A study of biases in simulation of the Indian Ocean basin mode and its capacitor effect in CMIP3/CMIP5 models

Based on 15 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) phase 3 (CMIP3) and 32 CMIP phase 5 (CMIP5) models, a detailed diagnosis was carried out to understand what compose the biases in simulation of the Indian Ocean basin mode (IOBM) and its capacitor effect. Cloud-radiation-SST (CRS) feedback and wind-evaporation-SST (WES) feedback are the two major atmospheric processes for SST changes. Most CMIP models simulate a stronger CRS feedback and a weaker WES feedback. During boreal fall of the El Niño/Southern Oscillation developing year and the following spring, there are weak biases of suppressed rainfall anomalies over the Maritime Continent and anomalous anticyclone over South Indian Ocean. Most CMIP models simulate reasonable short wave radiation (SWR) and weaker latent heat flux (LHF) anomalies. This leads to a weak bias of atmospheric processes. During winter, however, the rainfall anomalies are stronger due to west bias, and the anomalous anticyclone is comparable to observations. As such, most models simulate stronger SWR and reasonable LHF anomalies, leading to a strong bias of atmospheric processes. The thermocline feedback is stronger in most models. Though there is a deep bias of climatology thermocline, most models capture reasonable sea surface height-induced SST anomalies. Therefore, the effect of oceanic processes offset the weak bias of atmospheric processes in spring, and the tropical Indian Ocean warming persists into summer. However, anomalous northwest Pacific (NWP) anticyclone is weaker due to weak and west bias of the capacitor effect. The unrealistic western Pacific SST anomalies in models favor the westward extension of Rossby wave from the Pacific, weakening the effect of Kelvin wave from the Indian Ocean. Moreover, the western Pacific warming forces the NWP anticyclone move farther north than observations, suggesting a major forcing from the Pacific. Compared to CMIP3, CMIP5 models simulate the feedbacks more realistically and display less diversity. Thus, the overall performance of CMIP5 models is better than that of CMIP3 models.     

Warming in the Northwestern Indian Ocean Associated with the El Nio Event

This paper investigates possible warming effects of an El Nino event on the sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) in the northwestern Indian Ocean. Most pure positive Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) events (without an El Nino event co-occurring) have a maximum positive SSTA mainly in the central Indian Ocean south of the equator, while most co-occurrences with an El Nino event exhibit a northwest-southeast typical dipole mode. It is therefore inferred that warming in the northwestern Indian Ocean is closely related to the El Nino event. Based on the atmospheric bridge theory, warming in the northwestern Indian Ocean during co-occurring cases may be primarily caused by relatively less latent heat loss from the ocean due to reduced wind speed. The deepened thermocline also contributes to the warming along the east coast of Africa through the suppressed upwelling of the cold water. Therefore, the El Nino event is suggested to have a modulating effect on the structure of the dipole mode in the tropical Indian Ocean.     

Warming in the northwestern Indian Ocean associated with the El Niño event

This paper investigates possible warming effects of an E1 Nifio event on the sea surface temperature anomaly （SSTA） in the northwestern Indian Ocean. Most pure positive Indian Ocean dipole （IOD） events （without an E1 Nifio event co-occurring） have a maximum positive SSTA mainly in the central Indian Ocean south of the equator, while most co-occurrences with an E1 Nifio event exhibit a northwest-southeast typical dipole mode. It is therefore inferred that warming in the northwestern Indian Ocean is closely related to the E1 Nifio event. Based on the atmospheric bridge theory, warming in the northwestern Indian Ocean during co-occurring cases may be primarily caused by relatively less latent heat loss from the ocean due to reduced wind speed. The deepened thermocline also contributes to the warming along the east coast of Africa through the suppressed upwelling of the cold water. Therefore, the E1 Nifio event is suggested to have a modulating effect on the structure of the dipole mode in the tropical Indian Ocean.     

