The Decadal Reduction of Southeastern Australian Autumn Rainfall since the Early 1990s: A Response to Sea Surface Temperature Warming in the Subtropical South Pacific

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 2249-2261 ◽  
Author(s):  
ZhongDa Lin ◽  
Yun Li ◽  
Yong Liu ◽  
AiXue Hu
Keyword(s):  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Sea Surface Temperature ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
South Pacific Convergence Zone ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Sst Warming ◽  
Rainfall Reduction

AbstractRainfall in southeastern Australia (SEA) decreased substantially in the austral autumn (March–May) of the 1990s and 2000s. The observed autumn rainfall reduction has been linked to the climate change–induced poleward shift of the subtropical dry zone across SEA and natural multidecadal variations. However, the underlying physical processes responsible for the SEA drought are still not fully understood. This study highlights the role of sea surface temperature (SST) warming in the subtropical South Pacific (SSP) in the autumn rainfall reduction in SEA since the early 1990s. The warmer SSP SST enhances rainfall to the northwest in the southern South Pacific convergence zone (SPCZ); the latter triggers a divergent overturning circulation with the subsidence branch over the eastern coast of Australia. As such, the subsidence increases the surface pressure over Australia, intensifies the subtropical ridge, and reduces the rainfall in SEA. This mechanism is further confirmed by the result of a sensitivity experiment using an atmospheric general circulation model. Moreover, this study further indicates that global warming and natural multidecadal variability contribute approximately 44% and 56%, respectively, of the SST warming in the SSP since the early 1990s.

scholarly journals Impact of high-resolution sea surface temperature representation on the forecast of small Mediterranean catchments' hydrological responses to heavy precipitation

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 269-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfonso Senatore ◽  
Luca Furnari ◽  
Giuseppe Mendicino
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Sea Surface Temperature ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Sources Of Uncertainty ◽  
Operational Forecasting ◽  
Forecasting System

Abstract. Operational meteo-hydrological forecasting chains are affected by many sources of uncertainty. In coastal areas characterized by complex topography, with several medium-to-small size catchments, quantitative precipitation forecast becomes even more challenging due to the interaction of intense air–sea exchanges with coastal orography. For such areas, which are quite common in the Mediterranean Basin, improved representation of sea surface temperature (SST) space–time patterns can be particularly important. The paper focuses on the relative impact of different resolutions of SST representation on regional operational forecasting chains (up to river discharge estimates) over coastal Mediterranean catchments, with respect to two other fundamental options while setting up the system, i.e. the choice of the forcing general circulation model (GCM) and the possible use of a three-dimensional variational assimilation (3D-Var) scheme. Two different kinds of severe hydro-meteorological events that affected the Calabria region (southern Italy) in 2015 are analysed using the WRF-Hydro atmosphere–hydrology modelling system in its uncoupled version. Both of the events are modelled using the 0.25∘ resolution global forecasting system (GFS) and the 16 km resolution integrated forecasting system (IFS) initial and lateral atmospheric boundary conditions, which are from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), applying the WRF mesoscale model for the dynamical downscaling. For the IFS-driven forecasts, the effects of the 3D-Var scheme are also analysed. Finally, native initial and lower boundary SST data are replaced with data from the Medspiration project by Institut Français de Recherche pour L'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)/Centre European Remote Sensing d'Archivage et de Traitement (CERSAT), which have a 24 h time resolution and a 2.2 km spatial resolution. Precipitation estimates are compared with both ground-based and radar data, as well as discharge estimates with stream gauging stations' data. Overall, the experiments highlight that the added value of high-resolution SST representation can be hidden by other more relevant sources of uncertainty, especially the choice of the general circulation model providing the boundary conditions. Nevertheless, in most cases, high-resolution SST fields show a non-negligible impact on the simulation of the atmospheric boundary layer processes, modifying flow dynamics and/or the amount of precipitated water; thus, this emphasizes the fact that uncertainty in SST representation should be duly taken into account in operational forecasting in coastal areas.

scholarly journals An objective tropical Atlantic sea surface temperature gradient index for studies of south Amazon dry-season climate variability and change

2008 ◽  
Vol 363 (1498) ◽  
pp. 1761-1766 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Good ◽  
Jason A Lowe ◽  
Mat Collins ◽  
Wilfran Moufouma-Okia
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Sea Surface Temperature ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Tropical Atlantic ◽  
Sst Gradient

Future changes in meridional sea surface temperature (SST) gradients in the tropical Atlantic could influence Amazon dry-season precipitation by shifting the patterns of moisture convergence and vertical motion. Unlike for the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, there are no standard indices for quantifying this gradient. Here we describe a method for identifying the SST gradient that is most closely associated with June–August precipitation over the south Amazon. We use an ensemble of atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) integrations forced by observed SST from 1949 to 2005. A large number of tropical Atlantic SST gradient indices are generated randomly and temporal correlations are examined between these indices and June–August precipitation averaged over the Amazon Basin south of the equator. The indices correlating most strongly with June–August southern Amazon precipitation form a cluster of near-meridional orientation centred near the equator. The location of the southern component of the gradient is particularly well defined in a region off the Brazilian tropical coast, consistent with known physical mechanisms. The chosen index appears to capture much of the Atlantic SST influence on simulated southern Amazon dry-season precipitation, and is significantly correlated with observed southern Amazon precipitation. We examine the index in 36 different coupled atmosphere–ocean model projections of climate change under a simple compound 1% increase in CO 2 . Within the large spread of responses, we find a relationship between the projected trend in the index and the Amazon dry-season precipitation trends. Furthermore, the magnitude of the trend relationship is consistent with the inter-annual variability relationship found in the AGCM simulations. This suggests that the index would be of use in quantifying uncertainties in climate change in the region.

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