Fall Persistence Barrier of Sea Surface Temperature in the South China Sea Associated with ENSO*

Chen, Jau‐Ming; Li, Tim; Shih, Ching-Feng

doi:10.1175/jcli4000.1

Cited by 45 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 44 publications

(71 reference statements)

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“…It is found that the appearance of the lower-level Philippine Sea circulation anomaly is closely related to evident spring rainfall variability in Taiwan. This circulation anomaly was found to move eastward across the IO into the South China Sea during fall and anchor in the Philippine Sea during winter (Chen et al 2007). Such developing processes allow us to detect the occurrence of the Philippine Sea circulation anomaly at least one to two seasons prior to spring.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Asymmetry of the El Nino-Spring Rainfall Relationship in Taiwan

Chen

Shih³

2008

Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan

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Spring rainfall in Taiwan can be either enhanced or suppressed by an El Niño event, revealing an asymmetric relationship. This observational study aims at examining this asymmetric relationship and associated large-scale dynamic processes. Analysis results disclose four major El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-spring rainfall relationship types during 1950-2003: El Niño-anomalous wet (EN-w) type, La Niña-anomalous dry (LN-d) type, El Niño-anomalous dry (EN-d) type, and La Niña-anomalous wet (LN-w) type. The EN-w and LN-d (EN-d and LN-w) types exhibit a positive (negative) correlation between the spring rainfall anomaly and the ENSO-related sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA). The overall ENSO-spring rainfall relationship is dominated by the positive correlation.The cause of the asymmetric ENSO impacts between the positive-and negative-correlation groups is attributed to a connection between ENSO and the Indian Ocean (IO) SSTA and associated large-scale atmospheric circulation. The positive-correlation types tend to concur with an evident ENSO-IO connection, featuring significant in-phase SSTA centers in the tropical eastern Pacific and eastern IO. During the El Niño (La Niña) event, these SST anomalies force a descending (ascending) branch over the western Pacific and help initiate and maintain a lower-level anticyclone (cyclone) anomaly in the Philippine Sea (southeast of Taiwan). Flows west of this anomalous anticyclone (cyclone) enhance (suppress) moisture transport from the South China Sea into Taiwan, resulting in increased (decreased) spring rainfall. For the negative-correlation types, the ENSO-IO connection tends to be weak or broken. The significant SSTA appears only in the tropical eastern Pacific, which induces a major vertical motion branch over the maritime continent. As a result, an anomalous lower-level anticyclone (cyclone) occurs over the Asian continent (west of Taiwan) during the El Niño (La Niña) event. Flows east of this anomalous anticyclone (cyclone) weaken (strengthen) moisture transport from the South China Sea into Taiwan, leading to suppressed (enhanced) spring rainfall.It is also noted that the variability of the Pacific subtropical high (PSH) over the western Pacific is closely linked to these four relationship types. The EN-d (LN-w) type concurs with a moderate westward expansion (eastward retreat) in the western-Pacific sector, while the EN-w (LN-d) type is concurrent with a southward (great eastward) displacement.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Asymmetry of the El Nino-Spring Rainfall Relationship in Taiwan

Chen

Shih³

2008

Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan

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“…However, the dynamic process is not clear, and more in-depth investigation is required in the future. Chen et al (2007) have already examined the relationship between the SCS FPB and ENSO, and they pointed out that the SCS FPB is well-recognized in the developing phase of strong ENSO cases, but becomes vague in weak ENSO and non-ENSO cases. We perform similar computations for the SCS and the Indonesia region.…”