Warming in the Northwestern Indian Ocean Associated with the El Ni(n)o Event

This paper investigates possible warming effects of an El Ni(n)o event on the sea surface temperature anomaly(SSTA)in the northwestern Indian Ocean.Most pure positive Indian Ocean dipole(IOD)events (without an El Ni(n)o event co-occurring) have a maximum positive SSTA mainly in the central Indian Ocean south of the equator.while most co-occurrences with an El Ni(n)o event exhibit a northwest-southeast typical dipole mode.It is therefore inferred that warming in the northwestern Indian Ocean is closely related to the El Ni(n)o event.Based on the atmospheric bridge theory,warming in the northwestern Indian Ocean during co-occurring cases may be primarily caused by relatively less latent heat loss from the ocean due to reduced wind speed.The deepened thermocline also contributes to the warming along the east coast of Africa through the suppressed upwelling of the cold water.Therefore,the El Ni(n)o event is suggested to have a modulating effect on the structure of the dipole mode in the tropical Indian Ocean.     

前冬印度洋海盆一致模对ENSO衰减期华南春季降水的影响

利用逐月台站观测降水、HadISST1.1海温和ERA5大气再分析资料,研究了前冬印度洋海盆一致模（Indian Ocean Basin,IOB）对华南春季降水（SCSR）与ENSO关系的影响,并分析了IOB通过调控ENSO环流异常进而影响SCSR的可能机制。结果表明:当前冬El Ni?o（La Ni?a）与IOB暖（冷）位相同时发生时,SCSR显著增多（减少）;而当El Ni?o或La Ni?a单独发生而IOB处于中性时,SCSR并无明显多寡倾向。其原因在于,当El Ni?o与IOB暖相位并存时,前冬热带印度洋和赤道中东太平洋均为正海温异常（Sea-Surface Temperature Anomaly,SSTA）,且印度洋SSTA强度可一直维持至春季。在对流层低层,春季赤道中东太平洋的正SSTA激发出异常西北太平洋反气旋（Western North Pacific Anticyclone,WNPAC）。而热带印度洋的正SSTA在副热带印度洋激发出赤道南北反对称环流,赤道以北的东风异常有利于异常WNPAC西伸;赤道以南的西风异常与来自赤道西太平洋的东风异常在东印度洋辐合上升,气流至西北太平洋下沉,形成经向垂直环流,有利于春季WNPAC维持。在对流层高层,印度洋的正SSTA在热带印度洋上空激发出位势高度正异常,随之形成的气压经向梯度加强了东亚高空副热带西风急流,进而在华南上空形成异常辐散环流。WNPAC的西伸和加强可为华南提供充足的水汽,同时高空辐散在华南引发水汽上升运动,共同导致SCSR正异常。而若El Ni?o发生时IOB处于中性状态,El Ni?o相关的SSTA衰减较快,春季WNPAC不显著,SCSR无明显多寡趋势。      

Indian Ocean variability in the CMIP5 multi-model ensemble: the zonal dipole mode

The performance of 21 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) models in the simulation of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) mode is evaluated. Compared to CMIP3, CMIP5 models exhibit a similar spread in IOD intensity. A detailed diagnosis was carried out to understand whether CMIP5 models have shown improvement in their representation of the important dynamical and thermodynamical feedbacks in the tropical Indian Ocean. These include the Bjerknes dynamic air-sea feedback, which includes the equatorial zonal wind response to sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly, the thermocline response to equatorial zonal wind forcing, the ocean subsurface temperature response to the thermocline variations, and the thermodynamic air-sea coupling that includes the wind-evaporation-SST and cloud-radiation-SST feedback. Compared to CMIP3, the CMIP5 ensemble produces a more realistic positive wind-evaporation-SST feedback during the IOD developing phase, while the simulation of Bjerknes dynamic feedback is more unrealistic especially with regard to the wind response to SST forcing and the thermocline response to surface wind forcing. The overall CMIP5 performance in the IOD simulation does not show remarkable improvements compared to CMIP3. It is further noted that the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and IOD amplitudes are closely related, if a model generates a strong ENSO, it is likely that this model also simulates a strong IOD.     

