In this paper, major features of the upper-tropospheric jet streams simulated by a coupled Climate System Model BCC_CSM1.1 are evaluated through comparison with the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis. The jet streams consist of the East Asian subtropical jet (EASJ) and the East Asian polar-front jet (EAPJ). Associated stationary wave and synoptic-scale transient eddy activities (STEA) are also examined. The results show that the climatological positions of the westerly jet streams are well captured by BCC_CSM1.1, but with slight intensity biases. Statistics from the 6-h model outputs reveal that the jet core number (JCN) of ESPJ is significantly underestimated. Examination of the simulated seasonal evolution of the westerly jet stream indicates that the model has produced a westward movement of the EASJ core in May, one month earlier than that in the reanalysis. Analysis of stationary wave activities shows that the overestimated meridional wind component may have caused considerable enhancement of meridional momentum and heat transport. The stationary Rossby wave represented by the wave activity flux at the southern flank of the Tibetan Plateau is favorable to the growth of asymmetric zonal wind and the multiple-center pattern of JCN. Unlike the stationary wave heat flux transport, the model tends to systematically generate weaker transient heat flux over East Asia. Further analysis of STEA exhibits a general consistent pattern between the simulation and the reanalysis, while the intensity of the northern STEA branch associated with the EAPJ is greatly reduced. The deficiencies of eddy momentum and heat flux transport and accompanied eddy forcing may contribute to the biases of the simulated upper-tropospheric jet streams, suggesting the potential importance of midlatitude internal atmospheric dynamics in shaping the tropospheric general circulation, which is not yet fully and accurately resolved in the current BCC_CSM1.1.
Based on the National Centers for Environmental Prediction and National Center for Atmospheric Research(NCEP/NCAR) daily reanalysis data and the upper-level objective analysis data provided by the Meteorological Information Comprehensive Analysis and Process System(MICAPS),the feature of the spatio-temporal variation of the East Asian jet stream(EAJS) in persistent snowstorm and freezing rain processes over southern China in January 2008 have been investigated.Each of the storm events was closely linked with the extraordinarily abnormal variations of East Asian subtropical jet(EASJ) and East Asian polar front jet(EAPJ) at that time.The stronger EASJ with abnormally northward position of the jet axis corresponded to the more intense storm event with broader ranges and longer duration time.The heavy freezing-rain-and-snow event occurred over the region where a strong southerly wind of EASJ prevailed.Meanwhile,the westerly and northerly winds of the EAPJ were significantly intensified,which were also closely related to the beginning,enhancement,and ending of the heavy snowfall.The meridional component of the EAPJ was dominated by the northerly wind during the snowstorm.Thus,the intensification of the snowstorm was attributed to both the strengthening of the meridional wind of EAPJ and the southerly wind of EASJ.Further analysis indicated that wind speed and the zonal wind of the two jets exhibited precursory signals about half a month prior to this extreme event,and the precursory signals were found in the meridional components of the two jets about 20 days preceding the event.The sudden weakening of the meridional component of EASJ and the zonal component of EAPJ signified the ending of this persistent snowstorm.
The summer Asian–Pacific Oscillation(APO) is a major teleconnection pattern that reflects the zonal thermal contrast between East Asia and the North Pacific in the upper troposphere. The performance of Beijing Climate Center Climate System Models(BCC CSMs) with different horizontal resolutions, i.e., BCC CSM1.1 and BCC CSM1.1(m), in reproducing APO interannual variability, APO-related precipitation anomalies, and associated atmospheric circulation anomalies, is evaluated.The results show that BCC CSM1.1(m) can successfully capture the interannual variability of the summer APO index. It is also more capable in reproducing the APO's spatial pattern, compared to BCC CSM1.1, due to its higher horizontal resolution. Associated with a positive APO index, the northward-shifted and intensified South Asian high, strengthened extratropical westerly jet, and tropical easterly jet in the upper troposphere, as well as the southwesterly monsoonal flow over North Africa and the Indian Ocean in the lower troposphere, are realistically represented by BCC CSM1.1(m), leading to an improvement in reproducing the increased precipitation over tropical North Africa, South Asia, and East Asia, as well as the decreased precipitation over subtropical North Africa, Japan, and North America. In contrast, these features are less consistent with observations when simulated by BCC CSM1.1. Regression analysis further indicates that surface temperature anomalies over the North Pacific and the southern and western flanks of the Tibetan Plateau are reasonably reproduced by BCC CSM1.1(m), which contributes to the substantial improvement in the simulation of the characteristics of summer APO compared to that of BCC CSM1.1.
