Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Characteristics and Mechanism of the 10–20-Day Oscillation of Spring Rainfall over Southern China

Weijuan Pan State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (LASG), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, and Guangdong Climate Center, Meteorological Administration of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China

Search for other papers by Weijuan Pan in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
Jiangyu Mao State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (LASG), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

Search for other papers by Jiangyu Mao in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
, and
Guoxiong Wu State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (LASG), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

Search for other papers by Guoxiong Wu in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
Print Publication:
15 Jul 2013
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-12-00618.1
Page(s):
5072–5087
Restricted access

We are aware of a technical issue preventing figures and tables from showing in some newly published articles in the full-text HTML view.
While we are resolving the problem, please use the online PDF version of these articles to view figures and tables.

Abstract

The intraseasonal oscillations (ISOs) of southern China spring rainfall (SCSR) are examined based on daily rain gauge rainfall data and NCEP/Department of Energy Reanalysis 2 (NCEP-2) products for the period 1980–2008. The objective of this study is to reveal the structure and propagation of the dominant ISO of SCSR as well as its driving mechanisms, thereby gaining an understanding of the causes of extreme wet and dry SCSR.

The EOF analysis and power spectrum analysis show that the 10–20-day oscillation is a predominant ISO of SCSR in most years. Composite analyses and wave-activity propagation diagnosis demonstrate that the 10–20-day oscillation of SCSR is characterized by an alternate occurrence of a huge anomalous anticyclone (cyclone) encircling the Tibetan Plateau in the lower troposphere, with anomalous low-level northeasterly (southwesterly) winds prevailing over southern China, producing lower-tropospheric divergence (convergence). In the middle and upper troposphere, the oscillation appears as a southeastward propagating coherent wave train made up of a series of anomalous cyclones and anticyclones, which are aligned in a northwest–southeast direction. This whole wave train also drifts eastward, with strong upper-tropospheric convergence (divergence) alternately superimposed over the lower-tropospheric divergence (convergence) within and south of the Yangtze basin, resulting in deficient (excessive) rainfall in southern China. The thermal structure of the 10–20-day ISO of SCSR and its association with the mechanical–thermal forcing of the Tibetan Plateau are also explored.

Corresponding author address: Dr. Guoxiong Wu, State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (LASG), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 9804, Beijing 100029, China. E-mail: gxwu@lasg.iap.ac.cn

Abstract

The intraseasonal oscillations (ISOs) of southern China spring rainfall (SCSR) are examined based on daily rain gauge rainfall data and NCEP/Department of Energy Reanalysis 2 (NCEP-2) products for the period 1980–2008. The objective of this study is to reveal the structure and propagation of the dominant ISO of SCSR as well as its driving mechanisms, thereby gaining an understanding of the causes of extreme wet and dry SCSR.

The EOF analysis and power spectrum analysis show that the 10–20-day oscillation is a predominant ISO of SCSR in most years. Composite analyses and wave-activity propagation diagnosis demonstrate that the 10–20-day oscillation of SCSR is characterized by an alternate occurrence of a huge anomalous anticyclone (cyclone) encircling the Tibetan Plateau in the lower troposphere, with anomalous low-level northeasterly (southwesterly) winds prevailing over southern China, producing lower-tropospheric divergence (convergence). In the middle and upper troposphere, the oscillation appears as a southeastward propagating coherent wave train made up of a series of anomalous cyclones and anticyclones, which are aligned in a northwest–southeast direction. This whole wave train also drifts eastward, with strong upper-tropospheric convergence (divergence) alternately superimposed over the lower-tropospheric divergence (convergence) within and south of the Yangtze basin, resulting in deficient (excessive) rainfall in southern China. The thermal structure of the 10–20-day ISO of SCSR and its association with the mechanical–thermal forcing of the Tibetan Plateau are also explored.

Corresponding author address: Dr. Guoxiong Wu, State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (LASG), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 9804, Beijing 100029, China. E-mail: gxwu@lasg.iap.ac.cn
Save
Cover Journal of Climate
Journal of Climate

  • Duchon, C. E., 1979: Lanczos filtering in one and two dimensions. J. Appl. Meteor., 18, 1016–1022.

  • Ghil, M., and K. Mo, 1991a: Intraseasonal oscillations in the global atmosphere. Part I: Northern Hemisphere. J. Atmos. Sci., 48, 752–779.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Ghil, M., and K. Mo, 1991b: Intraseasonal oscillations in the global atmosphere. Part II: Southern Hemisphere. J. Atmos. Sci., 48, 780–792.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Gilman, D. L., F. J. Fuglister, and J. M. Mitchell Jr., 1963: On the power spectrum of red noise. J. Atmos. Sci., 20, 182–184.

  • Goswami, B. N., 2005: South Asian summer monsoon. Intraseasonal Variability of the Atmosphere–Ocean Climate System, W. K. M. Lau and D. E. Waliser, Eds., Springer, 19–62.

