Impact of urban land-use change in eastern China on the East Asian subtropical monsoon: A numerical study

The effect of urban land-use change in eastern China on the East Asian subtropical monsoon (EASTM) is investigated by using the Community Atmosphere Model version 5.1. Comparison of the results between the urban expansion and reference experiments shows that with the urban expansion, the land surface energy balance alters: surface net radiation and sensible heat fluxes enhance while the latent heat fluxes reduce. As a result, a significant increase in surface air temperature over eastern China is detected. The urban land-use change contributes to a change in the zonal land-sea temperature difference (LSTD), leading to a delay in the time when LSTD changes from positive to negative, and vice versa. Additionally, the onset and retreat dates of the EASTM are also delayed. Meanwhile, the rise in surface air temperature leads to formation of abnormal northerly air flows, which may be the reason for the slower northward movement of the EASTM and a more southward location of its northern boundary.     

Simulated interannual variation in summertime atmospheric circulation associated with the East Asian monsoon

The reproducibility of the interannual variability of the summertime East Asian circulation is examined using an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM). An ensemble experiment is conducted using observed sea surface temperature (SST) of recent 20 years as a lower boundary condition. The spatial pattern associated with the first principal mode of observation of geopotential height at 500 hPa is characterized by a meridional wavy pattern extending over eastern Siberia, the vicinity of Japan and the subtropical western Pacific. The principal component (PC) time series of the leading mode is represented well by a high-resolution version of the AGCM with horizontal resolution T106 and with 56 vertical levels (T106L56), while with a lower resolution version, T42 and 20 vertical levels, the reproducibility is considerably degraded. The reproducibility by the AGCM suggests the importance of SST as a boundary condition. However, the simulated interannual variations show the alternating appearance of two distinct circulation regimes, a cold summer regime and a hot summer regime, exhibiting interesting bimodality in probability density distribution in PC phase space. This implies that the system’s response to the continuously varying boundary condition includes nonlinearity. The nature of this nonlinearity is suggested to be wave breaking in the westerly region of the high latitudes that requires high resolution for the reproduction. Using the T106L56 model, another ensemble experiment was carried out with doubled CO₂. The climate change appears as an increase in residence frequency of the cold summer regime of the principal patterns of the present-day climate. 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.     

Projected change in East Asian summer monsoon precipitation under RCP scenario

Future changes in East Asian summer monsoon precipitation climatology, frequency, and intensity are analyzed using historical climate simulations and future climate simulations under the RCP4.5 scenario using the World Climate Research Programme’s (WCRP) Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) multi-model dataset. The model reproducibility is evaluated, and well performance in the present-day climate simulation can be obtained by most of the studied models. However, underestimation is obvious over the East Asian region for precipitation climatology and precipitation intensity, and overestimation is observed for precipitation frequency. The overestimation of precipitation frequency is mainly due to the large positive bias of the light precipitation (precipitation <10 mm/day) days, and the underestimation of precipitation intensity is mainly caused by the negative bias of the intense precipitation (precipitation >10 mm/day) intensity. For the future climate simulations, simple multi-model ensemble (MME) averages using all of the models show increases in precipitation and its intensity over almost all of East Asia, while the precipitation frequency is projected to decrease over eastern China and around Japan and increase in other regions. When the weighted MME is considered, no large difference can be observed compared with the simple MME. For the MME using the six best models that have good performance in simulating the present-day climate, the future climate changes over East Asia are very similar to those predicted using all of the models. Further analysis shows that the frequency and intensity of intense precipitation events are also projected to significantly increase over East Asia. Increases in precipitation frequency and intensity are the main contributors to increases in precipitation, and the contribution of frequency increases (contributed by 40.8 % in the near future and by 58.9 % by the end of the twenty-first century) is much larger than that of intensity increases (contributed by 29.9 % in the near future and by 30.1 % by the end of the twenty-first century). This finding also implies an increased risk of intense precipitation events over the East Asian region under global warming scenario. These results regarding future climate simulations show much greater reliability than those using CMIP3 simulations.     

