Eurasian Subarctic Summer Climate in Response to Anomalous Snow Cover

Matsumura, Shinji; Yamazaki, Koji

doi:10.1175/2011jcli4116.1

Cited by 50 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…In addition, because eastern Siberia is located near the subpolar jet (Fig. 3b), the lower troposphere with a baroclinic response because of surface heating favors the upward propagation of wave activity, especially in early snowmelt years (Matsumura and Yamazaki 2012). These results suggest that land surface forcing in eastern Siberia can act to reinforce and maintain the baroclinic structure, resulting in the August OH development.…”

Section: Seasonal Variation Of the Oh Structurementioning

confidence: 91%

“…Enhanced ascent appears over eastern Siberia and significantly enhanced descent appears over the Okhotsk Sea between the surface and the upper troposphere. Because of surface heating through the snow-hydrological effect, in late summer, tropospheric heating is caused by condensation heating associated with ascending air masses and adiabatic heating of descending air masses, forming a stronger upper-level anticyclone with a baroclinic structure (Matsumura and Yamazaki 2012). In the second half of the period, the strong anticyclonic differences extend eastward, weakening its baroclinicity.…”

Section: Development Of the August Ohmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Matsumura et al (2010) investigated the effect of anomalous springtime snow cover in northern Eurasia on the summertime land-atmosphere climate system using an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM). On the basis of the modeling study, Matsumura and Yamazaki (2012) examined the land-atmosphere climate system employing observation and reanalysis data. Figure 1 shows a schematic of seasonal changes in early-snowmelt years from winter to autumn in eastern Siberia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because the upper-level anticyclone with a baroclinic structure is located to the west of the Sea of Okhotsk, Matsumura and Yamazaki (2012) suggested that this anticyclone may play a dominant role in the development of the surface Okhotsk High (OH) in late summer.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The formation mechanism of the OH in early summer has been described in terms of atmospheric dynamical processes (Nakamura and Fukamachi 2004;Sato and Takahashi 2007), whereas its mechanism in late summer remains unclear. The present study is mainly based on the results of Matsumura et al (2010) and Matsumura and Yamazaki (2012), and attempts to make a connection between springtime snow cover and development of the late summer OH. To clarify the role of spring snow cover in Siberia on summer OH, atmospheric circulation outside the Siberia-Okhotsk region should be prescribed for years when OH developed because OH does not necessarily develop every year.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Role of Siberian Land-Atmosphere Coupling in the Development of the August Okhotsk High in 2008

Matsumura

Yamazaki

Sato

2015

Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan

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We investigate the formation mechanism of the summer Okhotsk High (OH) in terms of the land-atmosphere coupling in Siberia. A reanalysis data indicates that the formation mechanism of the OH clearly differs between early and late summer because it changes from a nearly barotropic to a baroclinic structure with seasonal changes. Then, we assess the influence of springtime snow cover on the formation of the late summer OH with the baroclinicity using a regional climate model. The model performs well in reproducing the land-atmosphere coupling in eastern Siberia and the OH in August 2008, when abnormal weather prevails in Japan, in conjunction with the intensively developed OH. The August OH develops with a distinct baroclinic structure owing to increased surface heating, which is related to land-atmosphere coupling in response to reduced spring snow cover in eastern Siberia. The land-atmosphere coupling can help to reinforce and maintain the baroclinic structure through surface heating, forming strong surface anticyclone to the southeast over the Sea of Okhotsk. Our results suggest that the late summer OH is a regional climate system that involves coupling among the atmosphere, the cool ocean, and the warm land surface.

