Large-scale Circulation Anomalies Associated with Interannual Variation in Monthly Rainfall over South China from May to August

Interannual variation in summer rainfall over South China （SC） was investigated on the monthly timescale.It was found that monthly rainfall from May to August exhibits different features of variation,and the amounts are basically independent of each other.There is a significant negative correlation,however,between May and July SC rainfall,which is partially related to the developing phases of ENSO events.It was also found that stronger （weaker） lower-tropospheric winds over SC and the upstream parts are responsible for more （less） SC rainfall in every month from May to August.Despite this monthly consistent enhancement of horizontal winds,the wind anomalies exhibit distinct differences between May-June and July-August,due to the remarkable change in climatological winds between these two periods.More SC rainfall is associated with a lower-tropospheric anticyclonic anomaly over the SCS and the Philippine Sea in May and June,but with a cyclonic anomaly centered over SC in July and August.

Circulation anomalies in the mid–high latitudes responsible for the extremely hot summer of 2018 over northeast Asia

This study investigated the contributions of mid–high-latitude circulation anomalies to the extremely hot summer(July and August;JA)of 2018 over Northeast Asia(NEA).The JA-mean surface air temperature in 2018 was 1.2°C higher than that of the 1979–2018 climatology,with the amplitude of such an anomaly almost doubling the interannual standard deviation,making 2018 the hottest year during the analysis period 1979–2018.The abnormal warming over NEA was caused by a local positive geopotential height anomaly reaching strongest intensity in JA 2018.Further investigation suggested that the upper-tropospheric circulation anomalies over northern Europe and the Caspian Sea were crucial to forming this NEA circulation anomaly through initiating downstream wave trains.Particularly,the geopotential heights over these two regions were concurrently at their highest in JA 2018,and therefore jointly contributed to the profound circulation anomaly over NEA and the hottest summer on record.Due to these two teleconnection patterns,the temperature anomalies in NEA are closely related to those in both northern Europe and the Caspian Sea,where the similarly extreme warming also happened in 2018.

Interannual Variability of Snow Depth over the Tibetan Plateau and Its Associated Atmospheric Circulation Anomalies

The interannual variability of wintertime snow depth over the Tibetan Plateau(TP) and related atmospheric circulation anomalies were investigated based on observed snow depth measurements and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data.Empirical orthogonal function(EOF) analysis was applied to identify the spatio-temporal variability of wintertime TP snow depth.Snow depth anomalies were dominated by a monopole pattern over the TP and a dipole structure with opposite anomalies over the southeastern and northwestern TP.The atmospheric circulation conditions responsible for the interannual variability of TP snow depth were examined via regression analyses against the principal component of the most dominant EOF mode.In the upper troposphere,negative zonal wind anomalies over the TP with extensively positive anomalies to the south indicated that the southwestward shift of the westerly jet may favor the development of surface cyclones over the TP.An anomalous cyclone centered over the southeastern TP was associated with the anomalous westerly jet,which is conducive to heavier snowfall and results in positive snow depth anomalies.An anomalous cyclone was observed at 500 hPa over the TP,with an anomalous anticyclone immediately to the north,suggesting that the TP is frequently affected by surface cyclones.Regression analyses revealed that significant negative thickness anomalies exist around the TP from March to May,with a meridional dipole anomaly in March.The persistent negative anomalies due to more winter TP snow are not conducive to earlier reversal of the meridional temperature gradient,leading to a possible delay in the onset of the Asian summer monsoon.

Summertime temperature variations in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River and their related circulation anomalies in the past five decades

