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).

Modeled Influence of East Asian Black Carbon on Inter-Decadal Shifts in East China Summer Rainfall

Two inter-decadal shifts in East China summer rainfall during the last three decades of the 20th century have been identified.One shift occurred in the late 1970s and featured more rainfall in the Yangtze River valley and prolonged drought in North China.The other shift occurred in the early 1990s and featured increased rainfall in South China.The role of black carbon(BC) aerosol in the first shift event is controversial,and it has not been documented for the second event.In this study,the authors used Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory's(GFDL's) atmospheric general circulation model known as Atmosphere and Land Model(AM2.1) ,which has been shown to capture East Asian climate variability well,to investigate these issues by conducting sensitive experiments with or without historical BC in East Asia. The results suggest that the model reproduces the first shift well,including intensified rainfall in the Yangtze River and weakened monsoonal circulation.However,the model captures only a fraction of the observed variations for the second shift event.Thus,the role of BC in modulating the two shift events is different,and its impact is relatively less important for the early 1990s event.

Spatiotemporal Variations of Summer Rainfall over Eastern China during 1880-1999(1)

By applying rotated complex empirical orthogonal function (RCEOF) analysis on 1880-1999 summer rainfall at 28 selected stations over the east part of China, the spatio-temporal variations of China summer rainfall are investigated. Six divisions are identified, showing strong temporal variability, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the Huaihe River, Southeast China, North China, Southwest China, and Northeast China. The locations of all divisions except Southwest China are in a good agreement with those of the rainband which moves northward from Southeast China to Northeast China from June-August. The phase relationship revealed by the RCEOF analysis suggests that rainfall anomalies in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Southeast China, and Northeast China are all characterized by a stationary wave, while a traveling wave is more pronounced in the Huaihe River division, North China, and Southwest China. The fourth RCEOF mode indicates that rainfall anomalies can propagate from south of Northeast China across lower reaches of the Huanghe River and the Huaihe River to the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. A 20-25-year oscillation is found at the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the Huaihe River valley, North China, and Northeast China. The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and Northeast China also show an approximately-60-year oscillation. Northeast China and the Huaihe River division are dominated by a 36-year and a 70-80-year oscillation, respectively. An 11-year oscillation is also evident in North China, with a periodicity similar to sunspot activity. The interdecadal variability in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the Huaihe River valley, and North China shows a significant positive correlation with the solar activity.

Revisiting the Second EOF Mode of Interannual Variation in Summer Rainfall over East China

The second EOF（EOF2） mode of interannual variation in summer rainfall over East China is characterized by inverse rainfall changes between South China（SC） and the Yellow River-Huaihe River valleys（YH）.However,understanding of the EOF2 mode is still limited.In this study,the authors identify that the EOF2 mode physically depicts the latitudinal variation of the climatological summer-mean rainy belt along the Yangtze River valley（YRRB）,based on a 160-station rainfall dataset in China for the period 1951-2011.The latitudinal variation of the YRRB is mostly attributed to two different rainfall patterns：one reflects the seesaw（SS） rainfall changes between the YH and SC（SS pattern）,and the other features rainfall anomalies concentrated in SC only（SC pattern）.Corresponding to a southward shift of the YRRB,the SS pattern,with above-normal rainfall in SC and below-normal rainfall in the YH,is related to a cyclonic anomaly centered over the SC-East China Sea region,with a northerly anomaly blowing from the YH to SC;while the SC pattern,with above-normal rainfall in SC,is related to an anticyclonic anomaly over the western North Pacific（WNP）,corresponding to an enhanced southwest monsoon over SC.The cyclonic anomaly,related to the SS pattern,is induced by a near-barotropic eastward propagating wave train along the Asian upper-tropospheric westerly jet,originating from the mid-high latitudes of the North Atlantic.The anticyclonic anomaly,for the SC pattern,is related to suppressed rainfall in the WNP.

Interannual and Decadal Variations of Snow Cover overQinghai-Xizang Plateau and Their Relationships to Summer Monsoon Rainfall in China

Interannual and decadal variations of winter snow cover over the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau (QXP) are analyzed by using monthly mean snow depth data set of 60 stations over QXP for the period of 1958 through 1992. It is found that the winter snow cover over QXP bears a pronounced quasi-biennial oscillation, and it underwent an obvious decadal transition from a poor snow cover period to a rich snow cover period in the late 1970’s during the last 40 years. It is shown that the summer rainfall in the eastern China is closely associated with the winter snow cov-er over QXP not only in the interannual variation but also in the decadal variation. A clear relationship ex-ists in the quasi-biennial oscillation between the summer rainfall in the northern part of North China and the southern China and the winter snow cover over QXP. Furthermore, the summer rainfall in the four cli-mate divisions of Qinling-Daba Mountains, the Yangtze-Huaihe River Plain, the upper and lower reaches of the Yangtze River showed a remarkable transition from drought period to rainy period in the end of 1970’s, in good correspondence with the decadal transition of the winter snow cover over QXP. Key words Snow cover over Qinghai-Xizang Plateau - Summer monsoon rainfall in China - Interannual and decadal variations This study was supported by the National Key Programme for Developing Basic Sciences (G 1998040900 Part I).

