Seasonal Evolution of Subtropical Anticyclones in the Climate System Model FGOALS-s2

The simulation characteristics of the seasonal evolution of subtropical anticyclones in the Northern Hemisphere are documented for the Flexible Global Ocean-Atmosphere-Land System model, Spectral Version 2 （FGOALS-s2）, developed at the State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, the Institute of Atmospheric Physics. An understanding of the seasonal evolution of the subtropical anticyclones is also addressed. Compared with the global analysis established by the European Centre for Medium-Range Forecasts, the ERA-40 global reanalysis data, the general features of subtropical anticyclones and their evolution are simulated well in both winter and summer, while in spring a pronounced bias in the generation of the South Asia Anticyclone（SAA） exists. Its main deviation in geopotential height from the reanalysis is consistent with the bias of temperature in the troposphere. It is found that condensation heating （CO） plays a dominant role in the seasonal development of the SAA and the subtropical anticyclone over the western Pacific （SAWP） in the middle troposphere. The CO biases in the model account for the biases in the establishment of the SAA in spring and the weaker strength of the SAA and the SAWP from spring to summer. CO is persistently overestimated in the central-east tropical Pacific from winter to summer, while it is underestimated over the area from the South China Sea to the western Pacific from spring to summer. Such biases generate an illusive anticyclonic gyre in the upper troposphere above the middle Pacific and delay the generation of the SAA over South Asia in April. In mid- summer, the simulated SAA is located farther north than in the ERA-40 data owing to excessively strong surface sensible heating （SE） to the north of the Tibetan Plateau. Whereas, the two surface subtropical anticyclones in the eastern oceans during spring to summer are controlled mainly by the surface SE over the two continents in the Northern Hemisphere, which are simulated reasonably well, albeit with their centers shifted westwards owing to the weaker longwave radiation cooling in the simulation associated with much weaker local stratiform cloud. Further improvements in the related parameterization of physical processes are therefore identified.

Different ENSO Impacts on Eastern China Precipitation Patterns in Early and Late Winter Associated with Seasonally-Varying Kuroshio Anticyclonic Anomalies

Winter precipitation over eastern China displays remarkable interannual variability,which has been suggested to be closely related to El Niño-Southern Oscillation(ENSO).This study finds that ENSO impacts on eastern China precipitation patterns exhibit obvious differences in early(November-December)and late(January-February)winter.In early winter,precipitation anomalies associated with ENSO are characterized by a monopole spatial distribution over eastern China.In contrast,the precipitation anomaly pattern in late winter remarkably changes,manifesting as a dipole spatial distribution.The noteworthy change in precipitation responses from early to late winter can be largely attributed to the seasonally varying Kuroshio anticyclonic anomalies.During the early winter of El Niño years,anticyclonic circulation anomalies appear both over the Philippine Sea and Kuroshio region,enhancing water vapor transport to the entirety of eastern China,thus contributing to more precipitation there.During the late winter of El Niño years,the anticyclone over the Philippine Sea is further strengthened,while the one over the Kuroshio dissipates,which could result in differing water vapor transport between northern and southern parts of eastern China and thus a dipole precipitation distribution.Roughly the opposite anomalies of circulation and precipitation are displayed during La Niña winters.Further analysis suggests that the seasonally-varying Kuroshio anticyclonic anomalies are possibly related to the enhancement of ENSO-related tropical central-eastern Pacific convection from early to late winter.These results have important implications for the seasonal-tointerannual predictability of winter precipitation over eastern China.

The Unprecedented Extreme Anticyclonic Anomaly over Northeast Asia in July 2021 and Its Climatic Impacts

This study investigates the evolution of an extreme anomalous anticyclone(AA)event over Northeast Asia,which was one of the dominant circulation systems responsible for the catastrophic extreme precipitation event in July 2021 in Henan,and further explores the significant impact of this AA on surface temperatures beneath it.The results indicate that this AA event over Northeast Asia was unprecedented in terms of intensity and duration.The AA was very persistent and extremely strong for 10 consecutive days from 13 to 22 July 2021.This long-lived and unprecedented AA led to the persistence of warmer surface temperatures beyond the temporal span of the pronounced 500-hPa anticyclonic signature as the surface air temperatures over land in Northeast Asia remained extremely warm through 29 July 2021.Moreover,the sea surface temperatures in the Sea of Japan/East Sea were extremely high for 30 consecutive days from 13 July to 11 August 2021,persisting well after the weakening or departure of this AA.These results emphasize the extreme nature of this AA over Northeast Asia in July 2021 and its role in multiple extreme climate events,even over remote regions.Furthermore,possible reasons for this long-lasting AA are explored,and it is suggested to be a byproduct of a teleconnection pattern over extratropical Eurasia during the first half of its life cycle,and of the Pacific-Japan teleconnection pattern during the latter half.

