Monthly Variations of Atmospheric Circulations Associated with Haze Pollution in the Yangtze River Delta and North China

Haze pollution in early winter(December and January) in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD) and in North China(NC)are both severe;however, their monthly variations are significantly different. In this study, the dominant large-scale atmospheric circulations and local meteorological conditions were investigated and compared over the YRD and NC in each month. Results showed that the YRD(NC) is dominated by the so-called Scandinavia(East Atlantic/West Russia)pattern in December, and these circulations weaken in January. The East Asian December and January monsoons over the YRD and NC have negative correlations with the number of haze days. The local descending motion facilitates less removal of haze pollution over the YRD, while the local ascending motion facilitates less removal of haze pollution over NC in January, despite a weaker relationship in December. Additionally, the monthly variations of atmospheric circulations showed that adverse meteorological conditions restrict the vertical(horizontal) dispersion of haze pollution in December(January) over the YRD, while the associated local weather conditions are similar in these two months over NC.

Drought variability and its connection with large-scale atmospheric circulations in Haihe River Basin

Drought is one of the most widespread and devastating extreme climate events when water availability is significantly below normal levels for a long period.In recent years,the Haihe River Basin has been threatened by intensified droughts.Therefore,characterization of droughts in the basin is of great importance for sustainable water resources management.In this study,two multi-scalar drought indices,the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index(SPEI)with potential evapotranspiration calculated by the PenmaneMonteith equation and the standardized precipitation index(SPI),were used to evaluate the spatiotemporal variations of drought characteristics from 1961 to 2017 in the Haihe River Basin.In addition,the large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns were used to further explore the potential links between drought trends and climatic anomalies.An increasing tendency in drought duration was detected over the Haihe River Basin with frequent drought events occurring in the period from 1997 to 2003.The results derived from both SPEI and SPI demonstrated that summer droughts were significantly intensified.The analysis of large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns indicated that the intensified summer droughts could be attributed to the positive geopotential height anomalies in Asian mid-high latitudes and the insufficient water vapor fluxes transported from the south.©2021 Hohai University.Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Impact of atmospheric circulations on droughts and drought propagation over China

The GRACE satellite mission provides a new approach for monitoring,tracking,and assessing drought conditions by detecting changes in Earth's gravitational fields and inversing signals of terrestrial water storage anomalies.Existing studies of terrestrial water storage anomalies related droughts paid rare attention to the behind atmospheric physical mechanisms,nor quantified the risk propagation patterns between terrestrial water storage deficits and hydrological or agricultural droughts.In this study,we first extract terrestrial water storage(TWS) droughts,hydrological droughts,and agricultural droughts by using multiple variables including TWS from the GRACE/GRACE-FO satellites,runoff and soil moisture from the ERA5-Land reanalysis dataset.We then identify key atmospheric and oceanic oscillation indices affecting water deficits by employing machine learning technologies.We characterize the joint distributions between drought duration and severity by using the Copula function and quantify the risk propagation of hydrological and agricultural droughts to TWS droughts.The results show that:(1) From 2002 to 2021,there is a significant decrasing trend of TWS in China;the WPIO group atmospheric circulation indices(sea surface temperature index within the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean) contributes the most to TWS.Specifically,the sea surface temperature anomalies within the NINO 3.4 region as well as the Western Pacific Warm Pool area index show significantly positive correlation relationships with TWS in southern China;(2) The northwestern China,the Yangtze River basin,and the downstream of the Pearl River basin are the hotspots of TWS droughts.Besides,the hotspots of hydrological droughts locate in northwestern China and the hotspots of agricultural droughts locate in South China and eastern Tibetan Plateau;(3) The elastic coefficients of hydrological droughts propagating to TWS droughts are higher than those of agricultural droughts,indicating that the TWS droughts are more sensitive to hydrological droughts than to agricultural droughts.

