Influence of the Asian-Pacific Oscillation on Spring Precipitation over Central Eastern China

The linkage between the Asian-Pacific oscillation(APO)and the precipitation over central eastern China in spring is preliminarily addressed by use of the observed data.Results show that they correlate very well,with the positive(negative)phase of APO tending to increase(decrease)the precipitation over central eastern China.Such a relationship can be explained by the atmospheric circulation changes over Asia and the North Pacific in association with the anomalous APO.A positive phase of APO,characterized by a positive anomaly over Asia and a negative anomaly over the North Pacific in the upper-tropospheric temperature,corresponds to decreased low-level geopotential height(H)and increased high-level H over Asia,and these effects are concurrent with increased low-level H and decreased high-level H over the North Pacific.Meanwhile,an anticyclonic circulation anomaly in the upper troposphere and a cyclonic circulation anomaly in the lower troposphere are introduced in East Asia,and the low-level southerly wind is strengthened over central eastern China.These changes provide advantageous conditions for enhanced precipitation over central eastern China.The situation is reversed in the negative phase of APO,leading to reduced precipitation in this region.     

Possible impacts of Barents Sea ice on the Eurasian atmospheric circulation and the rainfall of East China in the beginning of summer

Possible influences of the Barents Sea ice anomalies on the Eurasian atmospheric circulation and the East China precipitation distribution in the late spring and early summer (May-June) are investigated by analyzing the observational data and the output of an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM).The study indicates that the sea ice condition of the Barents Sea from May to July may be interrelated with the atmospheric circulation of June. When there is more than average sea ice in the Barents Sea, the local geopotential height of the 500-hPa level will decrease, and the same height in the Lake Baikal and Okhotsk regions will increase and decrease respectively to form a wave-chain structure over North Eurasia.This kind of anomalous height pattern is beneficial to more precipitation in the south part of East China and less in the north.     

Tropical Cyclones over the Western North Pacific Strengthen the East Asia–Pacific Pattern during Summer

The contribution of tropical cyclones(TCs)to the East Asia–Pacific(EAP)teleconnection pattern during summer was investigated using the best track data of the Joint Typhoon Warning Center and NCEP-2 reanalysis datasets from 1979 to2018.The results showed that the TCs over the western North Pacific(WNP)correspond to a strengthened EAP pattern:During the summers of strong convection over the tropical WNP,TC days correspond to a stronger cyclonic circulation anomaly over the WNP in the lower troposphere,an enhanced seesaw pattern of negative and positive geopotential height anomalies over the subtropical WNP and midlatitude East Asia in the middle troposphere,and a more northward shift of the East Asian westerly jet in the upper troposphere.Further analyses indicated that two types of TCs with distinctly different tracks,i.e.,westward-moving TCs and northward-moving TCs,both favor the EAP pattern.The present results imply that TCs over the WNP,as extreme weather,can contribute significantly to summer-mean climate anomalies over the WNP and East Asia.     

On the relationship between the winter Eurasian teleconnection pattern and the following summer precipitation over China

The Eurasian teleconnection pattern(EU) is an important low-frequency pattern with well-known impacts on climate anomalies in Eurasia. The difference of low-level v-winds in several regions in the Eurasian mid–high latitudes is defined as the EU index(EUIV). In this study, the relationship between the winter EUIVand precipitation in the following summer over China is investigated. Results show that there is a significant positive(negative) correlation between the winter EUIVand the following summer precipitation over North China(the Yangtze River–Huaihe River basins). Meanwhile, an interdecadal variability exists in the interannual relationship, and the correlation has become significantly enhanced since the early 1980 s.Thus, the proposed EUIVmay have implications for the prediction of summer precipitation anomalies over China. In positive winter EUIVyears, three cyclonic circulation anomalies are observed—over the Ural Mountains, the Okhotsk Sea, and the subtropical western North Pacific. That is, the Ural blocking and Okhotsk blocking are inactive, zonal circulation prevails in the mid–high latitudes, and the western Pacific subtropical high tends to be weaker and locates to the north of its normal position in the following summer. This leads to above-normal moisture penetrating into the northern part of East China, and significant positive(negative) precipitation anomalies over North China(the Yangtze River–Huaihe River basins), and vice versa. Further examination shows that the SST anomalies over the Northwest Pacific and subtropical central North Pacific may both contribute to the formation of EUIV-related circulation anomalies over the western North Pacific.     

