Large‐scale synoptic atmospheric moisture circulation patterns associated with variability of daily precipitation over East China

Abstract

AbstractThis study identifies the variability of large‐scale atmospheric patterns (LSMPs) and atmospheric moisture circulation patterns associated with the variability of daily precipitation over East China using the self‐organizing maps (SOM) method. The spatiotemporal characteristics of the occurrence and intensity of daily precipitation were linked with the variabilities of LSMPs. Results show that the synoptic moisture transport over East China in both dry season and rainy season can be classified into eight patterns, and the occurrence frequency and primary occurring months of the eight patterns are varied. In the dry season, the wetter pattern (the drier pattern) exhibits a significant decreasing (increasing) trend with a slope of −0.23 (0.63)% year−1 at the confidence level of 0.95 during 1979–2018. The LSMPs corresponding to each atmospheric moisture circulation pattern, including the composite mean values of vertically integrated water vapour transport fields, 500 hPa geopotential height (Z500) anomalies and sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) in surrounding oceans, indicate that the primary oceanic moisture source of the dry season is western North Pacific (WNP), while that of the rainy season is WNP and the Indian Ocean. The location and intensity variabilities of subtropical high affect the transport and amount of water vapour along with its western flank to arrive in East China. SSTA has an influential link with the regional circulations and convection activity, and thus plays an important role in affecting water vapour transport.