The East Asian subtropical summer monsoon: Recent progress

The East Asian subtropical summer monsoon (EASSM) is one component of the East Asian summer monsoon system, and its evolution determines the weather and climate over East China. In the present paper, we firstly demonstrate the formation and advancement of the EASSM rainbelt and its associated circulation and precipitation patterns through reviewing recent studies and our own analysis based on JRA-55 (Japanese 55-yr Reanalysis) data and CMAP (CPC Merged Analysis of Precipitation), GPCP (Global Precipitation Climatology Project), and TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) precipitation data. The results show that the rainy season of the EASSM starts over the region to the south of the Yangtze River in early April, with the establishment of strong southerly wind in situ. The EASSM rainfall, which is composed of dominant convective and minor stratiform precipitation, is always accompanied by a frontal system and separated from the tropical summer monsoon system. It moves northward following the onset of the South China Sea summer monsoon. Moreover, the role of the land–sea thermal contrast in the formation and maintenance of the EASSM is illustrated, including in particular the effect of the seasonal transition of the zonal land–sea thermal contrast and the influences from the Tibetan Plateau and midlatitudes. In addition, we reveal a possible reason for the subtropical climate difference between East Asia and East America. Finally, the multi-scale variability of the EASSM and its influential factors are summarized to uncover possible reasons for the intraseasonal, interannual, and interdecadal variability of the EASSM and their importance in climate prediction.     

夏季副热带行星波动振幅变化与我国极端降水的关系

围绕夏季副热带行星波动的振幅异常,分析其与我国极端降水的关系,并探讨可能的影响机制。结果表明,北半球夏季行星波振幅强、弱年的差异主要表现在北太平洋副高和北大西洋副高的增强,并伴随着欧亚大陆的低压加深,即表现为海陆热力差异的增加和东亚夏季风环流的加强。在振幅强年,极端降水强度在我国北部明显加强,极端降水雨带异常偏北,而我国长江中下游流域极端降水则减弱,弱年则相反。伴随着增强的季风环流,在振幅强年水汽输送到达我国北部明显增强。同时,在大气低层我国绝大部分地区对流不稳定加剧;而在对流层中高层,我国北方地区斜压不稳定加剧,这都有利于振幅强年我国偏北部地区的极端降水偏强      

ECHAM4/OPYC3海气耦合模式对东亚季风年循环及其未来变化的模拟

德国马普研究所海气耦合摸式ECHAM4/OPYC3对东亚地区2 m温度年循环的模拟尽管有一些偏差,但还是相当成功的.其模拟的东亚夏季风偏弱,而冬季风偏强,此偏差可能与2 m温度以及西太平洋副热带高压模拟偏差有关.该模式模拟的东亚季风区夏季降水量偏弱,这与上述夏季风环流的模拟结果是一致的.该模式较好地抓住了华北地区经向环流和降水量的年循环特征.利用最新的温室气体和SO2排放方案,即政府间气候变化委员会(IPCC)排放方案特别报告(SRES)的A2和B2方案,通过该模式111年的积分结果讨论了东亚季风气候在21世纪后30年中的变化,其主要结果为:全球变暖导致夏季海陆温差增大和冬季海陆温差减弱,进而使东亚季风环流在夏季加强,冬季减弱.长江流域和华北地区的夏季降水量显著增强,而后者的增强更为显著,使得东亚季风区的夏季多雨区向北延伸;东亚季风区9月份的降水量在两个方案中都显著增加,说明在全球变暖条件下东亚季风区的多雨季节将延迟一个月.     

