On the Onset of the South China Sea Summer Monsoon in 1998

Through analyzing the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data, the satellite observational data and the ATLAS-2 mooring buoy observational data, it is shown that May 21 is the onset date of the South China Sea summer monsoon in 1998. There were abrupt variations in the general circulation pattern at the lower troposphere and the upper troposphere, in upper jet stream location and in the convection and rainfall over the South China Sea region corresponding to the outbreak of the South China Sea summer monsoon. It is also indicated that there was rainfall in the southern China coastal region before onset of summer monsoon, but it resulted from the (cold) front activity and cannot be regarded as the sign of summer monsoon outbreak in the South China Sea. Key words Onset - South China Sea summer monsoon - General circulation pattern, Jet stream - Convection This work was supported by the State Key Project for Research—“ The South China Sea Monsoon Experiment”, CAS (KZ951-B1-408) and CNSF (49823002).

Primary study on pattern of general circulation of atmosphere before uplift of the Tibetan Plateau in eastern Asia

The Tibetan Plateau is a key factor for the pattern of the general circulation of the atmosphere (GCA) in eastern Asia. The pattern of the GCA after the uplift of the plateau is well known, while the pattern of the GCA before the uplift of the plateau is lack of direct evidences. Based on the knowability of desert, a section recording wind directions across the Cretaceous northern hemisphere mid-low latitude desert belt is measured and the pattern of the GCA in the Cretaceous is revealed. The result shows that the eastern Asia was really controlled by the planetary circulation before the uplift of the plateau, i.e. westerlies in the north and northeast trades in the south. The convert belt between westerlies and trades had drifted northwards and southwards. The possibility of existence of paleo-monsoon is also dealt with and a possibly imposed paleo-monsoon is suggested.

Recognition of two dominant modes of EASM and its thermal driving factors based on 25 monsoon indexes

Based on three reanalysis datasets—ERA-Interim,NCAR–NCEP and JRA-55—the classification of25 commonly used indexes of the East Asian summer monsoon(EASM)was investigated.The physical nature of two categories of monsoon index,together with their circulation pattern,climate anomalies,and driving factors,were investigated.Results suggest that the selected 25 monsoon indexes can be classified into two typical categories(CategoryⅠandⅡ),which are dominated by interannual and decadal variabilities of the EASM,respectively.The anomalous circulation patterns and summer rainfall patterns related to the two categories of index also exhibit evident differences.CategoryⅠis closely linked to the low-latitude circulation system and the anomalous circulation pattern is a typical East Asia–Pacific teleconnection pattern.The summer rainfall anomaly exhibits a typical tripole pattern.However,CategoryⅡmainly reflects the impacts of the middle–high latitude circulation system on the summer monsoon and is closely linked to a typical Eurasian teleconnection pattern,which corresponds to a dipole of summer rainfall anomalies.Further analysis suggests that the underlying thermal driving factors of the two categories of monsoon are distinct.The main driving factors of CategoryⅠare the tropical sea surface temperature anomalies(SSTAs),especially ENSO-related SSTAs in the preceding winter and summer SSTAs in the tropical Indian Ocean.The winter signal of Category II summer monsoon anomalous activity mainly originates from the polar region and the middle and high latitudes of the Eurasian continent.CategoryⅡmonsoon activity is also associated with summer SSTAs in the equatorial central Pacific.