Using the daily data of temperature from China Meteorological Administration and the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis from 1960 to 2005, we have analyzed the relationships between the summertime high/low temperature events in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River （MLRYR） and the related circulation anomalies in the Eastern Hemisphere. Our results have demonstrated that a significantly increasing trend is observed in daily minimum temperature in the past 50 years. And in some regions in the Northern Hemisphere, the opposite scenarios are observed in circulation anomalies in lower and upper parts of the troposphere in the years when the temperatures are higher than normal, as compared to those in the years when the temperatures are lower than normal in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River （MLRYR）. Additionally, the anomalous circulation structure in vertical direction in both the high and lower temperature years are barotropic. It is found that the emergence and maintenance of the aforementioned anomalous circulations are related to three kinds of wave train teleconnection patterns. Further more, influences of the long wave surface radiation on the air temperature are stronger in the nighttime than that in the daytime. While both the maximum and minimum temperatures have negative relationships with the sensible heat flux but positive relationships with the latent heat flux. To some extent, the anomalous dynamic heating （cooling） caused by the vertical thermal advection as well as the diabatic heating （cooling） caused by diabatic processes can explain the formation of the high （low） temperature events in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River （MLRYR） in boreal summer.

Variation in Summer Surface Air Temperature over Northeast Asia and Its Associated Circulation Anomalies

This study investigates the interannual variation of summer surface air temperature over Northeast Asia（NEA） and its associated circulation anomalies.Two leading modes for the temperature variability over NEA are obtained by EOF analysis.The first EOF mode is characterized by a homogeneous temperature anomaly over NEA and therefore is called the NEA mode.This anomaly extends from southeast of Lake Baikal to Japan,with a central area in Northeast China.The second EOF mode is characterized by a seesaw pattern,showing a contrasting distribution between East Asia（specifically including the Changbai Mountains in Northeast China,Korea,and Japan） and north of this region.This mode is named the East Asia（EA） mode.Both modes contribute equivalently to the temperature variability in EA.The two leading modes are associated with different circulation anomalies.A warm NEA mode is associated with a positive geopotential height anomaly over NEA and thus a weakened upper-tropospheric westerly jet.On the other hand,a warm EA mode is related to a positive height anomaly over EA and a northward displaced jet.In addition,the NEA mode tends to be related to the Eurasian teleconnection pattern,while the EA mode is associated with the East Asia-Pacific/PacificJapan pattern.

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.

Variations in Regional Mean Daily Precipitation Extremes and Related Circulation Anomalies over Central China During Boreal Summer

The variations of regional mean daily precipitation extreme （RMDPE） events in central China and associated circulation anomalies during June, July, and August （JJA） of 1961-2010 are investigated by using daily in-situ precipitation observations and the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data. The precipitation data were collected at 239 state-level stations distributed throughout the provinces of Henan, Hubei, and Hunan. During 1961-2010, the 99th percentile threshold for RMDPE is 23.585 mm day-1. The number of RMDPE events varies on both interannual and interdecadal timescales, and increases significantly after the mid 1980s. The RMDPE events happen most frequently between late June and mid July, and are generally associated with anomalous baroclinic tropospheric circulations. The supply of moisture to the southern part of central China comes in a stepping way from the outer-region of an abnormal anticyclone over the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea. Fluxes of wave activity generated over the northeastern Tibetan Plateau converge over central China, which favors the genesis and maintenance of wave disturbances over the region. RMDPE events typically occur in tandem with a strong heating gradient formed by net heating in central China and the large-scale net cooling in the surrounding area. The occurrence of RMDPE events over central China is tied to anomalous local cyclonic circulations, topographic forcing over the northeast Tibetan Plateau, and anomalous gradients of diabatic heating between central China and the surrounding areas.

Seasonal and Sub-Seasonal Circulation Anomalies Associated with Persistent Rainy Days in 2018/2019 Winter in Shanghai, China

Shanghai experienced the longest rainy days in 2018/2019 winter since 1988. The physical cause of such an unusual climate condition was investigated through the diagnosis of observational data. From a seasonal perspective, a long persistent rainy winter was often associated with an El Ni?o condition in the equatorial Pacific. This abnormal oceanic condition induces a remote teleconnection pattern with pronounced low-level southerly anomalies over East China.The wind anomalies transported moisture from tropical oceans and caused persistent rainfall in East Asia. Meanwhile, the local rainfall time series exhibited a strong quasi-biweekly oscillation (QBWO). Three persistent rainy events were identified in the 2018/2019 winter and they all occurred during the active phase of the QBWO. The first two events were associated with a low pressure anomaly west of Shanghai. Southerly anomalies associated with the low pressure system advected high mean moisture into central eastern China, leading to the persistent rainfall there.The third event was associated with a high pressure anomaly in lower troposphere to the east of Shanghai, which induced anomalous southerlies to its west, favoring the occurrence of rainfall in Shanghai. The result suggests the importance of high-frequency variability in affecting seasonal rainfall anomalies.