亚洲夏季风的年际和年代际变化及其未来预测

本文是对我们近五年在亚洲夏季风年代际与年际变率及其未来预测方面研究的一个综述.主要包括下列三个问题:(1)根据123年中国夏季降水资料和印度学者的分析,检测出亚洲夏季风具有明显的年代际尺度减弱,这种年代际变化使中国东部(包括东亚)和南亚夏季降水的格局在过去60年中发生了明显变化.在东亚,从1970年代后期开始,主要异常雨带有不断南移的趋势,结果造成了南涝北旱的降水分布,这主要受到60～80年年代际振荡的影响.青藏高原前冬和春季积雪的年代际减少与热带中东太平洋海表温度的年代际增加是东亚降水型改变的主要原因,这是通过减弱亚洲地区夏季海陆温差与夏季风强度而实现的.未来亚洲夏季风的预测表明,东亚夏季风和南亚夏季风对气候变暖有十分不同的响应.东亚夏季风在本世纪将增强,雨带北推,尤其在2040年代之后;而南亚夏季风环流将继续减弱.这种不同的变化是由于两者对高低层海陆热力差异的不同响应造成.(2)年际尺度的变率在亚洲夏季风区主要表现为2年与4～7年的振荡.本文着重分析了2年振荡(TBO)形成的过程、机理及其对东亚降水的影响.对TBO-海洋机理进行了具体的改进,说明了东亚夏季风降水深受TBO影响的原因,尤其是阐明了长江型(YRV) TBO和淮河型(HRV) TBO的特征及其形成的循环过程.(3)在总结亚洲夏季风时期遥相关型的基础上,本文提出了季节内和年际尺度的低空遥相关型:即西北太平洋季风的遥相关型与印度“南支”和“北支”遥相关型.它们基本上反映了沿低空夏季风强风速带Rossby波群速度传播的结果.据此可以根据西北太平洋和印度夏季风的变化分别预测中国梅雨和华北雨季来临和降水异常.最后研究还表明,在本世纪亚洲夏季风可能更显著地受到人类活动造成的全球变暖的影响,未来的亚洲夏季风活动是人类排放的CO2引起的全球变暖与自然变化(海洋和陆面过程(积雪))共同作用的结果.     

东亚季风研究的进展

中国气象科学研究院曾长期组织和从事东亚季风及其对中国天气和旱涝影响的研究。该文对中国气象科学研究院在东亚季风研究方面取得成果进行综述, 并回顾了20世纪50年代以来国内有关季风的研究活动, 也回顾了影响我国天气气候、东亚季风环流系统的提出及其后续的有关东亚和印度季风系统的相互作用, 引发中国大陆暴雨生成的水汽输送, 表达中国大陆季风活动的季风指数设计等研究结果。综述了南海夏季风爆发、梅雨开始、中国雨季开始及传播等有关研究成果; 东亚季风系统中副热带地区低频振荡纬向和经向传播特征及与赤道地区不同之处, 东亚低频振荡对El Ni?o形成及夏季东亚热带和副热带季风爆发的可能影响, 东亚热带和副热带季风低频振荡对中国天气气候的影响等有关成果; 亚洲地区大气热源的计算及其分布, 青藏高原夏季热源对东亚夏季风及降水的可能影响, 青藏高原冬季冷源对El Ni?o生成的可能影响等有关成果; 东亚季风及降水的年际变化特征, 准4年年际振荡的分析及与ENSO形成间的相互作用, 极地对东亚夏季降水的影响及东亚季风年代际变化特征等成果。综述东亚季风系统形成的可能机制, 特别是亚洲大陆—西太平洋海陆热力差异及非洲、印度半岛、中南半岛及澳大利亚陆地与周围海洋对冬夏季风形成、印度和东亚季风系统形成、南海夏季风形成作用的结果。     

The change of North China climate in transient simulations using the IPCC SRES A2 and B2 scenarios with a coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model

This paper applies the newest emission scenarios of the sulfur and greenhouse gases, namely IPCC SRES A2 and B2 scenarios, to investigate the change of the North China climate with an atmosphere-ocean coupled general circulation model. In the last three decades of the 21st century, the global warming enlarges the land-sea thermal contrast, and hence, causes the East Asian summer (winter) monsoon circulation to be strengthened (weakened). The rainfall seasonality strengthens and the summer precipitation increases significantly in North China. It is suggested that the East Asian rainy area would expand northward to North China in the last three decades of the 21st century. In addition, the North China precipitation would increase significantly in September. In July, August, and September, the interannual variability of the precipitation enlarges evidentlv over North China. implying a risk of flooding in the future.     

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WINTERTIME THERMAL CONTRAST OVER THE ASIAN CONTINENT AND THE CLIMATE IN CHINA

Recent studies indicated that except for the land-sea thermal contrast,there also existed the land-land thermal contrast.The composite analysis and t-test method are used to further study the local thermal contrast variation over the Asian continent,and to discuss the association of seasonal variation of land thermal state with circulation over East Asia,the early summer and summer monsoon activity,and the precipitation anomaly in China in the decadal scale.Results show that the positive meridional temperature anomaly transports downward from upper tropospheric layers in middle-high latitudes north of 25°N in the positive years.In the zonal direction,the Tibetan Plateau heating in the successive spring acts as a force to influence the atmosphere,leading to the rapid temperature warming over eastern Chinese continent,which could increase the land-sea thermal contrast with the negative SSTA.Accordingly,the monsoon activity in early summer over East Asian establishes earlier and the summer monsoon intensity becomes stronger.The early summer precipitation is more-than-normal over the Yangtze River,and the summer precipitation is more-than-normal over the north China and the southwest China.The situation is contrary in the negative years.     