Future Changes in Various Cold Surges over China in CMIP6 Projections

Cold surges(CSs)often occur in the mid-latitude regions of the Northern Hemisphere and have enormous effects on socioeconomic development.We report that the occurrences of CSs and persistent CSs(PCSs)have rebounded since the 1990s,but the trends related to the frequencies of strong CSs(SCSs)and extreme CSs(ECSs)changed from increasing to decreasing after 2000.The highest-ranked model ensemble approach was used to project the occurrences of various CSs under the SSP1-2.6,SSP2-4.5,and SSP5-8.5 scenarios.The frequencies of the total CSs show overall decreasing trends.However,under the SSP1-2.6 scenario,slight increasing trends are noted for SCSs and ECSs in China.Atmospheric circulations that are characterized by an anomalous anticyclonic circulation with a significantly positive 500-hPa geopotential height(Z500)anomaly at high latitudes along with significant negative anomalies in China were favorable for cold air intrusions into China.In addition,the frequencies of all CS types under the SPP5-8.5 scenario greatly decreased in the long term(2071-2100),a finding which is thought to be related to negative SST anomalies in the central and western North Pacific,differences in sea level pressure(SLP)between high-and mid-latitude regions,and a weaker East Asian trough.In terms of ECSs,the decreasing trends observed during the historical period were maintained until 2024 under the SSP1-2.6 scenario.Compared to the SSP1-2.6 scenario,the Z500 pattern showed a trend of strengthened ridges over the Ural region and northern East Asia and weakened troughs over Siberia(60°-90°E)under the SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios,contributing to the shift to increasing trends of ECSs after 2014.

Circulation Pattern Controls of Summer Temperature Anomalies in Southern Africa

This study investigates the relationship between circulation patterns and austral summer temperature anomalies in southern Africa. The results show that the formation of continental lows tends to increase the thickness of the lower atmosphere. Further, the distinct variabilities of high and low pressure under the circulation types, influence air mass advection from the adjacent oceans, as well as atmospheric stability over land. Stronger anticyclonic circulation at the western branch of the Mascarene high-pressure system enhances the low-level cold air advection by southeast winds,decreases the thickness, and lowers the temperature over a majority of the land in southern Africa. Conversely, a weaker Mascarene High, coupled with enhanced cyclonic activity in the southwest Indian Ocean increases low-level warm air advection and increases temperature anomalies over vast regions in southern Africa. The ridging of a closed South Atlantic anticyclone at the southern coast of southern Africa results in colder temperatures near the tip of southern Africa due to enhanced low-level cold air advection by southeast winds. However, when the ridge is weak and westerly winds dominate the southern coast of southern Africa, these areas experience temperature increases. The northward track of the Southern Hemisphere mid-latitude cyclone, which can be linked to the negative Southern Annular Mode, reduces the temperature in the southwestern part of southern Africa. Also, during the analysis period, El Ni?o was associated with temperature increases over the central parts of southern Africa;while the positive Indian Ocean dipole was linked to a temperature increase over the northeastern, northwestern, and southwestern parts of southern Africa.

ON THE MAINTENANCE OF BLOCKING ANTICYCLONES OF NORTHERN HEMISPHERE—PART I:QUASI-GEOSTROPHIC POTENTIAL VORTICITY ANALYSIS

Four observed blocking anticyclones in different regions of the Northern Hemisphere are in- vestigated.Analyses show that there exist distinct differences in the maintenance of the time-mean quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity(PV)low in 300 hPa within blocking areas.In two Pacific blocking cases,the PV advection by time-mean flow tends to flow the PV low to northwestern part of the blocking highs,and thus is beneficial to the maintenance of the blockings'strength.The transfer by transient eddies acts to balance the effect of the time-mean flow.In the Atlantic and Alaska blocking cases,however,the advection of mean flow tends to flow the PV low eastward. The PV transfer by transient eddies acts to flow potential vorticity low to the western part of the blocking ridges and also to balance the time-mean flow's effect.Thus,in the latter two cases,it is the transfer by the transient eddies that acts to maintain the blockings.