RELATION BETWEEN SUMMER TYPHOON FREQUENCY ANOMALIES IN WEST PACIFIC AND ENSO EVENTS AND THE ANOMALOUS ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION CHARACTERISTICS

By using data of serially numbered typhoons in northwestem Pacific and NOAA OLR data and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data of wind field, based on the statistics and study of the relationship between the calendar years with more （or fewer） summer typhoons and ENSO events, we compared the composites of OLR eigenvectors and tropical summer wind fields during E1 Nino and La Nino events with more or fewer than normal summer typhoons, respectively. The results show that, in summer, without remarkable systematic anomalies of Mascarene High and Australia High in South Hemisphere, the anomaly of Walker circulation will dominate and follow the rule of ENSO impacts to atmospheric circulation and typhoon frequency. Otherwise, when systematic anomalies of Australia High appear during the El Nino events, circulation anomalies in the South Hemisphere will dominate, and many more typhoons will occur. In 1999, which is a special year of La Nina events, northward and eastward monsoon was induced by the stronger Mascarene High, and fewer typhoons arose. The typhoon source are regions where weak vertical wind shear, warm pool in westem Pacific and the area with monsoon troughs are overlapping with each other. Finally, this paper analyzes and compares the source locations and ranges of more （fewer） typhoons in the events of El Nino and La Nino, respectively.

Interannual Variability of Autumn Precipitation over South China and its Relation to Atmospheric Circulation and SST Anomalies

The interannual variability of autumn precipitation over South China and its relationship with atmospheric circulation and SST anomalies are examined using the autumn precipitation data of 160 stations in China and the NCEP-NCAR reanalysis dataset from 1951 to 2004. Results indicate a strong interannual variability of autumn precipitation over South China and its positive correlation with the autumn western Pacific subtropical high （WPSH）. In the flood years, the WPSH ridge line lies over the south of South China and the strengthened ridge over North Asia triggers cold air to move southward. Furthermore, there exists a significantly anomalous updraft and cyclone with the northward stream strengthened at 850 hPa and a positive anomaly center of meridional moisture transport strengthening the northward warm and humid water transport over South China. These display the reverse feature in drought years. The autumn precipitation interannual variability over South China correlates positively with SST in the western Pacific and North Pacific, whereas a negative correlation occurs in the South Indian Ocean in July. The time of the strongest lag-correlation coefficients between SST and autumn precipitation over South China is about two months, implying that the SST of the three ocean areas in July might be one of the predictors for autumn precipitation interannual variability over South China. Discussion about the linkage among July SSTs in the western Pacific, the autumn WPSH and autumn precipitation over South China suggests that SST anomalies might contribute to autumn precipitation through its close relation to the autumn WPSH.

DIAGNOSIS OF SUMMERTIME FLOODS/DROUGHTS AND THEIR ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION ANOMALIES OVER NORTH CHINA

Proposed are a set of new regional flood/drought indices and a scheme of grading their severity whereby 1951-2000 summer wet/dry events are investigated for North China (NC) in terms of 160 station monthly precipitation data from NCC (China National Center of Climate).Results suggest that 7 heavy droughts during 1951-2000 are 1965,1968,1972,1980,1983,1997 and 1999,while 6 heavy floods are 1954,1956,1959,1964,1973 and 1996. Based on 1951-2000 summer flood/drought severity graded by the new scheme,atmospheric circulation characteristics associated with the disasters over the NC are addressed in terms of monthly NCEP (National Centers for Environmental Prediction) reanalysis of geopotential heights,winds,surface temperature and PW (precipitable water).Evidences suggest that prominent anomalies benefiting to the heavy droughts occur over the Northern Hemisphere.The variations over middle-high latitudes especially the negative ones on Ural Mountain to western Siberia deepen the normal trough there and are indicative of stronger than normal cold air activity. At middle latitudes,remarkable positive anomalies present on the south to Baikal lead to the fact that the normal ridge shifts eastward over NC concomitant with anomaly sinking motion in the whole troposphere,which is helpful for the maintenance of the continent high.And the opposed ones over Korea and Japan force the trough moving eastward running against northwestward shifting of the western Pacific subtropical high.In addition,the anomaly west-east pressure gradient at middle latitudes profits northerly flow there.The southerly monsoon flow at low levels is weaker than normal with weak East Asian summer monsoon,and the related water vapor transportation is also weak with deficit PW over NC.Besides,sea surface temperature (SST) rises in the equatorial eastern and central Pacific and associated convective region moves to the east accordingly companied with weak Walker circulation in the droughts.And the opposed situations will occur during the floods.