Revisiting East Asian monsoon change during the Last Glacial Maximum using PMIP4 simulations

利用PMIP4多模式试验数据,本文重新检查了末次冰盛期(距今约21 000年)东亚季风变化.结果表明:相对于工业革命前期,所有5个模式一致模拟显示末次冰盛期东亚季风减弱,冬季和夏季减幅分别为1％-18％和2-32％;不同模式中东亚季风环流变化的空间分布存在差异,这主要源于该时期大尺度变冷和海平面气压梯度变化的空间分布不同;由于模式之间的差异和重建记录之间的不确定性,未来有待开展更多模拟和重建工作以更好地理解冰期东亚季风变化.     

The East Asian summer monsoon: an overview

Summary The present paper provides an overview of major problems of the East Asian summer monsoon. The summer monsoon system over East Asia (including the South China Sea (SCS)) cannot be just thought of as the eastward and northward extension of the Indian monsoon. Numerous studies have well documented that the huge Asian summer monsoon system can be divided into two subsystems: the Indian and the East Asian monsoon system which are to a greater extent independent of each other and, at the same time, interact with each other. In this context, the major findings made in recent two decades are summarized below: (1) The earliest onset of the Asian summer monsoon occurs in most of cases in the central and southern Indochina Peninsula. The onset is preceded by development of a BOB (Bay of Bengal) cyclone, the rapid acceleration of low-level westerlies and significant increase of convective activity in both areal extent and intensity in the tropical East Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. (2) The seasonal march of the East Asian summer monsoon displays a distinct stepwise northward and northeastward advance, with two abrupt northward jumps and three stationary periods. The monsoon rain commences over the region from the Indochina Peninsula-the SCS-Philippines during the period from early May to mid-May, then it extends abruptly to the Yangtze River Basin, and western and southern Japan, and the southwestern Philippine Sea in early to mid-June and finally penetrates to North China, Korea and part of Japan, and the topical western West Pacific. (3) After the onset of the Asian summer monsoon, the moisture transport coming from Indochina Peninsula and the South China Sea plays a crucial “switch” role in moisture supply for precipitation in East Asia, thus leading to a dramatic change in climate regime in East Asia and even more remote areas through teleconnection. (4) The East Asian summer monsoon and related seasonal rain belts assumes significant variability at intraseasonal, interannual and interdecadal time scales. Their interaction, i.e., phase locking and in-phase or out-phase superimposing, can to a greater extent control the behaviors of the East Asian summer monsoon and produce unique rythem and singularities. (5) Two external forcing i.e., Pacific and Indian Ocean SSTs and the snow cover in the Eurasia and the Tibetan Plateau, are believed to be primary contributing factors to the activity of the East Asian summer monsoon. However, the internal variability of the atmospheric circulation is also very important. In particular, the blocking highs in mid-and high latitudes of Eurasian continents and the subtropical high over the western North Pacific play a more important role which is quite different from the condition for the South Asian monsoon. The later is of tropical monsoon nature while the former is of hybrid nature of tropical and subtropical monsoon with intense impact from mid-and high latitudes.     

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.     

东亚太平洋地区近地面臭氧的季节和年际变化特征及其与东亚季风的关系

利用东亚清洁背景站近地面臭氧观测资料,结合风场和降水资料,分析东亚各地区臭氧的多年季节变化特征,并探讨东亚太平洋地区臭氧的季节和年际变化与季风的关系以及影响近地层臭氧的主要因子。结果表明：东亚大部分地区与北半球背景站观测一致,近地层臭氧季节变化表现为春季最高、夏季最低的特征;但在东亚中纬度33～43°N,臭氧表现为夏季最高,而在东亚20°N以南地区臭氧则表现为冬末、春初最高。东亚太平洋沿岸近地面臭氧的季节变化主要受东亚冬、夏季风环流的季节变化控制。该地区不同纬度上春季峰值出现时间的差异与亚洲大陆春季不同时期污染物输送路径的差异有关。对东亚太平洋沿岸对流层顶附近位势涡度、高空急流和垂直环流季节变化的分析表明,冬春季可能是平流层向对流层输送的最强期,对近地面臭氧贡献最大。初夏至秋季（5-11月）,平流层向对流层输送较弱,对近地面臭氧贡献较小。东亚太平洋地区夏季风爆发的时间和强度以及季风环流型的年际差异是导致该地区春、夏季臭氧年际变化的主要原因;而季风降水和云带位置以及平流层一对流层交换是造成臭氧年际变化的其他原因。     