Impact of El Nio on atmospheric circulations over East Asia and rainfall in China： Role of the anomalous western North Pacific anticyclone

This paper presents a review on the impact of El Nio on the interannual variability of atmospheric circulations over East Asia and rainfall in China through the anomalous anticyclone over western North Pacific(WNPAC). It explains the formation mechanisms of the WNPAC and physical processes by which the WNPAC affects the rainfall in China. During the mature phase of El Nio, the convective cooling anomalies over western tropical Pacific caused by the weakened convections trigger up an atmospheric Rossby wave response, resulting in the generation of the WNPAC. The WNPAC can persist from the winter when the El Nio is in its peak to subsequent summer, which is maintained by multiple factors including the sustained presence of convective cooling anomalies and the local air-sea interaction over western tropical Pacific, and the persistence of sea surface temperature anomalies(SSTA) in tropical Indian and tropical North Atlantic. The WNPAC can influence the atmospheric circulations over East Asia and rainfall in China not only simultaneously, but also in the subsequent summer after an El Nio year, leading to more rainfall over southern China. The current paper also points out that significant anomalies of atmospheric circulations over East Asia and rainfall over southern China occur in El Nio winter but not in La Nio winter, suggesting that El Nio and La Nio have an asymmetric effect. Other issues, including the impact of El Nio diversity and its impact as well as the relations of the factors affecting the persistence of the WNPAC with summer rainfall anomalies in China, are also discussed. At the end of this paper some issues calling for further investigation are discussed.

A comparative study of the atmospheric circulations associated with rainy-season floods between the Yangtze and Huaihe River Basins

Here we present the results from the composite analyses of the atmospheric circulations and physical quantity fields associated with rainy-season for the selected floods cases over the Yangtze and Huaihe River basins for the 21 years(1990–2010),using the daily rain gauge measurements taken in the 756 stations throughout China and the NCEP/reanalysis data for the rainyseasons(June–July)from 1990 to 2010.The major differences in the atmospheric circulations and physical quantity fields between the Yangtze and Huaihe River basins are as follows:for flooding years of the Yangtze River Basin,the South Asia high center is located further east than normal,the blocking high over the Urals and the Sea of Okhotsk maintains,and the Meiyu front is situated near 30°N whereas for flooding years of the Huaihe River Basin,the South Asia high center is further west than normal,the atmospheric circulations over the mid and high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere are of meridional distribution,and the Meiyu front is situated near 33°N.In addition,there are distinct differences in water vapor sources and associated transports between the Yangtze and Huaihe River basins.The water vapor is transported by southwesterly flows from the Bay of Bengal and monsoon flows over the South China Sea for flooding years of the Yangtze River Basin whereas by southeast monsoons from the eastern and southern seas off China and monsoon flows over the South China Sea for flooding years of the Huaihe River Basin.

A comparison study of the simulation accuracy between WRF and MM5 in simulating local atmospheric circulations over Greater Beijing

Several multi-scale numerical simulation experiments were carried out using the mesoscale modeling systems MM5V3.7 and WRFV2.2 for Greater Beijing to estimate the accuracy of WRF and MM5 in simulating the characteristics and variations of mesoscale local circulation in the atmospheric boundary layer of this area. We simulated the horizontal distribution and diurnal variations of temperature and wind fields near the ground and compared them with Automatic Weather System (AWS) data collected from 19 AWS stations in Beijing. Correlation and error analyses were also made. The modeling and statistical results showed that both WRF and MM5 model the temperature field near the ground significantly better than they model the wind field. The temperature field simulated by MM5 is more coincident than that of WRF with the AWS observation records, while WRF does better than MM5 in simulating the wind field, especially under the condition of gusty wind. Neither WRF nor MM5 can capture the fine structure of urban architectural complexity, which is the main error in the wind field simulation. Both models underestimate the land surface temperature at night and overestimate the temperature during the day. All the above results are supported by statistical analysis.