Arctic summertime anticyclonic circulation mode and its influence on substantial sea ice depletion:a review

The summertime anticyclonic circulation mode(SACM)is related to recent substantial loss of sea ice in the Arctic.This review outlines the potential causes of the SACM and considers its influence on sea ice depletion.Local triggers(i.e.,sea ice loss and sea surface temperature(SST)variation)and spatiotemporal teleconnections(i.e.,extratropical cyclone intrusion,tropical and mid-latitude SST anomalies,and winter atmospheric circulation preconditions)are discussed.The influence of the SACM on the dramatic loss of sea ice is emphasized through inspection of relevant dynamic(i.e.,Ekman drift and export)and thermodynamic(i.e.,moisture content,cloudiness,and associated changes in radiation)mechanisms.Moreover,the motivation for investigation of the underlying physical mechanisms of the SACM in response to the recent substantial sea ice depletionis also clarified through an attempt to better understand the shifting ice-atmosphere interaction in the Arctic during summer.Therecord low extent of sea ice in September 2012 could be reset in the near future if the SACM-like scenario continues to exist during summer in the Arctic troposphere.

A New Mathematical Justification for the Hypothesis of the Longevity of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot

As is known, the Great Red Spot (GRS) is one of the most mysterious sights in the solar system and is a strong storm that is quite large. According to the laws of hydrodynamics and gas dynamics, it should have disappeared several centuries ago, but scientists still observe it and cannot accurately explain this phenomenon. Since turbulence and atmospheric waves in the GRS region absorb the energy of its winds, the vortex loses energy by radiating heat. In the work, it is proved with a mathematical and non-classical approach that the GRS and anticyclones will live for a long time;otherwise, we had to first of all prove that the vortex threads (loops) and ovals could not exist. Based on these supports, mathematical methods prove their existence forever by observing a large vortex (GRS);moreover, they are sources of heat. When proofs are obtained, the results are consistent with the previous hypotheses of the researcher. The introduction of the work gives a comparison of various hypotheses;for example, one of them states that the decrease in the size of the GRS is only an illusory observation. Next, we first consider the applicability conditions for the mathematical justification of the hypothesis of the longevity of the Great Red Spot. The wind equation and the GRS are energized by absorbing smaller eddies and ovals, and this total energy is constant. With the help of the KH mechanism in the case of Brunt Vaisala, the frequencies (which can be calculated by a program with given formulas) are determined using very strictly mathematical evidence to substantiate the validity of the hypothesis about the longevity of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot.

A New Mathematical Justification for the Hydrodynamic Equilibrium of Jupiter

In this paper, the case of Jupiter being found in hydrodynamic equilibrium is for the first time investigated solely by mathematical methods. With the help of the hydrodynamic method, formulas of energy balance for oval and vortex are found, which are summed as permanent kinetic energy and constantly provide equilibrium for the stable rotational movements of Jupiter. To find the total kinetic energy of the oval and vortex in turbulent mode, Green’s function methods with special definitions and flow functions that describe the movement of the vortex are applied. The results are expressed in lemmas and theorems. For the hydrodynamic equilibrium of Jupiter, the necessary and sufficient conditions for the preservation of the cyclone and the anticyclone are mentioned. The relationships between the angular velocity and the gradient of pressure and the Corolias parameter are also given. The Rossby number is given for steady rotational motion. These facts show the existence of necessary and sufficient conditions for maintaining the stability of rotational motion and prove the hydrodynamic equilibrium of Jupiter. In this case using stream function and constructing generalized Green’s function and accordance energy conservation laws, the hydrodynamic equilibrium of Jupiter is proved.

Estimation of the Hydrodynamic Regime of the Water Movement under the Influence of the Atmospheric Processes in the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk

The given investigation presents the results of estimating the water circulation in the water area of the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsks, considering the influence of various types of the atmospheric processes. To solve the given problem it is used a hydrodynamic model calculating the integral functions of the flow from the surface to the bottom. By results of calculations, the maps of the integral water circulation were built for the following types of atmospheric circulation： ＂north-western＂ and ＂okhotsk-aleutian＂. In accordance with the performed calculations for the water area being studied, the hydrodynamic structures are distinguished both non-depending and depending on the type of the atmospheric circulation. The non-depending structures are characterized by the cyclonic activity in the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk in whole. Hydrodynamic structures depending on types of the atmospheric circulation have their peculiarities in the spatial-temporal distribution.