东亚夏季风异常活动的空间多模态特征

利用ERA40再分析资料,采用相关、合成、自然正交函数展开（EOF分析）等方法,探讨了东亚地区夏季风活动的多空间模态特征及其与大气环流异常的可能联系。结果表明：1）东亚夏季风活动存在3种差异明显的典型空间模态。第一模态反映了夏季风活动在我国东部沿海及以东洋面与其以西地区的反相变化,主要体现了夏季风活动主体位置的东西变动;第二模态反映了自我国华南,经长江中下游、山东半岛、渤海湾至我国东北及朝鲜半岛一带夏季风活动的一致性变化,体现了东亚夏季风活动的整体强弱;第三模态主要反映了夏季风活动在中国以东洋面、朝鲜半岛、东北亚一带与我国华南地区的反相变化,主要体现了夏季风活动主体位置的南北移动。2）东亚夏季风活动的多空间模态对应的大气环流异常存在显著差异。东亚夏季风第一空间模态与亚洲南部区域以及鄂霍次克海上空的SLP呈负相关,而与北极极区、贝加尔湖地区及日本以东洋面的SLP呈正相关;而与同期500hPa高度场的相关分布主要表现为自极地经鄂霍次克海至日本以东洋面的“＋-＋”的波列分布特征。第二模态与SLP和500hPa高度场的相关分布具有非常相似的空间分布形势,均表现为东北、朝鲜半岛、日本海一带与菲律宾洋面、鄂霍次克海地区的反位相分布,自低纬向高纬呈现“＋-＋”的波列分布特征。第三模态与SLP和500hPa高度场的相关分布,主要表现为菲律宾附近洋面、日本及以东洋面、贝加尔湖到亚洲北部的负正相间的分布形势。     

The effects of land-surface characteristics on the East Asian summer monsoon

 The Community Climate Model version 2 (CCM2) of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) was used to investigate the effects of the land-surface characteristics on the East Asian summer monsoon. Four numerical experiments were performed in this study. They include the control run, the biosphere–atmosphere transfer scheme (BATS) run, the heavy snow run, and the light snow run. The results show that CCM2 can reasonably simulate many characteristics of the East Asian summer monsoon, such as the 850-hPa southwesterlies, 200-hPa easterlies, high precipitation rate, two monsoon subsystems, the low-level subtropical high, and the upper level South Asian anticyclone. Nevertheless, the model still exhibits some systematic errors, including oversimulation of the temperature over the Eurasian continent, which in turn intensifies the monsoon circulations. In the BATS run, the model can significantly relieve the temperature bias over the continent in spring and early summer. However, the effect of BATS decreases in the summer due to excessive incoming solar radiation. The Eurasian continent is still occupied by an oversimulated thermal low in summer. In the heavy snow case, the high albedo of snow and larger soil moisture suppress the warming rate of the surface and atmosphere in the early summer and hence the cooler troposphere results in a weaker monsoon circulation. Moreover, anomalous cyclonic flows are found in the leeside of Tibetan Plateau (i.e. the southwest vortex in China) in the heavy snow case. This may shed a light on the precipitation anomalies (floods) over Yangtze River Valley (Central China) and eastern Asia due to intensified baroclinic disturbances. Received: 8 September 1999 / Accepted: 5 June 2000     

The effect of regional warming on the East Asian summer monsoon

Climate Dynamics - East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) precipitation has changed significantly due to regional warming. In this study, effect of regional warming on the EASM summer precipitation is...     

