Skip to main content
Log in

Interannual variation of East Asian summer monsoon and its impacts on general circulation and precipitation

  • Published:
Journal of Geographical Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Using NCEP/NCAR reanalysis geopotential height (GHT) and wind at 850 hPa, GHT at 500 hPa, precipitation rate, sea level pressure (SLP) and precipitation observations from more than 600 stations nationwide in June–August from 1951 to 2006, and focusing on the East Asia-West Pacific region (10°–80°N, 70°–180°E), interannual variation of East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) and its correlations with general circulation and precipitation patterns are studied by using statistical diagnostic methods such as 9-point high pass filtering, empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis, composite analysis and other statistical diagnosis, etc. It is concluded as follows: (1) EOF analysis of SLP in the East Asia-West Pacific region shows the existence of the zonal dipole oscillation mode (APD) between the Mongolia depression and the West Pacific high, and APD index can be used as an intensity index of EASM. (2) EOF analysis of GHT anomalies at 500 hPa in the East Asia-West Pacific region shows that the first EOF mode is characterized with an obvious meridional East Asian pattern (EAP), and EAP index can also be used as an EASM intensity index. (3) The composite analysis of high/low APD index years reveals the close correlation of APD index with EAP at 500 hPa (or 850 hPa). The study shows an obvious opposite correlation exists between APD index and EAP index with a correlation coefficient of −0.23, which passes the confidence test at 0.10 level. (4) Both APD and EAP indexes are closely correlated with precipitation during flood-prone season in China and precipitation rate over the East Asia-West Pacific region. The significant correlation area at 5% confidence level is mainly located from the southern area of the Yangtze River valley to the ocean around southern Japan, and the former is a positive correlation and the latter is a negative one.

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

Access this article

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Chen Longxun, Jin Zuhui, 1983. The medium-term changes in the northern and southern hemispheres interaction within East Asian summer monsoon circulation system. Collection of National Tropical Summer Monsoon Academic Conferences. Kunming: Yunnan People’s Press, 218–229. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gao Hui, Zhang Fanghua, 2003. Comparison on East-Asian summer monsoon index. Journal of Tropical Meteorology, 19(1): 79–86. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo Qiyun, 1983. Analysis of East-Asian summer monsoon intensity index and its variation. Acta Geographica Sinica, 38(3): 207–217. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo Qiyun, Cai Jingning, Shao Xuemei, 2004. Studies on the variations of East-Asian summer monsoon during 1873–2000. Chinese Journal of Atmospheric Sciences, 28(2): 207–215. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang Gang, Yan Zhongwei, 1999. East Asian monsoon circulation abnormality index and its interannual variation. Chinese Science Bulletin, 44: 421–424. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang Ronghui, Chen Wen, Ding Yihui, et al., 2003. Studies on the monsoon dynamics and the interaction between monsoon and cycle. Chinese Journal of Atmospheric Sciences, 27(4): 484–502. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kistler R, Kalnay E, Collins W et al., 2001. The NCEP-NCAR 50-year reanalysis: Monthly means CD-ROM and documentation. Bulletin of American Meteorological Society, 82: 247–267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin Xuechun, Zhang Xuqin, 2000. Characteristics of the circulation during the catastrophic flood period over China in 1998. Chinese Journal of Geophysics, 43(5): 607–615. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Shi Neng, Zhu Qiangen, Wu Bingui, 1996. East Asian summer monsoon and summer large-scale weather and climate anomalies over China in recent years. Chinese Journal of Atmospheric Sciences, 20(5): 575–583. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun Xiurong, Chen Longxun, He Jinhai, 2002. Index of land-sea thermal difference and its relation to interannual variation of summer circulation and rainfall over East Asia. Acta Meteorologica Sinica, 60(2): 164–172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tao Shiyan, He Taoxiu, Yang Zufang, 1983. The observational research on summer monsoon onset of the East Asian region during the monsoon experiment in 1979. Chinese Journal of Atmospheric Sciences, 7(4): 347–355. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Webster P, Yang S, 1992. Monsoon and ENSO, selectively interactive system. Quart. J. R Meteor. Soc., 118(8): 887–926.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu Aiming, Ni Yunqi, 1991. The influence of Tibetan Plateau on the interannual variability of Asian monsoon. Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, 14(5): 96–108. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu Xiangde, Shi Xiaohui, Xie Lian et al., 2007. On the consistence of the interdecadal change of summer monsoon over eastern China and the heterogeneity of spring surface air temperature. Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan, 85A: 311–323.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu Shuqiu, Lin Xuechun, 2006. Characteristics of two general circulation patterns during floods over the Changjiang-Huaihe River Valley. Chinese Journal of Atmospheric Sciences, 64(5): 605–613. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Qingyun, Tao Shiyan, 1998. Summer East Asian tropical and subtropical monsoon and rainfall in eastern China. Journal of Applied Meteorological Science, (suppl.): 16–23. (in Chinese)

  • Zhao Ping, Zhang Renhe, 2006. Correlation of interannual variation between an Eastern Asia-Pacific Dipole Pressure Pattern and East Asian monsoon. Chinese Journal of Atmospheric Sciences, 30(2): 307–316. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhu Congwen, He Min, He Jinhai, 1998.Tropical circulation index and interannual variation of summer floods and droughts in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River. Journal of Nanjing Institute of Meteorology, 21(1): 15–22. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shuqiu Yu.

Additional information

Foundation: Cooperative Project funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China, No.2007DFB20210; National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.90502003; JICA China-Japan Technical Cooperative Project “China-Japanese Cooperative Research Center on Meteorological Disasters”.

Author: Yu Shuqiu, Associate Professor, specialized in climate and climate change.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yu, S., Shi, X. & Lin, X. Interannual variation of East Asian summer monsoon and its impacts on general circulation and precipitation. J. Geogr. Sci. 19, 67–80 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-009-0067-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-009-0067-3

Keywords

Navigation