The Oscillation between Tropical Indian Ocean and North Pacific:Evidence and Possible Impact on Winter Climate in China

This paper provides evidence that the variation of boreal winter sea level pressure (SLP) over the North Pacific is out-of-phase with SLP fluctuation over the tropical Indian Ocean on both the interdecadal and interannual time scales.Subsequently,a SLP between tropical Indian Ocean and North Pacific (TIO-NP) oscillation index is defined to indicate the variation of such out-of-phase fluctuation.Moreover,the simultaneous surface air temperature and precipitation anomalies in China are closely related to TIO-NP oscillations.Below-normal surface air temperature anomalies in the northern and the eastern part of China,and less rainfall in southern China,correspond to positive TIO-NP oscillation phase with negative SLP anomalies in tropical Indian Ocean and positive anomalies in North Pacific.The TIO-NP oscillation affects China’s winter climate anomalies,possibly through modulating the northeast East Asia winter monsoon.     

Effects of Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies off the East Coast of Japan on Development of the Okhotsk High

The study examined effects of sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) off the east coast of Japan on the blocking high over the Okhotsk Sea in June by diagnostic analysis and numerical simulation. Firstly, based on 500-hPa geopotential height fields, the Okhotsk high index (OKHI) for June from 1951 to 2000 is calculated and analyzed. The result indicates that the OKHI has obvious inter-annual and inter-decadal variations, and there are 9 yr of high OKHI and 8 yr of low OKHI in 50 yr. Secondly, by using the OKHI, the relationship between the Okhotsk high and the 500-hPa geopotential height anomaly is investigated. The results indicate that the "+-+" pattern of geopotential height anomaly crossing Eurasia in the mid-high latitudes and the "+-" pattern of geopotential height anomaly from high to low latitudes over East Asia are in favor of the formation and maintenance of the Okhotsk high. The relationship between the OKHI and the SSTA over the North Pacific is investigated in early summer by using correlation and composite analysis. We found that when the blocking circulation over the Okhotsk Sea occurs, there is an obvious negative SSTA off the east coast of Japan in early summer. We simulated the effects of the negative SSTA of east coast of Japan on the atmospheric circulation anomaly over East Asia through the control and sensitivity experiments using NCAR CAM3 model in order to confirm our analysis results. The simulation shows that the negative SSTA off the east coast of Japan results in the significant positive 40 gpm 500-hPa geopotential height anomaly over the Okhotsk Sea and the negative anomalies off the east coast of Japan which might contribute to the formation and development of the Okhotsk high in June.     

The interannual variation in monthly temperature over Northeast China during summer

The interannual variations of summer surface air temperature over Northeast China （NEC） were investigated through a month-to-month analysis from May to August. The results suggested that the warmer temperature over NEC is related to a local positive 500-hPa geopotential height anomaly for all four months. However, the teleconnection patterns of atmospheric circulation anomalies associated with the monthly surface air temperature over NEC behave as a distinguished subseasonal variation, although the local positive height anomaly is common from month to month. In May and June, the teleconnection pattern is characterized by a wave train in the upper and middle troposphere from the Indian Peninsula to NEC. This wave train is stronger in June than in May, possibly due to the positive feedback between the wave train and the South Asian rainfall anomaly in June, when the South Asian summer monsoon has been established. In July and August, however, the teleconnection pattern associated with the NEC temperature anomalies is characterized by an East Asia/Pacific （EAP） or Pacific/Japan （PJ） pattern, with the existence of precipitation anomalies over the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea. This pattern is much clearer in July corresponding to the stronger convection over the Philippine Sea compared to that in August.     

On the Relationship between the Northern Limit of Southerly Wind and Summer Precipitation over East China

The relationship between the summer northernmost position of southerly wind and precipitation over East China is investigated. The northern limit of summer southerly wind index(INLSSW) over East China is defined as the latitude where the zonal-averaged(105–120°E)low-level meridional wind is equal to zero. Results show that there is a significant negative(positive) correlation between INLSSW and summer precipitation over the Yangtze River(North China) region. Thus, the proposed INLSSW may have implications for the prediction of summer precipitation anomalies in these regions. In positive INLSSW years, a cyclonic circulation anomaly is observed over the tropical western North Pacific and an anticyclonic circulation anomaly is seen over the subtropics of East China,accompanied by southerly anomalies over East China.This leads to above-normal moisture penetrating into the northern part of East China. In addition, significant upward(downward) motion anomalies can be found over the North China(Yangtze River) region. As a result, there are significant positive(negative) precipitation anomalies over the North China(Yangtze River) region. Further examination shows that sea surface temperature anomalies over the tropical eastern Pacific and Indian Ocean both contribute to the formation of INLSSW-related circulation anomalies over the tropical western North Pacific.     