Spatio-temporal Variation Characteristics of Extreme Climate Events and Their Teleconnections to Large-scale Ocean-atmospheric Circulation Patterns in Huaihe River Basin,China During 1959–2019

Huaihe River Basin(HRB) is located in China’s north-south climatic transition zone,which is very sensitive to global climate change.Based on the daily maximum temperature,minimum temperature,and precipitation data of 40 meteorological stations and nine monthly large-scale ocean-atmospheric circulation indices data during 1959–2019,we present an assessment of the spatial and temporal variations of extreme temperature and precipitation events in the HRB using nine extreme climate indices,and analyze the teleconnection relationship between extreme climate indices and large-scale ocean-atmospheric circulation indices.The results show that warm extreme indices show a significant(P < 0.05) increasing trend,while cold extreme indices(except for cold spell duration) and diurnal temperature range(DTR) show a significant decreasing trend.Furthermore,all extreme temperature indices show significant mutations during 1959-2019.Spatially,a stronger warming trend occurs in eastern HRB than western HRB,while maximum 5-d precipitation(Rx5day) and rainstorm days(R25) show an increasing trend in the southern,central,and northwestern regions of HRB.Arctic oscillation(AO),Atlantic multidecadal oscillation(AMO),and East Atlantic/Western Russia(EA/WR) have a stronger correlation with extreme climate indices compared to other circulation indices.AO and AMO(EA/WR) exhibit a significant(P < 0.05) negative(positive)correlation with frost days and diurnal temperature range.Extreme warm events are strongly correlated with the variability of AMO and EA/WR in most parts of HRB,while extreme cold events are closely related to the variability of AO and AMO in eastern HRB.In contrast,AMO,AO,and EA/WR show limited impacts on extreme precipitation events in most parts of HRB.

Analysis on characteristics of extreme precipitation indices and atmospheric circulation in Northern Shanxi

This article utilizes daily precipitation data from 28 national meteorological stations in northern Shanxi Province spanning from 1972 to 2020,and the US NCEP/NCAR monthly average reanalysis and ERA5 monthly average reanalysis data.The study employs techniques such as empirical orthogonal function(EOF)decomposition,MannKendall mutation and other methods to investigate the spatiotemporal distribution of extreme precipitation index in northern Shanxi and their correlation with atmospheric circulation.The research results show that:the absolute index,relative index,intensity index and sustained dry period index(CDD)in the continuous index appear from southwest to northeast.The spatial distribution characteristics of the central region decrease,while the continuous wet period(CWD)decreases from the central to the east and west.The three indices Rx1day,Rx5day,and CWD mutated in 1978,1975,and 1983 respectively,and other extreme precipitation indices all appeared in a sudden change from a low-value period to a high-value period occurred around 2010.In the high-value years of the summer extreme precipitation index,there is a significant negative anomaly in the height field in the mid-high latitude regions of Eurasia.Northern Shanxi is controlled by a broad low-pressure trough in the Lake Baikal area.Water vapor transported via the east,west,and south routes converges in the northern Shanxi region and encounters cold air from the north.There is a strong upward motion anomaly at 500 hPa in the troposphere,and the dynamic conditions of upper-level divergence and lower-level convergence lead to more summer extreme precipitation in the northern Shanxi region.Conversely,in the low-value years of the summer extreme precipitation index,northern Shanxi is affected by a strong high-pressure ridge north of Lake Baikal.There is a downward motion anomaly at 500 hPa,and the northern Shanxi region lacks water vapor.The cold and warm air cannot converge,and both the water vapor conditions and dynamic conditions are poor,which is not conducive to the production of extreme precipitation in northern Shanxi.