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Section: Seasonal Variation Of the Oh Structurementioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Development Of the August Ohmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Role of Siberian Land-Atmosphere Coupling in the Development of the August Okhotsk High in 2008

Matsumura

Yamazaki

Sato

2015

Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan

Self Cite

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Thermodynamic and dynamic influences in the Far East‐Okhotsk region on stagnant Meiyu‐Baiu

2017

JGR Atmospheres

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Westerly perturbation is enlarged over the Far East‐Okhotsk region in late June and early July and is associated with the largest land‐sea heating contrast surrounding the Sea of Okhotsk. The corresponding characteristics in the lower troposphere are southward deepening of the cold low over northeastern China, and intensification of the Okhotsk high. Coincidentally, the Meiyu‐Baiu coupled with the western North Pacific (WNP) subtropical high is nearly stagnant during this period. By simulations using a global climate model with an intensified Okhotsk surface high in response to cooling Sea of Okhotsk, it is suggested that the enhanced thermal contrast over the Far East‐Okhotsk region can generate an obstacle to Meiyu‐Baiu poleward migration. Corresponding to the intensified Okhotsk high, the WNP subtropical high is strengthened by the high ridge over Taiwan. The East Asian midlatitude westerly jet stream in the northern flank of the WNP subtropical high also strengthens; the consequently enhanced midtropospheric warm temperature advection can regulate the latitude position of the Meiyu‐Baiu. The wave source generated in the upper troposphere is located over the midlatitude WNP (anomalous cyclone) bordering the Sea of Okhotsk, whereas that in the lower troposphere is related to the strengthened westerly in the northern WNP subtropical high. The wave activity propagation consistently indicates the strengthening and equatorward confinement of the westerly jet. Therefore, the intensified Okhotsk high and enlarged westerly perturbation beginning in late June are suggested as an inherently geographic limit of the Far East‐Okhotsk region in regard to Meiyu‐Baiu migration.

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Accelerated continental‐scale snowmelt and ecohydrological impacts in the four largest Siberian river basins in response to spring warming

Suzuki

Hiyama

Matsuo

et al. 2020

Hydrological Processes

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River runoff from the four largest Siberian river basins (the Ob, Yenisei, Lena, and Kolyma) considerably contributes to freshwater flux into the Arctic Ocean from the Eurasian continent. However, the effects of variation in snow cover fraction on the ecohydrological variations in these basins are not well understood. In this study, we analysed the spatiotemporal variability of the maximum snow cover fraction (SCFmax) in the four Siberian river basins. We compared the SCFmax from 2000 to 2016 with data in terms of monthly temperature and precipitation, night‐time surface temperatures, the terrestrial water storage anomaly (TWSA), the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), and river runoff. Our results exhibit a decreasing trend in the April SCFmax values since 2000, largely in response to warming air temperatures in April. We identified snowmelt water as the dominant control on the observed increase in the runoff contribution in May across all four Siberian river basins. In addition, we detected that the interannual river runoff was predominantly controlled by interannual variations in the TWSA. The NDVI in June was strongly controlled by the timing of the snowmelt along with the surface air temperature and TWSA in June. The rate of increase in the freshwater flux from the four Siberian rivers decreased from 2000 to 2016, exhibiting large interannual variations corresponding to interannual variations in the TWSA. However, we identified a clear increase trend in the freshwater flux of ~4 km3/year when analysing the long‐term 39‐year historical record (1978–2016). Our results suggest that continued global warming will accelerate the transition towards the earlier timing of snowmelt and spring freshwater flux into the Arctic Ocean. Our findings also highlight the effects of earlier snowmelt on ecohydrological changes in the Northern Hemisphere.

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Eurasian Subarctic Summer Climate in Response to Anomalous Snow Cover

Cited by 50 publications

References 30 publications

Role of Siberian Land-Atmosphere Coupling in the Development of the August Okhotsk High in 2008

Role of Siberian Land-Atmosphere Coupling in the Development of the August Okhotsk High in 2008

Thermodynamic and dynamic influences in the Far East‐Okhotsk region on stagnant Meiyu‐Baiu

Accelerated continental‐scale snowmelt and ecohydrological impacts in the four largest Siberian river basins in response to spring warming

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