Large-scale circulation features associated with the heat wave over Northeast China in summer 2018

In late July and early August 2018,Northeast China suffered from extremely high temperatures,with the maxium temperature anomaly exceeding 6°C.In this study,the large-scale circulation features associated with this heat wave over Northeast China are analyzed using station temperature data and NCEP–NCAR reanalysis data.The results indicate that strong anomalous positive geopotential height centers existed from the lower to upper levels over Northeast China,and the related downward motions were directly responsible for the extreme high-temperature anomalies.The northwestward shift of the western Pacific subtropical high(WPSH)and the northeastward shift of the South Asian high concurrently reinforced the geopotential height anomalies and descending flow over Northeast China.In addition,an anomalous Pacific–Japan pattern in the lower troposphere led to the northwestward shift of the WPSH,jointly favoring the anomalous geopotential height over Northeast China.Two wave trains emanating from the Atlantic region propagated eastwards along high latitudes and midlatitudes,respectively,and converged over Northeast China,leading to the enhancement of the geopotential height anomalies.

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF SSTA IMPACTS OVER THE GLOBAL OCEAN ON THE ANOMALOUS CIRCULATION OVER EURASIA IN JANUARY 2008

In this paper, we discussed the features of atmospheric circulations over Eurasia as a response to sea surface temperature anomalies （SSTAs） over the tropical Indian Ocean, the equatorial Pacific, Kuroshio and the North Atlantic. Our results are shown as follows： （1） CAM3.0, driven by the combined SSTAs over the four oceanic regions, can simulate well the features of anomalous atmospheric circulations over Eurasia in January 2008, indicating that the effects of the SSTAs over these four regions were one of the key causes of the anomalous systems over Eurasia. （2） The SSTAs over each key region contributed to the intensification of blocking over the Urals Mountains and a main East Asian trough. However, the influence of the SSTAs over individual oceanic regions differed from one another in other aspects. The SSTAs over the North Atlantic had an impact on the 500-hPa anomalous height （Z500A） over the middle-high latitudes and had a somewhat smaller effect over the low latitudes. For the warm SSTAs over Kuroshio, the subtropical high was much stronger, spread farther north than usual, and had an anomalous easterly that dominated the northwest Pacific Ocean. The warm SSTAs over the tropical Indian Ocean could have caused a negative Z500A from West Asia to Middle Asia, a remarkably anomalous southwesterly from the Indian Ocean to the south of China and an anomalous anticyclone circulation over the South China Sea-Philippine Sea region. Because of the La Nifia event, the winter monsoon was stronger than normal, with an anomalously cooler northerly over the southeastern coastal areas of China. （3） The combined effects of the SSTAs over the four key regions were likely more important to the atmospheric circulation anomalies of January 2008 over Eurasia than the effects of individual or partly combined SSTAS. This unique SSTA distribution possibly led to the circulation anomalies over Eurasia in January 2008, especially the atmospheric circulation anomalies over the subtropics, which were more similar to those of the winter E1 Nifio events than to the circulation anomalies following La Nifia.

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.

