Water vapor sources associated with the early summer precipitation over China

This study investigates the water vapor sources for the early summer precipitation over China in association with the Asian summer monsoon, based on the sensitivity experiments performed by a regional climate model for the year 1998. It is found that the northern South China Sea (NSCS) is an important region for the early summer precipitation over China, particularly the south China region. The evaporative water vapor flux or sea surface temperature over the NSCS could significantly affect the southwesterly water vapor transport towards the NSCS. This in turn may significantly change the water vapor transport from the NSCS to China and so changes the precipitation there. The results of the experiments also show that the precipitation over China does not particularly depend on the water vapor transports from some distant sources by the large-scale flows. Most of the required water vapor could be obtained from the ocean within the monsoon region. The results suggest that the water vapor transport over China is basically a combination of the southeasterly water vapor transport associated with the north Western Pacific subtropical high and the southwesterly water vapor transport associated with the Indian summer monsoon. Without the latter, the early summer precipitation over China could be reduced by up to half of the original amount.     

A possible abrupt change in summer precipitation over eastern China around 2009

Historical studies have shown that summer rainfall in eastern China undergoes decadal variations, with three apparent changes in the late 1970s, 1992, and the late 1990s. The present observational study indicates that summer precipitation over eastern China likely underwent a change in the late 2000s, during which the main spatial pattern changed from negative–positive–negative to positive–negative in the meridional direction. This change in summer precipitation over eastern China may have been associated with circulation anomalies in the middle/upper troposphere. A strong trough over Lake Baikal created a southward flow of cold air during 2009–15, compared with 1999–2008, while the westward recession of the western Pacific subtropical high strengthened the moisture transport to the north, creating conditions that were conducive for more rainfall in the north during this period. The phase shift of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation in the late 2000s led to the Pacific–Japan-type teleconnection wave train shifting from negative to positive phases, resulting in varied summer precipitation over eastern China.     

Observed,reconstructed, and simulated decadal variability of summer precipitation over eastern China

Based on observations made during recent decades, reconstructed precipitation for the period A.D. 1736–2000, dry–wet index data for A.D. 500–2000, and a 1000-yr control simulation using the Community Earth System Model with fixed pre-industrial external forcing, the decadal variability of summer precipitation over eastern China is studied. Power spectrum analysis shows that the dominant cycles for the decadal variation of summer precipitation are: 22–24 and quasi-70 yr over the North China Plain; 32–36, 44–48, and quasi-70 yr in the Jiang–Huai area; and 32–36 and 44–48 yr in the Jiang–Nan area. Bandpass decomposition from observation, reconstruction, and simulation reveals that the variability of summer precipitation over the North China Plain, Jiang–Huai area, and Jiang–Nan area, at scales of 20–35, 35–50, and 50–80 yr, is not consistent across the entire millennium. We also find that the warm (cold) phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation generally corresponds to dry (wet) conditions over the North China Plain, but wet (dry) conditions in the Jiang–Nan area, from A.D. 1800, when the PDO became strengthened. However, such a correspondence does not exist throughout the entire last millennium. Data–model comparison suggests that these decadal oscillations and their temporal evolution over eastern China, including the decadal shifts in the spatial pattern of the precipitation anomaly observed in the late 1970s, early 1990s, and early 2000s, might result from internal variability of the climate system.     

Projection and possible causes of summer precipitation in eastern China using self-organizing map

Self-organizing map (SOM) is used to simulate summer daily precipitation over the Yangtze–Huaihe river basin in Eastern China, including future projections. SOM shows good behaviors in terms of probability distribution of daily rainfall and spatial distribution of rainfall indices, as well as consistency of multi-model simulations. Under RCP4.5 Scenario, daily rainfall at most sites (63%) is projected to shift towards larger values. For the early 21st century (2016–2035), precipitation in the central basin increases, yet decreases occur over the middle reaches of the Yangtze River as well as a part of its southeast area. For the late 21st century (2081–2100), the mean precipitation and extreme indices experience an overall increase except for a few southeast stations. The total precipitation in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and in its south area is projected to increase from 7% at 1.5 °C global warming to 11% at 2 °C, while the intensity enhancement is more significant in southern and western sites of the domain. A clustering allows to regroup all SOM nodes into four distinct regimes. Such regional synoptic regimes show remarkable stability for future climate. The overall intensification of precipitation in future climate is linked to the occurrence-frequency rise of a wet regime which brings longitudinally closer the South Asia High (eastward extended) and the Western Pacific Subtropical High (westward extended), as well as the reduction of a dry pattern which makes the two atmospheric centers of action move away from each other.     