Climatic Features Related to Eastern China Summer Rainfalls in the NCAR CCM3

The climatic features associated with the eastern China summer rainfalls (ECSR) are examined in the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Climate Model Version 3 (CCM3) of the United States of America, and run with time-evolving sea surface temperature (SST) from September 1978 to August 1993. The CCM3 is shown to capture the salient seasonal features of ECSR. As many other climate models, however, there are some unrealistic projections of ECSR in the CCM3. The most unacceptable one is the erroneously intensified precipitation center on the east periphery of the Tibetan Plateau and its northeastward extension. The artificial strong rainfall center is fairly assessed by comparing with the products of the station rainfall data, Xie and Arkin (1996) rainfall data and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis (Gibson et al., 1997). The physical processes involved in the formation of the rainfall center are discussed. The preliminary conclusion reveals that it is the overestimated sensible heating over and around the Tibetan Plateau in the CCM3 that causes the heavy rainfall. The unreal strong surface sensible heating over the southeast and northeast of Tibetan Plateau favors the forming of a powerful subtropical anticyclone over the eastern China. The fake enclosed subtropical anticyclone center makes the moist southwest wind fasten on the east periphery of the Tibetan Plateau and extend to its northeast. In the southeast coast of China, locating on the southeast side of the subtropical anticyclone, the southwest monsoon is decreased and even replaced by northeast wind in some cases. In the CCM3, therefore, the precipitation is exaggerated on the east periphery of the Tibetan Plateau and its northeast extension and is underestimated in the southeast coast of China. Key words Eastern China summer rainfall - Model validation - Subtropical anticyclone - Diabatic heating This study was sponsored by Chinese Academy of Sciences under grant “ Hundred Talents” for “ Validation of Coupled Climate models” and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.49823002), and IAP innovation fund (No. 8-1204).

The ENSO’s Effect on Eastern China Rainfall in the Following Early Summer

ENSO＇s effect on the rainfall in eastern China in the following early summer is investigated by using station precipitation data and the ERA-40 reanalysis data from 1958 to 2002. In June, after the E1 Nifio peak, the precipitation is significantly enhanced in the Yangtze River valley while suppressed in the Huaihe River-Yellow River valleys. This relationship between ENSO and the rainfall in eastern China is established possibly through two teleconnections： One is related to the western North Pacific （WNP） anticyclonic anomaly in the lower troposphere leading to enhanced precipitation in the Yangtze River valley, and the other is related to the southward displacement of the Asian jet stream （AJS） in the upper troposphere resulting in suppressed precipitation in the Huaihe River-Yellow River valleys. This southward displacement of the AJS is one part of ENSO＇s effect on the zonal flow in the whole Northern Hemisphere. After the E1 Nifio peak, the ENSO-related warming in the tropical troposphere persists into the following early summer, increasing the meridional temperature gradient and through the thermal wind balance, leads to the enhancement of westerly flow in the subtropics south of the westerly jet stream and results in a southward displacement of the westerly jet stream.

Kuroshio intrusion into the South China Sea with an anticyclonic eddy: evidence from underwater glider observation

In this study, high-resolution temperature and salinity data obtained from three Sea-Wing underwater gliders were used together with satellite altimeter data to track the vertical thermohaline structure of an anticyclonic eddy that originated from the loop current of the Kuroshio southwest of Taiwan, China. One of the gliders crossed the entire eddy and it observed a remarkable warm anomaly of as much as 3.9℃ extending to 500 dbar from the base of the mixed layer. Conversely, a positive salinity anomaly was found to be above 200 dbar only in the anticyclonic eddy, with a maximum value of >0.5 in the mixed layer. Below the mixed layer, water of higher salinity (>34.7) was found, which could have been preserved through constrained vertical mixing within the anticyclonic eddy. The salinity in the upper layer of the anticyclonic eddy was much similar to that of the northwestern Pacific Ocean than the northern South China Sea, reflecting Kuroshio intrusion with anticyclonic eddy shedding from the loop current.

