East Asian Surface Air Temperature Research Articles

Relative Impacts of Sea Ice Loss and Atmospheric Internal Variability on the Winter Arctic to East Asian Surface Air Temperature Based on Large-Ensemble Simulations with NorESM2

AbstractTo quantify the relative contributions of Arctic sea ice and unforced atmospheric internal variability to the “warm Arctic, cold East Asia” (WACE) teleconnection, this study analyses three sets of large-ensemble simulations carried out by the Norwegian Earth System Model with a coupled atmosphere–land surface model, forced by seasonal sea ice conditions from preindustrial, present-day, and future periods. Each ensemble member within the same set uses the same forcing but with small perturbations to the atmospheric initial state. Hence, the difference between the present-day (or future) ensemble mean and the preindustrial ensemble mean provides the ice-loss-induced response, while the difference of the individual members within the present-day (or future) set is the effect of atmospheric internal variability. Results indicate that both present-day and future sea ice loss can force a negative phase of the Arctic Oscillation with a WACE pattern in winter. The magnitude of ice-induced Arctic warming is over four (ten) times larger than the ice-induced East Asian cooling in the present-day (future) experiment; the latter having a magnitude that is about 30% of the observed cooling. Sea ice loss contributes about 60% (80%) to the Arctic winter warming in the present-day (future) experiment. Atmospheric internal variability can also induce a WACE pattern with comparable magnitudes between the Arctic and East Asia. Ice-loss-induced East Asian cooling can easily be masked by atmospheric internal variability effects because random atmospheric internal variability may induce a larger magnitude warming. The observed WACE pattern occurs as a result of both Arctic sea ice loss and atmospheric internal variability, with the former dominating Arctic warming and the latter dominating East Asian cooling.

Interannual impact of tropical southern Atlantic SST on surface air temperature over East Asia during boreal spring

Using reanalysis data and simulations, this study revealed a pronounced negative interannual relationship between tropical southern Atlantic (TSA) sea surface temperature (SST) and East Asian surface air temperature (SAT) during boreal spring (March–May). Results confirm that the March–May TSA–SST anomaly can be considered an independent tropical driver unrelated to El Niño–Southern Oscillation. A possible mechanism linking TSA–SST and East Asian spring SAT involves an atmospheric wave train, energy conversion, and potential vorticity (PV)–θ dynamics. The anomalous TSA–SST induces an anomalous Walker circulation, which initiates a wave train that extracts energy from a westerly jet and propagates toward East Asia. Subject to PV–θ dynamics, the East Asian PV anomaly embedded within this wave train leads to bowed isentropes and resultant notable anomalous East Asian SAT. In particular, the bootstrapping results suggest that TSA–SST anomaly can cause an approximately sevenfold increase in the occurrence probability of extreme East Asian spring SAT.

Influence of the NAO on Wintertime Surface Air Temperature over East Asia: Multidecadal Variability and Decadal Prediction

In this paper, we investigate the influence of the winter NAO on the multidecadal variability of winter East Asian surface air temperature (EASAT) and EASAT decadal prediction. The observational analysis shows that the winter EASAT and East Asian minimum SAT (EAmSAT) display strong in-phase fluctuations and a significant 60–80-year multidecadal variability, apart from a long-term warming trend. The winter EASAT experienced a decreasing trend in the last two decades, which is consistent with the occurrence of extremely cold events in East Asia winters in recent years. The winter NAO leads the detrended winter EASAT by 12–18 years with the greatest significant positive correlation at the lead time of 15 years. Further analysis shows that ENSO may affect winter EASAT interannual variability, but does not affect the robust lead relationship between the winter NAO and EASAT. We present the coupled oceanic-atmospheric bridge (COAB) mechanism of the NAO influences on winter EASAT multidecadal variability through its accumulated delayed effect of ∼15 years on the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and Africa–Asia multidecadal teleconnection (AAMT) pattern. An NAO-based linear model for predicting winter decadal EASAT is constructed on the principle of the COAB mechanism, with good hindcast performance. The winter EASAT for 2020–34 is predicted to keep on fluctuating downward until ∼2025, implying a high probability of occurrence of extremely cold events in coming winters in East Asia, followed by a sudden turn towards sharp warming. The predicted 2020/21 winter EASAT is almost the same as the 2019/20 winter.

