeatedly spawns outbreaks, is a large clade comprising COTS from FP, Fiji, Vanuatu, GBR, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands. Given the nature of Pacific Ocean currents, the vast area encompassing FP, Fiji, Vanuatu, and the GBR likely supplies larvae for repeated outbreaks, exacerbated by anthropogenic environmental changes, such as eutrophication.

scholarly journals Different Pacific Ocean Warming Decaying Types and Northwest Pacific Tropical Cyclone Activity

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (22) ◽  
pp. 8979-8994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yao Ha ◽  
Zhong Zhong ◽  
Xiuqun Yang ◽  
Yuan Sun
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Cyclone ◽  
East Asian ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
La Niña ◽  
Eastern Pacific ◽  
Northwest Pacific ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
East Indian ◽  
La Nina ◽  
Central Pacific Warming

Abstract This study focuses on statistical analysis of anomalous tropical cyclone (TC) activities and the physical mechanisms behind these anomalies. Different patterns of decaying of the warm sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) over the equatorial central-eastern Pacific are categorized into three types: eastern Pacific warming decaying to La Niña (EPWDL), eastern Pacific warming decaying to a neutral phase (EPWDN), and a central Pacific warming decaying year (CPWD). Differences in TC activity over the western North Pacific (WNP) corresponding to the above three types are discussed, and possible mechanisms are proposed. For EPWDL, TC genesis shows a significant positive (negative) anomaly over the northwestern (southeastern) WNP and more TCs move westward and make landfall over the southern East Asian coast. This is attributed primarily to the combined modulation of La Niña and the warm equatorial east Indian Ocean SSTA. For EPWDN, enhanced TC genesis is observed over the northeastern WNP, and suppressed TC activity is located mainly in the zonal region extending from the Philippine Sea to the eastern WNP, close to 160°E. Most of the TCs formed over the eastern WNP experience early recurvature east of 140°E, then move northeastward; hence, fewer TCs move northwestward to make landfall over the East Asian coast. For CPWD, the enhanced TC activity appears over the western WNP. This is due to the weak anomalous cyclonic circulation over the Philippines, primarily caused by the weaker, more westward-shifting warm SSTA compared to that in the previous warming year over the central Pacific.

scholarly journals How Robust is the Asian Precipitation–ENSO Relationship during the Industrial Warming Period (1901–2017)?

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (7) ◽  
pp. 2779-2792 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Wang ◽  
Xiao Luo ◽  
Jian Liu
Keyword(s):  
El Niño ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Secular Change ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
Tropical Asia ◽  
Enso Events

AbstractInstrumental observations (1901–2017) are used to uncover the seasonality, regionality, spatial–temporal coherency, and secular change of the relationship between El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Asian precipitation (AP). We find an abrupt seasonal reversal of the AP–ENSO relationship occurring from October to November in a large area of Asia north of 20°N due to a rapid northward shift of the ENSO-induced subsidence from Indonesia to the Philippines. We identified six subregions that have significant correlations with ENSO over the past 116 years with |r| > 0.5 (p < 0.001). Regardless of the prominent subregional differences, the total amount of AP during a monsoon year (from May to the next April) shows a robust response to ENSO with r = −0.86 (1901–2017), implying a 4.5% decrease in the total Asian precipitation for 1° of SST increase in the equatorial central Pacific. Rainfall in tropical Asia (Maritime Continent, Southeast Asia, and India) shows a stable relationship with ENSO with significant 31-yr running correlation coefficients (CCs). However, precipitation in North China, the East Asian winter monsoon front zone, and arid central Asia exhibit unstable relationships with ENSO. Since the 1950s, the AP–ENSO relationships have been enhanced in all subregions except over India. A major factor that determines the increasing trends of the AP–ENSO relationship is the increasing ENSO amplitude. Notably, the AP response is asymmetric with respect to El Niño and La Niña and markedly different between the major and minor ENSO events. The results provide guidance for seasonal prediction and a metric for assessment of climate models’ capability to reproduce the Asian hydroclimate response to ENSO and projected future change.

scholarly journals Different Evolutions of the Philippine Sea Anticyclone between the Eastern and Central Pacific El Niño: Possible Effects of Indian Ocean SST

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (22) ◽  
pp. 7867-7883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Yuan ◽  
Song Yang ◽  
Zuqiang Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Northern Indian Ocean ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Cp El Niño ◽  
Anomalous Anticyclone ◽  
Ep El Niño

