China coldwave duration in a warming winter: change of the leading mode

Changes of extreme climate in a warming climate may be different from place to place. How the China cold extreme events change is still an outstanding issue. From observational and modeling perspectives, this study investigates the change of the leading mode of the China coldwave duration (CWD) in a warming climate. CWD significantly reduces across China during 1957–2009. The reduction in northern China is much more than that in southern China. The CWD leading mode derived from the Empirical Orthogonal Function analysis is characterized by extreme value centers located in northern China during the cold period (1957–1979) and shifting to southern China during the warm period (1980–2009). This indicates that southern China may experience longer or shorter coldwaves in the past three decades, while those in northern China tend to vary less vigorously. The multi-model ensemble of seven state-of-the-art climate models from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) show that under the IPCC SRES A1B scenario, the maximum loading of the CWD leading mode extends to southern China at the end of twenty-first century (2080–2099). These results indicate that the primary change of the CWD leading mode in a warming climate might be the southward shift of the variation center and such position change may lead to more intense coldwave variations in southern China as observed in the past decades. Possible physical mechanisms on the variation of the CWD major mode are also investigated in this study.     

气候变暖背景下西太平洋副热带高压体形态变异及热力原因

采用美国NCEP/NCAR再分析资料,利用相关、合成分析、大气热源的计算等方法,研究了气候变暖背景下西太平洋副热带高压（副高）空间形态的变异及热力原因。结果表明,气候变暖前、后各层副高形态特征有很大的差异,副高体的空间形态从850—700 hPa开始显著西伸南扩,到500 hPa最为明显。各层副高在冷、暖期的形态差异与其周围大气热源和涡度的变化相对应。随着气候变暖,副高西侧和南侧的大气热源在850—700 hPa上开始有明显的加强,500 hPa热源加强最明显,且副高体南侧热源中心有所南移;同时,其西侧和南侧从对流层低层至中高层有反气旋涡度的增大,西侧的反气旋涡度在850—700 hPa增大最明显,南侧的反气旋涡度在500 hPa增大最明显,且反气旋中心整体南移。表明气候变暖后,副高体西侧和南侧大气热源的加强,导致相应区域反气旋涡度增大,副高体向反气旋涡度增大的方向发展,从而使副高西脊点西伸,南边界南扩,整体南移。      

Response of the North Pacific Storm Track Activity in the Cold Season to Multi-scale Oceanic Variations of Kuroshio Extension System: A Statistical Assessment

In this paper, a statistical method called Generalized Equilibrium Feedback Analysis(GEFA) is used to investigate the responses of the North Pacific Storm Track(NPST) in the cold season to the multi-scale oceanic variations of the Kuroshio Extension(KE) system, including its large-scale variation, oceanic front meridional shift, and mesoscale eddy activity.Results show that in the cold season from the lower to the upper troposphere, the KE large-scale variation significantly weakens the storm tr...     

Changes in storm tracks and energy transports in a warmer climate simulated by the GFDL CM2.1 model