Probabilistic multi-model ensemble prediction of interdecadal variability of East Asian surface air temperature based on CMIP5 data

Based on the CMIP5 runs of 10 models for climate hindcast of the surface air temperature, the prediction based on the method of Bayesian model average (BMA) has been conducted in the study. The results show that the ensemble system exhibited high performance in hindcasting the interdecadal (1981–2010) mean of temperature anomalies. In the RCP4.5 scenario, the decadal projection initialized on 2005 is used to estimate the temperature changes for the period from 2006 to 2035. Moreover, the temperature averaged over 2006-2035 increases conspicuously compared with 1961-1990. The results show that the temperature rising in the south is relatively slow, which reaches 0.7°C, while the temperature rises 1.3°C in the north. The temperature rise in the Western Pacific is fairly modest, while the temperature rise in the northwestern part of East Asia is more considerable, and the inland temperature rises more significantly than the coastal and offshore areas.

Decadal variations of the East Asian winter monsoon in recent decades

AbstractObservational studies indicated that the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) showed significant decadal variations and experienced an interdecadal weakening in the mid‐1980s. How did the EAWM evolve thereafter? In this study, we investigate the decadal variations of the EAWM in the past three decades using five reanalysis datasets and one observational dataset. In total, five members of EAWM system are examined. In the lower troposphere, the Siberian high intensity becomes stronger around 2005 in all five reanalysis datasets, whereas the Aleutian low strengthens in the mid‐1990s and weakens in the mid‐2000s. The two subsystems show opposing changes in the past two decades. In the middle troposphere, the intensity of the East Asian trough remains weakening in recent decades only with some short‐time strengthening around the years of 1995 and 2010. In the upper troposphere, the EAWM index based on the meridional shear of the East Asian jet stream at the 300‐hPa level shows a weak positive trend since the 1990s. It has decadal variations similar to those of the East Asian trough. In the context of these members' changes, the low‐level northerly wind index exhibits two cycles since the year 1980. This index increases in the mid‐1980s, then decreases since the mid‐1990s, and finally increases in the mid‐2000s. Further analysis on the East Asian surface air temperature also reflects similar decadal variations. In summary, unlike the interdecadal shift in the mid‐1980s, the EAWM members (i.e., the Siberian high, the Aleutian low, the low‐level northwesterly wind, the East Asian trough and the East Asian jet stream) do not show consistent decadal variations over the past 30 years. The low‐level members show more significant changes.

Multidecadal Changes in the Influence of the Arctic Oscillation on the East Asian Surface Air Temperature in Boreal Winter

The time-varying influences of the wintertime Arctic Oscillation (AO) on the concurrent East Asian surface air temperature (EAT) are investigated based on JRA-55 reanalysis data. Results reveal that there are multidecadal variations in the influences of wintertime AO on the EAT during 1958–2018. Before the mid-1980s, the impact of winter AO on the simultaneous EAT is weak and confined northward of 40° N over East Asia. After the mid-1980s, by contrast, the winter AO’s influence is stronger and can extend southward of 25° N over East Asia. The multidecadal variations of the winter AO–EAT relationship are mainly modulated by the magnitudes of the North Pacific center of the winter AO. During the periods with strong North Pacific center of the winter AO, in association with the positive phase of the winter AO, the low-level southeasterly anomalies on the west side of the anticyclone over North Pacific bring warm air from the ocean to East Asia and lead to a significant winter AO–EAT relationship. In contrast, the southerly anomalies are weak and even reversed to northerly over the coast of East Asia during the periods with weak North Pacific center of winter AO, which confines the influence of winter AO on northern East Asia and lead to an insignificant winter AO–EAT relationship. Our finding provides new insight into the understanding of the decadal changes of AO’s impacts on the regional climate.