Meridional Propagation of the 30- to 60-day Variability of Precipitation in the East Asian Subtropical Summer Monsoon Region: Monitoring and Prediction

The meridional propagation of the 30- to 60-day intraseasonal variability (ISV) of precipitation in the East Asian subtropical summer monsoon (EASSM) region and its monitoring and prediction are investigated in the current study. Based on a multivariate empirical orthogonal function (MV-EOF) analysis of precipitation and relative vorticity at 700?hPa in East Asia, a bivariate index referred to as the EASSM-ISV index is designed using the two leading MV-EOF modes, with the objective of real-time monitoring of the 30- to 60-day variability of precipitation in the EASSM region. It is found that this index, with its eight phases, can explain the meridional propagation of the 30- to 60-day ISV in precipitation and circulation in the EASSM region. Based on a singular value decomposition technique, a statistical forecast model is developed in which the EASSM-ISV indices from the preceding five pentads are used to predict the indices in five pentads in the future. Meanwhile, the indices are used to predict the meridional propagation of the 30- to 60-day precipitation anomaly in the EASSM region. This model thus provides a useful tool for intraseasonal prediction of precipitation during the rainy season in China.     

关于东亚副热带季风和热带季风的再认识

利用NCEP/NCAR再分析数据集和CMAP(Climate Prediction Center Merged Analysis of Precipitation)降水资料, 分析了东亚副热带夏季风与热带夏季风的区别和联系, 以及两者相互作用问题, 深入讨论了东亚副热带季风的本质。分析发现东亚副热带夏季风建立早于热带夏季风, 于3月中旬已经开始建立。两者是相互独立的两个过程, 前者并非是后者向北推进的结果;相反, 前者建立后的突然南压有利于后者的爆发。副热带夏季风为渐进式建立, 但撤退迅速;热带夏季风爆发突然, 但撤退缓慢。副热带夏季风的建立以偏南风的建立为特征, 而热带夏季风的建立以偏东风向偏西风转变为特征。热带夏季风的建立时间取决于经向海陆热力差异转向, 而东亚副热带夏季风则更依赖于纬向海陆热力差异的逆转。亚洲大陆（含青藏高原）与西太平洋之间的纬向海陆热力差异的季节逆转无论对东亚副热带夏季风还是热带夏季风均有重要作用。     

青藏高原热力作用对南海及周边区域夏季气候的影响研究进展

针对青藏高原热力强迫作用对东亚夏季风强度、南海夏季风爆发早晚、南海周边区域旱涝的影响,以及在全球变暖背景下其对降水格局的影响等科学研究进行了总结回顾,并就青藏高原热力作用对南海周边区域夏季气候的影响科学问题进行了探讨。研究表明,高原冬春积雪异常通过影响雪盖反照率、改变辐射平衡和通过积雪-水文效应改变土壤湿度两个途径来影响东亚夏季风;通过改变大陆-海洋经向热力对比影响南海季风爆发早晚;通过改变西太平洋副高位置和季风环流变化来影响华南和长江流域夏季降水的分布。在全球变暖背景下,青藏高原感热加热的减弱可能对降水年代际“南涝北旱”格局的形成具有重要贡献。随着全球变暖减缓,青藏高原中部和东部的感热呈现出复苏态势,“南涝北旱”的降水格局分布在将来有可能被打破。      