Numerical Simulation of the Effect of the SST Anomalies in the Tropical Western Pacific on the Blocking Highs over the Northeastern Asia

The effects of the sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the tropical western Pacific on the atmospheric circulation anomalies over East Asia are simulated by the IAP-GCM with an observed and idealized distributions of the SST anomalies in the tropical western Pacific,respectively.Firstly,the atmospheric circulation anomalies during July and August,1980 are simulated by three anomalous experiments including the global SST anomaly experiment,the tropical SST anomaly experiment and the extratropical SST anomaly experiment,using the observed SST anomalies in 1980.It is shown that the SST anomalies in the tropical ocean greatly influence the formation and maintenance of the blocking high over the northeastern Asia,and may play a more important role than the SST anomalies in the extratropical ocean in the influence on the atmospheric circulation anomalies.Secondly,the effects of the SST anomalies in the tropical western Pacific on the atmospheric circulation anomalies over East Asia are also simulated with an idealized distribution of the SST anomalies in the tropical western Pacific.The simulated results show that the negative anomalies of SST in the tropical western Pacific have a significant effect on the formation and maintenance of the blocking high over the northeastern Asia.

Boreal Winter Rainfall Anomaly over the Tropical Indo-Pacific and Its Effect on Northern Hemisphere Atmospheric Circulation in CMIP5 Models

Experimental outputs of 11 Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project （AMIP） models from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project （CMIP5） are analyzed to assess the atmospheric circulation anomaly over Northern Hemisphere induced by the anomalous rainfall over tropical Pacific and Indian Ocean during boreal winter.The analysis shows that the main features of the interannual variation of tropical rainfall anomalies,especially over the Central Pacific （CP） （5°S-5°N,175°E-135°W） and Indo-western Pacific （IWP） （20°S-20°N,110°-150°E） are well captured in all the CMIP5/AMIP models.For the IWP and western Indian Ocean （WIO） （10°S-10°N,45°-75°E）,the anomalous rainfall is weaker in the 11 CMIP5/AMIP models than in the observation.During El Ni（n）o/La Ni（n）a mature phases in boreal winter,consistent with observations,there are geopotential height anomalies known as the Pacific North American （PNA） pattern and Indo-western Pacific and East Asia （IWPEA） pattern in the upper troposphere,and the northwestern Pacific anticyclone （cyclone） （NWPA） in the lower troposphere in the models.Comparison between the models and observations shows that the ability to simulate the PNA and NWPA pattern depends on the ability to simulate the anomalous rainfall over the CP,while the ability to simulate the IWPEA pattern is related to the ability to simulate the rainfall anomaly in the IWP and WIO,as the SST anomaly is same in AMIP experiments.It is found that the tropical rainfall anomaly is important in modeling the impact of the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean on the extratropical atmospheric circulation anomaly.

A numerical study of the impact of SST anomaly in the warm pool area on atmospheric circulation in winter

In this paper the impacts of the anomalous SST in the warm pool area of the Western Equatorial Pacific on the winter time circulation and the East Asian monsoon are studied by using the NCAR CCM. It is found that the abnormal heating in the warm pool area will change the strength and the position of the Walker Cell in the Equatorial Pacific and the anti-Walker Cell in the equatorial Indian Ocean. Both the Walker and anti-Walker Cells are strengthened. The local Hadley Cells over two hemispheres near the warm pool are also strengthened. The subtropical highs in two hemispheres become stronger and move poleward slightly. The westerly jets in the extratropical regions have similar changes as the subtropical highs. The winter monsoon in South-East Asia is weakened by the abnormal heating in the warm pool. The experiment also show that there are wave trains emanating from surrounding areas of the warm pool to the high latitudes, causing various changes in circulations and local weather.