Changes in urban-related precipitation in the summer over three city clusters in China

The impacts of urban surface expansion on the summer precipitations over three city clusters [Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH), the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), and the Pearl River Delta (PRD)] in eastern China under different monsoonal circulation backgrounds were explored using the nested fifth-generation Penn State/NCAR Mesoscale Model version 3.7 (MM5 V3.7), including the urban-related thermal and dynamical parameters. Ten-year integrations were performed using satellite image data from 2000 and 2010 to represent the urban surface distributions and expansions in China. Changes in the precipitation revealed obvious subregional characteristics, which could be explained by the influences of the vertical wind velocity and moisture flux. With urban-related warming, vertical wind motion generally intensified over urban surface-expanded areas. Meanwhile, the increase in impervious surface areas induced rapid rainwater runoff into drains, and the Bowen ratio increased over urban areas, which further contributed to changes in the local moisture fluxes in these regions. The intensities of the changes in precipitation were inconsistent over the three city clusters, although the changes in vertical motion and local evaporation were similar, which indicates that the changes in precipitation cannot be solely explained by the changes in the local evaporation-related moisture flux. The changes in precipitation were also influenced by the changes in the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) circulation and the corresponding moisture flux, which are expressed in marked subregional characteristics. Therefore, the influence of urban-related precipitation over the three city clusters in China, for which changes in moisture flux from both the impacted local evaporation and EASM circulation should be considered, varied based on the precipitation changes of only a single city.     

Contribution of intraseasonal oscillation to long-duration summer precipitation events over southern China

本文重点分析了中国南方地区长持续性(14天以上)夏季降水事件的环流异常背景和相应的前期信号。结果显示,长持续性降水事件主要由中国南方及其相邻的南海地区低层(850-h Pa)气旋性环流异常导致。该气旋性环流异常可以追溯到30天以前新几内亚以北的热带地区,随后它自热带地区逐渐向北略偏西方向移动,最终影响了中国南方地区长持续性降水事件。其北移特征在30–60天滤波后的风场中也有清楚的体现,暗示了30–60天季节内振荡自热带西太平洋地区向北的传播可能对中国南方地区长持续性夏季降水事件具有重要贡献。     

Weather conditions associated with the passage of precipitation type transition regions over eastern Newfoundland

Abstract

The passage of a winter storm is accompanied by changes in many surface and near‐surface parameters including temperature, humidity, wind, pressure, precipitation rate and type, cloud base height, visibility and accretion. These parameters were measured in association with the passage of precipitation‐type transitions over Newfoundland during the Canadian Atlantic Storms Program II field experiment. Three simple summaries of the observed weather events were developed. These summaries depend on the observed large‐scale synoptic conditions, which include warm fronts, a cold front and a trough.     

Characteristics of anomalous precipitation events over eastern China during the past five centuries

Characteristics of anomalous precipitation events during the past five centuries in North China (NC) and the middle-lower Yangtze River Valley (MLYRV) were investigated using the data network of dryness/wetness index (DWI) over eastern China. The high occurrence frequency of anomalous precipitation events mainly occurred at periods of high solar forcing, active volcanic eruption, and large anthropogenic forcing (the twentieth century). Coherence and dipole were the two dominant modes in spatial patterns of anomalous precipitation events. Coherent floods dominated the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, whereas coherent droughts occurred frequently in the seventeenth and twentieth centuries. The dipole patterns of anomalous precipitation events were the most frequent in the twentieth century. NC experienced more floods in the cold periods than warm periods. Both NC and the MLYRV experienced far fewer droughts and more floods in the warm eighteenth century when natural climate forcing dominated, and more droughts in the twentieth century when anthropogenic forcing dominated. Coherent drought was the only spatial pattern of precipitation significantly associated with explosive low-latitude volcanic eruptions. The increased coherent droughts and dipole patterns in the twentieth century support the findings of previous modeling studies that the tropospheric aerosols and human-induced land cover changes play important roles in the changes of summer rainfall over eastern China. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. This paper is a contribution to the AMIP-CMIP Diagnostic Sub-project on General Circulation Model Simulation of the East Asian Climate, coordinated by W.-C. Wang.     