Atmospheric Circulation Patterns Associated with the“2022.06”Extreme Flood in the Beijiang River Basin,China

The occurrence of most major basin-wide floods is closely related to persistent heavy rainfall(PHR).In June 2022,a PHR event that lasted twenty days hit the Beijiang River Basin(BRB)in South China.The record-breaking rainfall led to major floods and caused tremendous losses.This study first reviews the spatiotemporal distribution of the precipitation and the flooding process of this PHR event and then analyzes the atmospheric circulation patterns associated with the event based on the hourly reanalysis data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts(ERA5).The results show that the establishment and stabilization of mid-to high-latitude blockings provided a favorable background for the“2022.06”PHR event in the BRB.The convergence of water vapor at the low level,the release of unstable energy,and the development of stronger vertical ascending movement provided the necessary dynamic conditions.The vertical circulation of water vapor was much stronger than that of climatology,while the vertical ascending movement was also more active in the BRB.The heavy rainfall belt in the BRB was formed in a region with apparently stronger divergence,which also coincided with regions of higher-than-normal updraft velocity and specific humidity.

Relationship between Rice Planthopper Occurrence Area in China and Atmospheric Circulation Indices

[Objective] This study aimed to establish models based on atmospheric cir- culation indices for forecasting the area attacked by rice planthopper every year, and to provide guide for preventing and controlling planthopper damage. [Method] The data related to rice planthopper occurrence and atmospheric circulation were collected and analyzed with the method of stepwise regression to establish the prediction models. [Result] The factors significantly related to the area attacked by rice plan-thopper were selected. Two types of prediction models were established. One was for Sogatella furcifera （Horvath）, based on Atlantic-Europe circulation pattern W in October in that year, Pacific polar vortex area index in October in that year, North America subtropical high index in August in that year, Atlantic-Europe circulation pattern W in June in that year, northern boundary of North America subtropical high in February in that year, Atlantic-Europe polar vortex intensity index in October in that year and Asia polar vortex intensity index in November in the last year; the other type of prediction models were for Nilaparvata lugens （Stal）, based on the Eastern Pacific subtropical high intensity index in July in that year, northern hemi- sphere polar vortex area index in October in the last year, Asia polar vortex strength index in November in the last year, north boundary of North America-At- lantic subtropical high in September in that year, north boundary of North Africa-At- lantic-North America subtropical high in January in that year, sunspot in September of the last year and eastern Pacific subtropical high area index in September in that year. [Conclusion] With the stepwise regression, the forecasting equations of the rice planthopper occurrence established based on the atmospheric circulation indices could be used for actual forecast.

Atmospheric Anomalies Related to Interdecadal Variability of SST in the North Pacific

Anomalous patterns of the atmospheric circulation and climate are studied corresponding to the two basic interdecadal variation modes of sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Pacific, namely, the 25-35-year mode and the 7-10-year mode. Results clearly indicate that corresponding to the positive and negative phases of the interdecadal modes of SST anomaly (SSTA) in the North Pacific, the anomalous patterns of the atmospheric circulation and climate are approximately out of phase, fully illustrating the important role of the interdecadal modes of SST. Since the two interdecadal modes of SSTA in the North Pacific have similar horizontal structures, their impacts on the atmospheric circulation and climate are also analogous. The impact of the interdecadal modes of the North Pacific SST on the atmospheric circulation is barotropic at middle latitudes and baroclinic in tropical regions.

Dynamical Framework of IAP Nine-Level Atmospheric General Circulation Model

The dynamical framework of the nine-level version of the IAP AGCM is presented in this paper. The emphasis of the model's description is put on the following two aspects:(1) A model's standard atmosphere, which is a satisfactory approximation to the observed troposphere and lower stratosphere standard atmosphere, is introduced into the equations of the model to permit a more accurate calculation of the vertical transport terms, especially near the tropopause; (2) The vertical levels of the model are carefully selected to guarantee a smooth dependence of layer thickness upon pressure in order to reduce the truncation error involved in the unequal interval vertical finite-differencing. For testing the model, two kinds of linear baroclinic Rossby-Haurwitz waves, one of which has a dynamically stable vertical structure and the other has a relatively unstable one, are constructed to provide initial conditions for numerical experiments. The two waves have been integrated for more than 300 days and 100 days respectively by using the model and both of them are propagating westward with almost identical phase-speed during the time period of the integrations. No obvious change of the wave patterns is found at the levels in the model's troposphere. The amplitudes of both two waves at the uppermost level, however, exhibit rather significant oscillation with time, of which the periods are exactly 20 days and 25 days espectively.The explanation of this interesting phenomena is still under investigation.