Interdecadal Change in the Connection Between Hadley Circulation and Winter Temperature in East Asia

Based on NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data, the interdecadal variability of Hadley circulation （HC） and its association with East Asian temperature in winter are investigated. Results indicate that the Northern Hemisphere winter HC underwent apparent change in the 1970s, with transition occurring around 1976/77. Along with interdecadal variability of HC, its linkage to surface air temperature （SAT） in East Asia also varied decadally, from weak relations to strong relations. Such a change may be related to the interaction between HC and the atmospheric circulation system over the Philippines, which is associated with the East Asian winter monsoon （EAWM）. Before the 1970s, the connection between HC and the anticyclonic circulation around the Philippines was insignificant, but after the late 1970s their linkage entered a strong regime. The intensification of this connection may therefore be responsible for the strong relations between HC and East Asian winter temperatures after the late 1970s.

Progress in the Study on the Formation of the Summertime Subtropical Anticyclone

The studies in China on the formation of the summertime subtropical anticyclone on the climate timescale are reviewed. New insights in resent studies are introduced. It is stressed that either in the free atmosphere or in the planetary boundary, the descending arm of the Hadley cell cannot be considered as a mechanism for the formation of the subtropical anticyclone. Then the theories of thermal adaptation of the atmosphere to external thermal forcing and the potential vorticity forcing are developed to understand the formation of the subtropical anticyclone in the three-dimensional domain. Numerical experiments are designed to verify these theories. Results show that in the boreal summer, the formation of the strong South Asian High in the upper troposphere and the subtropical anticyclone over the western Pacific in the middle and lower troposphere is, to a great extent, due to the convective latent heating associated with the Asian monsoon, but affected by orography and the surface sensible heating over the continents. On the other hand, the formation of the subtropical anticyclone at the surface over the northern Pacific and in the upper troposphere over North America is mainly due to the strong surface sensible heating over North America, but affected by radiation cooling over the eastern North Pacific. Moreover, in the real atmosphere such individual thermal forcing is well organized. By considering the different diabatic heating in synthesis, a quadruple heating pattern is found over each subtropical continent and its adjacent oceans in summer. A distinct circulation pattern accompanies this heating pattern. The global summer subtropical heating and circulation may be viewed as 'mosaics' of such quadruplet heating and circulation patterns respectively. At last, some important issues for further research in understanding and predicting the variations of the subtropical anticyclone are raised.

Tracing the Boundary Layer Sources of Carbon Monoxide in the Asian Summer Monsoon Anticyclone Using WRF-Chem

The Asian summer monsoon （ASM） anticyclone is a dominant feature of the circulation in the upper troposphere- lower stratosphere （UTLS） during boreal summer, which is found to have persistent maxima in carbon monoxide （CO）. This enhancement is due to the upward transport of air with high CO from the planetary boundary layer （PBL）, and confinement within the anticyclonic circulation. With rapid urbanization and industrialization, CO surface emissions are relatively high in the ASM region, especially in India and East China. To reveal the transport pathway of CO surface emissions over these two regions, and investigate the contribution of these to the CO distribution within the ASM anticyclone, a source sensitivity experiment was performed using the Weather Research and Forecasting （WRF） with chemistry model （WRF- Chem）. According to the experiment results, the CO within the ASM anticyclone mostly comes from India, while the contribution from East China is insignificant. The result is mainly caused by the different transportation mechanisms. In India, CO transportation is primarily affected by convection. The surface air with high CO over India is directly transported to the upper troposphere, and then confined within the ASM anticyclone, leading to a maximum value in the UTLS region. The CO transportation over East China is affected by deep convection and large-scale circulation, resulting mainly in transportation to Korea, Japan, and the North Pacific Ocean, with little upward transport to the anticyclone, leading to a high CO value at 215 hPa over these regions.

The influence of ENSO on sea surface temperature variations in the China seas

Positive SST anomalies usually appear in remote ocean such as the China seas during an ENSO event. By analyzing the monthly data of HadISST from 1950 to 2007, it shows that the interannual component of SST anomalies peak approximately 10 months after SST anomalies peak in the eastern equatorial Pacific. As the ENSO event progresses, the positive SST anomalies spread throughout the China seas and eastward along the Kuroshio extension. Atmospheric reanalysis data demonstrate that changes in the net surface heat flux entering into the China seas are responsible for the SST variability. During E1 Nifio, the western north Pacific anticyclone is generated, with anomalous southwester lies prevailing along the East Asian coast. This anticyclone reduces the mean surface wind speed which decreases the surface heat flux and then increases the SST. The delays between the developing of this anticyclone and the south Indian Ocean anticyclone with approximately 3-6 months cause the 2-3 months lag of the surface heat flux between the China seas and the Indian Ocean. The northwestern Pacific anticyclone is the key process bridging the warming in the eastern equatorial Pacific and that in the China seas.