未来气候情景下中国东部极端降水和气温的危险性特征

基于BCC-CSM11模式降尺度预估结果,通过构建极端天气气候事件的危险性指数,考察和分析了中国东部极端降水和气温未来气候情景下可能的变化趋势和危险性分布格局。结果表明: 1）在中等排放情景（RCP4.5）下,近期（2021—2050年）极端降水和极端高温危险性呈现增强趋势,危险性指数增幅分别约为2%和10%,而极端低温危险性则呈减弱趋势,危险性指数降幅约为4%。21世纪末期（2070—2099年）,极端降水和气温危险性均基本保持现有水平,未有明显趋势。在高等排放情景（RCP8.5）下,极端降水和极端高温危险性将持续增强,至21世纪末危险性指数增幅分别约为5%和60%;极端低温危险性持续减弱,危险性指数降幅约为5%。2）在未来气候情景下,中国东部极端高温的危险性以全域持续增强为主要特征,特别是西南地区、长江以南地区和东南沿海危险性增强最为显著。至21世纪末,在高排放情景下的危险性指数增幅为30%—60%。极端降水危险性在黄河上游、长江上游和下游以及东北地区中南部等地区呈增强趋势,危险性指数增幅为3%—5%。极端低温危险性全域呈减弱趋势,至21世纪末期高等排放情景下的危险性指数最高降幅为7%—9%。     

Evaluation of summer temperature and precipitation predictions from NCEP CFSv2 retrospective forecast over China

National Centers for Environmental Prediction recently upgraded its operational seasonal forecast system to the fully coupled climate modeling system referred to as CFSv2. CFSv2 has been used to make seasonal climate forecast retrospectively between 1982 and 2009 before it became operational. In this study, we evaluate the model’s ability to predict the summer temperature and precipitation over China using the 120 9-month reforecast runs initialized between January 1 and May 26 during each year of the reforecast period. These 120 reforecast runs are evaluated as an ensemble forecast using both deterministic and probabilistic metrics. The overall forecast skill for summer temperature is high while that for summer precipitation is much lower. The ensemble mean reforecasts have reduced spatial variability of the climatology. For temperature, the reforecast bias is lead time-dependent, i.e., reforecast JJA temperature become warmer when lead time is shorter. The lead time dependent bias suggests that the initial condition of temperature is somehow biased towards a warmer condition. CFSv2 is able to predict the summer temperature anomaly in China, although there is an obvious upward trend in both the observation and the reforecast. Forecasts of summer precipitation with dynamical models like CFSv2 at the seasonal time scale and a catchment scale still remain challenge, so it is necessary to improve the model physics and parameterizations for better prediction of Asian monsoon rainfall. The probabilistic skills of temperature and precipitation are quite limited. Only the spatially averaged quantities such as averaged summer temperature over the Northeast China of CFSv2 show higher forecast skill, of which is able to discriminate between event and non-event for three categorical forecasts. The potential forecast skill shows that the above and below normal events can be better forecasted than normal events. Although the shorter the forecast lead time is, the higher deterministic prediction skill appears, the probabilistic prediction skill does not increase with decreased lead time. The ensemble size does not play a significant role in affecting the overall probabilistic forecast skill although adding more members improves the probabilistic forecast skill slightly.     

珠江三角洲城市群对夏季降雨影响的初步研究

利用TRMM 2A25卫星降水数据和CMORPH同化数据对珠三角洲地区的降水分布特征进行了探讨,观测表明：珠三角城市群区域总体处于降水的低值中心,且对流降雨的低值中心尤为明显;同时近10 a珠三角核心城市区域降雨有减少的趋势,这种降水减少的趋势可能与珠三角城市化效应有关。本文进一步利用WRF模式模拟分析了珠三角城市群发展对夏季降雨的影响,结果表明珠三角城市化使得该区域降雨减少,其原因为城市化使得地表的蒸发减弱及其大气中的水分供应减少,同时也抬升了珠三角区域边界层高度相应增强了低层大气水汽垂直混合。     