两类El Ni?o对应的印度洋偶极子事件的比较研究

利用多种大气和海洋再分析资料,采用合成分析及2.5层简化海洋模型数值模拟等方法,研究了1951—2012年期间,与东部和中部型El Ni?o事件相伴随的热带印度洋海温偶极子(Indian Ocean Dipole,IOD)出现时,热带印度洋海温异常增暖及其上空海气耦合特征的物理机制。结果表明:夏秋季节,伴随东部型El Ni?o而发生的IOD事件(EP-IOD)和伴随中部型El Ni?o而发生的IOD事件(CP-IOD)中,热带印度洋海温正异常的强度与空间分布具有很大差异。对于EP-IOD事件,夏季,海温正异常中心最先出现在热带西北印度洋;随后秋季,海温正异常向东南发展并扩大至热带中南印度洋,强度较强。对于CP-IOD事件,夏季和秋季,海温正异常中心都位于热带中南印度洋,呈东西向带状分布,但海温正异常强度较EP-IOD事件中弱。进一步分析表明,在EP-IOD事件中,夏季,热带西北印度洋海区西南季风偏弱,通过影响夹卷混合过程导致热带西北印度洋海温上升;秋季,热带西北印度洋上空的异常偏东风导致垂向夹卷混合的正异常,对热带西北印度洋增暖的维持起到重要作用;热带中南印度洋的增暖主要受赤道东南印度洋西传的暖性Rossby波影响。而在CP-IOD事件中,夏秋两季,热带中南印度洋海区出现显著的西北风异常,其上空风速的负异常是增温的主要原因;同时赤道东南印度洋西传的暖性Rossby波对热带中南印度洋的增暖也起到重要作用。      

Indian Ocean warming during 1958–2004 simulated by a climate system model and its mechanism

The mechanism responsible for Indian Ocean Sea surface temperature (SST) basin-wide warming trend during 1958–2004 is studied based on both observational data analysis and numerical experiments with a climate system model FGOALS-gl. To quantitatively estimate the relative contributions of external forcing (anthropogenic and natural forcing) and internal variability, three sets of numerical experiments are conducted, viz. an all forcing run forced by both anthropogenic forcing (greenhouse gases and sulfate aerosols) and natural forcing (solar constant and volcanic aerosols), a natural forcing run driven by only natural forcing, and a pre-industrial control run. The model results are compared to the observations. The results show that the observed warming trend during 1958–2004 (0.5 K (47-year)^?1) is largely attributed to the external forcing (more than 90 % of the total trend), while the residual is attributed to the internal variability. Model results indicate that the anthropogenic forcing accounts for approximately 98.8 % contribution of the external forcing trend. Heat budget analysis shows that the surface latent heat flux due to atmosphere and surface longwave radiation, which are mainly associated with anthropogenic forcing, are in favor of the basin-wide warming trend. The basin-wide warming is not spatially uniform, but with an equatorial IOD-like pattern in climate model. The atmospheric processes, oceanic processes and climatological latent heat flux together form an equatorial IOD-like warming pattern, and the oceanic process is the most important in forming the zonal dipole pattern. Both the anthropogenic forcing and natural forcing result in easterly wind anomalies over the equator, which reduce the wind speed, thereby lead to less evaporation and warmer SST in the equatorial western basin. Based on Bjerknes feedback, the easterly wind anomalies uplift the thermocline, which is unfavorable to SST warming in the eastern basin, and contribute to SST warming via deeper thermocline in the western basin. The easterly anomalies also drive westward anomalous equatorial currents, against the eastward climatology currents, which is in favor of the SST warming in the western basin via anomalous warm advection. Therefore, both the atmospheric and oceanic processes are in favor of the IOD-like warming pattern formation over the equator.     

Why is Indian Ocean warming consistently?

Observations have shown that the Indian Ocean is consistently warming and its warm pool is expanding, particularly in the recent decades. This paper attempts to investigate the reason behind these observations. Under global warming scenario, it is expected that the greenhouse gas induced changes in air–sea fluxes will enhance the warming. Surprisingly, it is found that the net surface heat fluxes over Indian Ocean warm pool (IOWP) region alone cannot explain the consistent warming. The warm pool area anomaly of IOWP is strongly correlated with the sea surface height anomaly, suggesting an important role played by the ocean advection processes in warming and expansion of IOWP. The structure of lead/lag correlations further suggests that Oceanic Rossby waves might be involved in the warming. Using heat budget analysis of several Ocean data assimilation products, it is shown that the net surface heat flux (advection) alone tends to cool (warm) the Ocean. Based on above observations, we propose an ocean-atmosphere coupled positive feedback mechanism for explaining the consistent warming and expansion of IOWP. Warming over IOWP induces an enhancement of convection in central equatorial Indian ocean, which causes anomalous easterlies along the equator. Anomalous easterlies in turn excite frequent Indian ocean Dipole events and cause anti-cyclonic wind stress curl in south-east and north-east equatorial Indian ocean. The anomalous wind stress curl triggers anomalous downwelling oceanic Rossby waves, thereby deepening the thermocline and resulting in advection of warm waters towards western Indian ocean. This acts as a positive feedback and results in more warming and westward expansion of IOWP.     