关于西太平洋副热带高压的垂直环流结构和年际变动特征及其机制研究

采用１９９８年南海季风试验期间的高质量高分辨资料和ＮＣＥＰ提供的４０年再分析资料以及相关的海温和副高参数资料，研究了西太平洋副热带高压的垂直环流结构和年际变动特征及其与东亚副热带夏季风和外强迫的关系。发现在月平均图上，西太平洋副高中心（或脊线）附近看不到下沉气流，但在候平均图和日平均图上脊线附近的若干区域下沉气流明显。这表明西太平洋副高的准定常和瞬变部分的环流结构特征有显著不同。在副高北侧东亚副热带季风雨带上有暴雨发生时，其凝结海热激发的经圈环流对相应经度上的副高脊线附近的下沉气流有显著贡献。分析表明，脊线附近高（低）空的下沉气流分别来自副高北（南）侧，表明副高是中高纬和低纬度系统相互联结的纽带。相关统计指出，夏季西太平洋副高的三个参数（面积、强度和脊线纬度）与长江中下游降水存在很高的相关，降水偏多（少），副高面积偏大（小），强度偏强（弱），脊线偏南（北），这说明与降水相应的凝结潜热对副高的年际异常有重要影响。近海海温和东亚海陆热力差指数与夏季长江中下游降水和副高三参数均存在显著的相关，这表明东亚经向和纬向海陆热力差是影响副热带夏季降水和西太平洋副高年际变化的基本因子。数值试验结果指出，近海海温异常所形成的     

论东亚夏季风的特征、驱动力与年代际变化

本文是以新的资料和研究结果对东亚夏季风的基本特征、驱动力和年代际变化所作的重新分析与评估。内容包括四个部分:（1）东亚夏季风的基本特征;（2）东亚夏季风的驱动力;（3）东亚夏季风的年代际变率与原因;（4）东亚夏季风与全球季风的关系。结果表明:东亚夏季风是亚洲夏季风的一个重要有机部分,主要由来源于热带的季风气流组成,并随季节由南向北呈阶段性推进,它是形成夏季东亚天气与气候的主要环流和降水系统。驱动夏季风的主要强迫有三部分:外部强迫、耦合强迫与内部变率,其中人类活动引起的外强迫（气候变暖、城市化、气溶胶增加等）是新出现的外强迫,它正不断改变着东亚夏季风的特征与演变趋势。海洋与陆面耦合强迫作为自然因子是引起东亚夏季风年际和年代际变化的主要原因,其中太平洋年代尺度振荡（PDO）与北大西洋多年代尺度振荡（AMO）的协同作用是造成东亚夏季风30~40年周期振荡的主要原因。1960年代以后,东亚夏季风经历了强—弱—强的年代际变化,相应的中国东部夏季降水型出现了“北多南少”向“南涝北旱”以及“北方渐增”的转变。最近的研究表明,上述东亚夏季风年代际变化与整个亚非夏季风系统的变化趋势是一致的。在本世纪主要受气候变暖的影响,夏季风雨带将持续北移,中国北方和西部地区出现持续性多雨的格局。最后本文指出,亚非夏季风系统相比于其他区域季风系统更适合全球季风的概念。     

华北近60年夏季降水年际异常与大气动力、水汽条件关系的研究

本文基于华北夏季降水数据、NCEP/NCAR再分析环流数据,采用了相关、合成和环流异常回归重构等方法,分析了东亚副热带夏季风指数、华北大气动力上升指数与华北夏季降水的关系。主要结果如下：1）东亚副热带夏季风指数、华北大气动力上升指数与华北夏季降水有很好的对应关系。当两个指数偏强时,华北夏季降水会异常偏多;两个指数偏弱,华北夏季降水异常偏少;如果两个指数强弱不一致时,华北会出现区域性降水偏多情况,但全区整体降水量基本为正常值。2）华北夏季降水异常是东亚副热带夏季风和华北大气动力上升运动协同作用的结果。在东亚副热带夏季风指数、华北大气动力上升指数偏强年,夏季500hPa层贝加尔湖槽会加深、西北太平洋副热带高压会偏北,华北处于“东高西低”的环流型控制下,西部低槽东移受阻,在华北维持较长时间的大气上升运动;850hPa层印度夏季风、东亚副热带夏季风会偏强,这时热带印度洋西风水汽输送以及东亚副热带地区偏南风水汽输送或东南风水汽输送会加强,华北水汽来源充足。这种高、低空环流配置非常有利于造成华北夏季降水异常偏多。反之,华北夏季降水会异常偏少。3）前期4—5月,东亚副热带夏季风指数、华北大气动力上升...     

