The stratospheric influences on the non-uniform variation in early spring（March–April,MA）surface temperature over Eurasia is investigated based on the ERA-Interim,NCEP-1,and NCEP-2 reanalysis data for the period1980–2016.A lead–lag correlation is found between preceding winter（December–February,DJF）stratospheric polar vortex displacements（SPVD）and the MA west–east seesaw pattern in surface temperature over Eurasia.Further analysis reveals that the East Asian jet stream may act as a bridge linking DJF SPVD and MA surface temperature over Eurasia.A positive change in SPVD is associated with a decelerated polar jet stream and an accelerated East Asian jet stream in the troposphere in DJF.The East Asian jet stream signal can persist into MA.As a result,anomalous southerly/northerly winds prevail over western/eastern Eurasia,accounting for the west–east surface temperature seesaw over Eurasia.
This study investigates the trends in the mean state and the day-to-day variability （DDV） of the surface weather conditions over northern and northeastern China （NNEC） during 1961-2014 using CN05.1 observational data. In this study, we show that the surface temperature （wind speed） has increased （decreased） over NNEC and that the DDV of the surface temperatures and wind speeds has decreased, indicating a trend towards a stable warm and windless state of the surface weather conditions over NNEC. This finding implies a trend towards more persistent hot and windless episodes, which threaten human health and aggravate environmental problems. The trends are also examined in reanalysis data. Both the ERA-40 and the NCEP data show an increasing （decreasing） trend in the mean state of the surface temperatures （wind speeds）. However, the reanalysis data show a consistent decreasing trend in the DDV of the surface weather conditions only in the spring. The underlying reason for the decreased DDV of the surface weather conditions is further analyzed, focusing on the spring season. Essentially, the decreased DDV of the surface weather conditions can be attributed to a decrease in synoptic-scale wave activity, which is caused by a decrease in the baroclinic instability. There is a contrasting change in the baroclinic instability over East Asia, showing a decreasing （increasing） trend north （south） of 40°N. This contrasting change in the baroclinic instability is primarily caused by a tropospheric cooling zone over East Asia at approximately 40°N, which influences the meridional temperature gradient over East Asia.
Accurate estimations of grain output in the agriculturally important region of Northeast China are of great strategic significance for guaranteeing food security.New prediction models for maize and rice yields are built in this paper based on the spring North Atlantic Oscillation index and the Bering Sea ice cover index.The year-to-year increment is first forecasted and then the original yield value is obtained by adding the historical yield of the previous year.The multivariate linear prediction model of maize shows good predictive ability,with a low normalized root-mean-square error（NRMSE）of 13.9%,and the simulated yield accounts for 81%of the total variance of the observation.To improve the performance of the multivariate linear model,a combined forecasting model of rice is built by considering the weight of the predictors.The NRMSE of the model is 12.9%and the predicted rice yield explains 71%of the total variance.The corresponding cross-validation test and independent samples test further demonstrate the efficiency of the models.It is inferred that the statistical models established here by applying year-to-year increment approach could make rational prediction for the maize and rice yield in Northeast China before harvest.The present study may shed new light on yield prediction in advance by use of antecedent large-scale climate signals adequately.
The ultimate goal of climate research is to produce climate predictions on various time scales. In China, efforts to predict the climate started in the 1930 s. Experimental operational climate forecasts have been performed since the late 1950 s,based on historical analog circulation patterns. However, due to the inherent complexity of climate variability, the forecasts produced at that time were fairly inaccurate. Only from the late 1980 s has seasonal climate prediction experienced substantial progress, when the Tropical Ocean and Global Atmosphere project of the World Climate Research program（WCRP） was launched. This paper, following a brief description of the history of seasonal climate prediction research, provides an overview of these studies in China. Processes and factors associated with the climate variability and predictability are discussed based on the literature published by Chinese scientists. These studies in China mirror aspects of the climate research effort made in other parts of the world over the past several decades, and are particularly associated with monsoon research in East Asia. As the climate warms, climate extremes, their frequency, and intensity are projected to change, with a large possibility that they will increase. Thus, seasonal climate prediction is even more important for China in order to effectively mitigate disasters produced by climate extremes, such as frequent floods, droughts, and the heavy frozen rain events of South China.
Air quality in eastern China has becoming more and more worrying in recent years, and haze is now No.1 air pollution issue. Results in this study show the decreasing Arctic sea ice(ASI) is an important contributor to the recent increased haze days in eastern China. The authors find that the number of winter haze days(WHD) in eastern China is strongly negatively correlated with the preceding autumn ASI during 1979–2012, and about 45%– 67% of the WHD interannual to interdecadal variability can be explained by ASI variability. Following previous studies on the impact of ASI loss on the northern hemisphere climate, the authors' studies further reveal that the reduction of autumn ASI leads to positive sea-level pressure anomalies in mid-latitude Eurasia, northward shift of track of cyclone activity in China, and weak Rossby wave activity in eastern China south of 40N during winter season. These atmospheric circulation changes favor less cyclone activity and more stable atmosphere in eastern China, leading to more haze days there. Furthermore, the patterns of circulation changes associated with autumn ASI and WHD are in very good agreement over the East Asia, particularly in eastern China. The authors suggest that haze pollution may continue to be a serious issue in the near future as the decline of ASI continues under global warming.
This paper documents a decadal strengthened co-variability of the Antarctic Oscillation （AAO） and ENSO in austral spring after the mid-1990s. During the period 1979-93, the ENSO （AAO） spatial signatures are restricted to the tropicsmidlatitudes （Antarctic-midlatitudes） of the Southern Hemisphere （SH）, with a weak connection between the two oscillations. Comparatively, after the mid-1990s, the E1 Nifio-related atmospheric anomalies project on a negative AAO pattern with a barotropic structure in the mid-high latitudes of the SH. The expansion of E1 Nifio-related air temperature anomalies have a heightened impact on the meridional thermal structure of the SH, contributing to a weakened circumpolar westerly and strengthened subtropical jet. Meanwhile, the ENSO-related southern three-cell circulations expand poleward and then strongly couple the Antarctic and the tropics. Numerical simulation results suggest that the intensified connection between ENSO and SST in the South Pacific since the mid-1990s is responsible for the strengthened AAO-ENSO relationship.
This paper presents the surface cooling trend observed in spring along East Asia coast after the late 1990s,in contrast to the global warming trend.This surface cooling trend is comprehensible as it agrees well with the cooling of sea surface temperature(SST)in the northwestern Pacific and the weakening of 300 hPa East Asian jet(EAJ)during spring.Moreover,this cooling phenomenon has been shown to be related to the rapid decline of Arctic sea ice cover(SIC)in previous autumns.The Arctic SIC signals in previous autumns can continue in spring and act as enhanced moisture sources that support the increased snow cover in Siberia during spring.The increased Siberian snow cover possibly favors the southward invasion of cold air masses via strong radiative cooling and large-scale descending motion,which may contribute indirectly to the reduction of temperature in East Asia.In addition,three climate models that can reproduce well the East Asian spring surface cooling observed in the past predicted uncertainty in the spring temperature projection in the next decade.