Water vapor transport and cross-equatorial flow over the Asian-Australia monsoon region simulated by CMIP5 climate models

The summer mean water vapor transport (WVT) and cross-equatorial flow (CEF) over the Asian-Australian monsoon region simulated by 22 coupled atmospheric-oceanic general circulation models (AOGCMs) from the World Climate Research Programme’s Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) were evaluated. Based on climatology of the twentieth-century simulations, most of models have a reasonably realistic representation of summer monsoon WVT characterized by southeast water vapor conveyor belt over the South Indian Ocean and southwest belt from the Arabian Sea to the East Asian. The correlation coefficients between NCEP reanalysis and simulations of BCC-CSM1-1, BNU-ESM, CanESM2, FGOALS-s2, MIROC4h and MPI-ESM-LR are up to 0.8. The simulated CEF depicted by the meridional wind along the equator includes the Somali jet and eastern CEF in low atmosphere and the reverse circulation in upper atmosphere, which were generally consistent with NCEP reanalysis. Multi-model ensemble means (MME) can reproduce more reasonable climatological features in spatial distribution both of WVT and CEF. Ten models with more reasonable WVT simulations were selected for future projection studies, including BCC-CSM1-1, BNU-ESM, CanESM2, CCSM4, FGOALS-s2, FIO-ESM, GFDL-ESM2G, MRIOC5, MPI-ESM-LR and NorESM-1M. Analysis based on the future projection experiments in RCP (Representative Concentration Pathway) 2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6 and RCP8.5 show that the global warming forced by different RCP scenarios will results in enhanced WVT over the Indian area and the west Pacific and weaken WVT in the low latitudes of tropical Indian Ocean.     

Anthropogenic changes of the thermal and zonal flow structure over Western Europe and Eastern North Atlantic in CMIP3 and CMIP5 models

The anthropogenic changes during boreal winter in the thermal and zonal flow structure over Eastern Atlantic and Western Europe (EAWE) have been investigated using an ensemble of CMIP3 and CMIP5 models. The ensemble mean change in the zonal wind at 500 hPa over this region is characterized by an eastward extension of the belt of zonal winds. Using the thermal wind relation these wind changes are found to be consistent with the changes in the tropospheric temperature profile. An enhanced warming is simulated in the subtropical upper troposphere and a relative surface cooling in the mid-latitudes. The subtropical upper tropospheric warming is related to the downward branch of the mean meridional circulation, whereas the mid-latitude lower tropospheric relative cooling is linked to the ocean processes that govern changes in its surface temperatures. Inter-model differences in the simulated change of the zonal wind over the EAWE by the CMIP3 and CMIP5 models relate well with differences in the upper tropospheric subtropical warming and the mid-latitude lower tropospheric relative cooling. The simulated change of the zonal wind over the EAWE region by the CMIP3 and CMIP5 models correlates well with changes in the meridional SST gradient. We conclude that uncertainties in the projected changes of the zonal flow over Europe are at least partly due to uncertainties in the response of the North Atlantic Ocean to increased levels of greenhouse gases.     