Recently Strengthened Influence of ENSO on the Wintertime East Asian Surface Air Temperature

Previous studies have indicated that El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) exerts a significant influence on the East Asian winter climate. This study reveals an interdecadal strengthening of the connection between ENSO and the East Asian surface air temperature (EAT) connection around the late 1990s and investigates the reason for this change. Before the late 1990s, the influence of ENSO on the EAT was weak, and the ENSO-related southerly wind anomalies were confined to the south of 30° N of East Asia. After the late 1990s, by contrast, ENSO’s influence became stronger and capable of extending northward to 50° N of East Asia. The decadal strengthening of the link between ENSO and EAT is primarily modulated by the magnitudes of the ENSO-related Kuroshio anticyclone. The intensity of the Kuroshio anticyclone contributes more than 50% of the variance of the oscillational ENSO–EAT variability. Further investigation indicates that the recovered magnitude of the Kuroshio anticyclone after the late 1990s has been closely tied to the eastward shrinking of the Aleutian Low (AL) pattern, which has weakened the link of atmospheric circulation between the AL and Kuroshio Extension region. Therefore, the offset effect of the AL-induced negative (positive) sea level pressure (SLP) anomalies on the El Niño (La Niña)-induced positive (negative) SLP anomalies over the Kuroshio Extension has also been weakened, which has facilitated the recovery of the significant influence of ENSO on the EAT.

Interdecadal variations in winter extratropical anticyclones in East Asia and their impacts on the decadal mode of East Asian surface air temperature

The interdecadal variations in extratropical anticyclone activity over East Asia during the winters of 1958–2013 were analysed using an objective identification and tracking algorithm for anticyclones. The influence of the interdecadal variation in anticyclone activity over the Mongolian Plateau on the interdecadal variation in East Asian surface air temperature and its possible mechanism was studied. The results showed that the Mongolian Plateau is the key region of anticyclonic activity in East Asia, and the occurrence frequency of anticyclones presented significantly opposite distribution forms in the higher and lower latitudes. An abrupt change in anticyclone activity over the Mongolian Plateau occurred in the late 1970s. From 1958 to the late 1970s, the main anticyclone activity occurred farther northward, whereas the activity was farther southward from the 1980s to 2013. Further study showed that in the period when the anticyclone occurrence frequency in the higher latitudes north of 50°N was lower (higher), while that in the lower latitudes south of 50°N was higher (lower), the surface air temperature of most parts of East Asia, especially the middle and high latitudes, was abnormally high (low). This was due to the anticyclonic activities, the Siberian high faded in the northwest part and expanded in southeast, while the East Asia trough and Ural Mountain blocking high weakened. This was also manifested as the variation in the geopotential height tendency forcing by transient waves. As the anticyclonic wave-breaking intensifies from western Mongolia to Northeast China, the high-frequency momentum flux over this area was significantly enhanced, strengthening the west wind in the higher latitudes from the north side and weakening the west wind in the middle latitudes from the south side. Under the combined force of the above activity, the southward movement of polar cold air was weakened, and the warm air in the middle and low latitudes was more easily transported to the north, resulting in warmer surface air temperatures over most parts of East Asia.

Combined impact of the Pacific–Japan pattern and Mediterranean–northern Eurasia pattern on East Asian summer temperatures

The combined effect of the Pacific–Japan (PJ) pattern and Mediterranean–northern Eurasia (MnE) pattern on East Asian surface air temperature (SAT) during summer is investigated using the Japanese 5...

NAO implicated as a predictor of the surface air temperature multidecadal variability over East Asia

Surface air temperature is an important factor for human quality of life and is a key marker of global climate change. Understanding multidecadal changes in surface air temperature, and accurately predicting future trends, are therefore important for economic development. In this work, we explore multidecadal variability in East Asian surface air temperature (EASAT). We find that EASAT shows a strong multidecadal variability between 1900 and 2017. Observational analysis shows that annual EASAT multidecadal variability is highly associated with the North Atlantic oscillation (NAO) and the NAO leads detrended annual EASAT by 15–20 years. Further analysis illustrates that the NAO precedes annual EASAT multidecadal variability through its leading effect on the Atlantic Multidecadal oscillation (AMO). The AMO influences annual EASAT multidecadal variability through the Africa–Asia multidecadal teleconnection (AAMT) pattern. An NAO-based linear model is therefore established to predict annual EASAT. The model is able to better hindcast annual EASAT based on different periods of the time-series. Due to the joint influences of NAO multidecadal variability and the forcing associated with anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, annual EASAT for 2018–2034 is predicted to remain at its current level or even slightly lower, followed by a period of fast warming over the following decades.