  • Huang, F., S.-N. Huang, and X. Zhang, 2008: Study on the climatological intraseasonal oscillation of Chinese rainfall (in Chinese). J. Ocean Univ. China, 38, 173–177.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Kanamitsu, M., W. Ebisuzaki, J. Woollen, S.-K. Yang, J. J. Hnilo, M. Fiorino, and G. L. Potter, 2002: NCEP–DOE AMIP-II Reanalysis (R-2). Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 83, 1631–1643.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Kikuchi, K., B. Wang, and Y. Kajikawa, 2012: Bimodal representation of the tropical intraseasonal oscillation. Climate Dyn., 38, 1989–2000.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Krishnamurti, T. N., and H. N. Bhalme, 1976: Oscillations of a monsoon system. Part I: Observational aspects. J. Atmos. Sci., 33, 1937–1954.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • LinHo, L.-H., X.-L. Huang, and N.-C. Lau, 2008: Winter-to-spring transition in East Asia: A planetary-scale perspective of the south China spring rain onset. J. Climate, 21, 3081–3096.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Madden, R. A., and P. R. Julian, 1971: Detection of a 40–50 day oscillation in the zonal wind in the tropical Pacific. J. Atmos. Sci., 28, 702–708.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Madden, R. A., and P. R. Julian, 1972: Description of global-scale circulation cells in the tropics with a 40–50 day period. J. Atmos. Sci., 29, 1109–1123.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Mao, J.-Y., and J. C. L. Chan, 2005: Intraseasonal variability of the South China Sea summer monsoon. J. Climate, 18, 2388–2402.

  • Mao, J.-Y., and G.-X. Wu, 2006: Intraseasonal variations of the Yangtze rainfall and its related atmospheric circulation features during the 1991 summer. Climate Dyn., 27, 815–830.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Mao, J.-Y., Z. Sun, and G.-X. Wu, 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. Climate Dyn., 34, 747–761.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Miura, H., M. Satoh, T. Nasuno, A. T. Noda, and K. Oouchi, 2007: A Madden–Julian oscillation event realistically simulated by a global cloud-resolving model. Science, 318, 1763–1765.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • North, G. R., T. L. Bell, R. F. Cahalan, and F. J. Moeng, 1982: Sampling errors in the estimation of empirical orthogonal functions. Mon. Wea. Rev., 110, 699–706.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Plumb, R. A., 1985: On the three-dimensional propagation of stationary waves. J. Atmos. Sci., 42, 217–229.

  • Takaya, K., and H. Nakamura, 2001: A formulation of a phase-independent wave-activity flux for stationary and migratory quasigeostrophic eddies on a zonally varying basic flow. J. Atmos. Sci., 58, 608–627.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Tian, S.-F., and T. Yasunari, 1998: Climatological aspects and mechanism of spring persistent rains over central China. J. Meteor. Soc. Japan, 76, 57–71.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Waliser, D. E., 2005: Predictability and forecasting. Intraseasonal Variability of the Atmosphere–Ocean Climate System, W. K. M. Lau and D. E. Waliser, Eds., Springer, 389–424.

  • Waliser, D. E., 2006: Intraseasonal variability. The Asian Monsoon, B. Wang, Ed., Springer, 203–258.

  • Wan, R.-J., and G.-X. Wu, 2007: Mechanism of the spring persistent rains over southeastern China. Sci. China, 50D, 130–144.

  • Wan, R.-J., and G.-X. Wu, 2008: Temporal and spatial distribution of the spring persistent rains over southeastern China (in Chinese). Acta Meteor. Sin., 66, 310–319.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Wang, T.-M., G.-X. Wu, and R.-J. Wan, 2008: Influence of the mechanical and thermal forcing of Tibetan Plateau on the circulation of the Asian summer monsoon area (in Chinese). Plateau Meteor., 27, 1–9.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Wu, G.-X., W.-P. Li, and H. Guo, 1997: The Tibetan Plateau's sensible heating air pump and Asia summer monsoon (in Chinese). The Zhao Jiuzhang Festschrift, Beijing Science Press, 116–126.

  • Wu, G.-X., and Coauthors, 2007: The influence of mechanical and thermal forcing by the Tibetan Plateau on Asian climate. J. Hydrometeor., 8, 770–789.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Yang, J., B. Wang, B. Wang, and Q. Bao, 2010: Biweekly and 21–30-day variations of the subtropical summer monsoon rainfall over the lower reach of the Yangtze River basin. J. Climate, 23, 1146–1160.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Yang, Q.-M., 2009: The 20–30-day oscillation of the global circulation and heavy precipitation over the lower reaches of the Yangtze River valley. Sci. China, 52D, 1485–1501.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Zhang, Q.-Y., S.-Y. Tao, and S.-L. Zhang, 2003: The persistent heavy rainfall over the Yangtze River valley and its associations with the circulations over East Asia during summer (in Chinese). Chin. J. Atmos. Sci., 27, 1018–1030.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Zhou, W., and J. C. L. Chan, 2005: Intraseasonal oscillations and the South China Sea summer monsoon onset. Int. J. Climatol., 25, 1585–1609.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 0 0 0
Full Text Views 1460 601 177
PDF Downloads 557 170 13