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Title: Recent Winter Precipitation Changes over Eastern China in Different Warming Periods and the Associated East Asian Jets and Oceanic Conditions

Journal Article · · Journal of Climate
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [1];  [1]
  1. Nanjing Univ. (China)
  2. Univ. at Albany, NY (United States); National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)
  3. Hohai Univ., Nanjing (Japan)

Global-mean surface temperature has experienced fast warming during 1985–98 but stabilized during 1999–2013, especially in boreal winter. Climate changes over East Asia between the two warming periods and the associated mechanisms have not been fully understood. Analyses of observation and reanalysis data show that winter precipitation has decreased (increased) over southern (northeastern) China from 1985–98 to 1999–2013. Winds at 300 hPa over East Asia strengthened during 1999–2013 around 30°–47.5°N but weakened to the north and south of it. This change pattern caused the East Asian polar front jet (EAPJ) and the East Asian subtropical jet (EASJ) to shift, respectively, equatorward and poleward during 1999–2013. Associated with these jet displacements, the Siberian high enhanced and the East Asian trough shifted westward. The enhanced Siberian high strengthened the East Asian winter monsoon and weakened southwesterly winds over the South China Sea, leading to precipitation decreases over southern China. The westward shift of the East Asian trough enhanced convergence and precipitation over northeastern China. A combination of a negative phase of the interdecadal Pacific oscillation and a positive phase of the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation during 1999–2013 resulted in significant tropospheric warming over the low and high latitudes and cooling over the midlatitudes of East Asia. These changes enhanced the meridional temperature gradient and thus westerlies over the region between the two jets but weakened them to the south and north of it, thereby contributing to the wind change patterns and the jet displacements.

Research Organization:
State Univ. of New York (SUNY), Albany, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0012602
OSTI ID:
1537019
Journal Information:
Journal of Climate, Vol. 30, Issue 12; ISSN 0894-8755
Publisher:
American Meteorological SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 34 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (5)

A possible mechanism for the occurrence of wintertime extreme precipitation events over South China journal May 2018
The decadal shift of the long persistent rainfall over the northern part of China and the associated ocean conditions journal February 2019
Intensifying effects of El Niño events on winter precipitation extremes in southeastern China journal November 2019
The 10–30‐day oscillation of winter rainfall in southern China and its relationship with circulation patterns in different latitudes journal November 2019
Terrestrial Water Storage in China: Spatiotemporal Pattern and Driving Factors journal November 2019

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