Interannual variations in the surface and subsurface tropical Indian Ocean were studied using HadISST and SODA data-sets.Wind and heat flux datasets were used to discuss the mechanisms for these variations.Our results indicate that the surface andsubsurface variations of the tropical Indian Ocean during Indian Ocean Dipole(IOD)events are significantly different.A prominentcharacteristic of the eastern pole is the SSTA rebound after a cooling process,which does not take place at the subsurface layer.Inthe western pole,the surface anomalies last longer than the subsurface anomalies.The subsurface anomalies are strongly correlatedwith ENSO,while the relationship between the surface anomalies and ENSO is much weaker.And the subsurface anomalies of thetwo poles are negatively correlated while they are positively correlated at the surface layer.The wind and surface heat flux analysissuggests that the thermocline depth variations are mainly determined by wind stress fields,while the heat flux effect is important onSST.
利用近50年月平均的SODA海洋同化资料和NCEP大气再分析资料,研究了热带太平洋次表层海温异常(SOTA)年代际变率主要分布型以及与之相关的亚洲-北太平洋-北美地区上空异常大气环流场,并揭示了类ENSO模态与中国气候异常之间的联系。得到主要结果:(1)热带太平洋SOTA年代际变率有两种类ENSO模态。第一模为类ENSO事件成熟期热带太平洋年代际SOTA状态;第二模为类ENSO过渡期热带太平洋年代际SOTA状态。二者组合构成类ENSO事件40年左右及其背景下13年左右的周期振荡。(2)类ENSO事件对亚洲-北太平洋-北美上空中高纬和副热带大气系统年代际变化具有重要影响。类El Ni o成熟期间冬季,中高纬地区大气环流经向型发展,贝加尔湖高压脊加强,西太平洋副高偏强、位置偏西,蒙古高原为较强的异常反气旋环流。类El Ni o衰退期(类La Ni a发展期)夏季,贝加尔湖低压槽加深,乌拉尔山高压脊加强,西太平洋副高偏弱,新疆-河套地区为较强的异常反气旋环流距平。类La Ni a事件时相反。(3)热带太平洋类ENSO事件通过影响中高纬和副热带大气系统,造成中国北部地区上空南风距平的年代际变化,进而导致东亚季风和中国气候异常。类El Ni o事件成熟期,中国北部地区上空多异常偏北风,东亚季风弱,华北少雨,长江中、下游多雨;类El Ni o衰退(类La Ni a发展)期,中国北部地区上空亦为异常偏北气流,东亚季风较弱,华北少雨。中国气候异常型主要取决于类ENSO第一模态,而第二模态主要视位相异同来加强或减弱第一模态。两个类ENSO模态的共同作用导致1978年前后中国气候跃变和华北地区持续20余年的干旱。近期类ENSO模的振荡从1998年左右开始转为类La Ni a模态,大致在2018年左右结束。在此期间,华北降水有望增加,长江中、下游降水可能减少。
Using repeated hydrographic measurements at 137°E,spatial-temporal variability of thermohaline intrusions in the northwestern tropical Pacific are investigated.Intrusions can be found in the main thermocline throughout the section,with their strength decreasing rapidly poleward.The strongest intrusions exist at the North Equatorial Countercurrent(NECC) where North/South Pacific thermocline water converges.These intrusions also exhibit temporal variations in strength which are closely associated with the meridional displacement of the NECC.Intrusion strength peaks in boreal winter when the NECC reaches its northernmost position of the year.At interannual time scale,intrusions tend to be weak(strong) during El Ni o(La Ni a) episodes.Variations in intrusion strength also lead to prominent fluctuation of lateral diffusivity K L and cross-front temperature flux F Θ.F Θ exhibits significant year-to-year changes which are well correlated with ENSO index,suggesting a possible role of intrusions in the low-latitude Pacific climate variability.
Using hydrographic measurements from three recent surveys in the western tropical Pacific, this study revealed the existence and general features of thermohaline finestructure near the northern Philippine coast. Pronounced finestructures were detected in the layers of the North Pacific Tropical Water (NPTW) and the North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW) during all three cruises and shown to be mainly thermohaline intrusions. Characteristics of the intrusions were further investigated with spiciness curvature and salinity anomaly methods. The vertical scale of the intrusions was 20-50m and 50-100m in the NPTW and NPIW layers, respectively. Within the NPTW layer, the Turner angle distribution and correlation between salinity and density anomalies suggested that diffusive convection between surface fresh water and subsurface saline water played an important role in the development and maintenance of the intrusions. In addition, connection between thermohaline finestructure and larger-scale oceanic processes was explored using historical hydrographic data. The results reveal that the salinity field and the distribution of the intrusions in this region were largely determined by mesoscale eddies. As a result of eddy stirring, both isopycnal and diapycnal temperature/salinity gradients were strengthened, which gave rise to the development of thermohaline intrusions. The intrusions acted to enhance heat and salt fluxes and resulted in the mixing of water masses being more efficient. By linking mesoscale eddy stirring to micro-scale diffusion, thermohaline finestructure plays a vital role in the ocean energy cascade and water mass conversion in the northern Philippine Sea.
