Phase Transition of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and Decadal Variation of the East Asian Summer Monsoon in the 20th Century

This paper focuses on the relationship between the phase transition of the Pacific decadal oscillation （PDO） and decadal variation of the East Asian summer monsoon （EASM） in the twentieth century. The first transition occurred in the 1940s, with an enhanced SST in the North Pacific and reduced SST in the tropical eastern Pacific and South Indian Ocean. In agreement with these SST changes, a higher SLP was found in most parts of the Pacific, while a lower SLP was found in the North Pacific and most parts of the Indian Ocean. In this case, the EASM was largely enhanced with a southerly anomaly in the lower troposphere along the east coast of China. Correspondingly, there was less rainfall in the Yangtze River valley and more rainfall in northern and southern China. An opposite change was found when the PDO reversed its phase in the late 1970s. In the tropical Indian Ocean and western Pacific, however, the SST was enhanced in both the 1940s and 1970s. As a result, the western Pacific subtropical high （WPSH） tended to extend westward with a larger magnitude in the 1970s. The major features were reasonably reproduced by an atmospheric general circulation model （IAP AGCM4.0） prescribed with observed SST and sea ice. On the other hand, the westward extension of the WPSH was exaggerated in the 1970s, while it was underestimated in the 1940s. Besides, the spatial pattern of the simulated summer rainfall in eastern China tended to shift southward compared with the observation.

The East Pacific Wavetrain:Its Variability and Impact on the Atmospheric Circulation in the Boreal Winter

The East Pacific wavetrain （EPW） refers to here the intense stationary wave activity detected in the troposphere over the East Pacific and North America in 45 northern winters from 1958 to 2002. The EPW is generated in the lower troposphere over the East Pacific, propagating predominantly eastward into North America and slightly upward then eventually into the stratosphere. The intensity of the EPW varies from year to year and exhibits apparent decadal variability. For the period 1958-1964, the EPW was in its second maximum, and it was weakest for the period 1965-1975, then it was strongest for the period 1976-1987. After 1987, the EPW weakened again. The intensity and position of the members （i.e., the Aleutian low, the North American trough, and the North American ridge） of the EPW oscillate from time to time. For an active EPW versus a weak EPW, the Aleutian low deepens abnormally and shifts its center from the west to the east of the date line, in the middle and upper troposphere the East Asian trough extends eastward, and the Canadian ridge intensifies at the same time. The opposite is true for a weak EPW. Even in the lower stratosphere, significant changes in the stationary wave pattern are also observed. Interestingly the spatial variability of the EPW assumes a Pacific-North American （PNA）-like telecon- nection pattern. It is likely that the PNA low-frequency oscillation is a reflection of the oscillations of intensity and position of the members of the EPW in horizontal direction.

Comparative Study of Magmatism in East Pacific Rise Versus Nearby Seamounts:Constraints on Magma Supply and Thermal Structure Beneath Mid-ocean Ridge

Major elements of 2202 basalts from the East Pacific Rise （EPR） and 888 basalts from near- EPR seamounts are used to investigate their differences in magma crystallization pressures and mantle melting conditions. Crystallization pressure calculation from basalts with 5.0wt%〈MgO〈8.0wt % shows that magma crystallization pressures beneath near-EPR seamounts are positively and negatively correlated with Nas and Fes, respectively. However, these correlations are indistinct in axial lavas, which can be explained by chemical homogenization induced by extensive mixing processes. In each segment divided by major transforms and over-lapping spreading centers （OSCs）, near-EPR seamount lavas have higher magma crystallization pressures, higher Fes and lower Nas than the EPR lavas, which indicate cooler lithosphere, lower degrees and shallower melting depths beneath near-EPR seamounts than the EPR. The correlations between magma crystallization pressures and melting conditions beneath near-EPR seamounts imply that the source thermal state controls the melting degree and melt flux, and then melting process controls the shallow lithosphere temperature and magma crystallization depth （pressure）. The cooler mantle sources beneath near-EPR seamounts produce a lower degree of melting and a less robust magma supply, which results in a deep thermal equilibrium level and high magma crystallization pressure. The magma crystallization pressure decreases significantly as spreading rate of the EPR increases from ~80 mm/year in the north （16~N） to ~160 mm/year in the south （19~S）, while this trend is unobvious in near-EPR seamounts. This suggests that the magma supply controlled by spreading rate dominates the ridge crust temperature and magma crystallization depth, while the near-EPR seamount magma supply is not dominated by the axial spreading rate. Because most seamounts form and gain most of their volume within a narrow zone of 5-15 km from ridge axis, they provide good constraint on magma supply and thermal structure beneath the EPR. High magma crystallization pressures in seamounts indicate dramatic temperature decrease from the EPR. The crystallization pressures of seamount lavas are well correlated with mantle melting parameters but in a blurry relationship with axial spreading rate. Despite the adjacency of the EPR and nearby seamounts, the thermal structure beneath the near-EPR seamounts are controlled by their own magma supply and conductive cooling, chemically and thermally unaffected by magmatism beneath the ridge axis.

