Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Relationship between the onset date of the Meiyu and the South Asian anticyclone in April and the related mechanisms

  • Published:
Climate Dynamics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The onset date of the Meiyu has attracted extensive attention because it marks the beginning of the rainfall season in the Yangtze-Huai River basin (YHRB). In this study, the relationship between the onset dates of the Meiyu and its precursors is investigated; and the South Asian anticyclone (SAA) in April, which is generated by atmospheric apparent sources over South Asia, is introduced. The results show that years with stronger SAA in April are concurrent with earlier onsets of the Meiyu and increased precipitation in June over the YHRB and vice versa. The mechanisms involved in this relationship are further investigated. The SAA emerges in early April, and moves eastward to the western North Pacific (WNP) in the late pentad of April due to the abrupt zonal energy transport, leading to anomalous divergence in the upper troposphere over the WNP. The divergence anomaly enhances ascending motion in situ due to Ekman pumping, leading to an anomalous cyclone at lower levels over this region. Due to the southward-moving ascending motion and the presence of the lower tropospheric cyclone in the fourth pentad of May, the precipitation moves southward to the Philippine Sea (PHS). The associated stronger convection over the PHS further triggers a meridional overturning pattern, which develops into the Pacific-Japan like pattern (PJ-like pattern). The PJ-like pattern persists from the end of May to the beginning of June, which promotes the earlier onset of the Meiyu. In addition, due to the increased heating associated with the abundant precipitation over the PHS around the fourth pentad of May, the Western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) shifts northward earlier. Ultimately, the earlier establishment of the PJ-like pattern and the earlier northward shift of the WPSH cause stronger-than-normal southwesterly flows and additional water vapor transport to the YHRB, leading to the advanced onset of the Meiyu and additional precipitation in June.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akiyama T (1973) The large-scale aspects of the characteristic features of the Baiu front. Pap Meteorol Geophys 24(2):157–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cao J, Huang RH, Xie Y, Tao Y (2002) The physical mechanism of evolution about the western Pacific subtropical high (in Chinese). Sci Sin Terrae 32(8):659–666

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang CP (2004) East Asian Monsoon. World Scientific, Singapore, p 564

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Chen TJ (1983) Observational aspects of the Mei-Yu phenomena in subtropical China. J Meteorol Soc Jpn 61:306–312

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen TJ, Chang CP (1980) The structure and vorticity budget of an early summer monsoon trough (Mei-Yu) over southeastern China and Japan. Mon Weather Rev 108:942–953. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0493(1980)108<0942:TSAVBO>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen TJ, Yu CC (1988) Study of low-level jet and extremely heavy precipitation over northern Taiwan in the Mei-Yu season. Mon Weather Rev 116:884–891. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0493(1988)116<0884:SOLLJA>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi KS, Wang B, Kim DW (2012) Changma onset definition in Korea using the available water resources index and its relation to the Antarctic oscillation. Clim Dyn 38:547–562. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-010-0957-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dai XG, Chou JF, Wu GX (2002) The teleconnection relationship between Indian monsoon and East Asian summer circulation. Acta Meteorol Sin 60(5):544–552

    Google Scholar 

  • Ding YH (1992) Summer monsoon precipitations in China. J Meteorol Soc Jpn 70:373–396

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ding YH, Liu YJ, Sun Y, (2007) A Study of the Synoptic-Climatology of the Meiyu System in East Asia (in Chinese with English abstract). Chin J Atmos Sci 31(6)

  • Feng X, Dong X, Lin RP (2017) Two anomalous convective systems in the tropical western Pacific and their influences on the East Asian summer monsoon. Atmos Ocean Sci Lett 10(4):319–324. https://doi.org/10.1080/16742834.2017.1328969

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graversen RG, Burtu M (2016) Arctic amplification enhanced by latent energy transport of atmospheric planetary waves. Q J R Meteorol Soc 142(698):2046–2054

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsu HH, Lin SM (2007) Asymmetry of the tripole rainfall pattern during the East Asian summer. J Clim 20:4443–4458. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI4246.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang RH (1992) The East Asia/Pacific pattern teleconnection of summer circulation and climate anomaly in East Asia. J Meteorol Res 6:25–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang YY, Li XF (2015) The interdecadal variation of the Western Pacific subtropical high as measured by 500 hPa Eddy geopotential height. Atmos Ocean Sci Lett 8(6):371–375. https://doi.org/10.3878/AOSL20150038

