| Abstract: | Based on observational data of thunderstorm and lightening of 76 stations in Shaanxi, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction / National Centers for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis dataset from 1960 to 2010, the major modes of thunderstorm in warm seasons (May to September) of Shaanxi province and mechanism of its possible influence are studied .The results show that:①the thunderstorms show an obvious decreasing trend in the past 51 years, the average thunderstorm days reaching the peak in July, of which 70% occurred in warm season.②There are two dominant modes: EOF1 mode depicting a thunderstorm phase oscillation between the East and the West of Shaanxi province and EOF2 mode describing negative anomaly oscillation between the North and the middle of Shaanxi province and positive anomaly oscillation between Yan’an area and some areas of Southern Shaanxi province. These two modes account for 53.1% and 13.6% of total variance respectively. ③Analysis with Morlet wavelet method indicates that EOF1 mode has an inter annual changing cycle of 3 to 6 years and EOF2 has an interdecadal change cycle of about 15 years.④The meteorological field regression of EOF1 time coefficient shows the West Pacific subtropical high 584 line is located near 30°N ,the flowing of the southwest warm wet airflow to the north increases and the thunderstorms increase in the west of Shaanxi province; the time coefficient regression of EOF2 shows that the Northern Hemisphere polar vortex is weaker and the pressure over Mongolia area is stronger than usual result in the north wind component’s increasing ,which contributes to the formation EOF2. ⑤The important factors influencing Shaanxi thunderstorm spatial mode EOF1 include the location and the strength of Northwest Pacific subtropical high. In the same way, the Northern Hemisphere polar vortex possibly has a close connection with Shaanxi thunderstorm. |