Spring Indian Ocean–Western Pacific SST Contrast and the East Asian Summer Rainfall Anomaly

studying the relationship between SST in the tropical Indian Ocean （TIO）, tropical western Pacific （TWP）, and tropical eastern Pacific （TEP） and East Asian summer rainfall （EASR）, using data provided by NOAA/OAR/ESRL PSD and the National Climate Center of China for the period 1979-2008, an index, SSTDI, was defined to describe the SST difference between the TIO and TWP. In comparison with the winter ENSO, the spring SST contrast between the TIO and TWP was found to be more significantly associated with summer rainfall in East Asia, especially along the EASR band and in Northeast China. This spring SST contrast can persist into summer, resulting in a more significant meridional teleconnection pattern of lower-tropospheric circulation anomalies over the western North Pacific and East Asia. These circulation anomalies are dynamically consistent with the summer rainfall anomaly along the EASR band. When the SSTDI is higher （lower） than normal, the EASR over the Yangtze River valley, Korea, and central and southern Japan is heavier （less） than normal. The present results suggest that this spring SST contrast can be used as a new and better predictor of EASR anomalies.

The East Asia-Western North Pacific Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation Simulated in GAMIL 1.1.1

We evaluate the performance of GAMILI.1.1 in a 27-year forced simulation of the summer intraseasonal oscillation （ISO） over East Asia （EA）-western North Pacific （WNP）. The assessment is based on two mea- sures： climatological ISO （CISO） and transient ISO （TISO）. CISO is the ISO component that is phase-locked to the annual cycle and describes seasonal march. TISO is the ISO component that varies year by year. The model reasonably captures many observed features of the ISO, including the stepwise northward advance of the rain belt of CISO, the dominant periodicities of TISO in both the South China Sea-Philippine Sea （SCS-PS） and the Yangtze River Basin （YRB）, the northward propagation of 30-50-day TISO and the westward propagation of the 12-25-day TISO mode over the SCS-PS, and the zonal propagating features of three major TISO modes over the YRB. However, the model has notable deficiencies. These include the early onset of the South China Sea monsoon associated with CISO, too fast northward propagation of CISO from 20°N to 40°N and the absence of the CISO signal south of 10°N, the deficient eastward propagation of the 30-50-day TISO mode and the absence of a southward propagation in the YRB TISO modes. The authors found that the deficiencies in the ISO simulation are closely related to the model＇s biases in the mean states, suggesting that the improvement of the model mean state is crucial for realistic simulation of the intraseasonal variation.

Combined Impacts of Warm Central Equatorial Pacific Sea Surface Temperatures and Anthropogenic Warming on the 2019 Severe Drought in East China

A severe drought occurred in East China(EC)from August to October 2019 against a background of long-term significant warming and caused widespread impacts on agriculture and society,emphasizing the urgent need to understand the mechanism responsible for this drought and its linkage to global warming.Our results show that the warm central equatorial Pacific(CEP)sea surface temperature(SST)and anthropogenic warming were possibly responsible for this drought event.The warm CEP SST anomaly resulted in an anomalous cyclone over the western North Pacific,where enhanced northerly winds in the northwestern sector led to decreased water vapor transport from the South China Sea and enhanced descending air motion,preventing local convection and favoring a precipitation deficiency over EC.Model simulations in the Community Earth System Model Large Ensemble Project confirmed the physical connection between the warm CEP SST anomaly and the drought in EC.The extremely warm CEP SST from August to October 2019,which was largely the result of natural internal variability,played a crucial role in the simultaneous severe drought in EC.The model simulations showed that anthropogenic warming has greatly increased the frequency of extreme droughts in EC.They indicated an approximate twofold increase in extremely low rainfall events,high temperature events,and concurrently dry and hot events analogous to the event in 2019.Therefore,the persistent severe drought over EC in 2019 can be attributed to the combined impacts of warm CEP SST and anthropogenic warming.