Revisiting the Northern Mode of East Asian Winter Monsoon Variation and Its Response to Global Warming

This study revisits the northern mode of East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) variation and investigates its response to global warming based on the ERA dataset and outputs from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) models. Results show that the observed variation in East Asian surface air temperature (EAT) is tightly coupled with sea level pressure variation in the expanded Siberian high (SH) region during boreal winter. The first singular value decomposition (SVD) mode of the EAT and SH explains 95% of the squared covariance in observations from 1961 to 2005, which actually represents the northern mode of EAWM variation. Meanwhile, the first SVD mode of the EAT and SH is verified to be equivalent to the first empirical orthogonal function mode (EOF1) of the EAT and SH, respectively. Since the leading mode of the temperature variation is significantly influenced by radiative forcing in a rapidly warming climate, for reliable projection of long-term changes in the northern mode of the EAWM, we further employ the EOF1 mode of the SH to represent the northern mode of EAWM variation. The models can well reproduce this coupling between the EAT and SH in historical simulations. Meanwhile, a robust weakening of the northern mode of the EAWM is found in the RCP4.5 scenario, and with stronger warming in the RCP8.5 scenario, the weakening of the EAWM is more pronounced. It is found that the weakening of the northern mode of the EAWM can contribute 6.7% and 9.4% of the warming trend in northern East Asian temperature under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios, respectively.

Joint statistical-dynamical approach to decadal prediction of East Asian surface air temperature

A joint statistical-dynamical method addressing both the internal decadal variability and effect of anthropogenic forcing was developed to predict the decadal components of East Asian surface air temperature (EATs) for three decades (2010–2040). As previous studies have revealed that the internal variability of EATs (EATs_int) is influenced mainly by the ocean, we first analyzed the lead-lag connections between EATs_int and three sea surface temperature (SST) multidecadal modes using instrumental records from 1901 to 1999. Based on the lead-lag connections, a multiple linear regression was constructed with the three SST modes as predictors. The hindcast for the years from 2000 to 2005 indicated the regression model had high skill in simulating the observational EATs_int. Therefore, the prediction for EATs_int (Re_EATs_int) was obtained by the regression model based on quasi-periods of the decadal oceanic modes. External forcing from greenhouse gases is likely associated with global warming. Using monthly global land surface air temperature from historical and projection simulations under the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 scenario of 19 Coupled General Circulation Models participating in the fifth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5), we predicted the curve of EATs (EATs_trend) relative to 1970–1999 by a second-order fit. EATs_int and EATs_trend were combined to form the reconstructed EATs (Re_EATs). It was expected that a fluctuating evolution of Re_EATs would decrease slightly from 2015 to 2030 and increase gradually thereafter. Compared with the decadal prediction in CMIP5 models, Re_EATs was qualitatively in agreement with the predictions of most of the models and the multi-model ensemble mean, indicating that the joint statistical-dynamical approach for EAT is rational.

Probabilistic multimodel ensemble prediction of decadal variability of East Asian surface air temperature based on IPCC-AR5 near-term climate simulations

Based on near-term climate simulations for IPCC-AR5 (The Fifth Assessment Report), probabilistic multimodel ensemble prediction (PMME) of decadal variability of surface air temperature in East Asia (20°–50°N, 100°–145°E) was conducted using the multivariate Gaussian ensemble kernel dressing (GED) methodology. The ensemble system exhibited high performance in hindcasting the decadal (1981–2010) mean and trend of temperature anomalies with respect to 1961–90, with a RPS of 0.94 and 0.88 respectively. The interpretation of PMME for future decades (2006–35) over East Asia was made on the basis of the bivariate probability density of the mean and trend. The results showed that, under the RCP4.5 (Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5 W m−2) scenario, the annual mean temperature increases on average by about 1.1–1.2 K and the temperature trend reaches 0.6–0.7 K (30 yr)−1. The pattern for both quantities was found to be that the temperature increase will be less intense in the south. While the temperature increase in terms of the 30-yr mean was found to be virtually certain, the results for the 30-yr trend showed an almost 25% chance of a negative value. This indicated that, using a multimodel ensemble system, even if a longer-term warming exists for 2006–35 over East Asia, the trend for temperature may produce a negative value. Temperature was found to be more affected by seasonal variability, with the increase in temperature over East Asia more intense in autumn (mainly), faster in summer to the west of 115°E, and faster still in autumn to the east of 115°E.