Characteristics of the Asian–Pacific Oscillation in Boreal Summer Simulated by BCC_CSM with Different Horizontal Resolutions

The summer Asian–Pacific Oscillation(APO) is a major teleconnection pattern that reflects the zonal thermal contrast between East Asia and the North Pacific in the upper troposphere. The performance of Beijing Climate Center Climate System Models(BCC CSMs) with different horizontal resolutions, i.e., BCC CSM1.1 and BCC CSM1.1(m), in reproducing APO interannual variability, APO-related precipitation anomalies, and associated atmospheric circulation anomalies, is evaluated.The results show that BCC CSM1.1(m) can successfully capture the interannual variability of the summer APO index. It is also more capable in reproducing the APO's spatial pattern, compared to BCC CSM1.1, due to its higher horizontal resolution. Associated with a positive APO index, the northward-shifted and intensified South Asian high, strengthened extratropical westerly jet, and tropical easterly jet in the upper troposphere, as well as the southwesterly monsoonal flow over North Africa and the Indian Ocean in the lower troposphere, are realistically represented by BCC CSM1.1(m), leading to an improvement in reproducing the increased precipitation over tropical North Africa, South Asia, and East Asia, as well as the decreased precipitation over subtropical North Africa, Japan, and North America. In contrast, these features are less consistent with observations when simulated by BCC CSM1.1. Regression analysis further indicates that surface temperature anomalies over the North Pacific and the southern and western flanks of the Tibetan Plateau are reasonably reproduced by BCC CSM1.1(m), which contributes to the substantial improvement in the simulation of the characteristics of summer APO compared to that of BCC CSM1.1.     

A Novel Identification of the Polar/Eurasia Pattern and Its Weather Impact in May

The Polar/Eurasia(POL) pattern was previously identified based on the empirical orthogonal function method and monthly mean data, in which the positive and negative phases are anti-symmetric in spatial distribution. This paper identifies the positive(POL+) and negative(POL-) phases of the POL pattern through applying a novel approach, i.e.,self-organizing maps, to daily 500-h Pa geopotential height fields in May over 1948–2017. The POL+, POL1-, and POL2-patterns defined by this method represent actual physical modes. The POL+ pattern features a wave train from the northeastern Atlantic/northern Europe via the subarctic regions of Eurasia to Lake Baikal. The POL1-pattern is characterized by a planetary-scale dipole pattern with a positive anomaly band over subarctic Eurasia and a negative anomaly band from central Asia to the Sea of Okhotsk. The anomaly centers of the POL2-pattern are basically antisymmetrical to those of the POL+ pattern. The POL+ pattern increases the blocking frequency over the northeastern Atlantic/northern Europe and northeastern Asia, where high-frequency transient eddies are highly recurrent in the north. Accordingly, precipitation increases apparently in the subarctic Asian continent and western Siberia, and decreases around Europe and Lake Baikal. A mimic wave train is also observed in the surface air temperature anomaly field. During the POL1-period, the blocking frequency is abnormally high over Eurasia, whereas high-frequency transient eddies are apparently suppressed over northern Eurasia. Correspondingly, significant precipitation deficits are observed in northern Eurasia. The POL1-pattern also causes a remarkable temperature increase in the subarctic seas of Eurasia and a considerable temperature drop in the midlatitude Asian continent. As the POL2-pattern prevails, the blocking frequency decreases over the North Atlantic/Europe but strengthens over the Asian continent. The POL2-pattern also causes wavelike anomalies of precipitation and surface air temperature over northern Eurasia.     