Section: The Relationship Between the Persistence Barrier And The Intmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Chen et al (2007) found a fall persistence barrier (FPB) of SSTA in the South China Sea (SCS), and the SCS FPB is well-recognized in the developing phase of strong ENSO cases, but becomes vague in weak ENSO and non-ENSO cases. The SCS is located in the wellknown East Asian monsoon region, and variability of the ocean-atmosphere in the SCS region can have a noticeable impact on the East Asian climate (e. g., Huang and Sun, 1992;Shen and Lau, 1995;Tomita and Yasunari, 1996;Ose et al, 1997;Wang and Fan, 1999;Wang et al, 2001;Bueh et al, 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Comparing the persistence characteristics of the SCS SSTA and ENSO on different time scales will provide a clear understanding of these questions. Since Chen et al (2007) found that the SCS FPB is well-recognized in the developing phase of strong ENSO cases, it is necessary to further analyze the role of the interannual-interdecadal variability of SSTA in this relationship. Further analyses over different time scales, on the basis of the work of Chen et al (2007), should contribute to a better understanding of the causes and physical processes of the persistence barrier in the SCS, especially for detecting regional differences between the SCS FPB and the ENSO SPB.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, Chen et al (2007) only investigated the persistence barrier in the SCS in terms of correlations of a region-mean SST index in the domain 10…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Possible causes for the persistence barrier of SSTA in the South China Sea and the vicinity of Indonesia

Zhao

Li²

2009

Adv. Atmos. Sci.

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The persistence barrier refers to the lag correlation of sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) showing a rapid and significant decline in a specific season, regardless of the starting month. This implies that there is a decrease in forecast skill for SSTA in this specific season. This paper investigates the possible causes for the persistence barrier of SSTA in the South China Sea (SCS) and its adjacent regions from the perspective of interannual-interdecadal time scales. The results show that the persistence barrier of SSTA exists not only in the SCS, but also in the vicinity of Indonesia south of the equator. The SCS barrier occurs around October-November, while the occurrence of the barrier in the Indonesia region is around November-December. For these two regions, the occurrence of the persistence barrier is closely associated with the interdecadal variability of SSTA, as well as the interannual variability. The persistence barriers in the SCS and the Indonesia region do not exist alone if the interdecadal variability is not considered, because SSTA have a short memory of less than 4 months, regardless of the starting month. Moreover, the influence of the interdecadal variability of SSTA on the persistence barrier of SSTA in the SCS and the Indonesia region may be associated with SSTA in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific, but is not closely associated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. However, compared with the spring persistence barrier (SPB) of ENSO, the close relationship between the persistence barriers in the SCS and the Indonesia region and the interdecadal variability is unique, since the ENSO SPB is not significantly affected by such variability. In addition, although the persistence barriers in both the SCS and the Indonesia region are quite obvious in strong ENSO cases, the interdecadal variability of SSTA also plays a non-negligible role in this relationship.

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The negative feedback effects of sea surface temperatures on El Niño Events in the West Indian Ocean

Zhang

Liu

et al. 2019

Atmospheric Science Letters

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In this study, multiple sets of atmospheric and oceanic observational data were used in combination with composite analysis and correlation analysis methods, in order to analyze the anomalous eastward spread phenomena of the equatorial Indian Ocean during the autumn and winter seasons when El Niño events have previously occurred. The analysis results showed that anomalous increases in the SSTs (sea surface temperatures) in the West Indian Ocean during the early autumn seasons had triggered the responses of anomalous easterlies. Meanwhile, anomalous anticyclonic circulation was observed to have existed on the north side of the easterlies. It was found that with the maximum center of the specific humidity retreating toward the vicinity of the equator during the processes of the seasonal conversion, the asymmetry of moisture advection on the eastern and western sides of the anomalous anticyclonic circulations tended to lead to the circulation systems to move in an eastward direction until reaching the Northwest Pacific region. During the winter seasons with peak periods of El Niño events, the easterly anomalies in the equatorial West Pacific Ocean were found to stimulate the upturning Kelvin fluctuations in the ocean. This resulted in eastward spreading actions which eventually helped the El Niño events to transform into La Niña events.

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Fall Persistence Barrier of Sea Surface Temperature in the South China Sea Associated with ENSO*

Cited by 45 publications

References 44 publications

Asymmetry of the El Nino-Spring Rainfall Relationship in Taiwan

Asymmetry of the El Nino-Spring Rainfall Relationship in Taiwan

Possible causes for the persistence barrier of SSTA in the South China Sea and the vicinity of Indonesia

The negative feedback effects of sea surface temperatures on El Niño Events in the West Indian Ocean

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