Based on the ERA-40 reanalysis data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and the output of ECHAM5/MPI-OM, this study investigated the interactions between the quasi-stationary planetary wave （SPW） and mean flow, and their responses to E1 Nifio-Southern Oscillation （ENSO） events in the northern hemispheric stratosphere. Results show that the activity of SPW is the strongest in winter, when the SPW propagates along the polar waveguide into the stratosphere and along the low-latitude waveguide to the subtropical tropopause. The analysis of three dimensional SPW structure indicates that the main sources of SPW activity are located over the Eurasian continent and the North Pacific north of 45°N. On the one hand, the two waveguides of the SPW reflect the influence of mean flow on the propagation of the SPW. On the other hand, the upward propagating SPW can interact with the stratospheric mean flow, leading to deceleration of the zonal mean westerly. Furthermore, the SPW exhibits clear responses to ENSO events. During E1 Nifio winters, the SPW in the strat- osphere tends to propagate more upward and poleward. Its interactions with mean flow can induce a dipole pattern in zonal mean zonal winds, with accelerated westerly winds at low-middle latitudes and decelerated westerly winds at high latitudes. The ECHAM5/MPI-OM model reproduces the climatology of the SPW well. Although the simulated SPW is slightly weaker than the observations in the stratosphere, the model＇s performance has significant improvements compared with other GCMs used in previous studies. However, there are still some problems in the responses of the SPW to ENSO in the model. Although the model reproduces the responses of both the amplitude and the SPW-mean flow interactions to ENSO well in the troposphere, the stratospheric responses are quite weak. Therefore, further studies are needed to improve the simulation of the stratospheric atmospheric circulation and related dynamical processes.
South China （SC） experienced persistent heavy rain in June 2010. The climatic anomalies and related mechanism are analyzed in this study. Results show that the large-scale circulation pattern favorable for precipitation was maintained. In the upper level, the South Asian High and westerly jet stream provided a divergent circulation over SC. In the middle and low levels, an anomalous strong subtropical high （STH） extended to the South China Sea. The southwesterly monsoon flow along the northwest flank of the STH transported abundant water vapor from the western North Pacific, the Bay of Bengal, and the South China Sea to SC. The precipitation can be classified into two types： the West Siberia low （WSL）-induced low-level cyclone mode, and the STH-induced low-level jet mode. STH and WSL indices are defined to estimate the influence of these two systems, respectively. Analysis shows that both are critical for precipitation, but their respective contributions differ from year to year. In 2010, both were important factors for the heavy rainfall in June.
The modulation of the relationship between the Arctic Oscillation （AO） and the East Asian winter climate by the 11-year solar cycle was investigated. During winters with high solar activity （HS）, robust warming appeared in northern Asia in a positive AO phase. This result corresponded to an enhanced anticyclonic flow at 850 hPa over northeastern Asia and a weakened East Asian trough （EAT） at 500 hPa. However, during winters with low solar activity （LS）, both the surface warming and the intensities of the anticyclonic flow and the EAT were much less in the presence of a positive AO phase. The possible atmospheric processes for this 11-year solar-cycle modulation may be attributed to the indirect influence that solar activity induces in the structural changes of AO. During HS winters, the sea level pressure oscillation associated with the AO became stronger, with the significant influence of AO extending to East Asia. In the meantime, the AO-related zonal-mean zonal winds tended to extend more into the stratosphere during HS winters, which implies a stronger coupling to the stratosphere. These trends may have led to an enhanced AO phase difference; thus the associated East Asian climate anomalies became larger and more significant. The situation tended to reverse during LS winters. Further analyses revealed that the relationship between the winter AO and surface-climate anomalies in the following spring is also modulated by the 11-year solar cycle, with significant signals appearing only during HS phases. Solar-cycle variation should be taken into consideration when the AO is used to predict winter and spring climate anomalies over East Asia.