Response of the East Asian summer monsoon to doubled atmospheric CO2: Coupled climate model simulations and projections under IPCC AR4

Summary The East Asian (China, Korea and Japan) summer monsoon precipitation and its variability are examined from the outputs of the coupled climate models performing coordinated experiments leading to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report (IPCC AR4). Out of the 22 models examined, 14 reproduce the observed shape of the annual cycle well with peak during the boreal summer (June through August), but with varying magnitude. Three models simulate the maximum a month later and with lower magnitudes. Only one model considerably underestimates the magnitude of the annual cycle. The remaining 4 models show some deviations from the observed. Models are unable to simulate the minimum in July with peaks in June and August associated with northward shifts of the Meiyu-Changma-Baiu precipitation band. The realistic simulation of the annual cycle does not appear to depend on the model resolution. The inter-model variation is slightly larger during summer, implying larger diversity of the models in simulating summer monsoon precipitation. The spatial rainfall patterns are reasonably well simulated by most of the models, with several models able to simulate the precipitation associated with the Meiyu-Changma-Baiu frontal zone and that associated with the location of the subtropical high over the north Pacific. Simulated spatial distribution could be sensitive to model resolution as evidenced by two versions of MIROC3.2 model. The multi-model ensemble (MME) pattern reveals an underestimation of seasonal precipitation over the east coast of China, Korea-Japan peninsular and the adjoining oceanic regions. This may be related with the mass-flux based scheme employed for convective parameterization by majority of the models. Further the inter-model variation of precipitation is about 2 times stronger south of 30° N, than north of this latitude, indicating larger diversity of the coupled models in simulating low latitude precipitation. The simulated inter-annual variability is estimated by computing the mean summer monsoon seasonal rainfall and the coefficient of variability (CV). In general the mean observed seasonal precipitation of 542 mm and CV of 6.7% is very well simulated by most of the models. Except for one model mean seasonal precipitation varies from 400 to 650 mm. However the CV varies from 2 to 9%. Future projections under the radiative forcing of doubled CO₂ scenario are examined for individual models and by the MME technique. Changes in mean precipitation and variability are tested by the t-test and F-ratio respectively to evaluate their statistical significance. The changes in mean precipitation vary from −0.6% (CNRM-CM3) to about 14% (ECHO-G; UKMO-HadCM3). The MME technique reveals an increase varying from 5 to 10%, with an average of 7.8% (greater than the observed CV of 6.7%) over the East Asian region. However the increases are significant over the Korea-Japan peninsula and the adjoining north China region only. The increases may be attributed to the projected intensification of the subtropical high, Meiyu-Changma-Baiu frontal zone and the associated influx of moist air from the Pacific inland. The projected changes in the amount of precipitation are directly proportional to the projected changes in the strength of the subtropical high. Further the MME suggests a possible increase in the length of the summer monsoon precipitation period from late spring through early autumn. The changes in precipitation could be stabilized by controlling the CO₂ emissions.     

East Asian winter monsoon: results from eight AMIP models

 This study evaluates simulations of the East Asian winter monsoon in eight GCMs that participated in the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP). In addition to validating the mean state of the winter monsoon, the cold surge and its transient properties, which includes the frequency, intensity, preferred propagation tracks, and the evolution patterns of the surges, are examined. GCM simulated temporal distribution of the Siberian high and cold surges is also discussed. Finally, the forcing of the cold surges on the tropical surface wind and convection, along with their interannual variation is analyzed. The mean state of the winter monsoon is generally portrayed well in most of the models. These include the climatological position of the Siberian high, the 200 hPa divergent center, and the large-scale wind patterns at the surface and the 200 hPa. Models display a wide range of skill in simulating the cold surge and its transient properties. In some of the models, the simulated cold surge trajectory, intensity, frequency, propagation patterns and source regions are in general agreement with those from the observed. While in others, the models cannot adequately capture these observed characteristics. The temporal distribution of the Siberian high and cold surges were realistically reproduced in most GCMs. Most models were able to simulate the effect of the cold surges on the tropical surface wind, although a few models unrealistically generated subtropical southerly wind in the mid-winter. The relationship between cold surges and the tropical convection was not satisfactorily simulated in most models. The common discrepancies in the winter monsoon simulation can be attributed to many factors. In some models, the reason is directly related to the improper location of the large-scale convective center near the western Pacific. The satisfactory simulations of the monsoon circulation and the cold surges are partly due to the topographical characteristics of the East Asian continent, i.e., the Tibetan Plateau to the west and the oceans to the east. The correct simulation of the interannual variation of the surface wind near the South China Sea (SCS) and the maritime continent is a demanding task for most of the models. This will require adequate simulations of many aspects, including tropical convection, the Siberian cold dome, the extratropical-tropical linkage, and the air-sea interaction. The discrepancies noted here furnish a guide for the continuing improvement of the winter monsoon simulations. Improved simulations will lead to an adequate delineation of the surface wind and convection near the maritime continent, which is essential for portraying the winter monsoon forcing in a coupled model. Received: 10 March 1997/Accepted: 4 June 1997     