INTERDECADAL TRANSITIONS AND TWO EXCEPTIONAL YEARS OF JUNE PRECIPITATION OVER SOUTH CHINA

An analysis of high-resolution precipitation data for 1978-2006 indicates that the precipitation over southern China in June experienced a low-value period in 1980-1989 and a high-value period in 1992-2001.It also reveals that exceptional heavy(light) precipitation occurred in June 2005(2004) since 1951.For these variations on both interdecadal and interannual timescales,fairly uniform anomalies of precipitation appeared over Vietnam,southern China,and southeastern China.Corresponding to positive(negative) precipitation anomalies,anomalous southeasterly(northwesterly) flow at 850 hPa reached Vietnam and anomalous southwesterly(northeasterly) flow expanded to the coastal regions of southern and southeastern China.Precedent to the positive(negative) precipitation anomalies during 1992-2001(1980-1989),positive(negative) anomalies of sea surface temperature appeared over the extratropical northwestern Pacific in the winter and spring seasons,associated with a strong(weak) extension of the warm Kuroshio Current that affects the coastal region of eastern China.The above-normal precipitation in June 2005 was associated with the pseudo-ENSO event in the previous winter,and the below-normal precipitation in June 2004 was associated with negative anomalies of sea surface temperature over the equatorial central Pacific and positive anomalies over the equatorial western and eastern Pacific.     

Contrasts of Atmospheric Circulation and Associated Tropical Convection between Huaihe River Valley and Yangtze River Valley Mei-yu Flooding

The significant differences of atmospheric circulation between flooding in the Huaihe and Yangtze River valleys during early mei-yu(i.e.,the East Asian rainy season in June) and the related tropical convection were investigated.During the both flooding cases,although the geopotential height anomalies always exhibit equivalent barotropic structures in middle to high latitudes at middle and upper troposphere,the phase of the Rossby wave train is different over Eurasian continent.During flooding in the Huaihe River valley,only one single blocking anticyclone is located over Baikal Lake.In contrast,during flooding in the Yangtze River valley,there are two blocking anticyclones.One is over the Ural Mountains and the other is over Northeast Asia.In the lower troposphere a positive geopotential height anomaly is located at the western ridge of subtropical anticyclone over Western Pacific(SAWP) in both flooding cases,but the location of the height anomaly is much farther north and west during the Huaihe River mei-yu flooding.Furthermore,abnormal rainfall in the Huaihe River valley and the regions north of it in China is closely linked with the latent heating anomaly over the Arabian Sea and Indian peninsula.However,the rainfall in the Yangtze River valley and the regions to its south in China is strongly related to the convection over the western tropical Pacific.Numerical experiments demonstrated that the enhanced latent heating over the Arabian Sea and Indian peninsula causes water vapor convergence in the region south of Tibetan Plateau and in the Huaihe River valley extending to Japan Sea with enhanced precipitation;and vapor divergence over the Yangtze River valley and the regions to its south with deficient precipitation.While the weakened convection in the tropical West Pacific results in moisture converging over the Yangtze River and the region to its south,along with abundant rainfall.     

EFFECTS OF SPRING SOIL MOISTURE IN THE INDOCHINA PENINSULA ON SUMMER PRECIPITATION OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND ITS SURROUNDING AREAS: A SIMULATION STUDY FOR 1999

Using the regional climate model RegCM4.4.5, coupled with the land model CLM4.5, we investigated the effects of springtime soil moisture in the Indochina Peninsula on summer precipitation over the South China Sea and its surrounding areas in 1999. Results have indicated that there exists positive correlation between soil moisture and summer precipitation over the western Pacific Ocean and negative correlation between soil moisture and summer precipitation over the eastern Indian Ocean. Summer precipitation in the South China Sea and its surrounding areas responds to springtime soil moisture in the Indochina Peninsula (the northwest region is critical) because general atmospheric circulation is sensitive to the near-surface thermodynamic state. Increased (decreased) soil moisture would result in decreased (increased) local surface temperatures. Latitudinal, small-scale land–sea thermal differences would then result in northeasterly wind (southwesterly wind) anomalies in the upper layer and southwesterly wind (northeasterly wind) anomalies in the lower layer, which strengthen (weaken) monsoon development. As a result, precipitation would enter the Western Pacific region earlier (later), and water vapor over the eastern Indian Ocean would enter the South China Sea earlier (later), causing a precipitation reduction (increase) in the eastern Indian Ocean and increase (reduction) in the Western Pacific.     