硫酸盐气溶胶直接辐射效应对东亚副热带季风进程的影响

本文利用全球气候—大气化学模式CAM5 并结合NCEP/NCAR（National Centers for EnvironmentalPrediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research）1950～2009 年再分析资料,讨论硫酸盐气溶胶直接辐射效应对东亚副热带季风爆发、发展和结束进程的影响。模拟结果表明:硫酸盐气溶胶通过直接辐射效应引起东亚大陆大部分地区近地面降温,进而降低了中纬度东亚大陆与西太平洋之间的纬向热力对比,延迟春初、提早夏末海陆纬向热力差异逆转时间,由此引发东亚副热带季风爆发时间延后了4 候左右,结束时间提前了3 候左右;减小的海陆热力差异导致东亚大陆偏南风减弱、东亚季风减弱以及季风降水的区域调整。我们通过NCEP/NCAR 再分析资料分析亦发现,1980 年以后中纬度东亚大陆与西太平洋之间的纬向热力差异逆转时间比1980 年以前在春初延迟、夏末提前,导致了副热带季风爆发时间比1980 年之前延后,结束时间提前,东亚大陆偏南风减弱,副热带夏季风系统性减弱,硫酸盐直接辐射效应可能是造成这一结果的原因之一。以往的观测和模拟都表明,由于人为活动的增加,导致1980 年后东亚大陆硫酸盐气溶胶负荷较之前大幅增加,而东亚夏季风减弱,本文的研究进一步确认了两者间关系。     

An East Asian Subtropical Summer Monsoon Index and Its Relationship to Summer Rainfall in China

Using the monthly mean NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data and the monthly rainfall observations at 160 rain gauge stations of China during 1961 1999, and based on major characteristics of the atmospheric circulation over East Asia and the western Pacific, a simple index for the East Asian subtropical summer monsoon （EASSM） is defined. The relationship between this index and summer rainfall in China and associated circulation features are examined. A comparison is made between this index and other monsoon indices. The results indicate that the index defined herein is reflective of variations of both the thermal low pressure centered in Siberia and the subtropical ridge over the western Pacific. It epitomizes the intensity of the EASSM and the variability of summer rainfall along the Yangtze River. Analysis shows that the Siberian low has a greater effect on the rainfall than the subtropical ridge, suggesting that the summer rainfall variability over the eastern parts of China is to a large extent affected by anomalies of the atmospheric circulation and cold air development in the midlatitudes. Taking into account of the effects of both the Siberian low and the subtropical ridge can better capture the summer rainfall anomalies of China. The index exhibits interannual and decadal variabilities, with high-index values occurring mainly in the 1960s and 1970s and low-index values in the 1980s and 1990s. When the EASSM index is low, the Siberian low and the subtropical ridge are weaker, and northerly wind anomalies appear at low levels over the midlatitudes and subtropics of East Asia, whereas southwesterly wind anomalies dominate in the upper troposphere over the tropics and subtropics of Asia and the western Pacific. The northerly wind anomalies bring about frequent cold air disturbances from the midlatitudes of East Asia, strengthening the convergence and ascending motions along the Meiyu front, and result in an increase of summer rainfall over the Yangtze River.     

云南夏季旱涝与前期冬季环流变化的关系

夏季气候异常的前期信号特征分析一直是短期气候预测工作的重点。利用1948—2004年NCEP/NCAR月平均再分析资料、1961—2004年云南124个站的月平均降水和1948—2003年英国Hadley中心的月平均海温资料, 分析了云南夏季旱涝的时空特征, 探讨了云南夏季旱涝与前期大气环流和大气热力状态变化的关系, 发现云南夏季旱涝前冬12月—1月, 特别是1月东亚中高纬度地区的大气环流变化和赤道附近高低层大气的热力状态对云南夏季旱涝有重要的指示意义, 当前冬东亚大槽强 (弱), 冬季风强 (弱), 赤道附近高低层大气温度偏低 (高) 时, 后期云南夏季降水偏多 (少)。同时, 初步探讨了东亚冬夏季风环流变化的相互联系及热带海温变化的可能影响, 指出冬季到夏季印度洋和赤道西太平洋地区持续的海温异常有可能通过改变夏季海陆的热力对比, 进而影响夏季风活动和云南夏季降水的变化。     

中国东部夏季气候20世纪80年代后期的年代际转型及其可能成因

指出了中国东部夏季气候在20世纪80年代末出现了一次明显的年代际气候转型.伴随着这次年代际转型,80年代末以后中国东部南方地区降水明显增多,500 hPa西太平洋副热带高压西伸且南北范围变大,西北太平洋上空850 hPa反气旋增强.中国东部夏季80年代后期出现南方多雨的年代际转型与欧亚大陆春季积雪、西北太平洋夏季海面温度的年代际变化存在密切联系,它们也都在80年代末出现年代际转型.从80年代末以后,伴随着欧亚大陆春季积雪明显减少和西北太平洋夏季海面温度明显增高,中国夏季南方降水明显增加.文中分析了欧亚大陆春季积雪和西北太平洋夏季海面温度影响中国降水的物理过程,指出欧亚大陆春季积雪能够在500 hPa激发出大气中的遥相关波列,所激发出的波列可以从春季一直持续到夏季,造成中国北方为高压控制,南方为微弱低压控制,使得降水出现在中国南方.西北太平洋夏季海面温度的升高能够减小海陆热力差异,使得夏季风减弱,导致中国南方地区降水增多.     