Equilibrium climate response of the East Asian summer monsoon to forcing of anthropogenic aerosol species

We used an online aerosol–climate model to study the equilibrium climate response of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) to increases in anthropogenic emissions of sulfate, organic carbon, and black carbon aerosols from 1850 to 2000. Our results show that each of these aerosol species has a different effect on the EASM as a result of changes in the local sea–land thermal contrast and atmospheric circulation. The increased emission of sulfate aerosol leads to a decrease in the thermal contrast between the land and ocean, a southward shift of the East Asian subtropical jet, and significant northerly wind anomalies at 850 hPa over eastern China and the ambient oceans, markedly dampening the EASM. An increase in organic carbon aerosol results in pronounced surface cooling and the formation of an anomalous anticyclone over the oceans north of 30°N. These effects cause a slight increase in the sea–land thermal contrast and southerly flow anomalies to the west of the anticyclonic center, strengthening the northern EASM. An increase in organic carbon emission decreases the sea–land thermal contrast over southern China, which weakens the southern EASM. The response of the summer 850-hPa winds and rainfall over the East Asian monsoon region to an increase in black carbon emission is generally consistent with the response to an increase in organic carbon. The increase in black carbon emission leads to a strengthening of the northern EASM north of 35°N and a slight weakening of the southern EASM south of 35°N. The simulated response of the EASM to the increase in black carbon emission is unchanged when the emission of black carbon is scaled up by five times its year 2000 levels, although the intensities of the response is enhanced. The increase in sulfate emission primarily weakens the EASM, whereas the increases in black carbon and organic carbon emissions mitigate weakening of the northern EASM.     

A preliminary attempt on decadal prediction of the East Asian summer monsoon

Theoretical and Applied Climatology - The East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) is one of the major synoptic systems that affect the summer climate in China. Decadal prediction of the EASM is of great...     

Interdecadal variability of the relationship between the East Asian winter monsoon and ENSO

Summary The authors examine relationships between the East Asian winter monsoon and the ENSO, particularly on the interdecadal timescales. Based on the analyses of SLP data from 1899 to 1997, the East-Asian winter monsoon index (WMI) is defined as the zonal difference of SLP between ∼120° E and ∼160° E. It is found that 18 out of 28 strong winter monsoon years are either before the development of an El Ni?o or during the decaying La Ni?a event, 12 out of 28 weak winter monsoon are before the development of a La Ni?a or during the decaying El Ni?o event. There is a significant positive correlation coefficient value of about 0.49 between the normalized 11-yr running mean of WMI and ENSO index, however, the WMI-ENSO relationship is not consistently highly correlated. The temporal evolution of correlation between WMI and ENSO indices in both 11-yr and 21-yr moving window shows that the WMI-ENSO relationship clearly undergo low-frequency oscillation. Obviously, both observational and IPSL air-sea coupled modeling WMI index has a near-decadal peak with PDO timescales and internal peaks with ENSO timescales by applying the Multitaper method. Moreover, the cross wavelet and wavelet coherence analysis of WMI/ENSO indicate that there is a larger significant sections with an in phase behavior between WMI and ENSO at period of 20–30 yrs, suggesting that the interdecadal variation of the WMI-ENSO relationship might exist.     

East Asian summer monsoon simulation by a 20-km mesh AGCM

East Asian summer monsoon climate simulated by a global 20-km mesh atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) forced by the global sea surface temperature during the period 1979–1998 is investigated. In comparison with a lower resolution (180-km mesh) model experiment, it is revealed that the 20-km mesh AGCM shows the superiority in simulating orographic rainfall not only its location but also its amount. The Baiu frontal structure is also better simulated in the higher resolution model, which leads to stronger Baiu rainfall. The 20-km model also shows more intense extremes in precipitation. Interannual variability of June–August mean precipitation and seasonal march of the monsoon rain band are also investigated. 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.