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang DQ, Masaaki T, Zhang YC (2011) Analysis of the Baiu precipitation and associated circulations simulated by the MIROC coupled climate system model. J Meteorol Soc Jpn 89:625–636. https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj.2011-603

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang YY, Wang HJ, Fan K, Gao YQ (2014) The western Pacific subtropical high after the 1970s: westward or eastward shift? Clim Dyn 44(7–8):2035–2047

    Google Scholar 

  • Huangfu JL, Huang RH, Chen W (2015) Influence of tropical western Pacific Warm Pool thermal state on the interdecadal change of the onset of the South China Sea Summer Monsoon in the Late-1990s. Atmos Ocean Sci Lett 8(2):95–99. https://doi.org/10.3878/AOSL20150002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalnay E et al (1996) The NCEP/NCAR 40-year reanalysis project. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 77:437–471

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kodama YM (1992) Large-scale common features of subtropical precipitation zones (the Baiu frontal zone, the SPCZ, and the SACZ). Part I: characteristics of subtropical frontal zones. J Meteorol Soc Jpn 70:813–836

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krishnan K, Sugi M (2001) Notes and correspondence Baiu rainfall variability and associated monsoon teleconnections. J Meteorol Soc Jpn 79:851–860

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kurihara K, Tsuyuki T (1987) Development of the barotropic high around Japan and its association with Rossby wave-like propagations over the North Pacific: analysis of August 1984. J Meteorol Soc Jpn Ser II 65(2):237–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lau KM, Yang GJ, Shen SH (1988) Seasonal and intraseasonal climatology of summer monsoon precipitation over East Asia. Mon Weather Rev 116:18–37. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0493(1988)116<0018:SAICOS>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li L, Zhang YC (2014) Effects of different configurations of the East Asian subtropical and polar front jets on precipitation during the Mei-Yu season. J Clim 27(17):6660–6672. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-14-00021.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liebmann B, Smith CA (1996) Description of a complete (interpolated) outgoing longwave radiation dataset. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 77:1275–1277

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu YM, Wu GX, Liu H, Liu P (2001) Condensation heating of the Asian summer monsoon and the subtropical anticyclone in the Eastern Hemisphere. Clim Dyn 17(4):327–338

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu YY, Li WJ, Ai WX, Li QQ (2012) Reconstruction and application of the monthly Western Pacific Subtropical High indices (in Chinese with English abstract). J Appl Meteorol Sci 23(4):414–423

    Google Scholar 

  • Lu RY (2001) Interannual variability of the summertime north pacific subtropical high and its relation to atmospheric convection over the warm pool. J Meteorol Soc Jpn 79(3):771–783

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu RY, Dong BW (2001) Westward extension of north Pacific subtropical high in summer. J Meteorol Soc Jpn 79(6):1229–1241

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu RY, Oh JH, Kim BJ, Beak HJ, Huang RH (2001) Associations with the interannual variations of onset and withdrawal of the Changma. Adv Atmos Sci 18(6):1066–1080

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mao JY, Zhang S, Wu GX (2010) 20–50-day oscillation of summer Yangtze rainfall in response to intraseasonal variations in the subtropical high over the western north Pacific and South China Sea. Clim Dyn 34(5):747–761. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-009-0628-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nakamura H, Tanaka M, Wallace JM (1987) Horizontal structure and energetics of Northern Hemisphere wintertime teleconnection patterns. J Atmos Sci 44:3377–3391. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(1987)044,3377:<HSAEON>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ninomiya K, Shibagaki Y (2007) Multi-scale features of the Meiyu-Baiu front and associated precipitation systems. J Meteorol Soc Jpn 85B:103–122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nitta T, Hu ZZ (1996) Summer climate variability in China and its association with 500 hPa height and tropical convection. J Meteorol Soc Jpn 74:425–445

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • North GR, Bell TL, Cahalan RF, Moeng FJ (1982) Sampling errors in the estimation of empirical orthogonal functions. Mon Weather Rev 110:699–706

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ou SS, Liou KN, Liou WJ (1989) The seasonal cycle of the global zonally averaged energy balance. Theoret Appl Climatol 40(1–2):9–23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Park H, Seo KH, Son JH (2015) Development of a dynamics-based statistical prediction model for the Changma onset. J Clim 28:6647–6666. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-14-00502.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reiter ER, Gao DY (1982) Heating of the Tibet Plateau and movements of the South Asian High during spring. Mon Weather Rev 110(11):1694–1711