An Interdecad l Change of Summer Atmospheric Circulation over Asian Mid-High Latitudes and Associated Effects

The atmospheric circulation over the mid-high latitudes in Asia has an important influence on regional climate, yet its long-term variation has not been fully explored. The main task of this study is to reveal the interdecadal variation features of summer atmospheric circulation over Asian mid-high latitudes in recent decades. The results show that the atmospheric circulation over mid-high latitudes of Asia has stronger interdecadal fluctuations than that over low latitudes and one significant change center appears near Lake Baikal. It is found that the atmospheric circulation near Lake Baikal has a significant interdecadal change around 1996 and a deep anomalous anticyclonic circulation has been controlling this region since then, which contributes to the significant increase in the surface temperature near Lake Baikal since 1997 and makes the region a remarkable warming center in Asia in recent 40 years. During 1997-2015, the pattern of less precipitation in the north and more precipitation in the south of east China is closely related to the anomalous anticyclonic circulation near Lake Baikal. Especially, this anomalous circulation near Lake Baikal has been found to contribute to the obvious interdecadal decrease of the precipitation in northeast China and north China near 1997. The sea surface temperature (SST) of northwestern Atlantic is an important influence factor to the interdecadal change in the atmospheric circulation near Lake Baikal around 1996.     

REGIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SUMMER PRECIPITATION ANOMALIES OVER CHINA

The regional characteristics of precipitation anomalies of total summer precipitation of June,July and August and individual monthly precipitation are analyzed by using the method of VarimaxEOF and correlation analysis.The data set used is the precipitation of a 5°Lat.×5°Long.spatialuniform network over China in the period of 1959 to 1994.The analysis of total summer precipitation shows that the most significant regionalcharacteristic is the existence of negative correlation in precipitation anomalies between the lowerreaches of the Changjiang River and the Huaihe River Valley(the LRCH region)and the middlereaches of the Huanghe River Valley(the MRH region),and between the LRCH region and SouthChina.The precipitation anomaly over the Sichuan Basin is negatively correlated with that overeastern part of Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and that over the LRCH region.The regionalcharacteristics of summer precipitation anomalies in western China are that there exists negativecorrelation between the summer precipitation anomalies over the southern part of the central andeastern Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and that over its northern part.There also exists positivecorrelation between the southern part of the central and eastern Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and theeastern part of North China and the southern part of Northeast China.The above spatialcorrelation modes have significant periods of about 3 years and ten years.The analysis of themonthly precipitation shows that in June there exists positive correlation among the precipitationanomalies over the LRCH region,the eastern part of North China and Northeast China.In July,the precipitations in the MRH region and the LRCH region are negatively correlated.The regionalcharacteristic of precipitation anomalies in August is very similar to that of the total summerprecipitation anomalies.     

“短期气候预测专刊”

A premonitory sign of an anomalous SST over the eastern equatorial Pacific shows up in the North Pacific Subtropical Mode Water (STMW) 18 months earlier,and the air-sea relationship between the STMW and the anomalous SST over the eastern equatorial Pacific is shown.This premonitory connection involves an air-sea coupling between the longtime persistent mid-latitude sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) induced by the remote re-emergence of the STMW and the following spring subtropical atmospheric circulation anomalies.An examination of the air-sea interaction reveals that the following spring subtropical atmospheric circulation,which responds to the longtime persistent SSTA,is dominated by the anomalous negative (positive) geopotential height downstream of the negative (positive) SSTA in the strong (weak) STMW case.Thus,the tropics adjust to these anomalies through coupled dynamics,producing positive (negative) SST anomalies over the eastern equatorial Pacific.A cold water event that occurred over the eastern equatorial Pacific during winter 2008-09 was successfully forecasted by the weak summer STMW index in 2007.The evolution of this process for the air-sea interactions from the autumn of 2007 to December 2008 is presented.     

Predictable and Unpredictable Components of the Summer East Asia–Pacific Teleconnection Pattern

The East Asia–Pacific(EAP) teleconnection pattern is the dominant mode of circulation variability during boreal summer over the western North Pacific and East Asia, extending from the tropics to high latitudes. However, much of this pattern is absent in multi-model ensemble mean forecasts, characterized by very weak circulation anomalies in the mid and high latitudes. This study focuses on the absence of the EAP pattern in the extratropics, using state-of-the-art coupled seasonal forecast systems. The results indicate that the extratropical circulation is much less predictable, and lies in the large spread among different ensemble members, implying a large contribution from atmospheric internal variability. However,the tropical–mid-latitude teleconnections are also relatively weaker in models than observations, which also contributes to the failure of prediction of the extratropical circulation. Further results indicate that the extratropical EAP pattern varies closely with the anomalous surface temperatures in eastern Russia, which also show low predictability. This unpredictable circulation–surface temperature connection associated with the EAP pattern can also modulate the East Asian rainband.     

