青藏高原对全球大气温度和水汽分布的影响

利用耦合的气候模式CESM, 定量研究青藏高原对全球大气温度和水汽分布的影响。通过对比采用真实地形的参考实验(Real)和去掉青藏高原的敏感性实验(NoTibet)发现, 去掉青藏高原会使北半球大气变冷、变干, 对南半球的影响不明显。北半球中高纬度从地表至平流层均有强烈降温, 地表的降温中心在北大西洋, 年平均降温幅度达5ºC, 高空的降温中心在100 hPa的平流层, 年平均降温幅度达2ºC。北大西洋和南亚地区湿度减少, 南大西洋和东非地区湿度增加。北半球变冷主要是海洋向北经向热量输送减少的结果, 一方面增强了北半球的经向温度梯度, 导致Hadley环流增强, 加强了中低纬地区向北的大气热量输送, 部分补偿了海洋向北减少的热量输送, 维持了北半球中低纬度的能量平衡; 另一方面, 使得北半球中高纬度蒸发作用减弱, 大气中水汽含量减少, 北半球变得寒冷干燥。初步的研究表明, 青藏高原对北半球气候有重大影响, 影响范围可达北半球高纬度地区。     

大西洋热盐环流减弱对热带太平洋气候平均态及年际变率的影响

利用一个完全耦合的海气模式, 通过对比分析两组试验中海表温度、盐度、风应力等气候态变化特征以及ENSO强度和频率的变化, 研究热带太平洋气候平均态及年际变率对热盐环流减弱的响应。在北大西洋高纬地区注入1 Sv淡水后, 大西洋经向翻转流(AMOC)减弱约90%, 这直接导致向北的经向热量输送减少, 使北大西洋有明显降温, 南大西洋略有升温。这些变化会经过大气和海洋的远程传播以及局地海气反馈作用, 影响热带太平洋气候平均态: 赤道东西太平洋的SST都略有增温, 但纬向温度梯度和纬向风应力并没有太大变化, 赤道太平洋温跃层的深度和倾斜度也基本保持不变。相应地, ENSO强度和频率也没有明显变化。由此得出结论: 热盐环流减弱会引起全球气候平均态的变化, 但对热带太平洋的年际变率没有太大影响。     

水球世界气候态与经向热量输送的数值模拟试验

利用完全耦合的气候模式(FOAM), 通过两组理想的水球试验, 研究水球气候系统中的平均气候态和经向热量输送。两组水球试验分别是Aqua和Ridge, 前者整个星球完全被水覆盖, 没有任何陆地, 后者与前者的唯一区别是从南极到北极有一道连续的地脊。相比于现实世界, 水球世界的气候更加温暖, 极地几乎没有海冰。北半球的经向温度梯度较现实世界弱, 导致北半球的大气经向热量输送较小。这些差别主要来源于海陆分布改变造成的行星反照率的改变, 而云量的增加部分抵消了这种改变。尽管在两个水球试验中海洋环流和平均温度场差别很大, 但大气平均气候态差别不大。不同于Ridge, 在Aqua中赤道区域出现“反”哈德雷环流, 使得低纬度大气向赤道方向输送热量。尽管水球世界的海洋环流与现实世界相比发生了巨大改变, 但总的经向热量输送及其在大气和海洋之间的分配依然保持稳定。中小尺度的涡旋和扩散引起的经向热量输送部分抵消了大尺度环流引起的经向热量输送, 尤其在中纬度起着重要作用。     

太平洋内区经向热输送的季节变化分析

为刻画整个太平洋内区经向热输送的基本特征及其季节变化,并初步探讨变化的原因,基于Argo温盐资料,利用P矢量法反演了太平洋的绝对地转流(AGC),并结合Ekman流,分析了年平均和季节平均的经向热输送。结果显示,在13°S~13°N,经向热输送主要由Ekman经向热输送控制,季节变化显著,且南北半球变化相反,北半球1-3月有北向输送最大值,8-10月当经向热输送转为南向时,Ekman经向热输送达到最小;南北太平洋经向热输送的季节变化存在显著的不对称特征,北太平洋的明显强于南太平洋,低纬度海域的明显大于高纬度海域。分析表明,经向热输送的季节变化与纬向风应力的变化直接相关,由于未能有效包含西边界流及赤道区域,对比前人的研究结果后推测,西边界流和赤道流在维持南北太平洋经向热输送的平衡中扮演了重要角色。     

