Drought across Northwest China in late spring has exerted a vital effect on the local climate and agricultural production,and has been alleviated during the past decades.This study explored the influence of the preceding Arctic sea ice on the May drought in Northwest China caused by the precipitation deficit.Further analysis indicated that when the Greenland Sea ice concentration is abnormally high during February to April,the dry conditions in Northwest China tend to be alleviated.The increase of sea ice in the Greenland Sea can excite a meridional circulation,which causes sea surface temperature(SST)anomalies in the North Atlantic via the sea-air interaction,manifested as significant warm SST anomalies over the south of Greenland and the subtropical North Atlantic,but negative SST anomalies over the west of the Azores.This abnormal SST pattern maintains to May and triggers a zonal wave train from the North Atlantic through Scandinavia and Central Asia to Northwest China,leading to abnormal cyclones in Northwest China.Consequently,Northwest China experiences a more humid climate than usual.
During the boreal summer,intraseasonal oscillations exhibit significant interannual variations in intensity over two key regions:the central-western equatorial Pacific(5°S-5°N,150°E-150°W)and the subtropical Northwestern Pacific(10°-20°N,130°E-175°W).The former is well-documented and considered to be influenced by the ENSO,while the latter has received comparatively less attention and is likely influenced by the Pacific Meridional Mode(PMM),as suggested by partial correlation analysis results.To elucidate the physical processes responsible for the enhanced(weakened)intraseasonal convection over the subtropical northwestern Pacific during warm(cold)PMM years,the authors employed a moisture budget analysis.The findings reveal that during warm PMM years,there is an increase in summer-mean moisture over the subtropical northwestern Pacific.This increase interacts with intensified vertical motion perturbations in the region,leading to greater vertical moisture advection in the lower troposphere and consequently resulting in convective instability.Such a process is pivotal in amplifying intraseasonal convection anomalies.The observational findings were further verified by model experiments forced by PMM-like sea surface temperature patterns.
Thermospheric neutral winds(TNWs)refer to the neutral gases in the thermosphere circulating as tides,which play a crucial role in the dynamics of the thermosphere-ionosphere system(TIS).Global geospace neutral winds,particularly over the magnetic equator,have been a subject of study for several decades.However,despite the known importance of neutral winds,a comprehensive understanding and characterization of the winds is still lacking.Various ground-based and satellite missions have provided valuable information on the contribution of neutral winds to the global atmospheric dynamics.However,efforts in the global monitoring of neutral winds are still lacking,and the drivers behind the behavior of TNWs as well as their influence on the TIS remain incomplete.To address these knowledge gaps in the global circulation of TNWs,it is crucial to develop a deep understanding of the neutral wind characteristics over different regions.The low-latitude equatorial region in particular has been observed to exert complex influences on TNWs because of the unique effects of the Earth’s magnetic field at the dip equator.Studying neutral winds over this region will provide valuable insights into the unique dynamics and processes that occur in this region,thereby enhancing our understanding of their role in the overall dynamics of the TIS.Additionally,through empirical observations,an improved ability to accurately model and predict the behavior of this region can be achieved.This review article addresses challenges in understanding equatorial winds by reviewing historical measurements,current missions,and the interactions of ionospheric and thermospheric phenomena,emphasizing the need for comprehensive measurements to improve global atmospheric dynamics and weather forecasting.
Siti Syazwani NasuhaIdahwati SarudinNurul Shazana Abdul HamidAhmad Fairuz Omar
