Atmospheric Circulation and Dynamic Mechanism for Persistent Haze Events in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region

In this study, regional persistent haze events（RPHEs） in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei（BTH） region were identified based on the Objective Identification Technique for Regional Extreme Events for the period 1980–2013. The formation mechanisms of the severe RPHEs were investigated with focus on the atmospheric circulation and dynamic mechanisms. Results indicated that：（1） 49 RPHEs occurred during the past 34 years.（2） The severe RPHEs could be categorized into two types according to the large-scale circulation, i.e. the zonal westerly airflow（ZWA） type and the high-pressure ridge（HPR） type. When the ZWA-type RPHEs occurred, the BTH region was controlled by near zonal westerly airflow in the mid–upper troposphere.Southwesterly winds prevailed in the lower troposphere, and near-surface wind speeds were only 1–2 ms^-1. Warm and humid air originating from the northwestern Pacific was transported into the region, where the relative humidity was 70% to 80%, creating favorable moisture conditions. When the HPR-type RPHEs appeared, northwesterly airflow in the mid–upper troposphere controlled the region. Westerly winds prevailed in the lower troposphere and the moisture conditions were relatively weak.（3） Descending motion in the mid-lower troposphere caused by the above two circulation types provided a crucial dynamic mechanism for the formation of the two types of RPHEs. The descending motion contributed to a reduction in the height of the planetary boundary layer（PBL）, which generated an inversion in the lower troposphere. This inversion trapped the abundant pollution and moisture in the lower PBL, leading to high concentrations of pollutants.

Intraseasonal Oscillation of the South China Sea Summer Monsoon and Its Influence on Regionally Persistent Heavy Rain over Southern China

The intraseasonal oscillation（ISO） in the South China Sea summer monsoon（SCSSM） and its influence on regionally persistent heavy rain（RPHR） over southern China are examined by using satelhte outgoing long wave radiation,NCEP/NCAR reanalysis,and gridded rainfall station data in China from 1981 to 2010.The most important feature of the ISO in SCSSM,contributing to the modulation of RPHR,is found to be the fluctuation in the western Pacific subtropical high（WPSH）,along with a close link to the Madden-Julian oscillation（MJO）.Southern China is divided into three regions by using rotated empirical orthogonal functions（REOFs）for intraseasonal rainfall,where the incidence rate of RPHR is closely linked to the intraseasonal variation in rainfall.It is found that SCSSM ISOs are the key systems controlling the intraseasonal variability in rainfall and can be described by the leading pair of empirical orthogonal functions（EOFs） for the 850-hPa zonal wind over the SCS and southern China.Composite analyses based on the principal components（PCs） of the EOFs indicate that the ISO process in SCSSM exhibits as the east-west oscillation of the WPSH,which is coupled with the northward-propagating MJO,creating alternating dry and wet phases over southern China with a period of 40 days.The wet phases provide stable and lasting circulation conditions that promote RPHR.However,differences in the ISO structures can be found when RPHR occurs in regions where the WPSH assumes different meridional positions.Further examination of the meridional-phase structure suggests an important role of northward-propagating ISO and regional air-sea interaction in the ISO process in SCSSM.