热带印度洋偶极子事件期间印度洋大气的变化——大气流函数场和势函数场的分析

大气环流的变异是热带印度洋偶极子（IOD）事件研究中的一个重要问题。本文从风场旋度分量和散度分量角度出发,利用观测资料和大气环流模式,对IOD事件发生时热带印度洋海区上空的大气环流变化进行了分析,揭示出风场不同分量在IOD事件期间的变化特征。研究结果表明,热带印度洋大气环流系统在IOD事件期间,旋度分量和散度分量在垂直方向上呈现明显的一阶斜压形式,而在水平方向上呈现明显的对称分布特征。对低空（850 hPa）来说,无辐散流函数距平场在IOD事件正位相期间表现为关于赤道对称的一对反气旋式环流;无旋度分量在IOD事件正位相期间的响应表现为东印度洋辐散、西印度洋辐合;大气环流的两种分量场均可以在赤道印度洋地区产生距平意义下的纬向东风,正是这种形式的距平东风使得IOD事件依靠海气系统正反馈机制得以维持和发展。而高空（200 hPa）大气环流形式刚好与850 hPa相反。     

An overview of the performance of CMIP6 models in the tropical Atlantic: mean state,variability, and remote impacts

General circulation models of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) are examined with respect to their ability to simulate the mean state and variability of the tropical Atlantic and its linkage to the tropical Pacific. While, on average, mean state biases have improved little, relative to the previous intercomparison (CMIP5), there are now a few models with very small biases. In particular the equatorial Atlantic warm SST and westerly wind biases are mostly eliminated in these models. Furthermore, interannual variability in the equatorial and subtropical Atlantic is quite realistic in a number of CMIP6 models, which suggests that they should be useful tools for understanding and predicting variability patterns. The evolution of equatorial Atlantic biases follows the same pattern as in previous model generations, with westerly wind biases during boreal spring preceding warm sea-surface temperature (SST) biases in the east during boreal summer. A substantial portion of the westerly wind bias exists already in atmosphere-only simulations forced with observed SST, suggesting an atmospheric origin. While variability is relatively realistic in many models, SSTs seem less responsive to wind forcing than observed, both on the equator and in the subtropics, possibly due to an excessively deep mixed layer originating in the oceanic component. Thus models with realistic SST amplitude tend to have excessive wind amplitude. The models with the smallest mean state biases all have relatively high resolution but there are also a few low-resolution models that perform similarly well, indicating that resolution is not the only way toward reducing tropical Atlantic biases. The results also show a relatively weak link between mean state biases and the quality of the simulated variability. The linkage to the tropical Pacific shows a wide range of behaviors across models, indicating the need for further model improvement.

     

A dynamic link between the basin-scale and zonal modes in the Tropical Indian Ocean

Summary The interannual variability of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the tropical Indian Ocean is dominated mainly by a basin-scale mode (BM) and partly by an east–west contrast mode (zonal mode, ZM). The BM reflects the basin-scale warming or cooling and is highly correlated with El Nino with 3- to 6-month lags, while the ZM is marginally correlated with El Nino with 9-month lags.During an El Nino, large-scale anomalous subsidence over the maritime continent occurs as a result of an eastward shift in the rising branch of the Walker circulation suppresses convection over the eastern Indian Ocean, allowing more solar radiation over the eastern Indian Ocean. At the same time, the anomalous southeasterly wind over the equatorial Indian Ocean forces the thermocline over the western Indian Ocean to deepen, especially in the southern part. As a result, SST over the whole basin increases. As El Nino decays, the subsidence over the maritime continent ceases and so does the anomalous southeasterly wind. However, the thermocline perturbation does not quickly shoal back to normal because of inertia and it disperses as Rossby waves. These Rossby waves are reflected back as an equatorial Kelvin wave, causing deepening of the thermocline in the eastern Indian Ocean, and preventing SSTs from cooling in that region. Moreover, the weaker wind speed of the monsoon circulation results in less latent heat loss, and thus warms the eastern Indian Ocean. These two processes therefore help to maintain warm SSTs over the eastern Indian Ocean until fall. During the fall, the warm SST over the eastern Indian Ocean and the cold SST over the western Indian Ocean are enhanced by air–sea interaction and the ZM returns. The ZM dissipates through the seasonal reversal of the monsoon atmospheric circulation and the boundary-reflected Kelvin wave. In the same manner, a basin-scale cooling in the tropical Indian Ocean can induce the ZM warming in the west and cooling in the east.     