INTERDECADAL VARIATIONS OF INTERACTION BETWEEN NORTH PACIFIC SSTA AND EAST ASIAN SUMMER MONSOON

Identification of key SST zones is essential in predicting the weather / climate systems in East Asia. With the SST data by the U.K. Meteorological Office and 40-year geopotential height and wind fields by NCAR / NCEP, the relationship between the East Asian summer monsoon and north Pacific SSTA is studied, which reveals their interactions are of interdecadal variation. Before mid-1970’s, the north Pacific SSTA acts upon the summer monsoon in East Asia through a great circle wavetrain and results in more rainfall in the summer of the northern part of China. After 1976, the SSTA weakens the wavetrain and no longer influences the precipitation in North China due to loosened links with the East Asian summer monsoon. It can be drawn that the key SST zones having potential effects on the weather / climate systems in East Asia do not stay in one particular area of the ocean but rather shift elsewhere as governed by the interdecadal variations of the air-sea interactions. It is hoped that the study would help shed light on the prediction of drought / flood spans in China.

Numerical Simulation of the Relationship between the Anomaly of Subtropical High over East Asia and the Convective Activities in the Western Tropical Pacific

In this paper, a close relationship between the intraseasonal variation of subtropical high over East Asia and the convective activities around the South China Sea and the Philippines is analysed from OLR data.This relationship is studied by using the theory of wave propagating in a slowly varying medium and by using a quasi-geoslrophic, linear, spherical model and the IAP-GCM, respectively. The results show that when the SST is warming around the western tropical Pacific or the Philippines, the convective activities are intensified around the Philippines. As a consequence, the subtropical high will be intensified over East Asia. The computed results also show that when the anomaly of convective activities are caused around the Philippines, a teleconnection pattern of circulation anomalies will be caused over South Asia, East Asia and North America.

Responses of the East Asian Jet Stream to the North Pacific Subtropical Front in Spring

This study concerns atmospheric responses to the North Pacific subtropical front （NPSTF） in boreal spring over the period 1982-2014. Statistical results show that a strong NPSTF in spring can significantly enhance the East Asian jet stream （EAJS）. Both transient eddy activity and the atmospheric heat source play important roles in this process. The enhanced atmospheric temperature gradient due to a strong NPSTF increases atmospheric baroclinicity, resulting in an intensification of transient eddy and convection activities. On the one hand, the enhanced transient eddy activities can excite an anomalous cyclonic circulation with a quasi-baraotropical structure in the troposphere to the north of the NPSTF. Accordingly, the related westerly wind anomalies around 30°N can intensify the component of the EAJS over the Northeast Pacific. On the other hand, an enhanced atmospheric heat source over the NPSTF, which is related to increased rainfall, acts to excite an anomalous cyclonic circulation system in the troposphere to the northwest of the NPSTF, which can explain the enhanced component of the EAJS over the Northwest Pacific. The two mechanisms may combine to enhance the EAJS.

Response of Growing Season Gross Primary Production to El Nino in Different Phases of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation over Eastern China Based on Bayesian Model Averaging

Gross primary production(GPP) plays a crucial part in the carbon cycle of terrestrial ecosystems.A set of validated monthly GPP data from 1957 to 2010 in 0.5°× 0.5° grids of China was weighted from the Multi-scale Terrestrial Model Intercomparison Project using Bayesian model averaging(BMA).The spatial anomalies of detrended BMA GPP during the growing seasons of typical El Nino years indicated that GPP response to El Nino varies with Pacific Decadal Oscillation(PDO) phases: when the PDO was in the cool phase,it was likely that GPP was greater in northern China(32°–38°N,111°–122°E) and less in the Yangtze River valley(28°–32°N,111°–122°E);in contrast,when PDO was in the warm phase,the GPP anomalies were usually reversed in these two regions.The consistent spatiotemporal pattern and high partial correlation revealed that rainfall dominated this phenomenon.The previously published findings on how El Nino during different phases of PDO affecting rainfall in eastern China make the statistical relationship between GPP and El Nino in this study theoretically credible.This paper not only introduces an effective way to use BMA in grids that have mixed plant function types,but also makes it possible to evaluate the carbon cycle in eastern China based on the prediction of El Nino and PDO.