Another look at influences of the Madden-Julian Oscillation on the wintertime East Asian weather

[1] As one of the major predictability sources on an intraseasonal time scale, the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) exerts a profound influence on the subseasonal forecast of the East Asian (EA) surface air temperature (SAT) and precipitation. In this study we examine the direct link of the MJO with the EA SAT and precipitation and its dynamical mechanism. To represent the MJO, we perform an empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis on pentad outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) over (20°S−20°N, 60°E−150°W). The EOF1 mode is mostly characterized by a single convection center near the maritime continent (90°−150°E), whereas the EOF2 mode has an east-west dipole structure with enhanced convection over the eastern Indian Ocean and suppressed convective activities over the tropical western Pacific. At the same pentad of a positive EOF1 phase, large areas of cold anomalies with reduced precipitation emerge in the EA region north of 20°N and persist through two pentads later. At the same pentad of a positive EOF2 phase, SAT and precipitation exhibit a zonal dipole pattern with cold and dry anomalies covering the EA region west of 120°E and warm and wet anomalies to the east. These dipole anomalies in SAT and precipitation systematically move eastward in the next two pentads. A linearized global primitive equation model is utilized to assess the cause of the intraseasonal variability in SAT and precipitation over East Asia associated with the tropical heating of the MJO. The model responses to heating sources that mimic the EOF1 and EOF2 OLR patterns match well the general features of the observed circulation anomalies. Under forcing of a positive phase of the EOF1 pattern, strengthened local Hadley cell or monsoon circulations within (90°E−150°E) are reproduced, with anomalous northerly winds and dry anomalies prevailing in the lower troposphere over East Asia. The processes that influence East Asia are mainly associated with intraseasonal changes in local Hadley circulation and the Northern Hemisphere branch of the equatorially trapped Rossby wave gyres forced by the MJO heating.

Evaluation of East Asian climatology as simulated by seven coupled models

Using observation and reanalysis data throughout 1961–1990, the East Asian surface air temperature, precipitation and sea level pressure climatology as simulated by seven fully coupled atmosphere-ocean models, namely CCSR/NIES, CGCM2, CSIRO-Mk2, ECHAM4/OPYC3, GFDL-R30, HadCM3, and NCAR-PCM, are systematically evaluated in this study. It is indicated that the above models can successfully reproduce the annual and seasonal surface air temperature and precipitation climatology in East Asia, with relatively good performance for boreal autumn and annual mean. The models’ ability to simulate surface air temperature is more reliable than precipitation. In addition, the models can dependably capture the geographical distribution pattern of annual, boreal winter, spring and autumn sea level pressure in East Asia. In contrast, relatively large simulation errors are displayed when simulated boreal summer sea level pressure is compared with reanalysis data in East Asia. It is revealed that the simulation errors for surface air temperature, precipitation and sea level pressure are generally large over and around the Tibetan Plateau. No individual model is best in every aspect. As a whole, the ECHAM4/OPYC3 and HadCM3 performances are much better, whereas the CGCM2 is relatively poorer in East Asia. Additionally, the seven-model ensemble mean usually shows a relatively high reliability.

Regional‐scale climate change detection using a Bayesian decision method

We use Bayesian statistics for a regional climate change detection problem and show an application for the East Asian surface air temperature (SAT) field. Detection variables are constructed from a data‐independent advection‐diffusion model for SAT. Two scenario cases, namely a control scenario (CTL) and a CO2‐induced climate change scenario (G), are derived from model integrations. The Bayesian decision process starts from prior probabilities, goes through the likelihood function where the observations enter, and finally produces posterior probabilities. We select the scenario of larger posterior probability given the observations, by which the theoretical decision error becomes a minimum. The application results for the East Asian SAT reveal strong G signals since 1990s insensitive to prior probabilities. The signal is carried on temporal scales longer than 1 year and spatial scales larger than 6000 km.