scholarly journals The Weakened Intensity of the Atmospheric Quasi-Biweekly Oscillation over the Western North Pacific during Late Summer around the Late 1990s

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (24) ◽  
pp. 9807-9826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiqing Xu ◽  
Tim Li ◽  
Ke Fan

The interdecadal Pacific oscillation (IPO) shifted to a negative phase around the late 1990s. Its impact on the atmospheric quasi-biweekly oscillation (QBWO) intensity over the western North Pacific (WNP) during late summer was investigated. Corresponding to the phase transition of the IPO, La Niña–like SST anomalies and an enhanced Walker circulation appeared in the tropical Pacific, which led to decreased precipitation over the equatorial central and eastern Pacific. The decreased precipitation induced a Gill response with an anomalous anticyclone (cyclone) in the lower (upper) troposphere over the WNP. This resulted in anomalous background westerly vertical shear over the tropical WNP. Furthermore, the anomalous anticyclone induced anomalous horizontal divergence and descent motion in the planetary boundary layer, which led to decreased background surface moisture over the tropical WNP. These changes in background atmospheric conditions suppressed the development of QBWO perturbations over the tropical WNP. Therefore, the QBWO intensity weakened over the WNP after the late 1990s. The composite evolution of QBWO events before and after the late 1990s confirm the interdecadal change of the QBWO intensity. A simple model was employed to understand the relative role of the background moisture and vertical shear changes in modulating the QBWO activity. The result shows that the moisture change plays a more important role than the vertical shear change in weakening the QBWO intensity.

2010 ◽  
Vol 23 (11) ◽  
pp. 2974-2986 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Wu ◽  
Tim Li ◽  
Tianjun Zhou

Abstract To investigate the relative role of the cold SST anomaly (SSTA) in the western North Pacific (WNP) or Indian Ocean basin mode (IOBM) in maintaining an anomalous anticyclone over the western North Pacific (WNPAC) during the El Niño decaying summer, a suite of numerical experiments is performed using an atmospheric general circulation model, ECHAM4. In sensitive experiments, the El Niño composite SSTA is specified in either the WNP or the tropical Indian Ocean, while the climatological SST is specified elsewhere. The results indicate that the WNPAC is maintained by the combined effects of the local forcing of the negative SSTA in the WNP and the remote forcing from the IOBM. The former (latter) contribution gradually weakens (enhances) from June to August. The negative SSTA in the WNP is crucial for the maintenance of the WNPAC in early summer. However, because of a negative air–sea feedback, the negative SSTA gradually decays, as does the local forcing effect. Enhanced local convection associated with the IOBM stimulates atmospheric Kelvin waves over the equatorial western Pacific. The impact of the Kelvin waves on the WNP circulation depends on the formation of the climatological WNP monsoon trough, which does not fully establish until late summer. Therefore, the IOBM plays a crucial role in late summer via the Kelvin wave induced anticyclonic shear and boundary layer divergence.


2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (20) ◽  
pp. 9031-9043
Author(s):  
Mingmei Xie ◽  
Chunzai Wang

AbstractThe western North Pacific anomalous anticyclone (WNPAC) significantly affects East Asian climate. Previous studies have elucidated interannual variability of the WNPAC associated with El Niño, but decadal variability of the WNPAC remains unknown. The present paper investigates the dominant modes of decadal variability of the WNPAC by using observational data. The first decadal mode, characterized by an anomalous anticyclone centered over the western North Pacific, is associated with the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO). The relationship between the first mode and the PDO shifted from in phase to out of phase around 1966. From 1900 to 1966 when the PDO and the first mode are in phase, the anticyclone is maintained by the effects of both the strengthened Aleutian low through meridional atmospheric forcing and Indian Ocean warming through enhanced zonal Walker circulation. From 1967 to 2012, the anticyclone is induced by cold SST anomalies over the central equatorial Pacific when the PDO and the first mode are out of phase. The second decadal mode is characterized by an anomalous anticyclone extending from southeastern China to the Philippine Sea and is associated with the Maritime Continent (MC). This anticyclone resides in the sinking branch of the local Hadley circulation, triggered by enhanced convection associated with the MC warming from 1900 to 2012. The finding of the decadal WNPAC in this paper may provide a new way to explain East Asian climate on a decadal time scale.