Storm tracks play a major role in regulating the precipitation and hydrological cycle in midlatitudes. The changes in the location and amplitude of the storm tracks in response to global warming will have significant impacts on the poleward transport of heat, momentum and moisture and on the hydrological cycle. Recent studies have indicated a poleward shift of the storm tracks and the midlatitude precipitation zone in the warming world that will lead to subtropical drying and higher latitude moistening. This study agrees with this key feature for not only the annual mean but also different seasons and for the zonal mean as well as horizontal structures based on the analysis of Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) CM2.1 model simulations. Further analyses show that the meridional sensible and latent heat fluxes associated with the storm tracks shift poleward and intensify in both boreal summer and winter in the late twenty-first century (years 2081?C2100) relative to the latter half of the twentieth century (years 1961?C2000). The maximum dry Eady growth rate is examined to determine the effect of global warming on the time mean state and associated available potential energy for transient growth. The trend in maximum Eady growth rate is generally consistent with the poleward shift and intensification of the storm tracks in the middle latitudes of both hemispheres in both seasons. However, in the lower troposphere in northern winter, increased meridional eddy transfer within the storm tracks is more associated with increased eddy velocity, stronger correlation between eddy velocity and eddy moist static energy, and longer eddy length scale. The changing characteristics of baroclinic instability are, therefore, needed to explain the storm track response as climate warms. Diagnosis of the latitude-by-latitude energy budget for the current and future climate demonstrates how the coupling between radiative and surface heat fluxes and eddy heat and moisture transport influences the midlatitude storm track response to global warming. Through radiative forcing by increased atmospheric carbon dioxide and water vapor, more energy is gained within the tropics and subtropics, while in the middle and high latitudes energy is reduced through increased outgoing terrestrial radiation in the Northern Hemisphere and increased ocean heat uptake in the Southern Hemisphere. This enhanced energy imbalance in the future climate requires larger atmospheric energy transports in the midlatitudes which are partially accomplished by intensified storm tracks. Finally a sequence of cause and effect for the storm track response in the warming world is proposed that combines energy budget constraints with baroclinic instability theory.     

A comparison of climatological subseasonal variations in the wintertime storm track activity between the North Pacific and Atlantic: local energetics and moisture effect

Distinct differences of the storm track?Cjet relationship over the North Pacific and North Atlantic are investigated in terms of barotropic and baroclinic energetics using NCEP-2 reanalysis data for the period of 1979?C2008. From fall to midwinter the Pacific storm track (PST) activity weakens following the southward shift of the Pacific jet, whereas the Atlantic storm track (AST) activity remains steady in position and intensifies regardless of the slight southward shift of the Atlantic jet. This study is devoted to seeking for the factors that can contribute to this conspicuous difference between the two storm tracks on climatological subseasonal variation by analyzing eddy properties and local energetics. Different eddy properties over the two oceans lead to different contribution of barotropic energy conversion to the initiation of storm tracks. In the North Atlantic, meridionally elongated eddies gain kinetic energy efficiently from stretching deformation of the mean flow in the jet entrance. On the other hand, the term associated with shearing deformation is important for the initiation of PST. Analysis of baroclinic energetics reveals that the intensification of the AST activity in midwinter is mainly attributed to coincidence between location of maximum poleward and upward eddy heat fluxes and that of the largest meridional temperature gradient over slight upstream of the AST. The relatively large amount of precipitable water and meridional eddy moisture flux along baroclinic energy conversion axis likely provides a more favorable environment for baroclinic eddy growth over the North Atlantic than over the North Pacific. In the meantime, the midwinter minimum of the PST activity is attributable to the southward shift of the Pacific jet stream that leads to discrepancy between core region of poleward and upward heat fluxes and that of meridional thermal gradient. Weakening of eddy-mean flow interaction due to eddy shape and reduction of moist effect are also responsible for the weakening of storm track activities in midwinter when the strongest baroclinicity exists over the North Pacific.     

2021年2月北美极端低温暴雪的卫星遥感监测

利用气象卫星数据和欧洲中期天气预报中心ERA5再分析数据,在开展卫星数据误差分析的基础上,研究2021年2月北美冬季风暴乌里发生的气候背景、发展演变、极涡活动对乌里的触发作用及造成极端低温和降雪的大气影响因子等。结果表明:与ERA5温度相比,FY-3D/VASS温度在北美地区100,400 hPa和850 hPa的平均绝对偏差分别为1.14℃,1.44℃和2.63℃,可满足冬季极端冷事件监测服务需求;2021年2月北美大陆冷空气活动关键区(50°～80°N,50°～150°W)西部温度较历史同期偏低4～8℃,2月上旬冷空气强度最强,温度距平百分比达70%;在东北太平洋暖高压脊引导下,极涡加强南下,极涡中心西侧横槽转竖过程中冷空气向南爆发,对流层中高层高位涡异常南伸为乌里的生成提供了高层动力强迫,低层冷空气南下和墨西哥湾沿副热带高压西侧向北输送的暖湿气流在美国南部交汇,触发了乌里低层低涡及云系的快速发展;造成强降雪的风暴乌里云系具有对流特征,冷锋云带和头部云顶亮温大部分低于-40℃,部分低于-52℃,闪电活跃。     