Recent precipitation trends over the polar ice sheets

Summary Meteorological and glaciological analyses are integrated to examine the precipitation trends during the last three decades over the ice sheets covering Antarctica and Greenland. For Antarctica, the best data source is provided by glaciologically-measured trends of snow accumulation, and for limited sectors of East Antarctica consistency with precipitation amounts calculated from the atmospheric water balance equation is obtained. For Greenland, precipitation rates parameterized from atmospheric analyses yield the only comprehensive depiction. The precipitation rate over Antarctica appears to have increased by about 5% over a time period spanning the accumulation means for the 1955–65 to 1965–75 periods, while over Greenland it has decreased by about 15% since 1983 with a secondary increase over the southern part of the ice sheet starting in 1977. At the end of the 10-year overlapping period, the global sea-level impact of the precipitation changes over Antarctica dominates that for Greenland and yields a net ice-sheet precipitation contribution of roughly 0.02 mm yr^–1. These changes are likely due to marked variations in the cyclonic forcing affecting the ice sheets, but are only weakly reflected in the temperature regime, consistent with the episodic nature of cyclonic precipitation. These conclusions are not founded on high quality data bases. The importance of such changes for understanding global sea-level variations argues for a modest research effort to collect simultaneous meteorological and glaciological observations in order to describe and understand the current precipitation variations over both ice sheets. Some suggestions are offered for steps that could be taken.With 8 Figures     

全球变暖形势下中国陆表水分的变化

利用政府间气候变化委员会第四次评估报告（IPCCAR4）中的10个耦合模式CO：加倍试验和控制试验的模拟结果,分析了全球变暖背景下中国水分的变化。结果表明,随着全球变暖,东亚夏季风增强,冬季风减弱,使得冬夏季向中国区域输送的水汽都增强;中国区域降水,夏季除长江流域外基本都增加,冬季除华南外都增加。夏季降水蒸发差（P—E）除了在东北和南方增加外,从长江流域一直到西北有一带状减小带;冬季几乎所有模式的P—E表现为北方增加、南方减小。在全球变暖背景下,降水、蒸发和径流的综合结果以及积雪的作用使得土壤湿度在干旱区增加,且冬季干旱区土壤变湿的强度和范围大于夏季,然而在其他区域土壤湿度减少。上述结论是基于多模式集合平均结果,对未来气候的预估具有一定的参考价值,然而模式间存在较强差异性,仍具有较大不确定性。     

我国东部地区夏季不同等级降水日数年际变化特征分析

用全国1958--2004年逐日降水资料,分析我国东部地区夏季总降水日数以及不同等级降水日数的年代际变化特征,结果表明,1980--2004年与1958--1979年两个时段相比,我国东部各地区夏季总降水日数和不同等级降水日数具有明显不同的变化特征。东北地区总降水日数和总降水量减少,这主要与小雨日数减少有关。华北地区总雨日数和总降水量也呈减少特征,总雨日数减少是由于各等级雨日数减少引起,且小雨日数减少贡献较大,而总降水量减少却主要是由于暴雨日数的减少引起。长江流域总降水日数和总降水量增加,总雨日数增多主要与中雨以上级别雨日数的增多有关,而总降水量的增加主要与暴雨日数增加有关。华南地区总雨日数和总降水量减少,总雨日数减少主要与小雨日数减少有关,而总降水量减少是由于各等级降水日数减少引起。     

Onset of southwesterly wind over eastern China and associated atmospheric circulation and rainfall

Using the 5-day averaged data from the National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis, and precipitation from rain gauge stations in China for the period 1981–2000, we investigated seasonal variations and associated atmospheric circulation and precipitation of the southwesterly wind over eastern China. The southwesterly wind over eastern China begins earliest over southeastern China and strengthens gradually from spring to the early summer, as it extends northward. The strengthening of the spring southwesterly wind, the tropospheric upward motion, and the convergence of low-level water vapor over southeastern China results in the beginning of the local rainy season. The beginning of the Mei-yu (Plum rainfall) is connected with the northward march of the southwesterly wind. The southwesterly wind reaches the valley of the Yangtze River in the early summer and northern China in the middle summer. This signifies an onset of the large-scale southwesterly wind over eastern China. Accordingly, the rain belt over southeastern China moves to the valley of the Yangtze River in the early summer and to northern China in the middle summer. Moreover, the southerly wind extends southward to the South China Sea from the spring to summer, though it does not stretch from the South China Sea to southeastern China at those times. The strengthening of the southerly wind over southeastern China is associated with a weakening/strengthening of the eastward/westward subtropical tropospheric temperature gradient between southwestern China and the western North Pacific. The developments of a low-pressure system over southwestern China and the subtropical high-pressure system over the western North Pacific may contribute to the strengthening of the southwesterly wind. A northward advance of the high-pressure system favors the southwesterly wind stretching from southeastern China to northern China. The onset of the Indian summer monsoon also strengthens the summer southwesterly wind over eastern China.     