干、湿大气环流模式中地表增温的经向分布及其机制

使用耦合了平板海洋的三维大气环流模式, 探究理想条件下极地增温放大现象的产生机制。实验中关闭海冰和云的辐射效应, 固定地表反照率, 并将海洋经向热量输送设置为零。通过控制地表蒸发的有无, 模拟湿大气和干大气两种情形。模拟结果显示, CO₂浓度加倍后, 湿大气环流模式中存在极地增温放大的现象, 而干大气环流模式中不存在这种现象。在干大气环流模式中, 地表增温幅度基本上不随纬度变化, 即均匀增温。湿大气环流模式中, CO₂浓度加倍导致的直接辐射强迫和水汽反馈导致的辐射效应都是热带比极地更强, 唯一能够解释湿大气中极地增温放大原因的是从赤道向极地的大气能量传输增强。在干大气环流模式中, 从赤道向极地的热量输送及其变化比湿大气弱很多, 因此无法支持极地增温放大现象。干大气中的均匀增温是CO₂的直接辐射强迫和普朗克效应相互竞争的结果。研究结果表明, 与水汽相关的经向热量输送是地球极地增温放大的关键因素, 而在基本上没有水汽的火星上, 可能不会出现极地增温放大现象。     

大西洋副极地海域西边界变化与翻转环流的关系特征

正大西洋经向翻转环流(Atlantic meridional overturing circulation,AMOC)是全球环流系统的重要组分,其基本结构可简单地刻画为上下两层.AMOC上层分支将海洋表层高温、高盐的海水向极地方向输送,密度相对较低的海水在北大西洋副极地海域的强烈海气交互作用下,下沉形成北大西洋深层水,继而在大西洋中深层向赤道方向流动,构成AMOC下层分支.然而海洋中的实际情况要复杂得多.传统观点基于理论和气候模式,认为位于北大西洋副极地的拉布拉多海是驱动AMOC变异的关键海域;     

青藏高原对非洲北部降水影响的模拟研究

利用耦合模式CESM1.0, 研究青藏高原地形对非洲北部降水的影响。敏感性试验结果表明, 去掉青藏高原地形后, 首先, 大气环流迅速做出调整, 出现自热带大西洋向东北方向至北非的水汽输送异常和自印度洋向西至北非的水汽输送异常, 造成北非大气水汽含量增加和水汽辐合增强, 降水增多。然后, 当海洋环流调整到准平衡态时, 北大西洋海表温度降低, 南大西洋海表温度升高, 地表大气温度也发生相应的变化。在南北温度梯度的影响下, 原本由热带大西洋向北非的水汽输送发生转向, 导致北非的水汽含量减少和水汽辐合减弱, 使得降水比前一阶段减少。即便如此, 在没有青藏高原的试验中, 当海洋环流调整到平衡态时, 北非大部分区域水汽辐合仍然强于有青藏高原的真实地形试验, 区域平均降水也增多。结果表明, 青藏高原的隆升可能在一定程度上加剧了北非的干旱化。     

冬季太平洋海表温度与北半球中纬度大气环流异常的共变模态

根据近50年的全球海洋和大气再分析资料,利用奇异值分解和子波变换分析方法及绕极涡分析途径,揭示了冬季太平洋海表温度（SST）与北半球中纬度大气环流异常共变模态的时空特征．结果表明,冬季太平洋SST与北半球中纬度大气环流异常之间主要表现为两种时空结构显著不同的共变模态,即年际的ENSO模态和准20a时间尺度的年代际北太平洋模态．二者在空间结构上具有明显差异．对于年际ENSO模态,海洋异常表现为典型的ENSO型SST异常分布．其主信号在热带中东太平洋,次信号在北太平洋,两者变化位相相反;大气异常主要为PNA型波列,局限于太平洋一北美地区,具有局域性特征,对于年代际北太平洋模态,SST异常则主要限于中纬度北太平洋地区,表现为北太平洋中西部与北美西岸SST异常呈反相变化;大气异常则表现为整个中纬度西风带上纬向波列分布,具有纬向全球性特征,即不仅与PNA遥相关型联系,而且与太平洋上游的欧亚大气环流异常也有密切关系,当中纬度北太平洋异常冷时,则中纬度大气整个定常槽脊系统加强,反之,则减弱．进一步对大西洋分析表明,年代际北太平洋模态的产生很有可能与“两个海洋与一个大气”的耦合相互作用机制有关．     

蒸发互补关系的区域变异性

为了研究蒸发互补关系的区域变异性,该文引入了水汽压-温度(p-t)状态空间.在蒸发互补关系中,湿润环境蒸散发量通常采用Priestley-Taylor(P-T)公式进行计算.研究表明:大气环流和洋流将热量和水汽由低纬度向高纬度输送,导致P-T公式中的参数α随纬度增高而增大;海陆之间的大气运动将水汽由海洋输送到陆地,导致α随着离海洋距离的增加而减小.这与中国108个流域的水文气象数据所揭示的规律是一致的.     

