Effect of the East Asian Westerly Jet’s Intensity on Summer Rainfall in the Yangtze River Valley and Its Mechanism

Abstract

Abstract Many studies have shown that the northward (southward) displacement of the East Asian westerly jet (EAWJ) drastically reduces (increases) summer rainfall in the Yangtze River valley (YRV). However, the effect of the jet’s intensity on interannual variation in summer rainfall has not been systematically studied. The present study investigates the effect of the EAWJ’s intensity on this interannual variation and analyzes the mechanism by which this process occurs. In early summer, the EAWJ consists of two branches: one located over northern continental East Asia [western branch (EAWJWB)] and one extending from southern China to the northern Pacific [eastern branch (EAWJEB)]. The former merges into the latter over the Yellow Sea. A stronger EAWJEB leads to increased rainfall in the YRV, while the EAWJWB does not significantly affect rainfall in the YRV. The faster EAWJEB directly strengthens midtropospheric warm advection over the YRV because the corresponding changes in the meridional wind and horizontal temperature gradient are insignificant. The strengthened warm advection increases rainfall in the YRV by accelerating both adiabatic ascent and the ascent associated with diabatic heating primarily generated by convection. In midsummer, the EAWJ has no branches and is located over the midlatitudes of Asia. The strengthening of the EAWJ reduces rainfall in the YRV in midsummer through the Pacific–Japan (PJ) pattern. As the EAWJ strengthens, the PJ pattern turns to its positive phase. This results in the deceleration of the midtropospheric westerly wind and a reduction in the meridional temperature contrast, which weakens midtropospheric warm advection. The weakened warm advection in turn reduces rainfall in the YRV, following the process outlined for early summer.