Different Configurations of Interannual Variability of the Western North Pacific Subtropical High and East Asian Westerly Jet in Summer

This study investigates the circulation and precipitation anomalies associated with different configurations of the western North Pacific subtropical high(WNPSH)and the East Asian westerly jet(EAJ)in summer on interannual timescales.The in-phase configuration of the WNPSH and EAJ is characterized by the westward(eastward)extension of the WNPSH and the southward(northward)shift of the EAJ,which is consistent with the general correspondence between their variations.The out-of-phase configuration includes the residual cases.We find that the in-phase configuration manifests itself as a typical meridional teleconnection.For instance,there is an anticyclonic(cyclonic)anomaly over the tropical western North Pacific and a cyclonic(anticyclonic)anomaly over the mid-latitudes of East Asia in the lower troposphere.These circulation anomalies are more conducive to rainfall anomalies over the Yangtze River basin and south Japan than are the individual WNPSH or EAJ.By contrast,for the out-of-phase configuration,the mid-latitude cyclonic(anticyclonic)anomaly is absent,and the lower-tropospheric circulation anomalies feature an anticyclonic(cyclonic)anomaly with a large meridional extension.Correspondingly,significant rainfall anomalies move northward to North China and the northern Korean Peninsula.Further results indicate that the out-of-phase configuration is associated with the developing phase of ENSO,with strong and significant sea surface temperature(SST)anomalies in the tropical central and eastern Pacific which occur simultaneously during summer and persist into the following winter.This is sharply different from the in-phase configuration,for which the tropical SSTs are not a necessity.

Trophic Ecology of Sharks in the Mid-East Pacific Ocean Inferred from Stable Isotopes

As apex predators, sharks are of ecological and conservation importance in marine ecosystems. In this study, trophic positions of sharks were estimated using stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen for five representative species caught by the Chinese longline fleet in the mid-east Pacific, i.e., the blue shark(Prionace glauca), the bigeye thresher shark(Alopias superciliosus), the silky shark(Carcharhinus falciformis), the scalloped hammerhead(Sphyrna lewini), and the oceanic whitetip shark(Carcharhinus longimanus). Of these species, oceanic whitetip shark has the lowest trophic level and mean δ15N value(3.9 and 14.93‰± 0.84‰), whereas bigeye thresher shark has the highest level/values(4.5 and 17.02‰± 1.21‰, respectively). The bigeye thresher shark has significantly higher δ15N value than other shark species, indicating its higher trophic position. The blue shark and oceanic whitetip shark has significantly higher δ13C values than bigeye thresher shark, silky shark and scalloped hammerhead, possibly due to different diets and/or living habitats. The stable isotope data and stomach content data are highly consistent, suggesting that stable isotope analysis supplements traditional feeding ecology study of sharks, and thus contributes to understanding their trophic linkage.

Characteristics of silicon and oxygen isotopic compositions of basalts near East Pacific Rise 13°N

In this study, 13 groups of silicon and oxygen isotopes and major elements of the basalts near the East Pacific Rise 13°N are used to study the fractionation of silicon and oxygen isotopes. Among these data, δ30Si values of basalts vary from -0.4%o to 0.2%o with a mean value of δ30Si of （-0.18±0.22）%o. The δ180 values range from 4.1%o to 6.4%o with a mean δ180 value of （＋5.35±0.73） %0. Since the δ30Si values increase in the series of basalt-basaltic andesite- andesite, and δ180 values display a positive correlation with the SiO2 content, we propose that the fractionation of silicon and oxygen isotopes is influenced by the SiO2 content in igneous rocks. Compared with the igneous rocks from Manus Basin with clinopyroxene as their dominant mineral phase, MORBs in this study containing olivine and plagioclase as primary minerals have lower δ180 and δ30Si values, indicating that the fractionation of silicon and oxygen isotopes is also affected by different Si-O bridges in silicate minerals. Furthermore, our samples from the EPR are defined as E-MORB based on K/Ti ratios. Probably, the difference in δ30Si and δ30O between our samples and a normal MORB are cause by the enriched components in E-MORBs.