The hiatus and accelerated warming decades in CMIP5 simulations

Observed hiatus or accelerated warming phenomena are compared with numerical simulations from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 （CMIP5） archives,and the associated physical mechanisms are explored based on the CMIP5 models.Decadal trends in total ocean heat content （OHC） are strongly constrained by net top-of-atmosphere （TOA） radiation.During hiatus decades,most CMIP5 models exhibit a significant decrease in the SST and upper OHC and a significant increase of heat penetrating into the subsurface or deep ocean,opposite to the accelerated warming decades.The shallow meridional overturning of the Pacific subtropical cell experiences a significant strengthening （slowdown） for the hiatus （accelerated warming） decades associated with the strengthened （weakened） trade winds over the tropical Pacific.Both surface heating and ocean dynamics contribute to the decadal changes in SST over the Indian Ocean,and the Indonesian Throughflow has a close relationship with the changes of subsurface temperature in the Indian Ocean.The Atlantic Meridional Overturing Circulation （Antarctic Bottom Water） tends to weaken （strengthen） during hiatus decades,opposite to the accelerated warming decades.In short,the results highlight the important roles of air-sea interactions and ocean circulations for modulation of surface and subsurface temperature.     

The Subsurface and Surface Indian Ocean Dipoles and Their Association with ENSO in CMIP6 models

This study assesses the reproducibility of 31 historical simulations from 1850 to 2014 in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6(CMIP6) for the subsurface(Sub-IOD) and surface Indian Ocean Dipole(IOD) and their association with El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation(ENSO). Most CMIP6 models can reproduce the leading east-west dipole oscillation mode of heat content anomalies in the tropical Indian Ocean(TIO) but largely overestimate the amplitude and the dominant period of the Sub-IOD. Associat...     

The association of surface wind stresses over Indian Ocean with monsoon rainfall

Summary Variability of Indian summer monsoon rainfall is examined with respect to variability of surface wind stresses over Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean region extending from 40°–120° E, and 30° S–25° N, has been divided into 8 homogeneous subregions, viz (1) Arabian Sea (AS), (2) Bay of Bengal (BB), (3) West-equatorial Indian Ocean (WEIO), (4) Central-equatorial Indian Ocean (CEIO), (5) East-equatorial Indian Ocean (EEIO), (6) South-west Indian Ocean (SWIO), (7) South-central Indian Ocean (SCIO), and (8) South-east Indian Ocean (SEIO). The period of study extends for 13 years from 1982–1994. Monthly NCEP surface wind stress data of five months – May through September, have been used in the study. The spatial variability of seasonal and monthly surface wind stresses shows very low values over CEIO and EEIO and very high values over AS, SWIO, and SEIO regions. On the seasonal scale, all India summer monsoon rainfall (AISMR) shows concurrent positive relationships with the surface wind stresses over AS, BB, WEIO, SWIO and SCIO and negative relationships with the surface wind stresses over EEIO and SEIO. The relationships of AISMR with the surface wind stresses over AS and WEIO are significant at 5% level. The concurrent relationships between monthly surface wind stresses over these 8 oceanic sub-regions and monthly subdivisional rainfalls over 29 sub-divisions have been studied. The rainfalls over the subdivisions in the central India and on the west coast of India are found to be significantly related with surface wind stresses over AS, SWIO, SCIO. Monthly subdivisional rainfalls of four subdivisions in the peninsular India show negative relationship with BB surface wind stresses. May surface wind stresses over AS, BB, WEIO, CEIO and SWIO have been found to be positively related with ensuing AISMR. The relationship with AS wind stresses is significant at 5% level and hence may be considered as a potential predictor of AISMR. Received May 21, 2001 Revised October 8, 2001     

Tropical cyclones in the SW Indian Ocean. Part 1: inter-annual variability and statistical prediction