Summer extreme precipitation patterns and synoptic-scale circulation precursors over the Tibetan Plateau

In the context of global warming,the extreme summer precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau(TP)has changed significantly.In this study,the summer(June–August)extreme precipitation on the TP was classified into three spatial types by applying the K-means clustering method to the Third Pole Region long time-series high-resolution(1/30°)precipitation dataset(TPHi Pr,1979–2020).The characteristics of the circulation anomalies and precursors corresponding to the extreme precipitation on the TP in summer during 1979–2020 were investigated.The results showed that the summer extreme precipitation of the TP can be categorized into northwestern(NW),southeastern(SE),and southern Himalayan(HS)types based on extreme precipitation thresholds.The NW and SE types are mainly influenced by anomalous signals in the mid-to-high latitude regions upstream of them,whereas the HS type is controlled by the localized subtropical anomalous circulation.On the 8th day before the onset of the NW type,an anomalous cyclone was observed in the western Atlantic Ocean(60°W,50°N),which triggered the west-to-east quasi-latitudinal propagation of Rossby waves.On the onset day of the NW type,the upper troposphere showed positive-negative-positive geopotential height anomalies along the latitudinal 40°N from the Caspian Sea,the western part of Xinjiang,to the northeastern TP.Moisture entered from the Arabian Sea along the southeastern edge of the anomalous cyclone on the southwestern TP and converged in the northwestern TP.Compared to the NW type,the precursors of the SE type appeared at higher latitudes and were more intense.On the 8th day before the onset of the SE type,an anomalous cyclone occurred near Greenland(60°W,70°N)and excited Rossby waves propagating southeastward.On the onset day of the SE type,the upper troposphere showed negative-positive-negative geopotential height anomalies across Eurasia from the Ural Mountains and the Iranian Plateau to the northern TP in the northwest-southeast direction and entered the southeastern TP from the Bay of Bengal along the southeastern edge of the anomalous cyclone in the southern TP.On the 6th day before the onset of the HS type,the anomalously high pressure in the middle and lower layers of the low-latitude region extended westward,and a significant anticyclonic anomalous circulation occurred on the southern TP on the onset day of the HS type,enabling the delivery of moisture from the Bay of Bengal to the southern foothills of the Himalayas.Additionally,an anomalous cyclone perched in the northeastern TP at a geopotential height of 200 h Pa strengthened westerly winds in the southern TP and contributed to the maintenance of the anticyclonic system on the southern TP.

Warm–dry collocation of recent drought in southwestern China tied to moisture transport and climate warming

This study aims to investigate the recent drought in southwestern China and its association with environmental changes in moisture transport （MT） and atmospheric circulation. Climatic Research Unit grid data, in situ observations in China, and ERA-interim reanalysis are used to study the characteristics of the drought and the associated mechanism. Recent precipitation trends show a pattern of ＂Northern wetting and Southern drying＂, similar to the anti-phase of the climate pattern prevailing during 1980--2000 in China's Mainland; southwestern China incurred a severe drought during 2009-20l 3. Wavelet analysis reveals that the drought coincides with a warm-dry phase of temperature and precipitation on a period of about 20 years and beyond 100 years, where contributions account for 43% and 57% of the deficiency of the precipitation, averaged for 2003-2012, respectively. A further investigation reveals that the drought results chiefly from the decline of the southwestern monsoon MT toward southwestern China, in addition to mid-latitude circulation changes, which leads to more blockings near the Ural Mountains and the Sea of Okhotsk in the rainy season and negative anomalies around Lake Baikal and northeast China in the dry season. These anomalies are likely to be correlated with global sea surface temperature changes and need to be studied further.

The Role of the Kuroshio in the Winter North Pacific Ocean-Atmosphere Interaction: Comparison of a Coupled Model and Observations

A comparative study between the output of the Flexible Global Climate Model Version 1.0 （FGCM- 1.0） and the observations is performed. At 500 hPa, the geopotential height of FGCM is similar to the observations, but in the North Pacific the model gives lower values, and the differences are most significant over the northern boundary of the Pacific. In a net heat flux comparison, the spatial patterns of the two are similar in winter, but more heat loss appears to the east of Japan in FGCM than in COADS. On the interannual timescale, strong （weak） Kuroshio transports to the east of Taiwan lead the increasing （decreasing） net heat flux, which is centered over the Kuroshio Extension region, by 1-2 months, with low （high） pressure anomaly responses appearing at 500 hPa over the North Pacific （north of 25°N） in winter. The northward heat transport of the Kuroshio is one of the important heat sources to support the warming of the atmosphere by the ocean and the formation of the low pressure anomaly at 500 hPa over the North Pacific in winter.