北大西洋热盐环流对温室气体浓度变化的响应

利用海?气耦合模式模拟了北大西洋热盐环流对外强迫的平衡响应。大气中CO₂浓度加倍后, 热盐环流强度将减弱约20%; 大气中CO₂浓度减半后, 热盐环流将增强约13%。研究结果表明, 热盐环流对外强迫的响应有两个阶段: 瞬变阶段和平衡阶段。瞬变响应主要取决于局地海表热通量和淡水通量的变化, 平衡响应还与非局地热量输送和淡水输送过程有关, 两个过程作用相互竞争。在CO₂加倍实验中, 与淡水输送相关联的正反馈作用更强, 导致热盐环流略有恢复; 在CO₂减半实验中, 热量输送与淡水输送作用相抵, 热盐环流没有明显的恢复。此外, 海水密度与其温度的非线性关系导致CO₂加倍和减半实验中热盐环流的响应大小是非对称的。     

Eastern Pacific cooling and Atlantic overturning circulation during the last deglaciation

Surface ocean conditions in the equatorial Pacific Ocean could hold the clue to whether millennial-scale global climate change during glacial times was initiated through tropical ocean-atmosphere feedbacks or by changes in the Atlantic thermohaline circulation. North Atlantic cold periods during Heinrich events and millennial-scale cold events (stadials) have been linked with climatic changes in the tropical Atlantic Ocean and South America, as well as the Indian and East Asian monsoon systems, but not with tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures. Here we present a high-resolution record of sea surface temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific derived from alkenone unsaturation measurements. Our data show a temperature drop of approximately 1 degrees C, synchronous (within dating uncertainties) with the shutdown of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation during Heinrich event 1, and a smaller temperature drop of approximately 0.5 degrees C synchronous with the smaller reduction in the overturning circulation during the Younger Dryas event. Both cold events coincide with maxima in surface ocean productivity as inferred from 230Th-normalized carbon burial fluxes, suggesting increased upwelling at the time. From the concurrence of equatorial Pacific cooling with the two North Atlantic cold periods during deglaciation, we conclude that these millennial-scale climate changes were probably driven by a reorganization of the oceans' thermohaline circulation, although possibly amplified by tropical ocean-atmosphere interaction as suggested before.     

Slowdown of the meridional overturning circulation in the upper Pacific Ocean

Decadal temperature fluctuations in the Pacific Ocean have a significant effect on marine ecosystems and the climate of North America. The physical mechanisms responsible for these fluctuations are poorly understood. Some theories ascribe a central role to the wind-driven meridional overturning circulation between the tropical and subtropical oceans. Here we show, from observations over the past 50 years, that this overturning circulation has been slowing down since the 1970s, causing a decrease in upwelling of about 25% in an equatorial strip between 9 degrees N and 9 degrees S. This reduction in equatorial upwelling of relatively cool water, from 47 x 10(6) to 35 x 10(6) m3 s(-1), is associated with a rise in equatorial sea surface temperatures of about 0.8 degrees C. Another effect of the slowing circulation is a reduction in the outgassing of CO2 from the equatorial Pacific Ocean-at present the largest oceanic source of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.     

Weak response of the Atlantic thermohaline circulation to an increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide in IAP／LASG Climate System Model

Response of the Atlantic thermohaline circulation (THC) to global warming is examined by using the climate system model developed at IAP/LASG. The evidence indicates that the gradually warming climate associated with the increased atmospheric carbon dioxide leads to a warmer and fresher sea surface water at the high latitudes of the North Atlantic Ocean, which prevents the down-welling of the surface water. The succedent reduction of the pole-toequator meridional potential density gradient finally results in the decrease of the THC in intensity. When the atmospheric carbon dioxide is doubled, the maximum value of the Atlantic THC decreases approximately by 8%. The associated poleward oceanic heat transport also becomes weaker. This kind of THC weakening centralizes mainly in the northern part of the North Atlantic basin, indicating briefly a local scale adjustment rather than a loop oscillation with the whole Atlantic “conveyor belt” decelerating.     

