Publication Date:
2021-02-25
Description:
This study revisits the long-term variabilities of East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) in 1958-2017 through examining diurnal cycles. We group monsoon days into four dynamic quadrants, with emphasis on the strong daily southerlies coupled with a large (Q1) or small (Q4) diurnal amplitude over Southeast China. The occurrence day of Q1 increases in June-July with the seasonal progress of EASM. It is most pronounced in 1960s-1970s and declines to the lowest in 1980s-1990s, while the Q4 occurrence increases notably from 1970s to 1990s; both groups return to normal in recent years. The interdecadal decrease (increase) of Q1 (Q4) occurrence corresponds well to the known weakening of EASM in the 20th century, and it also coincides with the rainfall anomalies over China shifting from “North flooding and South drought” to “North drought and South flooding” modes. The rainfall under Q1 (Q4) can account for ∼60% of the interannual variance of summer rainfall in northern (southern) China. The contrasting effects of Q1 and Q4 on rainfall are due to their remarkably different regulation on water vapor transports and convergence. The interannual/interdecadal variations of Q1 (Q4) occurrence determine the anomalous water vapor transports to northern (southern) China, in association with the various expansion of the western Pacific subtropical high. In particular, Q1 condition can greatly intensify nighttime moisture convergence, which is responsible for the long-term variations of rainfall in northern China. The results highlight that the diurnal cycles in monsoon flow act as a key regional process working with large-scale circulations to regulate the spatial distributions and long-term variabilities of EASM rainfall.
Print ISSN:
0894-8755
Electronic ISSN:
1520-0442
Topics:
Geography
,
Geosciences
,
Physics