Relationship between the Modes of Winter Tropical Pacific SST Anomalies and the Intraseasonal Variations of the Following Summer Rainfall Anomalies in China

In present study,EOF analysis and extended singular value decomposition (ESVD) analysis are performed to explore the relationship between the winter tropical sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) in the Pacific and the following summer rainfall anomalies in China.The two leading modes of winter tropical SSTAs in the Pacific are the SSTAs pattern characterized by "positive anomalies in the East and negative anomalies in the West" like the typical eastern Pacific El Nio and negative anomalies in the West and the central Pacific warming pattern characterized by "positive anomalies in the central region but negative anomalies in the East and West".The intraseasonal variations of the rainfall anomalies during the following summer in China that are associated with the eastern Pacific warming mode are characterized by positive anomalies south of the Yangtze River and negative anomalies in the Yangtze-Huai River Valley in June,and negative anomalies in South China and positive anomalies in the Yangtze River Valley and North China in July and August.In contrast,after the central Pacific warming mode,the corresponding intraseasonal variations of China’s summer rainfall are characterized by a nearly consistent pattern during the three summer months,which is positive in the South China coast and North China and negative in the Yangtze River Valley except for the positive anomalies in the Yangtze-Huai River Valley in July.These results may provide a reference for the seasonal prediction of the summer drought and flood distributions in China.

A Timescale Decomposed Threshold Regression Downscaling Approach to Forecasting South China Early Summer Rainfall

A timescale decomposed threshold regression （TSDTR） downscaling approach to forecasting South China early summer rainfall （SCESR） is described by using long-term observed station rainfall data and NOAA ERSST data. It makes use of two distinct regression downscaling models corresponding to the interannual and interdecadal rainfall variability of SCESR. The two models are developed based on the partial least squares （PLS） regression technique, linking SCESR to SST modes in preceding months on both interannual and interdecadal timescales. Specifically, using the datasets in the calibration period 1915-84, the variability of SCESR and SST are decomposed into interannual and interdecadal components. On the interannual timescale, a threshold PLS regression model is fitted to interannual components of SCESR and March SST patterns by taking account of the modulation of negative and positive phases of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation （PDO）. On the interdecadal timescale, a standard PLS regression model is fitted to the relationship between SCESR and preceding November SST patterns. The total rainfall prediction is obtained by the sum of the outputs from both the interannual and interdecadal models. Results show that the TSDTR downscaling approach achieves reasonable skill in predicting the observed rainfall in the validation period 1985-2006, compared to other simpler approaches. This study suggests that the TSDTR approach, considering different interannual SCESR-SST relationships under the modulation of PDO phases, as well as the interdecadal variability of SCESR associated with SST patterns, may provide a new perspective to improve climate predictions.

Notes of Numerical Simulation of Summer Rainfall in China with a Regional Climate Model REMO

Regional climate models are major tools for regional climate simulation and their output are mostly used for climate impact studies. Notes are reported from a series of numerical simulations of summer rainfall in China with a regional climate model. Domain sizes and running modes are major foci. The results reveal that the model in forecast mode driven by ＂perfect＂ boundaries could reasonably represent the inter-annual differences： heavy rainfall along the Yangtze River in 1998 and dry conditions in 1997. Model simulation in climate mode differs to a greater extent from observation than that in forecast mode. This may be due to the fact that in climate mode it departs further from the driving fields and relies more on internal model dynamical processes. A smaller domain in climate mode outperforms a larger one. Further development of model parameterizations including dynamic vegetation are encouraged in future studies.

An Effective Approach for Improving the Real-Time Prediction of Summer Rainfall over China

This paper has two purposes. One is to evaluate the ability of an atmospheric general circulation model (IAP9L-AGCM) to predict summer rainfall over China one season in advance. The other is to propose a new approach to improve the predictions made by the model. First, a set of hindcast experiments for summer climate over China during 1982-2010 are performed from the perspective of real-time prediction with the IAP9L-AGCM model and the IAP ENSO prediction system. Then a new approach that effectively combines the hind-cast with its correction is proposed to further improve the model's predictive ability. A systematic evaluation reveals that the model's real-time predictions for 41 stations across China show significant improvement using this new approach, especially in the lower reaches between the Yellow River and Yangtze River valleys.