2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 719-732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Hu ◽  
Tim Li ◽  
Jia Liu ◽  
Melinda Peng

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 2237-2248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiong Wu ◽  
Xiaochun Wang ◽  
Li Tao

AbstractIn this study, we analyzed the impacts of Western North Pacific Subtropical High (WNPSH) on tropical cyclone (TC) activity on both interannual and interdecadal timescales. Based on a clustering analysis method, we grouped TCs in the Western North Pacific into three clusters according to their track patterns. We mainly focus on Cluster 1 (C1) TCs in this work, which is characterized by forming north of 15° N and moving northward. On interannual timescale, the number of C1 TCs is influenced by the intensity variability of the WNPSH, which is represented by the first Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) of 850 hPa geopotential height of the region. The WNPSH itself is modulated by the El Niño–Southern Oscillation at its peak phase in the previous winter, as well as Indian and Atlantic Ocean sea surface temperature anomalies in following seasons. The second EOF mode shows the interdecadal change of WNPSH intensity. The interdecadal variability of WNPSH intensity related to the Pacific climate regime shift could cause anomalies of the steering flow, and lead to the longitudinal shift of C1 TC track. Negative phases of interdecadal Pacific oscillation are associated with easterly anomaly of steering flow, westward shift of C1 TC track, and large TC impact on the East Asia coastal area.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyoko Yamaoka ◽  
Atsushi Suzuki ◽  
Yuichiro Tanaka ◽  
Masahiro Suzumura ◽  
Ayumi Tsukasaki ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 1391-1415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Gabriel A. Vecchi ◽  
Hiroyuki Murakami ◽  
Thomas Delworth ◽  
Andrew T. Wittenberg ◽  
...  

Abstract This study aims to assess whether, and the extent to which, an increase in atmospheric resolution of the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) Forecast-Oriented Low Ocean Resolution version of CM2.5 (FLOR) with 50-km resolution and the High-Resolution FLOR (HiFLOR) with 25-km resolution improves the simulation of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO)–tropical cyclone (TC) connections in the western North Pacific (WNP). HiFLOR simulates better ENSO–TC connections in the WNP including TC track density, genesis, and landfall than FLOR in both long-term control experiments and sea surface temperature (SST)- and sea surface salinity (SSS)-restoring historical runs (1971–2012). Restoring experiments are performed with SSS and SST restored to observational estimates of climatological SSS and interannually varying monthly SST. In the control experiments of HiFLOR, an improved simulation of the Walker circulation arising from more realistic SST and precipitation is largely responsible for its better performance in simulating ENSO–TC connections in the WNP. In the SST-restoring experiments of HiFLOR, more realistic Walker circulation and steering flow during El Niño and La Niña are responsible for the improved simulation of ENSO–TC connections in the WNP. The improved simulation of ENSO–TC connections with HiFLOR arises from a better representation of SST and better responses of environmental large-scale circulation to SST anomalies associated with El Niño or La Niña. A better representation of ENSO–TC connections in HiFLOR can benefit the seasonal forecasting of TC genesis, track, and landfall; improve understanding of the interannual variation of TC activity; and provide better projection of TC activity under climate change.


2018 ◽  
Vol 146 (2) ◽  
pp. 435-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hironori Fudeyasu ◽  
Ryuji Yoshida

