THE EFFECTS OF GENERAL CIRCULATION ANOMALIES ON PRECIPITATION IN THE RAINING SEASON OF SHANDONG

1 INTRODUCTION Locating in mid-latitude East Asia monsoon region, the Shandong province is marked by significant monsoon climate. Precipitation in summer (from June to August) takes up about 60% of the annual total1] and drought and flood damages take place frequently. The province is in a zone where the northern and southern climates change into each other for it is between two plains, the North China Plain and Chang Jiang R (the Yangtze).-Huai He R. Plain. Droughts and floods in …

THE EFFECTS OF GENERAL CIRCULATION ANOMALIES ON PRECIPITATION IN THE RAINING SEASON OF SHANDONG

Using the monthly mean reanalysis data of height, wind and vertical velocity of NCEP/NCAR from 1958 to 2003, the characteristics of 500hPa height anomalies in the Northern Hemisphere, convergence and divergence on the levels of 200hPa and 925hPa and vertical stream over the Shandong province were studied and compared with that over North China. The study shows that the teleconnection pattern called East Asia-Pacific pattern (EAP) plays important roles in the summer rainfall of Shandong. Weaker Okhotsk sea high, stronger upward stream over tropical areas and Shandong and northward location of subtropical high and stronger Indian low, are likely to lead to more rain in Shandong province in summer, but there are some flood (drought) years in which these characteristics such as the location and intensity of subtropical high change with the least extent. The difference between Shandong and North China in 500hPa height is that there is a teleconnection pattern called Europe / Asia pattern in North China, while there is a negative East Asia Pattern in Shandong during drought years. There is a teleconnection relation between Shandong summer rainfall and convective activities happening in tropical areas in spring and summer accomplished by the Rossby waves. During the flood years in Shandong, the convective activities happening in tropical India Ocean and tropical west Pacific and Walker circulation are much stronger than that during the drought years, but the convective activities happening in tropical east Pacific are weaker than those during the drought years.