MECHANISM FOR THE SUSTAINING ATMOSPHERIC RESPONSE TO WARM WINTERTIME SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE ANOMALY IN THE KUROSHIO EXTENSION.

Sensitivity experiments with atmospheric general circulation model CAM3 have been performed to investigate the atmospheric response to warm wintertime sea surface temperature anomalies in the Kuroshio Extension (KE). Mechanism for the sustaining abnormal atmospheric response to sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) is revealed. It is found that the warm wintertime SSTA in KE leads to soil moisture changes across the Asia continent. The abnormal soil moisture may possibly be one of the reasons for the sustaining of abnormal atmospheric response intrigued by SSTA. Oscillations of perturbations intrigued by warm wintertime SSTA in KE, which have similar frequencies with that of intrinsic atmospheric oscillations, are superposed on the atmospheric oscillations and propagate with primary periodic oscillation of the atmosphere. These SSTA-intrigued oscillations are coupled with natural atmospheric oscillation and finally become parts of it. This is probably another reason for the sustaining of abnormal atmospheric response to SSTA in KE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]