Collapse and rapid resumption of Atlantic meridional circulation linked to deglacial climate changes

The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation is widely believed to affect climate. Changes in ocean circulation have been inferred from records of the deep water chemical composition derived from sedimentary nutrient proxies, but their impact on climate is difficult to assess because such reconstructions provide insufficient constraints on the rate of overturning. Here we report measurements of 231Pa/230Th, a kinematic proxy for the meridional overturning circulation, in a sediment core from the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean. We find that the meridional overturning was nearly, or completely, eliminated during the coldest deglacial interval in the North Atlantic region, beginning with the catastrophic iceberg discharge Heinrich event H1, 17,500 yr ago, and declined sharply but briefly into the Younger Dryas cold event, about 12,700 yr ago. Following these cold events, the 231Pa/230Th record indicates that rapid accelerations of the meridional overturning circulation were concurrent with the two strongest regional warming events during deglaciation. These results confirm the significance of variations in the rate of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation for abrupt climate changes.     

Advancing decadal-scale climate prediction in the North Atlantic sector

The climate of the North Atlantic region exhibits fluctuations on decadal timescales that have large societal consequences. Prominent examples include hurricane activity in the Atlantic, and surface-temperature and rainfall variations over North America, Europe and northern Africa. Although these multidecadal variations are potentially predictable if the current state of the ocean is known, the lack of subsurface ocean observations that constrain this state has been a limiting factor for realizing the full skill potential of such predictions. Here we apply a simple approach-that uses only sea surface temperature (SST) observations-to partly overcome this difficulty and perform retrospective decadal predictions with a climate model. Skill is improved significantly relative to predictions made with incomplete knowledge of the ocean state, particularly in the North Atlantic and tropical Pacific oceans. Thus these results point towards the possibility of routine decadal climate predictions. Using this method, and by considering both internal natural climate variations and projected future anthropogenic forcing, we make the following forecast: over the next decade, the current Atlantic meridional overturning circulation will weaken to its long-term mean; moreover, North Atlantic SST and European and North American surface temperatures will cool slightly, whereas tropical Pacific SST will remain almost unchanged. Our results suggest that global surface temperature may not increase over the next decade, as natural climate variations in the North Atlantic and tropical Pacific temporarily offset the projected anthropogenic warming.     

Decline of the marine ecosystem caused by a reduction in the Atlantic overturning circulation

Reorganizations of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation were associated with large and abrupt climatic changes in the North Atlantic region during the last glacial period. Projections with climate models suggest that similar reorganizations may also occur in response to anthropogenic global warming. Here I use ensemble simulations with a coupled climate-ecosystem model of intermediate complexity to investigate the possible consequences of such disturbances to the marine ecosystem. In the simulations, a disruption of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation leads to a collapse of the North Atlantic plankton stocks to less than half of their initial biomass, owing to rapid shoaling of winter mixed layers and their associated separation from the deep ocean nutrient reservoir. Globally integrated export production declines by more than 20 per cent owing to reduced upwelling of nutrient-rich deep water and gradual depletion of upper ocean nutrient concentrations. These model results are consistent with the available high-resolution palaeorecord, and suggest that global ocean productivity is sensitive to changes in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation.     

2016年物理海洋学热点回眸

 物理海洋学是由海洋观测、理论分析和数值模拟共同推动的科学。得益于海洋观测和数值模拟能力的提高,2016年物理海洋学取得了一系列重要进展。简述了2016年大西洋经向翻转环流变异、西边界流与中尺度涡相互作用、温跃层湍流混合等重要研究成果,回顾了中国在热带西太平洋及邻近海域海洋观测网的建成、新型Argo浮标投入使用等海洋学热点事件。     

Slowing of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation at 25 degrees N

The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation carries warm upper waters into far-northern latitudes and returns cold deep waters southward across the Equator. Its heat transport makes a substantial contribution to the moderate climate of maritime and continental Europe, and any slowdown in the overturning circulation would have profound implications for climate change. A transatlantic section along latitude 25 degrees N has been used as a baseline for estimating the overturning circulation and associated heat transport. Here we analyse a new 25 degrees N transatlantic section and compare it with four previous sections taken over the past five decades. The comparison suggests that the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation has slowed by about 30 per cent between 1957 and 2004. Whereas the northward transport in the Gulf Stream across 25 degrees N has remained nearly constant, the slowing is evident both in a 50 per cent larger southward-moving mid-ocean recirculation of thermocline waters, and also in a 50 per cent decrease in the southward transport of lower North Atlantic Deep Water between 3,000 and 5,000 m in depth. In 2004, more of the northward Gulf Stream flow was recirculating back southward in the thermocline within the subtropical gyre, and less was returning southward at depth.