Fe-Si-Mn-Oxyhydroxide Encrustations on Basalts at East Pacific Rise near 13°N:An SEM-EDS Study

Fe-Si-Mn-oxyhydroxide encrustations at the East Pacific Rise(EPR) near 13°N were analyzed using the scanning electron microscope(SEM) with an energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS). These encrustations are mainly composed of amorphous FeSi-Mn-oxyhydroxides forming laminated, spherical, porous aggregates with some biodetritus, anhydrite, nontronite, and feldspar particles. Anhydrite particles and nontronite crystals in the Fe-Si-Mn-oxyhydroxide encrustations imply that the Fe-Si-Mn- oxyhydroxide may have formed under relatively low- to high-temperature hydrothermal conditions. The Fe-Si-Mn-oxyhydroxide encrustations on pillow basalts are 1–2 mm thick. The growth rate of ferromanganese crusts in the survey area suggests that these encrustations are an unlikely result of hydrogenic deposition alone having a hydrothermal and(Fe/Mn ratio up to 7.7 and Fe/(Fe+Mn+Al) ratio exceeding 0.78) hydrogenic origin(0.22 Fe/Mn ratio close to the mean value of 0.7 for open-ocean seamount crusts). The varying Fe/Mn ratios indicate that the Fe-Si-Mn-oxyhydroxide encrustations have formed through several stages of seafloor hydrothermalism. It is suggested that, at the initial formation stage, dense Fe-Si-oxyhydroxides with low Mn content deposit from a relatively reducing hydrothermal fluid, and then the loose Fe-Si-Mn-oxyhydroxides deposit on the Fe-Si-oxyhydroxides. As the oxidation degree of hydrothermal fluid increases and Si-oxide is inhibited, Mn-oxide will precipitate with Fe-oxyhydroxides.

Relationship between Meridional Displacement of the Monthly East Asian Jet Stream in the Summer and Sea Surface Temperature in the Tropical Central and Eastern Pacific

Previous studies have shown that meridional displacement of the East Asian upper-tropospheric jet stream (EAJS) dominates interannual variability of the EAJS in the summer months.This study investigates the tropical Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies associated with meridional displacement of the monthly EAJS during the summer.The meridional displacement of the EAJS in June is significantly associated with the tropical central Pacific SST anomaly in the winter of previous years,while displacements in July and August are related to tropical eastern Pacific SST anomalies in the late spring and concurrent summer.The EAJS tends to shift southward in the following June (July and August) corresponding to a warm SST anomaly in the central (eastern) Pacific in the winter (late spring-summer).The westerly anomaly south of the Asian jet stream is a result of tropical central Pacific warm SST anomaly-related warming in the tropical troposphere,which is proposed as a possible reason for southward displacement of the EAJS in June.The late spring-summer warm SST anomaly in the tropical eastern Pacific,however,may be linked to southward displacement of the EAJS in July and August through a meridional teleconnection over the western North Pacific (WNP) and East Asia.

Tropical Cyclones over the Western North Pacific Strengthen the East Asia–Pacific Pattern during Summer

The contribution of tropical cyclones(TCs)to the East Asia–Pacific(EAP)teleconnection pattern during summer was investigated using the best track data of the Joint Typhoon Warning Center and NCEP-2 reanalysis datasets from 1979 to2018.The results showed that the TCs over the western North Pacific(WNP)correspond to a strengthened EAP pattern:During the summers of strong convection over the tropical WNP,TC days correspond to a stronger cyclonic circulation anomaly over the WNP in the lower troposphere,an enhanced seesaw pattern of negative and positive geopotential height anomalies over the subtropical WNP and midlatitude East Asia in the middle troposphere,and a more northward shift of the East Asian westerly jet in the upper troposphere.Further analyses indicated that two types of TCs with distinctly different tracks,i.e.,westward-moving TCs and northward-moving TCs,both favor the EAP pattern.The present results imply that TCs over the WNP,as extreme weather,can contribute significantly to summer-mean climate anomalies over the WNP and East Asia.

