ENSO cycle and climate anomaly in China

• Published in: Chinese Journal of Oceanology and Limnology
• Main Authors: Chen Yongli, Zhao Yongping, Feng Junqiao, Wang Fan, Chen, YL (reprint author), Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Oceanol, Qingdao 266071, Peoples R China.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: Enso Cycle; Tropical Pacific Ocean; Subsurface Ocean Temperature Anomalies; Interannual Variability; Climate Anomaly Of China; Limnology; Oceanography; Pacific; aleutian low
• Online Access: http://ir.qdio.ac.cn/handle/337002/12144; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-012-1245-1

The inter-annual variability of the tropical Pacific Subsurface Ocean Temperature Anomaly (SOTA) and the associated anomalous atmospheric circulation over the Asian North Pacific during the El Nio-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) were investigated using National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) atmospheric reanalysis data and simple ocean data simulation (SODA). The relationship between the ENSO and the climate of China was revealed. The main results indicated the following: 1) there are two ENSO modes acting on the subsurface tropical Pacific. The first mode is related to the mature phase of ENSO, which mainly appears during winter. The second mode is associated with a transition stage of the ENSO developing or decaying, which mainly occurs during summer; 2) during the mature phase of El Nio, the meridionality of the atmosphere in the mid-high latitude increases, the Aleutian low and high pressure ridge over Lake Baikal strengthens, northerly winds prevail in northern China, and precipitation in northern China decreases significantly. The ridge of the Ural High strengthens during the decaying phase of El Nio, as atmospheric circulation is sustained during winter, and the northerly wind anomaly appears in northern China during summer. Due to the ascending branch of the Walker circulation over the western Pacific, the western Pacific Subtropical High becomes weaker, and south-southeasterly winds prevail over southern China. As a result, less rainfall occurs over northern China and more rainfall over the Changjiang River basin and the southwestern and eastern region of Inner Mongolia. The flood disaster that occurred south of Changjiang River can be attributed to this. The La Nia event causes an opposite, but weaker effect; 3) the ENSO cycle can influence climate anomalies within China via zonal and meridional heat transport. This is known as the "atmospheric-bridge", where the energy anomaly within the tropical Pacific transfers to the mid-high latitude in the ...