冬季北太平洋风暴轴异常及其与东亚大气环流的关系

利用NCEP/NCAR逐日再分析资料,应用滤波方差、相关分析、合成分析等研究了1963年冬季至2011年冬季北太平洋风暴轴的时空演变特征,并探讨了风暴轴活动强弱与东亚—北太平洋大气环流的关系。结果表明：与1980s后期风暴轴活动显著增强相比,近10 a来风暴轴活动又进入较气候平均水平偏低的阶段,且风暴轴主体位置有着向东北、西南两侧的振荡现象。风暴轴活动强（弱）年,东亚地区近地面温度偏高（低）、对流层低层阿留申低压和西伯利亚高压偏弱（强）、中国东部及日本上空850 hPa北风减弱（加强）;对流层中层东亚大槽减弱北缩（加深南进）、对流层高层西风急流减弱（加强）。风暴轴活动与冬季影响中国的冷空气活动次数相关关系显著。     

Interdecadal changes in the storm track activity over the North Pacific and North Atlantic

Analysis of NCEP-NCAR I reanalysis data of 1948–2009 and ECMWF ERA-40 reanalysis data of 1958–2001 reveals several significant interdecadal changes in the storm track activity and mean flow-transient eddy interaction in the extratropics of Northern Hemisphere. First, the most remarkable transition in the North Pacific storm track (PST) and the North Atlantic storm track (AST) activities during the boreal cold season (from November to March) occurred around early-to-mid 1970s with the characteristics of global intensification that has been noticed in previous studies. Second, the PST activity in midwinter underwent decadal change from a weak regime in the early 1980s to a strong regime in the late 1980s. Third, during recent decade, the PST intensity has been enhanced in early spring whereas the AST intensity has been weakened in midwinter. Finally, interdecadal change has been also noted in the relationship between the PST and AST activities and between the storm track activity and climate indices. The variability of storm track activity is well correlated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and North Atlantic Oscillation prior to the early 1980s, but this relationship has disappeared afterward and a significant linkage between the PST and AST activity has also been decoupled. For a better understanding of the mid-1970s’ shift in storm track activity and mean flow-transient eddy interaction, further investigation is made by analyzing local barotropic and baroclinic energetics. The intensification of global storm track activity after the mid-1970s is mainly associated with the enhancement of mean meridional temperature gradient resulting in favorable condition for baroclinic eddy growth. Consistent with the change in storm track activity, the baroclinic energy conversion is significantly increased in the North Pacific and North Atlantic. The intensification of the PST and AST activity, in turn, helps to reinforce the changes in the middle-to-upper tropospheric circulation but acts to interfere with the changes in the low-tropospheric temperature field.     

Changes in the normal mode energetics of the general atmospheric circulation in a warmer climate