80a-Oscillation of Summer Rainfall over the East Part of China and East-Asian Summer Monsoon

Relationship between summer rainfall over the east part of China and East-Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) was studied based on the summer rainfall grade data set from 1470 to 1999 and the rain gauge data set from 1951 to 1999 over the east part of China, and sea level pressure (SLP) data for the period of 1871-2000. A distinct 80a-oscillation of summer rainfall was found over North China (NC), southern part of Northeast China, over the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (YR) and South China (SC). The 80a oscillation of summer rainfall over NC was varied in phase with that over SC, and was out of phase to that along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Summer rainfall over NC correlated negatively with the SLP averaged for the area from 105 degreesE to 120 degreesE, and from 30 degreesN to 35 degreesN, but positively to that for the area from 120 degreesE to 130 degreesE, and from 20 degreesN to 25 degreesN. Therefore, an index of EASM was defined by the difference of averaged SLP over the two regions. The summer rainfall over NC was greater than normal when the EASM was strong, and while drought occurred along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The drought was found over NC, and flood along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River when the EASM was close to normal. Finally, the interdecadal variability of EASM was studied by using of long term summer rainfall grade data set over NC for the past 530 years.

EFFECTS OF ENSO ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IOD AND SUMMER RAINFALL IN CHINA

Based on the data of 1950 – 1999 monthly global SST from Hadley Center, NCAR/NCEP reanalysis data and rainfall over 160 weather stations in China, investigation is conducted into the difference of summer rainfall in China (hereafter referred to as the "CS rainfall") between the years with the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) occurring independently and those with IOD occurring along with ENSO so as to study the effects of El Ni?o - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the relationship between IOD and the CS rainfall. It is shown that CS rainfall will be more than normal in South China (centered in Hunan province) in the years of positive IOD occurring independently; the CS rainfall will be less (more) than normal in North China (Southeast China) in the years of positive IOD occurring together with ENSO. The effect of ENSO is offsetting (enhancing) the relationship between IOD and summer rainfall in Southwest China, the region joining the Yangtze River basin with the Huaihe River basin (hereafter referred to as the "Yangtze-Huaihe basin") and North China (Southeast China). The circulation field is also examined for preliminary causes of such an influence.

Different Summer Rainfall Anomaly Patterns in Northeast China Associated with Two Kinds of El Ni?o Events

The relationship between summer rainfall anomalies in northeast China and two types of El Ni?o events is investigated by using observation data and an atmospheric general circulation model(AGCM).It is shown that,for different types of El Ni?o events,there is different rainfall anomaly pattern in the following summer.In the following year of a typical El Ni?o event,there are remarkable positive rainfall anomalies in the central-western region of northeast China,whereas the pattern of more rainfall in the south end and less rainfall in the north end of northeast China easily appears in an El Ni?o Modoki event.The reason for the distinct difference is that,associated with the different sea surface temperature anomalies(SSTA)along the equatorial Pacific,the large-scale circulation anomalies along east coast of East Asia shift northward in the following summer after El Ni?o Modoki events.Influenced by the anomalous anticyclone in Philippine Sea,southwesterly anomalies over eastern China strengthen summer monsoon and bring more water vapor to northeast China.Meanwhile,convergence and updraft is strengthened by the anomalous cyclone right in northeast China in typical El Ni?o events.These moisture and atmospheric circulation conditions are favorable for enhanced precipitation.However,because of the northward shift,the anomalous anticyclone in the Philippine Sea in typical El Ni?o cases shifts to the south of Japan in Modoki years,and the anomalous cyclone in northeast China in typical El Ni?o cases shifts to the north of northeast China,leading to the"dipole pattern"of rainfall anomalies.According to the results of numerical experiments,we further confirm that the tropical SSTA in different types of El Ni?o event can give rise to observed rainfall anomaly patterns in northeast China.

