CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MERIDIONALLY ORIENTED SHEAR LINES OVER THE TIBETAN PLATEAU AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH RAINSTORMS IN THE BOREAL SUMMER HALF-YEAR

In this paper, European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts(ECMWF) Reanalysis-Interim(ERAInterim) data and daily precipitation data in China from May to October during 1981-2016 are used to study the climatic characteristics of the meridionally oriented shear lines(MSLs) over the Tibetan Plateau(TP). The relationship between the MSL and rainstorms in the eastern TP and neighboring areas of the TP during the boreal summer half-year is also investigated. An objective method, which uses a combination of three parameters, i.e. the zonal shear of the meridional wind, the relative vorticity and the zero line of meridional wind, is adopted to identify the shear line. The results show that there are two high-occurrence centers of MSL. One is over the central TP(near 90°E) and the other is over the steep slope area of the eastern TP. Fewer MSLs are found along the Yarlung Zangbo River over the western TP and the southern Tibet. There are averagely 42.2 MSL days in each boreal summer half-year. The number of MSL days reaches the maximum of 62 in 2014 and the minimum of 22 in 2006. July and October witness the maximum of 10.2 MSL days/year and the minimum of 4.2 MSL days/year, respectively. The annual number of the MSL days shows periodicities of 2-4 and 4-6 years, which is quite similar to those of the MSL rainstorm days. In the neighboring areas of the TP, nearly56% of the MSLs lead to rainstorms, and nearly 40% of rainstorms are caused by the MSLs, indicating a close relationship between the MSLs and rainstorms in this region.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MERIDIONALLY ORIENTED SHEAR LINES OVER THE TIBETAN PLATEAU AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH RAINSTORMS IN THE BOREAL SUMMER HALF-YEAR

In this paper, European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts(ECMWF) Reanalysis-Interim(ERAInterim) data and daily precipitation data in China from May to October during 1981-2016 are used to study the climatic characteristics of the meridionally oriented shear lines(MSLs) over the Tibetan Plateau(TP). The relationship between the MSL and rainstorms in the eastern TP and neighboring areas of the TP during the boreal summer half-year is also investigated. An objective method, which uses a combination of three parameters, i.e. the zonal shear of the meridional wind, the relative vorticity and the zero line of meridional wind, is adopted to identify the shear line. The results show that there are two high-occurrence centers of MSL. One is over the central TP(near 90°E) and the other is over the steep slope area of the eastern TP. Fewer MSLs are found along the Yarlung Zangbo River over the western TP and the southern Tibet. There are averagely 42.2 MSL days in each boreal summer half-year. The number of MSL days reaches the maximum of 62 in 2014 and the minimum of 22 in 2006. July and October witness the maximum of 10.2 MSL days/year and the minimum of 4.2 MSL days/year, respectively. The annual number of the MSL days shows periodicities of 2-4 and 4-6 years, which is quite similar to those of the MSL rainstorm days. In the neighboring areas of the TP, nearly56% of the MSLs lead to rainstorms, and nearly 40% of rainstorms are caused by the MSLs, indicating a close relationship between the MSLs and rainstorms in this region.