Regional patterns of tropical Indo-Pacific climate change are investigated over the last six decades based on a synthesis of in situ observations and ocean model simulations, with a focus on physical consistency among sea surface temperature (SST), cloud, sea level pressure (SLP), surface wind, and subsurface ocean temperature. A newly developed bias-corrected surface wind dataset displays westerly trends over the western tropical Pacific and easterly trends over the tropical Indian Ocean, indicative of a slowdown of the Walker circulation. This pattern of wind change is consistent with that of observed SLP change showing positive trends over the Maritime Continent and negative trends over the central equatorial Pacific. Suppressed moisture convergence over the Maritime Continent is largely due to surface wind changes, contributing to observed decreases in marine cloudiness and land precipitation there.Furthermore, observed ocean mixed layer temperatures indicate a reduction in zonal contrast in the tropical Indo-Pacific characterized by larger warming in the tropical eastern Pacific and western Indian Ocean than in the tropical western Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean. Similar changes are successfully simulated by an ocean general circulation model forced with the bias-corrected wind stress. Whereas results from major SST reconstructions show no significant change in zonal gradient in the tropical Indo-Pacific, both bucket-sampled SSTs and nighttime marine air temperatures (NMAT) show a weakening of the zonal gradient consistent with the subsurface temperature changes. All these findings from independent observations provide robust evidence for ocean-atmosphere coupling associated with the reduction in the Walker circulation over the last six decades.

The amplitude of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) displays pronounced interdecadal modulations in observations. The mechanisms for the amplitude modulation are investigated using a 2000-yr preindustrial control integration from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Climate Model, version 2.1 (GFDL CM2.1). ENSO amplitude modulation is highly correlated with the second empirical orthogonal function (EOF) mode of tropical Pacific decadal variability (TPDV), which features equatorial zonal dipoles in sea surface temperature (SST) and subsurface temperature along the thermocline. Experiments with an ocean general circulation model indicate that both interannual and decadal-scale wind variability are required to generate decadal-scale tropical Pacific temperature anomalies at the sea surface and along the thermocline. Even a purely interannual and sinusoidal wind forcing can produce substantial decadal-scale effects in the equatorial Pacific, with SST cooling in the west, subsurface warming along the thermocline, and enhanced upper-ocean stratification in the east. A mechanism is proposed by which residual effects of ENSO could serve to alter subsequent ENSO stability, possibly contributing to long-lasting epochs of extreme ENSO behavior via a coupled feedback with TPDV.

Evaluations of the summer/winter Asian monsoon through the late 20th century (1981)(1982)(1983)(1984)(1985)(1986)(1987)(1988)(1989)(1990)(1991)(1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000) were conducted on the basis of model simulations using 20 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 3 (CMIP3) and 24 Phase 5 (CMIP5) multi-model datasets, and comparisons of the results with many types of observational data. Skill metrics have been calculated in terms of reproducibility of seasonal mean structures. The projected thermal structure of the mid to upper troposphere, which is an important driving force of the Asian monsoon, was also evaluated. Overall, the skills of the CMIP5 multi-model ensemble (MME) mean results have been improved, as compared with those of the CMIP3 MME.Considering these evaluations, we examined projected future (2081-2100) changes in the summer/winter Asian monsoon, including those of the tropical Hadley-Walker circulation, for mid-range emission scenarios (SRES-A1B for CMIP3 and RCP4.5 for CMIP5). The CMIP3 MME shows projected increases in precipitation and attenuation of circulation over broad regions of Asia. This so-called "wind-precipitation paradox" is a characteristic property of the Asian monsoon under a CO 2 -rich atmosphere. The CMIP5 MME, on the other hand, shows a projected acceleration of climatological low-level monsoon westerlies, particularly in subtropical regions (10°-20°N), which therefore requires a partial revision of the wind-precipitation paradox. In terms of meridional temperature gradients (MTGs), the CMIP5 MME datasets project marked mid to upper tropospheric warming over the western Indian Ocean, as compared with other regions of the Indian and western Pacific oceans. At higher latitudes, the projected warming rate is relatively small to the northwest of the Tibetan Plateau, and projected MTGs are reduced in this region. In the summer Asian monsoon, the different circulation change between CMIP3 and CMIP5 MME despite the common MTG weakening is a notable feature.

Interannual anomalies of sea surface temperature (SST), wind, and cloudiness in the southeastern tropical Indian Ocean (SE-TIO) show negative skewness. In this research, asymmetry between warm and cold episodes in the SE-TIO and the importance of ocean dynamics are investigated. A coupled model simulation and observations show an asymmetric relationship between SST and the thermocline depth in the SE-TIO where SST is more sensitive to an anomalous shoaling than to deepening of the thermocline. This asymmetric thermocline feedback on SST is a result of a deep mean thermocline. Sensitivity experiments with an ocean general circulation model (OGCM) show that a negative SST skewness arises in response to sinusoidal zonal wind variations that are symmetric between the westerly and easterly phases. Heat budget analysis with an OGCM hindcast also supports the importance of ocean dynamics for SST skewness off Sumatra and Java.

[1] Intraseasonal variability in meridional current in the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean is investigated by use of results from a high-resolution ocean general circulation model. Both the simulated and observed meridional current variability demonstrate energy peaks in two distinct time-scales; one in the biweekly (6-8 d) period above the thermocline and the other in lower frequency band (20-70 d) within the subsurface layer. In addition, the intraseasonal current variability can be seen even in the deep ocean at 2000 m and 4000 m depths. Composite analysis of the biweekly current field demonstrates that the horizontal structure is consistent with the one for the Mixed Rossby-gravity wave, with the phase speed and wavelength close to theoretical values of the Mixed Rossby-gravity wave at 15-d period. This meridional current variability shows large coherence with the local meridional wind stress, suggesting the upper-ocean responses to the local wind-forcing. A part of the energy of the biweekly variability penetrates into the deeper layer along the raypath of the 15-d Mixed Rossby-gravity wave, causing the intraseasonal variability observed in the current meter data at 4000 m depth. On the other hand, the lower frequency intraseasonal variability in the subsurface layer is also captured in the model simulation forced by climatological winds. Large barotropic energy conversion rate appears during boreal autumn and early winter in a region southeast of Sri Lanka, suggesting importance of instability due to the seasonally changing current systems to generate mesoscale eddy-like disturbances that result in the subsurface meridional current variability.