The Connection between the Sea Surface Height Anomaly Preceding the Indian Ocean Dipole and Summer Rainfall in China

The sea surface height anomaly(SSHA) signals leading the fall Indian Ocean Dipole(IOD) are investigated. The results suggest that, prior to the IOD by one year, a positive SSHA emerges over the western-central tropical Pacific(WCTP), which peaks during winter(January-February-March, JFM), persists into late spring and early summer(April-May-June, AMJ), and becomes weakened later on. An SSHA index, referred as to SSHA_WCTP, is defined as the averaged SSHA over the WCTP during JFM. The index is not only significantly positively correlated with the following-fall(September-October-November, SON) IOD index, but also is higher than the autocorrelation of the IOD index crossing the two different seasons. The connection of SSHA_ WCTP with following-summer rainfall in China is then explored. The results suggest that higher(lower) SSHA_ WCTP corresponds to increased(reduced) rainfall over southern coastal China, along with suppressed(increased) rainfall over the middle–lower reaches of the Yangtze River, North China, and the Xinjiang region of northwestern China. Mechanistically, following the preceding-winter higher(lower) SSHA_WCTP, the South Asia High and the Western Pacific Subtropical High are weakened(intensified), which results in the East Asian summer monsoon weakening(intensifying). Finally, the connection between SSHA_WCTP and El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation(ENSO) is analyzed. Despite a significant correlation, SSHA_WCTP is more closely connected with summer rainfall. This implies that the SSHA_WCTP index in the preceding winter is a more effective predictor of summer rainfall in comparison with ENSO.

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SPRING KUROSHIO SSTA AND SUMMER RAINFALL IN CHINA

Based on the data of SST and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data, the relationship is analyzed of spring SSTA in the Kuroshio region with summer precipitation in China, summer 500 hPa field and water vapor transport, using the methods of Morlet wave, correlation and composite analysis. The results show that annual and interdecadal change of spring SST in the Kuroshio region is distinct. Spring SST displays a significantly increasing trend and there exist different periodic oscillations in the Kuroshio region, with the 23-year periodic oscillation being the most obvious. Troughs and ridges in the mid- and higher- latitudes turn deeper in high Kuroshio SSTA years. At the same time, the western Pacific subtropical high strengthens and stretches westwards. As a result, the warm / wet air from the west of the subtropical high locates in the mid- and lower- reaches of the Yangtze River and south China and summer rainfall in the above regions increases accordingly. Composite anomalous water vapor flux fields indicate that the vapor transport from the South China Sea and western Pacific and the vapor from the north converge over the mid- and lower- reaches of the Yangtze River and south China, which results in the increase of the summer rainfall in the mid- and lower- reaches of the Yangtze River and south China. On the contrary, the summer rainfall in the mid- and lower- reaches of the Yangtze River and south China decreases correspondingly in low Kuroshio SSTA years.

Influence of the 850 hPa WPSH Abnormality on Rainfall in Jianghuai Basin in Early Summer

[Objective]The research aimed to study influence of the 850 hPa WPSH abnormality on rainfall in Jianghuai basin in early summer.[Method]Based on NCEP/NCAR 2.5°×2.5° analysis data,by using composite analysis,correlation analysis,etc.,circulation and rainfall abnormalities were analyzed.Subtropical index related to geopotential height field,zonal wind field,precipitation rate,vertical velocity field and so on.Influence of the 850 hPa WPSH abnormality in early summer on rainfall in Jianghuai basin was discussed.[Result]850 hPa WPSH abnormality in early summer had important influence on rainfall in Jianghuai basin.When WPSH area was small in early summer,and ridge point was by east and north,there was no blocking high in Sea of Okhotsk area at 500 hPa height field,and pathway of the cold air at high latitude was by north.Low-pressure disturbance in plum rain frontal zone weakened,and East Asian summer monsoon circulation strengthened.Cold air in Jianghuai basin was weak,which caused less precipitation in Jianghuai basin.When WPSH area was big in early summer,and ridge point was by west and south,it was controlled by blocking high in Sea of Okhotsk area at 500 hPa height field.Low-pressure disturbance in plum rain frontal zone strengthened,and East Asian summer monsoon circulation weakened.Cold air in Jianghuai basin was strong,which caused more precipitation in Jianghuai basin.[Conclusion]The research played indicative role in precipitation abnormality in Jianghuai basin.

Winter Asia Jetstream and Seasonal Precipitation in East China

The monthly mean geostrophic wind fields for January during 1951 - 1990 period are calculated by using data of500 hpa monthly mean height. The relation between Asia jetstream in winter and the important seasonal precipitationin East China is analysed. The analysis shows that the south branch of jetstream is stronger (weaker) in winter, therainfall will be more (less) than normal in the subsequent spring in South China, and summer rainfall in North Chinawill be more (less). too; these important rainy seasons are related to each other; the indian summer monsoon is notonly related to the summer rainfall in North China, but also related to the spring rainfall in South China and thesouth branch of jetstream in winter.