Changes in the normal mode energetics of the general atmospheric circulation are assessed for the northern winter season (DJF) in a warmer climate, using the outputs of four climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, Phase 3. The energetics changes are characterized by significant increases in both the zonal mean and eddy components for the barotropic and the deeper baroclinic modes, whereas for the shallower baroclinic modes both the zonal mean and eddy components decrease. Significant increases are predominant in the large-scale eddies, both barotropic and baroclinic, while the opposite is found in eddies of smaller scales. While the generation rate of zonal mean available potential energy has globally increased in the barotropic component, leading to an overall strengthening in the barotropic energetics terms, it has decreased in the baroclinic component, leading to a general weakening in the baroclinic energetics counterpart. These global changes, which indicate a strengthening of the energetics in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS), sustained by enhanced baroclinic eddies of large horizontal scales, and a weakening below, mostly driven by weaker baroclinic eddies of intermediate to small scales, appear together with an increased transfer rate of kinetic energy from the eddies to the zonal mean flow and a significant increase in the barotropic zonal mean kinetic energy. The conversion rates between available potential energy and kinetic energy, C, were further decomposed into the contributions by the rotational (Rossby) and divergent (gravity) components of the circulation field. The eddy component of C is due to the conversion of potential energy of the rotational adjusted mass field into kinetic energy by the work realized in the eddy divergent motion. The zonal mean component of C is accomplished by two terms which nearly cancel each other out. One is related to the Hadley cell and involves the divergent component of both wind and geopotential, while the other is associated to the Ferrel cell and incorporates the divergent wind with the rotationally adjusted mass field. Global magnitude increases were found in the zonal mean components of these two terms for the warmer climate, which could be the result of a strengthening and/or widening of both meridional cells. On the other hand, the results suggest a strengthening of these conversion rates in the UTLS and a weakening below, that is consistent with the rising of the tropopause in response to global warming.     

登陆孟湾风暴结构演变特征数值模拟研究

利用MM5V3中尺度数值模式对2004年5月19日登陆的孟湾风暴进行了数值模拟分析,讨论了风暴中心移动路径,分析了风暴登陆前后的流场、动力场和热力场结构,并与西太平洋登陆台风的结构变化做了比较。结果表明,风暴中心的模拟路径与实况路径虽有一定误差,但总趋势均向东北方向移动,表明模式对本个例的模拟预报可以参考;孟湾风暴登陆前后,其结构与登陆台风变性阶段一样,经历了从热带气旋的基本对称的垂直分布结构演变到斜压非对称结构;风暴登陆后,由于地形和冷空气的作用,动力场和热力场表现为对流层中低层锋区增强、倾斜涡度发展,导致对流不稳定和斜压不稳定。     

北太平洋东部风暴轴的变化特征及其与大气环流和SST异常的关系

利用欧洲中期天气预报中心ECMWF(European Center for Medium-range Weather Forecast)逐日再分析资料(ERA40),通过经验正交函数(empirical orthogonal function,EOF)分解发现,冬季北太平洋东部风暴轴有着显著的年际变化特征:第一变化模态为在气候平均位置南北相反的偶极子变化型,第二变化模态为在气候平均位置处一致增强或减弱的变化型,第三变化模态为三极子的变化型。进一步的回归分析发现:当东部风暴轴南压(北抬)时,同期冬季是一种厄尔尼诺(拉尼娜)年海温异常空间分布型,中纬度北太平洋海区以及赤道中、东海区,冬季冷(暖)异常的洋面上是异常低压(高压),对流层中层是太平洋—北美型(Pacific-North American Pattern,PNA)遥相关的正(负)位相;当东部风暴轴增强(减弱)时,同期冬季黑潮区海温偏暖(偏冷),对流层中层表现为西太平洋型(West Pacific Pattern,WP)遥相关的正(负)位相;当东部风暴轴呈现西北—东南+-+(-+-)相间三极子的分布时,同期冬季巴布亚新几内亚附近海温异常偏暖(冷),夏威夷附近海温异常偏冷(暖),冬季冷(暖)异常的洋面上是异常低(高)压,对流层中层表现出类似PNA正(负)位相。EOF分解各模态所对应时间系数与阿留申低压(Aleutian Low,AL)指数、PNA指数、Nino3指数、WP指数、黑潮海温(Kuroshio Current,KC)指数之间存在显著的相关,这些证明了东部风暴轴与同期大气环流及SST异常之间的联系。     