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sampe T, Xie SP (2010) Large-scale dynamics of the Meiyu–Baiu rainband: environmental forcing by the westerly jet. J Clim 23:113–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tao SY, Chen LX (1987) A review of recent research on the East Asia summer monsoon in China. In: Chang CP, Krishnamurti TN (eds) Monsoon meteorology. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 60–92

    Google Scholar 

  • Wakazuki Y, Tsuboki K, Takeda T (2006) Periodic evolution of multiscale precipitation systems developed within a Baiu frontal cloud cluster. J Meteorol Soc Jpn 84:497–518

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang B (1992) The vertical structure and development of the ENSO anomaly mode during 1979–1989. J Atmos Sci 49:698–712

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang HJ, He SP (2015) The north China/Northeastern Asia severe summer drought in 2014. J Clim 28(17):6667–6681. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-15-0202.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang WZ, Zhao ZC, Gong DY, Zhou TJ (2005) Introduction of climatology. China Meteorological Press, Beijing, p 43

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang B et al (2008) How to measure the strength of the East Asian Summer Monsoon. J Clim 21(17):4449–4463

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wen M, Shi XH (2006) Relationship between activity of west Pacific subtropical high and condensation latent heating in summer of 1998 (in Chinese with English abstract). Plateau Meteorol 25(4):616–623

    Google Scholar 

  • Xie PP, Arkin PA (1996) Analyses of global monthly precipitation using gauge observations, satellite estimates, and numerical model predictions. J Clim 9:840–858. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(1996)009,0840:AOGMPU.2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu ZQ, Fan K, Wang HJ (2016) Role of sea surface temperature anomalies in the tropical Indo-Pacific region in the northeast Asia severe drought in summer 2014: month-to-month perspective. Clim Dyn 49:1631–1650. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-016-3406-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yanai M, Esbensen S, Chu JH (1973) Determination of bulk properties of tropical cloud clusters from large-scale heat and moisture budgets. J Atmos Sci 30:611–627. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(1973)030,0611:DOBPOT.2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yeh TC, Tao SY, Li MT (1959) The abrupt change of circulation over the Northern Hemisphere during June and October. In: Bolin B (ed) The atmosphere and the sea in motion. Rockefeller Institute Press, New York, pp 249–267

    Google Scholar 

  • Yu F, Fu SM, Zhao SX, Sun JH (2012) Study on the dynamic characteristics of an eastward-offshore mesoscale vortex along the Meiyu-Baiu Front. Atmos Ocean Sci Lett 5:360–366

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang YX, Zhai PM, Qian YF (2005) Variations of Meiyu indicators in the Yangtze-Huaihe River basin during 1954–2003. Acta Meteorol Sin 19(4):479–484

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou TJ, Gong DY, Li J, Li B (2009) Detecting and understanding the multi-decadal variability of the East Asian summer monsoon—recent progress and state of affairs. Meteorol Z 18:455–467. https://doi.org/10.1127/0941-2948/2009/0396

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu X, Wu Z, He J (2008) Anomalous Meiyu onset averaged over the Yangtze River valley. Theor Appl Climatol 94:81–95. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-007-0347-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu YL, Wang HJ, Zhou W, Ma JH (2011) Recent changes in the summer precipitation pattern in East China and the background circulation. Clim Dyn 36:1463–1473. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-010-0852-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu J et al (2013) Decadal changes of Meiyu rainfall around 1991 and its relationship with two types of ENSO. J Geophys Res 118:976 6–9777. https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrd.50779

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu YL, Wang HJ, Ma JH, Wang T, Sun JQ (2015) Contribution of the phase transition of Pacific Decadal Oscillation to thelast1990s’ shift in East China summer rainfall. J Geophys Res 120:8817–8827. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JD023545

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant 2016YFA0600703), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants 41605059, 41505073), and the Young Talent Support Program by China Association for Science and Technology (Grant 2016QNRC001).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nansen-Zhu International Research Centre, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Hua Li, Shengping He, Ke Fan & Huijun Wang

  2. Climate Change Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Hua Li & Huijun Wang

  3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Hua Li

  4. Geophysical Institute, University of Bergen, Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Bergen, 5007, Norway

    Shengping He

  5. Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster, Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China

    Ke Fan & Huijun Wang

Authors
  1. Hua Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shengping He
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ke Fan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Huijun Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hua Li.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Li, H., He, S., Fan, K. et al. Relationship between the onset date of the Meiyu and the South Asian anticyclone in April and the related mechanisms. Clim Dyn 52, 209–226 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-018-4131-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-018-4131-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation