Contributions of Air‐Sea Coupling to Northward‐Propagating Intraseasonal Convection Over the South China Sea

Abstract

AbstractNorthward‐propagating convection associated with intraseasonal oscillation (ISO) over the South China Sea (SCS) is closely linked to the evolution of the East China rainy season. In this study, we quantitatively examined the contribution of air‐sea coupling to northward propagation of intraseasonal convection over the SCS based on observational diagnosis and model experiments. While oceanic feedback plays a limited role in northward propagation of Indian Ocean and western Pacific ISO, its positive effect on SCS ISO propagation is much larger and nearly comparable with that of atmospheric internal dynamics over the central SCS. Warm intraseasonal sea‐surface temperature (SST) anomalies ahead of the convection induce boundary‐layer convergence and surface turbulent fluxes, largely favoring growth of moist static energy to the north of the ISO convection. Conversely, weak negative SST anomalies induce divergence and reduced fluxes over the convective center. The underlying SST anomalies strongly promote northward propagation of SCS ISO, but destroy the maintenance of deep convection. We then verified these oceanic feedbacks using atmosphere‐only (SPA) and atmosphere–ocean‐mixed‐layer coupled (SPK) configurations of the Super‐Parameterized Community Atmospheric Model. The SPA simulations produced stronger intraseasonal convection but weaker propagation signals than the SPK simulations, confirming the positive contribution of intraseasonal SST to ISO propagation observed over the SCS.