北太平洋风暴轴对黑潮延伸体系统变异的响应及其能量转换机制

西北太平洋纬向扰动海温经验正交函数（EOF）分解第一和第三模态、第二和第四模态分别代表同期黑潮延伸体和亲潮强弱的配置关系,将两者的典型位相合成,可以分别得到延伸体收缩和扩张状态时的典型模态海温,本文以此及气候态海温作为初始海温强迫场,利用CESM1.2.0模式,讨论了延伸体的系统变异对北太平洋风暴轴的影响及其在不同能量转换过程的主要影响机制,结果表明,延伸体收缩状态下,北太平洋风暴轴强度整体加强,而扩张模态下强度减弱。空间分布上,收缩模态下,风暴轴主要体现为经向方向的变化,中心及其以北强度加强,中心以南减弱;扩张状态下,则主要表现为纬向方向的差异,中心及以西强度减弱明显,中心以东有所增强。对能量转换的诊断分析表明,正压能量转换过程对涡动动能的变化贡献很小,且在风暴轴中心附近,其作用主要为消耗涡动动能,延伸体收缩状态下其消耗作用增强,而扩张状态下消耗作用减弱,这一差异主要是由于不同海温异常强迫下瞬变涡旋的形变不同造成;斜压有效位能释放比正压能量转换大一个量级以上,该过程几乎全部通过基流的经向温度梯度和经向涡动热量输送的相互作用完成,在这一过程中大气斜压性（经向温度梯度）起了关键性作用,大气斜压性异常、基流经向温度梯度异常、斜压有效位能释放异常与风暴轴异常的空间分布均具有较好的对应关系,该过程可能也是延伸体海温异常影响北太平洋风暴轴的主要物理过程;涡动有效位能需要进一步转换为涡动动能才能产生瞬变涡旋运动,涡动有效位能释放的量级与斜压有效位能的释放相当,但数值要小,这一过程通过冷暖空气的上升下沉运动完成,延伸体异常模态下,扰动垂直速度和扰动温度的负相关性的变化与涡动有效位能向涡动动能转换的变化也有较好的对应关系。     

The 2020 Summer Floods and 2020/21 Winter Extreme Cold Surges in China and the 2020 Typhoon Season in the Western North Pacific

China experienced significant flooding in the summer of 2020 and multiple extreme cold surges during the winter of 2020/21. Additionally, the 2020 typhoon season had below average activity with especially quiet activity during the first half of the season in the western North Pacific(WNP). Sea surface temperature changes in the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans all contributed to the heavy rainfall in China, but the Atlantic and Indian Oceans seem to have played dominant roles. Enhancement and movement of the Siberian High caused a wavier pattern in the jet stream that allowed cold polar air to reach southward, inducing cold surges in China. Large vertical wind shear and low humidity in the WNP were responsible for fewer typhoons in the first half of the typhoon season. Although it is known that global warming can increase the frequency of extreme weather and climate events, its influences on individual events still need to be quantified.Additionally, the extreme cold surge during 16–18 February 2021 in the United States shares similar mechanisms with the winter 2020/21 extreme cold surges in China.     

Transition from the southern mode of the mei-yu front cloud system to other leading modes

Based on normalized six-hourly black body temperature （TBB） data of three geostationary meteorological satellites,the leading modes of the mei-yu cloud system between 1998 and 2008 were extracted by the Empirical Orthogonal Function （EOF） method,and the transition processes from the first typical leading mode to other leading modes were discussed and compared.The analysis shows that,when the southern mode （EOF1） transforms to the northeastern mode （EOF3）,in the mid-troposphere,a low trough develops and moves southeastward over central and eastern China.The circulation pattern is characterized by two highs and one low in the lower troposphere.A belt of low pressure is sandwiched between the weak high over central and western China and the strong western North Pacific subtropical high （WNPSH）.Cold air moves southward along the northerly flow behind the low,and meets the warm and moist air between the WNPSH and the forepart of the low trough,which leads to continuous convection.At the same time,the central extent of the WNPSH increases while its ridge extends westward.In addition,transitions from the southern mode to the dual centers mode and the tropical-low-influenced mode were found to be atypical,and so no common points could be concluded.Furthermore,the choice of threshold value can affect the number of samples discussed.     