The southwestern Indian Ocean (SWIO) is characterized by significant climate variability and frequent tropical cyclones (TC). Year-to-year fluctuations of TC and associated oceanic and atmospheric fields in the period 1961–2002 are studied with reanalysis data as composites and cross-correlations, with wavelet filtering and cross-modulus analysis, and by hovmoller analysis and multi-variate statistical modeling. Observational limitations in the early part of the record are recognized. An intense TC-days index is formed and is characterized by quasi-biennial to decadal cycles that relate to ocean Rossby waves and high latitude atmospheric circulations, respectively. New variables are uncovered that significantly improve the seasonal prediction of SWIO TC. One predictor is the geopotential height in the SE Pacific, which explains 31% of SWIO TC variability. It foretells of downstream oscillations in the sub-tropical jet stream, which govern wind shear, an equatorial duct and attendant circulation anomalies over the SWIO. An anti-phase association between Amazon convection and intense TCs is found to be related to the Atlantic Zonal Circulation. Drought across the Amazon is related to an increase in TC activity in the SWIO, when zonal wind anomalies over the Atlantic become upper easterly/lower westerly. This feature is related to Pacific Ocean El Niño Southern Oscillation phase. A La Niña signal favors TC development through a westward propagating cyclonic circulation and downweling Rossby wave in the South Indian Ocean that enhances thermodynamic energy. It is recommended to repeat this analysis every few years to determine whether teleconnections evolve due to climate drift or improving observations.     

Effects of air�Csea coupling on the boreal summer intraseasonal oscillations over the tropical Indian Ocean

The effects of air?Csea coupling over the tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) on the eastward- and northward-propagating boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation (BSISO) are investigated by comparing a fully coupled (CTL) and a partially decoupled Indian Ocean (pdIO) experiment using SINTEX-F coupled GCM. Air?Csea coupling over the TIO significantly enhances the intensity of both the eastward and northward propagations of the BSISO. The maximum spectrum differences of the northward- (eastward-) propagating BSISO between the CTL and pdIO reach 30% (25%) of their respective climatological values. The enhanced eastward (northward) propagation is related to the zonal (meridional) asymmetry of sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA). A positive SSTA appears to the east (north) of the BSISO convection, which may positively feed back to the BSISO convection. In addition, air?Csea coupling may enhance the northward propagation through the changes of the mean vertical wind shear and low-level specific humidity. The interannual variations of the TIO regulate the air?Csea interaction effect. Air?Csea coupling enhances (reduces) the eastward-propagating spectrum during the negative Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) mode, positive Indian Ocean basin (IOB) mode and normal years (during positive IOD and negative IOB years). Such phase dependence is attributed to the role of the background mean westerly in affecting the wind-evaporation-SST feedback. A climatological weak westerly in the equatorial Indian Ocean can be readily reversed by anomalous zonal SST gradients during the positive IOD and negative IOB events. Although the SSTA is always positive to the northeast of the BSISO convection for all interannual modes, air?Csea coupling reduces the zonal asymmetry of the low-level specific humidity and thus the eastward propagation spectrum during the positive IOD and negative IOB modes, while strengthening them during the other modes. Air?Csea coupling enhances the northward propagation under all interannual modes due to the persistent westerly monsoon flow over the northern Indian Ocean.     

Tidal mixing in the Indonesian Seas and its effect on the tropical climate system

The sensitivity of the tropical climate to tidal mixing in the Indonesian Archipelago (IA) is investigated using a coupled general circulation model. It is shown that the introduction of tidal mixing considerably improves water masses properties in the IA, generating fresh and cold anomalies in the thermocline and salty and cold anomalies at the surface. The subsurface fresh anomalies are advected in the Indian Ocean thermocline and ultimately surface to freshen the western part of the basin whereas surface salty anomalies are advected in the Leuwin current to salt waters along the Australian coast. The ~0.5°C surface cooling in the IA reduces by 20% the overlying deep convection. This improves both the amount and structure of the rainfall and weakens the wind convergence over the IA, relaxes the equatorial Pacific trade winds and strengthens the winds along Java coast. These wind changes causes the thermocline to be deeper in the eastern equatorial Pacific and shallower in the eastern Indian Ocean. The El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) amplitude is therefore slightly reduced while the Indian Ocean Dipole/Zonal Mode (IODZM) variability increases. IODZM precursors, related to ENSO events the preceding winter in this model, are also shown to be more efficient in promoting an IODZM thanks to an enhanced wind/thermocline coupling. Changes in the coupled system in response tidal mixing are as large as those found when closing the Indonesian Throughflow, emphasizing the key role of IA on the Indo-Pacific climate.