Interannual to Interdecadal Variation of East Asian Summer Monsoon and its Association with the Global Atmospheric Circulation and Sea Surface Temperature

The East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) underwent an interdecadal variation with interannual variations during the period from 1958 to 1997, its index tended to decline from a higher stage in the mid-1960,s until it reached a lower stage after 1980/s. Correlation analysis reveals that EASM is closely related with the global atmospheric circulation and sea surface temperature (SST). The differences between the weak and strong stage of EASM shows that, the summer monsoon circulation over East Asia and North Africa is sharply weakened, in the meantime, the westerlies in high latitudes and the trade-wind over the tropical ocean are also changed significantly. Over the most regions south of the northern subtropics, both air temperature in the lower troposphere and SST tended to rise compared with the strong stage of EASM. It is also revealed that the ocean-atmosphere interaction over the western Pacific and Indian Ocean plays a key role in interannual to interdecadal variation of EASM, most probably, the subtropical indian Ocean is more important. On the other hand, the ENSO event is less related to EASM at least during the concerned period.

Prediction of the Asian-Australian Monsoon Interannual Variations with the Grid-Point Atmospheric Model of IAP LASG(GAMIL)

Seasonal prediction of Asian-Australian monsoon （A-AM） precipitation is one of the most important and challenging tasks in climate prediction. In this paper, we evaluate the performance of Grid Atmospheric Model of IAP LASG （GAMIL） on retrospective prediction of the A-AM interannual variation （IAV）, and determine to what extent GAMIL can capture the two major observed modes of A-AM rainfall IAV for the period 1979-2003. The first mode is associated with the turnabout of warming （cooling） in the Nifio 3.4 region, whereas the second mode leads the warming/cooling by about one year, signaling precursory conditions for ENSO. We show that the GAMIL one-month lead prediction of the seasonal precipitation anomalies is primarily able to capture major features of the two observed leading modes of the IAV, with the first mode better predicted than the second. It also depicts the relationship between the first mode and ENSO rather well. On the other hand, the GAMIL has deficiencies in capturing the relationship between the second mode and ENSO. We conclude： （1） successful reproduction of the E1 Nifio-excited monsoon-ocean interaction and E1 Nifio forcing may be critical for the seasonal prediction of the A-AM rainfall IAV with the GAMIL; （2） more efforts are needed to improve the simulation not only in the Nifio 3.4 region but also in the joining area of Asia and the Indian-Pacific Ocean; （3） the selection of a one-tier system may improve the ultimate prediction of the A-AM rainfall IAV. These results offer some references for improvement of the GAMIL and associated seasonal prediction skill.

27.3-day and 13.6-day Atmospheric Tide and Lunar Forcing on Atmospheric Circulation

An analysis of time variations of the earth’s length of day (LOD) versus atmospheric geopotential height fields and lunar phase is presented. A strong correlation is found between LOD and geopotential height from which a close relationship is inferred and found between atmospheric circulation and the lunar cycle around the earth. It is found that there is a 27.3-day and 13.6-day east-west oscillation in the atmospheric circulation following the lunar phase change. The lunar revolution around the earth strongly influences the atmospheric circulation. During each lunar cycle around the earth there is, on average, an alternating change of 6.8-day-decrease, 6.8-day-increase, 6.8-day-decrease and 6.8-day-increase in atmospheric zonal wind, atmospheric angular momentum and LOD. The dominant factor producing such an oscillation in atmospheric circulation is the periodic change of lunar declination during the lunar revolution around the earth. The 27.3- day and 13.6-day atmospheric oscillatory phenomenon is akin