The effect of an arctic polynya on the Northern Hemisphere mean circulation and eddy regime: a numerical experiment

The feedback of an arctic polynya, which is a large ice-free zone within the sea ice, on the hemispheric climate is studied with the ECMWF T21 GCM. For this purpose a control and an anomaly integration, in which a polynya was introduced in the Kara Sea, are compared. As the GCM, like the real atmosphere, shows a high level of low frequency variability, the mean response to the changed boundary conditions is obscured by internal noise. The necessary significance analyses are thus performed to enhance the signal-tonoise ratio within the framework of an a priori chosen guess pattern and a multivariate test statistic. The sensible and latent heat fluxes increased above the polynya, which resulted in a warming of the lower troposphere above and near the polynya. No statistically significant local or global sea-level pressure changes are associated with this heating. However we find a significant change of hemispheric extent of the geopotential fields at 300 hPa, if we use as guess patterns the eigenmodes of the barotropic vorticity equation. The different mean flow field is accompanied by significant changes of the synoptic transient eddy field. We find a significant variation in the barotropic and baroclinic forcing of the mean flow by the eddies, a change in the location and intensity of the storm tracks and in the conversion between eddy available and eddy kinetic energy. The additional heat flux from the polynya results in a reduction of the meridional heat flux by the synoptic eddies on the western Atlantic.     

Projection of the East Asian westerly jet under six global warming targets

东亚高空急流(简称急流)对夏季东亚地区的天气和气候有着重要影响。本文利用CMIP5的历史气候模拟试验和RCP8.5路径下的未来气候变化预估试验数据,预估了急流在6个全球变暖阈值(1.5℃,2.0℃,2.5℃,3.0℃,3.5℃和4.0℃)下相对于当代气候的变化情况。结果表明东亚高空西风在1.5℃阈值下略微减弱。在2.0℃阈值下,西风在急流轴(约40°N)南侧增强,北侧减弱。这种变化趋势在2.5℃和更高的变暖阈值下愈加明显,使急流轴逐渐向南移动,但急流强度变化不大。研究表明,在急流的入口和出口区,对流层中上层大气升温速度相对较慢,导致在急流轴南(北)侧出现向南(北)的负(正)经向温度梯度,使西风在南(北)侧增强(减弱).     

中国冬季气温不同年代际的季节内变化特征及成因分析

利用1951～2020年中国观测站气温资料、NCEP/NCAR再分析资料和统计方法,分析了不同年代际时间尺度背景下我国冬季气温的季节内变化特征及相联系的大气环流异常。结果表明,1986年前、后为两个年代际时间尺度阶段,各阶段内前冬（12月）与后冬（1～2月）气温异常反位相年的比例均高于同位相年。1986年之前,季节内的优势空间模态为前冬全国冷（暖）转为后冬南方暖（冷）的可能性大,即南方地区季节内变率大;而1986年之后的优势空间模态为前冬北方冷（暖）转为后冬全国明显暖（冷）的可能性大,即北方地区季节内变率大。冬季气温的季节内变化显著受到冬季风系统关键环流季节内变化的影响。对应优势模态的正异常年份,1986年之前,欧亚中高纬地区对流层环流异常信号从前冬到后冬显著性减弱,其中西北太平洋地区对流层中高层的环流调整更明显,副热带高度场增强,热带东风急流北扩,前冬到后冬的环流调整有利于前冬全国大范围偏冷而后冬我国南方地区气温升高,造成南方地区季节内反位相变率增大。1986年之后,欧亚高中低纬地区的环流异常从前冬到后冬显著性增强,欧亚中高纬度环流发生较大调整,而低纬度的环流变化不大,北方地区前冬冷到后冬全国明显转暖,造成北方地区季节内反位相变率大。即副热带环流和中高纬度环流分别在两个年代际尺度阶段南方和北方的冬季气温季节内变率中起到主导作用。     

