Boreal spring Southern Hemisphere Annular Mode, Indian Ocean sea surface temperature, and East Asian summer monsoon

Abstract

The relationships among the boreal spring Southern Hemisphere Annular Mode (SAM), the Indian Ocean (IO) sea surface temperature (SST), and East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) are examined statistically in this paper. The variability of boreal spring SAM is closely related to the IO SST. When the SAM is in its strong positive phase in boreal spring, with low‐pressure anomalies over the south pole and high‐pressure anomalies over middle latitudes, SST over the subtropics and middle latitudes of the South Indian Ocean (SIO) increases, which persists into the summer. Following the positive SST anomalies over the subtropics and midlatitudes of the SIO, SST in the equatorial Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal increases in summer. Moreover, the variability of SST in the equatorial Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal is closely related to EASM. When SST in the equatorial Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal increases, EASM tends to be weak. Therefore the IO SST may play an important role bridging boreal spring SAM and EASM. The atmospheric circulations and surface heat exchanges contribute to the SST anomalies in the SIO. When the spring SAM is in its strong positive phases, the regional Ferrel Cell weakens, and the anomalous upward motions at 20°S–30°S cause an increase of low cloud cover and downward longwave radiation flux. The surface atmospheric circulations also transport more (less) warmer (cooler) air from middle latitudes north of 50°S (high latitudes south of 60°S) into 50°S–60°S and warm the air, which reduces the temperature difference between the ocean and atmosphere and consequently reduces sensible heat flux from the ocean to atmosphere. The increased downward longwave radiation and decreased sensible heat are responsible for the SST increase in the SIO. The atmospheric circulation and surface heat flux anomalies are of opposite signs following the strong negative phases of SAM.