ASIAN-PACIFIC OSCILLATION IN AUTUMN AND ITS RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE SUBTROPICAL MONSOON IN EAST ASIA

Based on the 1961-2010 NCEP/NCAR reanalysis, this work uses empirical orthogonal function(EOF) and composite analysis to study the distributions of zonal land-sea thermal contrast between Asia and the Pacific during transitions from the summer monsoon to the winter monsoon in East Asian subtropics, and investigates the interannual variations of the thermal contrast and their relationships with circulation systems over the East Asian subtropics. The findings are as follows. 1) In autumn, the interannual variations of the temperature deviation in the middle and upper troposphere show significant east-west out-of-phase teleconnection over Asia and the central and eastern Pacific, i.e. the Asian-Pacific Oscillation, or APO. 2) While not as significant as in summer with regard to coverage and intensity, the APO shows interannual variations in autumn that well depicts the change in the intensity of the subtropical monsoon. In the high(low) APO year, the current subtropical summer monsoon is strong(weak) and the winter monsoon is weak(strong) in East Asia as derived from the general circulation and wind field of the East Asian-Pacific region.     

Impacts of Coastal SST Variability on the East Asian Summer Monsoon

The impacts of the seasonal and interannual SST variability in the East Asia coastal regions （EACRSST） on the East Asian summer monsoon （EASM） have been examined using a regional climate model （PδRCM9） in this paper. The simulation results show that the correlation between the EACRSST and the EASM is strengthened after the mid-1970s and also the variability of the EACRSST forcing becomes much more important to the EASM interannual variability after the mid-1970s. The impacts of the EACRSST on the summer precipitation over each sub-region in the EASM region become weak gradually from south to north, and the temporal evolution features of the summer precipitation differences over North and Northeast China agree well with those of the index of EASM （IEASM） differences.
The mechanism analyses show that different EACRSST forcings result in the differences of sensible and latent heat flux exchanges at the air-sea interface, which alter the heating rate of the atmosphere. The heating rate differences induce low level air temperature differences over East Asia, resulting in the differences of the land-sea thermal contrast （LSTC） which lead to 850 hPa geopotential height changes. When the 850 hPa geopotential height increases over the East Asian continent and decreases over the coast of East China and the adjacent oceans during the weakening period of weakens consequently. On the contrary, the EASM enhances during the strengthening period of the LSTC.     

Possible Impacts of the Arctic Oscillation on the Interdecadal Variation of Summer Monsoon Rainfall in East Asia

The influences of the wintertime AO (Arctic Oscillation) on the interdecadal variation of summer monsoon rainfall in East Asia were examined. An interdecadal abrupt change was found by the end of the 1970s in the variation of the AO index and the leading principal component time series of the summer rainfall in East Asia, The rainfall anomaly changed from below normal to above normal in central China, the southern part of northeastern China and the Korean peninsula around 1978. However,the opposite interdecadal variation was found in the rainfall anomaly in North China and South China.The interdecadal variation of summer rainfall is associated with the weakening of the East Asia summer monsoon circulation. It is indicated that the interdecadal variation of the AO exerts an influence on the weakening of the monsoon circulation. The recent trend in the AO toward its high-index polarity during the past two decades plays important roles in the land-sea contrast anomalies and wintertime precipitation anomaly. The mid- and high-latitude regions of the Asian continent are warming, while the low-latitude regions are cooling in winter and spring along with the AO entering its high-index polarity after the late 1970s. In the meantime, the precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau and South China is excessive, implying an increase of soil moisture. The cooling tendency of the land in the southern part of Asia will persist until summer because of the memory of soil moisture. So the warming of the Asian continent is relatively slow in summer. Moreover, the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean which are located southward and eastward of the Asian land, are warming from winter to summer. This suggests that the contrast between the land and sea is decreased in summer. The interdecadal decrease of the land-sea heat contrast finally leads to the weakening of the East Asia summer monsoon circulation.