Geochemical Constrains on MORB Composition and Magma Sources at East Pacific Rise Between 1°S and 2°S

The East Pacific Rise(EPR)is a typical fast spreading ridge.To gain a better understanding of the magmatism under ridges,Mid Ocean Ridge Basalts(MORBs)with remarkably heterogeneous compositions are obtained from(EPR)1?–2?S and multielement geochemical and radioisotope analyses are conducted.Results show that these MORBs have wide variation ranges in trace element concentrations and isotopic ratios.Sample 07 has low concentrations of incompatible elements,and very low ^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr,and high ^(143)Nd/^(144)Nd from 0.70213 to 0.702289 and 0.513234 to 0.513289,respectively.However,other samples show enrichment in incompatible elements to varying degrees,and medium values of ^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr and ^(143)Nd/^(144)Nd from 0.702440 to 0.702680 and 0.513086to 0.513200,respectively.This study proposes that one depleted source and two enriched sources contribute to the formation of MORBs from EPR 1?–2?S.Samples 02 and 10 are formed by mixing between one enriched source and one depleted source,while sample 07 is crystallized from the depleted source with no mixing process involved.However,the formation of samples 06 and 11are different,and thus further research is required to determine genesis.

ASIAN-PACIFIC OSCILLATION IN AUTUMN AND ITS RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE SUBTROPICAL MONSOON IN EAST ASIA

Based on the 1961-2010 NCEP/NCAR reanalysis, this work uses empirical orthogonal function(EOF) and composite analysis to study the distributions of zonal land-sea thermal contrast between Asia and the Pacific during transitions from the summer monsoon to the winter monsoon in East Asian subtropics, and investigates the interannual variations of the thermal contrast and their relationships with circulation systems over the East Asian subtropics. The findings are as follows. 1) In autumn, the interannual variations of the temperature deviation in the middle and upper troposphere show significant east-west out-of-phase teleconnection over Asia and the central and eastern Pacific, i.e. the Asian-Pacific Oscillation, or APO. 2) While not as significant as in summer with regard to coverage and intensity, the APO shows interannual variations in autumn that well depicts the change in the intensity of the subtropical monsoon. In the high(low) APO year, the current subtropical summer monsoon is strong(weak) and the winter monsoon is weak(strong) in East Asia as derived from the general circulation and wind field of the East Asian-Pacific region.

Potential Correlation between the Decadal East Asian Summer Monsoon Variability and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation

This study discusses the potential contribution of the Pacific decadal oscillation(PDO)to the weakening of the East Asian summer monsoon(EASM)and the evident correlation between the positive PDO and"Southern flood and Northern drought(SFND)"summer rainfall pattern over East China.The mechanism behind this contribution is also discussed.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SEASONAL TRANSITION OF EAST ASIAN MONSOON CIRCULATION AND ASIAN-PACIFIC THERMAL FIELD AND POSSIBLE MECHANISMS

The NCEP/NCAR reanalysis, CMAP rainfall and Hadley Centre sea surface temperature(SST) datasets are used to investigate the relationship between the seasonal transition of East Asian monsoon and Asian-Pacific thermal contrast, together with the possible causes. Based on the 250 h Pa air temperature over two selected key areas, the Asian-Pacific thermal difference(APTD) index is calculated. Results show that the APTD index is highly consistent with the Asian-Pacific Oscillation(APO) index defined by Zhao et al., in terms of different key areas in different seasons. Moreover, the time point of the seasonal transition of the Asian-Pacific thermal contrast can be well determined by the APTD index, indicative of seasonal variation in East Asian atmospheric circulation from winter to summer. The transition characteristic of the circulation can be summarized as follows. The continental cold high at lower tropospheric level moves eastward to the East China Sea and decreases rapidly in intensity, while the low-level northerlies turn to southerlies. At middle tropospheric level, the East Asia major trough is reduced and moves eastward. Furthermore, the subtropical high strengthens and appears near Philippines. The South Asia high shifts from the east of Philippines to the west of Indochina Peninsula, and the prevailing southerlies change into northerlies in upper troposphere. Meanwhile,both the westerly and easterly jets both jump to the north. The seasonal transition of atmospheric circulation is closely related to the thermal contrast, and the possible mechanism can be concluded as follows. Under the background of the APTD seasonal transition, the southerly wind appears firstly at lower troposphere, which triggers the ascending motion via changing vertical shear of meridional winds. The resultant latent heating accelerates the transition of heating pattern from winter to summer. The summer heating pattern can further promote the adjustment of circulation, which favors the formation and strengthening of the low-level southerly and upper-level northerly winds. As a result, the meridional circulation of the East Asian subtropical monsoon is established through a positive feedback between the circulation and thermal fields. Moreover, the time point of this seasonal transition has a significant positive correlation with the SST anomalies over the tropical central-eastern Pacific Ocean, providing a basis for the short-term climate prediction.