Seasonal evolution of the dominant modes of the Eurasian snowpack and atmospheric circulation from autumn to the subsequent spring and the associated surface heat budget

This study investigates the seasonal evolution of the dominant modes of the Eurasian snowpack and atmospheric circulation from autumn to the subsequent spring using snow water equivalent （SWE）, snow cover frequency （SCF）, and 500 hPa geopotential height data. It is found that the Eurasian SWE/SCF and circulation dominant modes are stably coupled from autumn to the subsequent spring.The temporal coherence of the seasonal evolution of the dominant modes is examined.The seasonal evolution of the Eurasian circulation and SWE dominant modes exhibit good coherence, whereas the evolution of the Eurasian SCF dominant mode is incoherent during the autumn-winter transition season. This incoherence is associated with a sign-change in the SCF anomalies in Europe during the autumn-winter transition season, which is related to the wind anomalies over Europe. In addition, the surface heat budget associated with the Eurasian SWE/SCF and circulation dominant modes is analyzed. The sensible heat flux （SHF） related to the wind-induced thermal advection dominates the surface heat budget from autumn to the subsequent spring, with the largest effect during winter. The surface net shortwave radiation is mainly modulated by snow cover rather than cloud cover, which is estimated to be as important as, or likely superior to, the SHF for the surface heat budget during spring.The NCEP-NCAR surface heat flux reanalysis data demonstrate a consistency with the SWE/SCF and air temperature observational data, indicating a good capability for snow-atmosphere interaction analysis.

Unprecedented Heatwave in Western North America during Late June of 2021: Roles of Atmospheric Circulation and Global Warming

An extraordinary and unprecedented heatwave swept across western North America(i.e.,the Pacific Northwest)in late June of 2021,resulting in hundreds of deaths,a massive die-off of sea creatures off the coast,and horrific wildfires.Here,we use observational data to find the atmospheric circulation variabilities of the North Pacific and Arctic-Pacific-Canada patterns that co-occurred with the development and mature phases of the heatwave,as well as the North America pattern,which coincided with the decaying and eastward movement of the heatwave.Climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project(Phase 6)are not designed to simulate a particular heatwave event like this one.Still,models show that greenhouse gases are the main reason for the long-term increase of average daily maximum temperature in western North America in the past and future.

Anomalous Atmospheric Circulation, Heat Sources and Moisture Sinks in Relation to Great Precipitation Anomalies in the Yangtze River Valley

Using the summer (June to August) monthly mean data of the National Centers for Environmental Predictions (NCEP) - National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) reanalysis from 1980 to 1997, atmospheric heat sources and moisture sinks are calculated. Anomalous circulation and the vertically integrated heat source with the vertical integrated moisture sink and outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) flux are examined based upon monthly composites for 16 great wet-spells and 8 great dry-spells over the middle-lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The wind anomaly exhibits prominent differences between the great wet-spell and the great dry-spell over the Yangtze River Valley. For the great wet-spell, the anomalous southerly from the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea and the anomalous northerly over North China enhanced low-level convergence toward a narrow latitudinal belt area (the middle-lower reaches of the Yangtze River). The southerly anomaly is connected with an anticyclonic anomalous circulation system centered at 22 degreesN, 140 degreesE and the northerly anomaly is associated with a cyclonic anomalous circulation system centered at the Japan Sea. In the upper level, the anomalous northwesterly between an anticyclonic anomalous system with the center at 23 degreesN, 105 degreesE and a cyclonic anomalous system with the center at Korea diverged over the middle-lower reaches of the Yangtze River. On the contrary, for the great dry-spell, the anomalous northerly over South China and the anomalous southerly over North China diverged from the Yangtze River Valley in the low level. The former formed in the western part of a cyclonic anomalous system centered at 23 degreesN, 135 degreesE. The latter was located in the western ridge of an anticyclonic anomalous system in the northwestern Pacific. The upper troposphere showed easterly anomaly that converged over the middle-lower reaches of the Yangtze River. A cyclonic anomalous system in South China and an anticyclonic system centered in the Japan Sea enhanced the easterly. Large atmospheric heat source anomalies of opposite signs existed over the western Pacific - the South China Sea, with negative in the great wet-spell and positive in the great dry-spell. The analysis of heat source also revealed positive anomalous heat sources during the great wet-spell and negative anomalous heat sources during the great dry-spell over the Yangtze River valley. The changes of the moisture sink and OLR were correspondingly altered, implying the change of heat source anomaly is due to the latent heat releasing of convective activity. Over the southeastern Tibetan Plateau- the Bay of Bengal, the analysis of heat source shows positive anomalous heat sources during the great wet-spell and negative anomalous heat sources during the great dry-spell because of latent heating change. The change of divergent wind coexisted with the change of heat source. In the great wet-spell, southerly divergent wind anomaly in the low level and northerly divergent wind anomaly in high-level are seen over South China. These divergent wind anomalies are helpful to the low-level convergence anomaly and high-level divergence anomaly over the Yangtze River valley. The low-level northerly divergent wind anomaly and high-level southerly divergent wind anomaly over South China reduced the low-level convergence and high-level divergence over the Yangtze River valley during the great dry-spell.