Characteristics of the precipitation over the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau

Variations of precipitation over the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau are analyzed by using data over station Yaan including daytime, nighttime, and daily-mean precipitation and satellite-derived information. A comparison of some features over Yaan and other stations is also carried out. Over Yaan, light-moderate precipitation contributes significantly to both the number of rainy days (96.9%) and the amount (66.9%) of total precipitation. The light-moderate precipitation occurs more frequently at nighttime than at daytime (by 44.5 days, or 33.4%, and by 520.6 mm, or 134.4%, each year), and the nighttime precipitation is mainly in the form of light-moderate precipitation. The number of rainy days and the amount of total precipitation have decreased from the 1950s to the 1970s and during the recent 20 years, associated with negative trends of light-moderate precipitation. Similar features are also found in the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite data. Local convective precipitation is the main form of the light-moderate precipitation over Yaan. The absorption of latent heat at the lower troposphere and the release of latent heat at the upper troposphere are larger at nighttime than at daytime by 1–2 times and 2–3 times, respectively. Both the peak value and the total release of latent heat over Yaan are significantly larger than those over the Tibetan Plateau, eastern China, and the western Pacific warm pool. These distinct local characteristics of the “rain city” Yaan are closely related to the interaction between the atmospheric circulation and the steep topography on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau.     

甘肃河东地区伏期降水特征及异常研究

应用甘肃河东地区 55个测站 1968～ 1995年伏期旬降水资料 ,采用EOF、REOF、遥相关 ,对河东地区伏期降水的空间异常特征、时间变化规律以及降水异常的主要成因进行了诊断分析。结果表明 :EOF展开后前三项载荷向量场反映了河东地区伏期降水的空间总体结构。REOF展开后划分了河东八个空间异常敏感区     

Seasonal evolution of the intraseasonal variability of China summer precipitation

Climate Dynamics - Seasonal cycle of China summer precipitation has significant impacts on its subseasonal predictability; yet current understanding of seasonal evolution of the intraseasonal...     

Decadal long convection-permitting regional climate simulations over eastern China: evaluation of diurnal cycle of precipitation

With a decadal long period (1998–2010) climate simulation using the Weather Research and Forecasting model at convection-permitting resolution (4 km) (WRF_CPM), the diurnal cycles of precipitation amount (PA), frequency (PF) and intensity (PI) and their related large-scale atmospheric circulations over eastern China are analyzed. The simulations are further compared against the CN05.1, CMORPH v1.0 and the ECMWF Re-Analysis Interim (ERAIN). Results show that WRF_CPM can reasonably represent the observed seasonal rainfall and the atmospheric circulations. As for the features at a sub-daily scale, WRF_CPM is superior at reproducing the diurnal amplitude of PF that is similar to PA in terms of the spatial distribution. Moreover, the diurnal peak timing of summer PF and PA over the three sub-regions, i.e., North China (NC), Yangtze-Huaihe River basin (YHR) and South China (SC), can be properly reproduced by WRF_CPM. The observed precipitation systems exhibit obvious eastward propagation from the Plateau to its downstream, which may be due to the solenoid circulations associated with the low-level anomalous wind and moisture convergence. However, they are almost overestimated by WRF_CPM and in turn causing overestimated precipitation along YHR. The early morning precipitation in WRF_CPM has a larger fraction than CMORPH, which is related to the overestimated nocturnal low-level jet. Whereas, due to the solar heating and the land-sea breezes, the late-afternoon precipitation peak is mainly located along the coasts of eastern China, which matches well with the vertical motion in WRF_CPM.