Impacts of the stratospheric quasi-biennial oscillation on the tropospheric circulation and climate in the Northeast Asia–North Pacific region in early summer

Abstract

Previous studies have indicated that the stratospheric quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) has a global impact on winter weather, but relatively less attention has been paid to its effect in summer. Using ERA5 data, this study reports that the QBO has a significant impact on the tropospheric circulation and surface air temperature (SAT) in the extratropics in Northeast Asia and the North Pacific in early summer. Specifically, a QBO-induced mean meridional circulation prevails from Northeast Asia to the North Pacific in the westerly QBO years, exhibiting westerly anomalies in 20°–35°N and easterly anomalies in 35°–65°N from the lower stratosphere to troposphere. This meridional pattern of zonal wind anomalies can excite positive vorticity and thus lead to anomalous low pressure and cyclonic circulation from Northeast Asia to the North Pacific, which in turn cause northerly wind anomalies and decreased SAT in Northeast Asia in June. Conversely, in the easterly QBO years, the QBO-related circulation and SAT anomalies are generally in an opposite polarity to those in the westerly QBO years. These findings provide new evidence of the impact of the QBO on the extratropical climate, and may benefit the prediction of SAT in Northeast Asia in early summer.

摘要

本文研究了平流层准两年振荡 (QBO) 对东北亚-北太平洋地区初夏对流层环流和地表气温的影响. 在QBO西风位相年, 东北亚至北太平洋地区存在一支由QBO引发的平均经向环流异常, 该经向环流异常可在东北亚至北太平洋地区激发正涡度, 并形成异常气旋式环流. 气旋左侧出现的异常偏北风导致6月东北亚地表气温下降. QBO东风位相年的结果与西风位相年大致相反. 这些结果为QBO对热带外地区天气,气候的影响提供了新的证据, 并为东北亚初夏地表气温的预测提供了新的线索.