Abstract The authors examine different evolution features of the low-level anticyclone over the tropical northwestern Pacific between eastern Pacific (EP) El Niño events and central Pacific (CP) El Niño events. During EP El Niño, the low-level anticyclone shows an eastward movement from the northern Indian Ocean to the east of the Philippines. During CP El Niño, however, the anticyclone is mostly confined to the west of the Philippines. It is weaker, exhibits a shorter lifetime, and lacks eastward movement compared to the Philippine Sea anticyclone (PSAC) during EP El Niño. Investigation into the possible impact of Indian Ocean (IO) sea surface temperature (SST) on the evolution of the low-level anticyclone during EP and CP El Niño indicates that both SST and low-level atmospheric circulation over the IO are related more strongly with EP El Niño than with CP El Niño. The IO SST tends to exert a more prominent influence on PSAC during EP El Niño than during CP El Niño. During the developing summer and autumn of EP El Niño, the anomalous anticyclone over the northern Indian Ocean excited by positive IO dipole may contribute to an early development of the PSAC. During the winter and decaying spring, the anomalous anticyclone to the east of the Philippines instigated by the IO basin-wide warming mode also favors a larger persistence of the PSAC. During CP El Niño, however, IO SST shows a negligible impact on the evolution of the anticyclone.

scholarly journals Forecasting tropical ENSO-induced drought conditions using sea surface height in the Western Pacific

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Primo David ◽  
Manuel Justin Custado ◽  
Natasha Sekhon ◽  
Daniel Ibarra
Keyword(s):  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Sea Surface Height ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Western Pacific ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
Predictive Tool ◽  
Drought Conditions ◽  
The Western Pacific

Abstract The interannual variability of rainfall caused by the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) results in significant changes in hydrologic conditions that affect entire countries’ water supply. Forecasting ENSO and its impacts are mainly based on Central Pacific Sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies which satisfactorily correlates with timing and, to a lesser extent, the intensity of drought conditions in the Philippines and the rest of the Western Pacific during the El Niño phase. Changes in sea surface height (SSH) are also brought upon by ENSO through density changes with temperature and oceanographic processes. Here, we report that the associative nature of SSH and drought as measured by surface runoff, has a stronger correlation (r > 0.693, p < 0.05) in terms of the expected timing, with 1 to 3 months lag time, and intensity compared to using traditional ENSO SST indices from the Central Pacific. Furthermore, since SSH is co-located with its corresponding forecasted decrease in runoff, a localized prediction can be made which further increases the accuracy of this predictive tool. In the wake of a changing climate, this work demonstrates the possibility of statistically forecasting the timing of precipitation, and thus the volume of surface water availability, using local SSH as an indicator. A tool which is necessary for time-sensitive management decision making in drought-prone tropical regions.

Classifying El Niño Modoki I and II by Different Impacts on Rainfall in Southern China and Typhoon Tracks

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 1322-1338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunzai Wang ◽  
Xin Wang
Keyword(s):  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Southern China ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Asymmetric Distribution ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
Northerly Wind ◽  
El Niño Modoki ◽  
Northeastern Pacific ◽  
Sst Anomalies

Abstract Based on their opposite influences on rainfall in southern China during boreal fall, this paper classifies El Niño Modoki into two groups: El Niño Modoki I and II, which show different origins and patterns of SST anomalies. The warm SST anomalies originate in the equatorial central Pacific and subtropical northeastern Pacific for El Niño Modoki I and II, respectively. Thus, El Niño Modoki I shows a symmetric SST anomaly distribution about the equator with the maximum warming in the equatorial central Pacific, whereas El Niño Modoki II displays an asymmetric distribution with the warm SST anomalies extending from the northeastern Pacific to the equatorial central Pacific. Additionally, the warm SST anomalies in the equatorial central Pacific extend farther westward for El Niño Modoki II than for El Niño Modoki I. Similar to the canonical El Niño, El Niño Modoki I is associated with an anomalous anticyclone in the Philippine Sea that induces southwesterly wind anomalies along the south coast of China and carries the moisture for increasing rainfall in southern China. For El Niño Modoki II, an anomalous cyclone resides east of the Philippines, associated with northerly wind anomalies and a decrease in rainfall in southern China. The canonical El Niño and El Niño Modoki I are associated with a westward extension of the western North Pacific subtropical high (WNPSH), whereas El Niño Modoki II shifts the WNPSH eastward. Differing from canonical El Niño and El Niño Modoki I, El Niño Modoki II corresponds to northwesterly anomalies of the typhoon steering flow, which are unfavorable for typhoons to make landfall in China.

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