Role of the East/Japan Sea SST variability in the North Pacific climate variability

Processes in the East Asian marginal seas, such as the East/Japan Sea, may add a great complexity in understanding mid-latitude air-sea interaction. Strongly controlled by ocean current and bathymetry, the extent to which these marginal sea SST anomalies are associated with modulation of local and downstream atmospheric variability has not been fully understood. Here, we will discuss 1) processes leading to dominant modes of interannual EJS SST variability, 2) their impact on local air-sea boundary-layer coupling and 3) potential implications for the downstream air-sea interactions. The characteristics SST patterns observed in the EJS are used in a series of regional model simulations to assess these local, downstream and upscaling effects. The model domain covers the Northern Hemisphere poleward of 20N with the multi-scale nesting and two-way feedback to best represent the processes in this small semi-enclosed sea in the context of large-scale climate system.