冬季北太平洋风暴轴纬向变化特征及其与我国极端低温频次的可能联系

采用NCEP/NCAR和ERA40再分析资料,分析了垂直方向上冬季北太平洋风暴轴纬向结构的时空演变特征,揭示了北太平风暴轴纬向结构具有显著年际、年代际变化特征。冬季北太平洋风暴轴纬向结构主要呈现出全区一致、东西反相两种分布型("A"型和"B"型),细分为整体一致性强型("A+"型)、整体一致性弱型("A-"型)、东弱西强型("B+"型)和东强西弱型("B-"型)。研究表明:冬季北太平洋风暴轴的纬向结构与我国极端低温频次的关系密切,风暴轴呈"A+"("A-")型纬向结构时,我国整体区域极端低温频次偏少(多);风暴轴呈"B+"("B-")纬向结构时,我国全区极端低温频次偏多(少)。     

Projection of Future Precipitation Change over China with a High-Resolution Global Atmospheric Model

Projections of future precipitation change over China are studied based on the output of a global AGCM, ECHAM5, with a high resolution of T319 (equivalent to 40 km). Evaluation of the model’s performance in simulating present-day precipitation shows encouraging results. The spatial distributions of both mean and extreme precipitation, especially the locations of main precipitation centers, are reproduced reasonably. The simulated annual cycle of precipitation is close to the observed. The performance of the model over eastern China is generally better than that over western China. A weakness of the model is the overestimation of precipitation over northern and western China. Analyses on the potential change in precipitation projected under the A1B scenario show that both annual mean precipitation intensity and extreme precipitation would increase significantly over southeastern China. The percentage increase in extreme precipitation is larger than that of mean precipitation. Meanwhile, decreases in mean and extreme precipitation are evident over the southern Tibetan Plateau. For precipitation days, extreme precipitation days are projected to increase over all of China. Both consecutive dry days over northern China and consecutive wet days over southern China would decrease.     

The Persistent Heavy Rainfall over Southern China in June 2010：Evolution of Synoptic Systems and the Effects of the Tibetan Plateau Heating

This study investigates influencing weather systems for and the effect of Tibetan Plateau （TP）’s surface heating on the heavy rainfall over southern China in June 2010, focusing on the four persistent heavy rainfall events during 14-24 June 2010. The ma jor weather systems include the South Asian high, midlatitude trough and ridge, western Pacific subtropical high in the middle troposphere, and shear lines and eastward-moving vortices in the lower troposphere. An ensemble of convection-permitting simulations （CTL） is carried out with the WRF model for these rainfall events, which successfully reproduce the observed evolution of precipitation and weather systems. Another ensemble of simulations （SEN） with the surface albedo over the TP and its southern slope changed artificially to one, i.e., the surface does not absorb any solar heating, otherwise it is identical to CTL, is also performed. Comparison between CTL and SEN suggests that the surface sensible heating of TP in CTL significantly affects the temperature distributions over the plateau and its surroundings, and the thermal wind adjustment consequently changes atmospheric circulations and properties of the synoptic systems, leading to intensified precipitation over southern China. Specifically, at 200 hPa, anticyclonic and cyclonic anomalies form over the western and eastern plateau, respectively, which enhances the southward cold air intrusion along the eastern TP and the divergence over southern China;at 500 hPa, the ridge over the northern plateau and the trough over eastern China are strengthened, the southwesterly flows along the northwestern side of the subtropical high are intensified, and the positive vorticity propagation from the plateau to its downstream is also enhanced significantly;at 850 hPa, the low-pressure vortices strongly develop and move eastward while the southwesterly low-level jet over southern China strengthens in CTL, leading to increased water vapor convergence and upward motion over the precipitation region.