Relationship between the Late Spring NAO and Summer Extreme Precipitation Frequency in the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River

The relationship between the late spring North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the summer extreme precipitation frequency (EPF) in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Valley (MLYRV) is examined using an NECP/NCAR reanalysis dataset and daily precipitation data from 74 stations in the MLYRV. The results show a significant negative correlation between the May NAO index and the EPF over the MLYRV in the subsequent summer. In positive EPF index years, the East Asian westerly jet shifts farther southward, and two blocking high positive anomalies appear over the Sea of Okhotsk and the Ural Mountains. These anomalies are favorable to the cold air from the mid-high latitudes invading the Yangtze River Valley (YRV). The moisture convergence and the ascending motion dominate the MLYRV. The above patterns are reversed in negative EPF index years. A wave train pattern that originates from the North Atlantic extends eastward to the Mediterranean and then moves to the Tibetan Plateau and from there to the YRV, which is an important link in the May NAO and the summer extreme precipitation in the MLYRV. The wave train may be aroused by the tripole pattern of the SST, which can explain why the May NAO affects the summer EPF in the MLYRV.     

冬季热带太平洋海温异常模态和次年夏季我国降水异常季节内变化的关系

In present study,EOF analysis and extended singular value decomposition (ESVD) analysis are performed to explore the relationship between the winter tropical sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) in the Pacific and the following summer rainfall anomalies in China.The two leading modes of winter tropical SSTAs in the Pacific are the SSTAs pattern characterized by "positive anomalies in the East and negative anomalies in the West" like the typical eastern Pacific El Nio and negative anomalies in the West and the central Pacific warming pattern characterized by "positive anomalies in the central region but negative anomalies in the East and West".The intraseasonal variations of the rainfall anomalies during the following summer in China that are associated with the eastern Pacific warming mode are characterized by positive anomalies south of the Yangtze River and negative anomalies in the Yangtze-Huai River Valley in June,and negative anomalies in South China and positive anomalies in the Yangtze River Valley and North China in July and August.In contrast,after the central Pacific warming mode,the corresponding intraseasonal variations of China’s summer rainfall are characterized by a nearly consistent pattern during the three summer months,which is positive in the South China coast and North China and negative in the Yangtze River Valley except for the positive anomalies in the Yangtze-Huai River Valley in July.These results may provide a reference for the seasonal prediction of the summer drought and flood distributions in China.     

INTERDECADAL CHANGE OF DIABATIC FORCING OVER KEY REGION OF THE MARITIME CONTINENT AND ITS POSSIBLE RELATIONS WITH THE EAST ASIAN SUMMER MONSOON ANOMALIES

The Maritime Continent(MC) is an important region where the Tropical Pacific and the Indian Ocean interact with each other via "the atmospheric bridge" and a key region for the interaction between the Asian and Australian monsoons. Using the NCEP/NCAR and CMAP monthly mean reanalysis over the period of 1979-2012, the interdecadal variations of diabatic forcing over the key region of the Maritime Continent and its possible relations with the East Asian summer monsoon have been investigated in the present paper. Our results show that climate variations in the Maritime Continent is particularly significant in the area of 95-145°E, 10°S-10°N, which is thus defined as the key area of the MC(i.e., KMC area). Without the input of latent heat release in the atmosphere, distinct interdecadal change of diabatic heating is found to exist from 1979 to 2012; it intensified before 1980 s and peaked in the late 1980 s and weakened after this period. By analyzing each individual component that contributes to the diabatic heating in the KMC area, surface latent heat flux and net long-wave radiation in the atmosphere are found to be the two dominant components. With negative diabatic heating anomalies over KMC, there will be more precipitation on islands and less precipitation over sea, and more rainfall around the equator, which is in correspondence with the convergence center around the equator in the KMC area. Along the meridional-vertical section averaged between 115-120 ° E, the well-defined vertical circulation anomalies are observed with the ascending branches over KMC and the area around 30°N respectively, and the descending branch over the South China Sea. Water vapor transports from the Bay of Bengal and South China Sea to eastern China to benefit the positive precipitation anomalies. The meridional-vertical circulation in East Asia plays a critical role in linking the interdecadal variability of diabatic heating over the KMC and East Asian summer monsoon anomalies.