Abstract The characteristics of tropical cyclones (TCs) in the summer and autumn seasons over the western North Pacific that are associated with different environmental factors that influence TC genesis (TCG) were studied. The authors objectively categorized factors into the five TCG factors classified by Ritchie and Holland: monsoon shear line (SL), monsoon confluence region (CR), monsoon gyre (GY), easterly wave (EW), and the Rossby wave energy dispersion from a preexisting TC (PTC). The GY-TCs tended to develop slowly, and the highest rates of occurrence of rapid intensification (RI) were found for the CR-TCs, whereas the GY-TCs rarely experienced RI. The average storm size of the GY-TCs at the time of formation was the largest of the averages among the TC types, while the EW- and PTC-TCs were smaller, although these differences disappeared at the mature time. There were no significant differences in the sea surface temperature (SST) beneath the TCs, but the tropical cyclone heat potential (TCHP) of the PTC-TCs was higher. The PTC-TCs tended to develop as intense TCs and exhibited favorable environmental characteristics, such as high TCHP, high convective available potential energy, and weak vertical shear. The occurrence rate of the PTC-TCs that made landfall in the Philippines was higher than the averages of the other TC types, whereas those of the EW-TCs (PTC-TCs) that made landfall in Japan (China) were lower. These results provide important information for use in disaster prevention.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Xiong ◽  
Mengqian Lu

<p>The western North Pacific (WNP) is one of the most active tropical cyclone (TC) regions, which can inflict enormous death and massive property damage to surrounding areas. Although many studies about tropical cyclone activities on multi-timescales have been done, most of them focus on the entire basin, variations within the basin deserve more investigations. Besides TC characteristics on different timescales, to investigate the impacts of environment variables on TC and provide informative factors for prediction is another concern in the research community. In this study, we adopt several data science techniques, including Gaussian kernel estimator, wavelet, cross-wavelet coherence and regression analyses, to explore the spatiotemporal variations of TC genesis and associated environmental conditions. Significant semiannual and annual variations of TC genesis have been found in the northern South China Sea (NSCS) and oceanic areas east of the Philippines (OAEP). In the southeast part of WNP (SEWNP), TC genesis shows prominent variations on ENSO time scale. With reconstructed TC series on those frequencies, we further quantify the influences of environmental variables on the primary TC signals over WNP. About 40% of the identified TC variance over NSCS and OAEP can be explained by variability in vertical shear of zonal wind and relative humidity. In the SEWNP, TC genesis reveals strong nonlinear and non-stationary relationships with vertical shear of zonal wind and absolute vorticity. Besides, A probabilistic clustering algorithm is used to describe the TC tracks in the WNP. The best track dataset from JMA is decomposed into three clusters based on genesis location and curvature. For each cluster, we analyze the relationships between TC properties, such as genesis location, trajectory and intensity, and associated environmental conditions using the self-organizing map. The spatial patterns of sea surface temperature have huge impacts on TC genesis location, while the trajectory is largely influenced by geopotential height.</p>


2013 ◽  
Vol 141 (8) ◽  
pp. 2632-2648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Ting Yang ◽  
Hung-Chi Kuo ◽  
Eric A. Hendricks ◽  
Melinda S. Peng

Abstract An objective method is developed to identify concentric eyewalls (CEs) for typhoons using passive microwave satellite imagery from 1997 to 2011 in the western North Pacific basin. Three CE types are identified: a CE with an eyewall replacement cycle (ERC; 37 cases), a CE with no replacement cycle (NRC; 17 cases), and a CE that is maintained for an extended period (CEM; 16 cases). The inner eyewall (outer eyewall) of the ERC (NRC) type dissipates within 20 h after CE formation. The CEM type has its CE structure maintained for more than 20 h (mean duration time is 31 h). Structural and intensity changes of CE typhoons are demonstrated using a T–Vmax diagram (where T is the brightness temperature and Vmax is the best-track estimated intensity) for a time sequence of the intensity and convective activity (CA) relationship. While the intensity of typhoons in the ERC and CEM cases weakens after CE formation, the CA is maintained or increases. In contrast, the CA weakens in the NRC cases. The NRC (CEM) cases typically have fast (slow) northward translational speeds and encounter large (small) vertical shear and low (high) sea surface temperatures. The CEM cases have a relatively high intensity (63 m s−1), and the moat size (61 km) and outer eyewall width (70 km) are approximately 50% larger than the other two categories. Both the internal dynamics and environmental conditions are important in the CEM cases, while the NRC cases are heavily influenced by the environment. The ERC cases may be dominated by the internal dynamics because of more uniform environmental conditions.


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