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Article Type:
Research Article

Summer Rainfall Seesaw between Hetao and the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River and Its Relationship with the North Atlantic Oscillation

Dachao Jin Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster of Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, and State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing, China

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

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Print Publication:
01 Sep 2017
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-16-0760.1
Page(s):
6629–6643
Restricted access

Abstract

Using the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis and other observational datasets, the authors have investigated the relationship of summer rainfall variations between the Hetao region of northern China and the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River (MLRYR). The results have demonstrated that rainfall in Hetao varies out of phase with that in MLRYR on the interannual time scales. This phenomenon is referred to as the Hetao–Yangtze rainfall seesaw (HYRS). An HYRS index is defined to reveal both spatial and temporal features of HYRS. It is found that the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) affects the HYRS. In years when the NAO is in its positive phase, anomalous divergences in the lower troposphere and anomalous convergences in the upper troposphere are observed in regions of the Mediterranean and eastern Europe. The anomalous convergences in the upper troposphere occur as the positive Rossby wave source excites a circumglobal teleconnection (CGT) in the midlatitudes, exhibiting the eastward propagation of Rossby wave energy along the Asian jet. Meanwhile, the Eurasian–Pacific (EUP) teleconnection also affects the HYRS. Influenced mainly by the CGT pattern, the circulations over Hetao and MLRYR are consequently perturbed. The atmosphere over Hetao converges anomalously in the lower troposphere and diverges anomalously in the upper troposphere, facilitating more than normal rainfall there. At the same time, the atmosphere over MLRYR diverges anomalously in the lower troposphere and converges anomalously in the upper troposphere, resulting in more than normal summer rainfall in MLRYR. In this way, the north–south rainfall seesaw is formed. This NAO-induced rainfall seesaw is potentially useful for summer rainfall predictions in both MLRYR and the Hetao region of northern China.

Denotes content that is immediately available upon publication as open access.

© 2017 American Meteorological Society. For information regarding reuse of this content and general copyright information, consult the AMS Copyright Policy (www.ametsoc.org/PUBSReuseLicenses).

Corresponding author: Zhaoyong Guan, guanzy@nuist.edu.cn

Abstract

Using the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis and other observational datasets, the authors have investigated the relationship of summer rainfall variations between the Hetao region of northern China and the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River (MLRYR). The results have demonstrated that rainfall in Hetao varies out of phase with that in MLRYR on the interannual time scales. This phenomenon is referred to as the Hetao–Yangtze rainfall seesaw (HYRS). An HYRS index is defined to reveal both spatial and temporal features of HYRS. It is found that the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) affects the HYRS. In years when the NAO is in its positive phase, anomalous divergences in the lower troposphere and anomalous convergences in the upper troposphere are observed in regions of the Mediterranean and eastern Europe. The anomalous convergences in the upper troposphere occur as the positive Rossby wave source excites a circumglobal teleconnection (CGT) in the midlatitudes, exhibiting the eastward propagation of Rossby wave energy along the Asian jet. Meanwhile, the Eurasian–Pacific (EUP) teleconnection also affects the HYRS. Influenced mainly by the CGT pattern, the circulations over Hetao and MLRYR are consequently perturbed. The atmosphere over Hetao converges anomalously in the lower troposphere and diverges anomalously in the upper troposphere, facilitating more than normal rainfall there. At the same time, the atmosphere over MLRYR diverges anomalously in the lower troposphere and converges anomalously in the upper troposphere, resulting in more than normal summer rainfall in MLRYR. In this way, the north–south rainfall seesaw is formed. This NAO-induced rainfall seesaw is potentially useful for summer rainfall predictions in both MLRYR and the Hetao region of northern China.

Denotes content that is immediately available upon publication as open access.

© 2017 American Meteorological Society. For information regarding reuse of this content and general copyright information, consult the AMS Copyright Policy (www.ametsoc.org/PUBSReuseLicenses).

Corresponding author: Zhaoyong Guan, guanzy@nuist.edu.cn
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