Interhemispheric atmospheric mass oscillation and its relation to interannual variations of the Asian monsoon in boreal summer

Abstract

Using NCEP/NCAR reanalysis and precipitation records of Chinese stations, we have investigated the relationship of interhemispheric oscillation of air mass (IHO) with global lower-level circulation and monsoon anomalies in boreal summer. Our results show that the summer IHO explains a greater portion of variance in the abnormal distribution of atmospheric mass over 30°S–60°N as well as the Antarctic. The IHO strongly correlates to the variations of sea level pressure (SLP) in these regions. It is shown that IHO has some influences on both atmospheric mass transports and water vapor fluxes over 30°S–60°N in association with three anomalous cyclonic circulations over land areas of the eastern hemisphere, which is in close relation to the changes in summer monsoon intensity in eastern Asia and western Africa. Composites of summer rainfall anomalies in China for high and low IHO-index years indicate that the eastern Asian summer monsoon is more intense, with positive precipitation anomaly centers in northern and northeastern parts of China, as opposed to the negative center over the mid-lower reaches of the Yangtze River (MLRYR) in stronger IHO years. In weak IHO years, a feeble summer monsoon appears in eastern Asia, leading to positive center of precipitation anomalies displaced into the MLRYR. Furthermore, a teleconnection in wind fields between the western African and eastern Asian monsoon regions was observed in the middle and higher troposphere in the scenario of IHO. The anomalous cyclonic (anticyclonic) circulations along the path of this Africa-East Asia teleconnection were found to be just over the diabatic heating (cooling) centers, suggesting that diabatic forcings are responsible for the formation of this Africa-East Asia teleconnection.