Cause of Extreme Heavy and Persistent Rainfall over Yangtze River in Summer 2020

Record-breaking heavy and persistent precipitation occurred over the Yangtze River Valley(YRV)in June-July(JJ)2020.An observational data analysis has indicated that the strong and persistent rainfall arose from the confluence of southerly wind anomalies to the south associated with an extremely strong anomalous anticyclone over the western North Pacific(WNPAC)and northeasterly anomalies to the north associated with a high-pressure anomaly over Northeast Asia.A further observational and modeling study has shown that the extremely strong WNPAC was caused by both La Niña-like SST anomaly(SSTA)forcing in the equatorial Pacific and warm SSTA forcing in the tropical Indian Ocean(IO).Different from conventional central Pacific(CP)El Niños that decay slowly,a CP El Niño in early 2020 decayed quickly and became a La Niña by early summer.This quick transition had a critical impact on the WNPAC.Meanwhile,an unusually large area of SST warming occurred in the tropical IO because a moderate interannual SSTA over the IO associated with the CP El Niño was superposed by an interdecadal/long-term trend component.Numerical sensitivity experiments have demonstrated that both the heating anomaly in the IO and the heating anomaly in the tropical Pacific contributed to the formation and maintenance of the WNPAC.The persistent high-pressure anomaly in Northeast Asia was part of a stationary Rossby wave train in the midlatitudes,driven by combined heating anomalies over India,the tropical eastern Pacific,and the tropical Atlantic.

Three-dimensional properties of mesoscale cyclonic warm-core and anticyclonic cold-core eddies in the South China Sea

In general,a mesoscale cyclonic(anticyclonic)eddy has a colder(warmer)core,and it is considered as a cold(warm)eddy.However,recently research found that there are a number of"abnormal"mesoscale cyclonic(anticyclonic)eddies associated with warm(cold)cores in the South China Sea(SCS).These"abnormal"eddies pose a challenge to previous works on eddy detection,characteristic analysis,eddy-induced heat and salt transports,and even on mesoscale eddy dynamics.Based on a 9-year(2000–2008)numerical modelling data,the cyclonic warm-core eddies(CWEs)and anticyclonic cold-core eddies(ACEs)in the SCS are analyzed.This study found that the highest incidence area of the"abnormal"eddies is the northwest of Luzon Strait.In terms of the eddy snapshot counting method,8620 CWEs and 9879 ACEs are detected,accounting for 14.6%and 15.8%of the total eddy number,respectively.The size of the"abnormal"eddies is usually smaller than that of the"normal"eddies,with the radius only around 50 km.In the generation time aspect,they usually appear within the 0.1–0.3 interval in the normalized eddy lifespan.The survival time of CWEs(ACEs)occupies 16.3%(17.1%)of the total eddy lifespan.Based on two case studies,the intrusion of Kuroshio warm water is considered as a key mechanism for the generation of these"abnormal"eddies near the northeastern SCS.

Variation in Principal Modes of Midsummer Precipitation over Northeast China and Its Associated Atmospheric Circulation

This study documents the first two principal modes of interannual variability of midsummer precipitation over Northeast China （NEC） and their associated atmospheric circulation anomalies. It is shown that the first principal mode exhibits the largest amount of variability in precipitation over the south of NEC （referred to as the south mode）, whereas the second principal mode behaves with the greatest precipitation anomaly over the north of NEC （referred to as the north mode）. Further findings reveal that, through modulating moisture transportation and upper- and lower-troposphere divergence circulation as well as vertical movement over NEC, the anomalous northwestern Pacific anticyclone and the anticyclone centered over northern NEC exert the dominant influence on the south and north modes, respectively. Additionally, it is quantitatively estimated that water vapor across the southern boundary of NEC dominates the moisture budget for the south mode, while the north mode has a close connection with moisture through NEC＇s northern and western boundal＇ies. Furthermore, the north （south） mode is strongly related to the intensity （meridional shift） of the East Asian westerly jet.