EFFECTS OF THE SEA-ICE ALONG THE NORTH PACIFIC ON SUMMER RAINFALL IN CHINA

By using statistic method,the effects of the abnormal sea-ice along the North Pacific on both summer rainfall and temperature in China and the corresponding distribution of atmospheric circulation during the period from late winter to early spring are explored in this article.The analysis indicates that the percentage of the sea-ice area along the North Pacific is the biggest during February-April,so is the distribution of the standard variance.Thus,the period of February-April is the natural winter of the sea-ice along the North Pacific.A quasi-four-year oscillation exists in the sea-ice-area-index during this period. The abnormal sea-ice area has significant effects on both summer rainfall and temperature of China.At the 500 hPa geopotential height field corresponding to the years with large values of sea- ice areas,the polar vortex in May is obviously stretched to east and south.The subtropical high over West Pacific strengthens enormously and extends northwards,and the Mongolian trough deepens.The deepening maintains till June and July.The summer meridional cell over the East Asia increases,with the southerly being able to reach high latitudes.As a result,the rainfall increases over the areas north of the Yangtze River and decreases over the areas south of the Yangtze River obviously in China.In the temperature field,it is shown that the temperature is lower over most areas in northern China.and higher in southern China.There are opposite situations in the years when sea-ice index is small.

INTERANNUAL VARIATION OF INDEX OF EAST ASIAN LAND-SEA THERMAL DIFFERENCE AND ITS RELATION TO MONSOON CIRCULATION AND RAINFALL OVER CHINA

This paper proposes an index of land-sea thermal difference(ILSTD)that describes its zonal and meridional strength responsible for East Asian monsoon circulation to study its relation to the East Asian monsoon circulation and the summer rainfall over China on an interannual basis.Results are as follows:(1)ILSTD can be used to measure the strength of East Asian summer monsoon in such a way that the strong(weak)ILSTD years are associated with strong(weak)summer monsoon circulation.(2)The index also reflects well summer rainfall anomaly over the eastern part of China. In the strong index years,rain belt is mainly located over the northern China,and serious drought emerges in the Jianghuai valleys and mid-lower reaches of the Changjiang River,along with increase of rainfall in North and South China,but in the weak years it is contrary.(3)Besides,the index has obvious QBO and quasi 4-year oscillations,but the periods and amplitudes have significant changes on an interdecadal basis.

A New Approach for Classifying Two Types of El Nio Events

In recent decades, the typical E1 Nifio events with the warmest SSTs in the tropical eastern Pacific have become less common, and a different of E1 Nifio with the wannest SSTs in the central the east and west by cooler Pacific, which is flanked on SSTs, has become more frequent. The more recent type of E1 Nifio was referred to as central Pacific E1 Nifio, warm pool E1 Nifio, or dateline E1 Nifio, or the E1 Nifio Modoki. Central Pacific E1 Nifio links to a different tropical-to-extratropical teleconnection and exerts different impacts on climate, and several clas- sification approaches have been proposed. In this study, a new classification approach is proposed, which is based on the linear combination （sum or difference） of the two leading Empirical Orthogonal Functions （EOFs） of tropi- cal Pacific Ocean sea surface temperature anomaly （SSTA）, and the typical E1 Nifio index （TENI） and the central E1 Nifio index （CENI） are able to be derived by projecting the observed SSTA onto these combinations. This classification not only reflects the characteristics of non-orthogonality between the two types of events but also yields one period peaking at approximate two to seven years. In particular, this classification can distin- guish the different impacts of the two types of events on rainfall in the following summer in East China. The typi- cal E1 Nifio events tend to induce intensified rainfall in the Yangtze River valley, whereas the central Pacific El Nifio tends to induce intensified rainfall in the Huaihe River valley. Thus, the present approach may be appropriate for studying the impact of different types of E1 Nifio on the East Asian climate.

A Review on Seasonal Climate Prediction

The characters of experiments of prediction on monthly mean atmospheric circulation, seasonal predic-tion and seasonal forecast of summer rainfall over China are summarized in the present paper. The results demonstrate that climate prediction can be made only if the time average is taken. However, the improvement of the skill score of seasonal forecasts depends on the studies on physical parameters and mechanisms that are responsible for seasonal anomaly. Finally, the predictability of seasonal forecast of temperature and precipitation is discussed, including effectiveness and accuracy. Key words Seasonal climate prediction - Summer rainfall over China - Predictability Supported by “ National Key Programme for Developing Basic Sciences”—Research on the Forma tion Mechanism and Prediction Theory of Severe Climate Disasters in China (G199804900) and “ National Key Project”—Studies on Short Term Climate Prediction System in China