Effects of atmospheric circulation on summertime precipitation variability and glacier mass balance over the Tuyuksu Glacier in Tianshan Mountains, Kazakhstan

The amount and the form of precipitation have significant effects on glacier mass balances in high al- titude mountain areas by controlling the accumulation, the ablation and the energy balance of a glacier through impact on the surface albedo. The liquid precipitation has negative effects on glacier accumulation and may in- crease the ablation of surface ice through the heat input for melting. The timing and the forms of precipitation over glacierized regions depend on the weather processes both locally and regionally. Early studies showed that regional to large-scale atmospheric circulation processes play a key role in affecting the precipitation events over glaciers. This paper analyzed the relationship between the inter-annual variability of the summertime precipitation over the Tuyuksu Glacier and the atmospheric circulation types, which related to various atmospheric circulation types in the Northern Hemisphere. Results indicated that the decrease in the duration of zonal processes and the increase in the meridional northern processes were observed in the last decade. The total summer precipitation associated with these processes also increased along with an increase of summertime solid precipitation. Although the decadal fluctuation of glaciological parameters were found in dependent of the above large-scale atmospheric circulation processes, global warming was a dominant factor leading to the mass loss in the recent decades under the back- ground of the increase in precipitation over the Tuyuksu Glacier.

Atmospheric Precursors of and Response to Anomalous Arctic Sea Ice in CMIP5 Models

This study examines pre-industrial control simulations from CMIP5 climate models in an effort to better understand the complex relationships between Arctic sea ice and the stratosphere, and between Arctic sea ice and cold winter temperatures over Eurasia. We present normalized regressions of Arctic sea-ice area against several atmospheric variables at extended lead and lag times. Statistically significant regressions are found at leads and lags, suggesting both atmospheric precursors of, and responses to, low sea ice; but generally, the regressions are stronger when the atmosphere leads sea ice, including a weaker polar stratospheric vortex indicated by positive polar cap height anomalies. Significant positive midlatitude eddy heat flux anomalies are also found to precede low sea ice. We argue that low sea ice and raised polar cap height are both a response to this enhanced midlatitude eddy heat flux. The so-called "warm Arctic, cold continents" anomaly pattern is present one to two months before low sea ice, but is absent in the months following low sea ice, suggesting that the Eurasian cooling and low sea ice are driven by similar processes. Lastly, our results suggest a dependence on the geographic region of low sea ice, with low Barents–Kara Sea ice correlated with a weakened polar stratospheric vortex, whilst low Sea of Okhotsk ice is correlated with a strengthened polar vortex. Overall, the results support a notion that the sea ice, polar stratospheric vortex and Eurasian surface temperatures collectively respond to large-scale changes in tropospheric circulation.