Abstract
The relationship between the preceding late spring Sea Surface Temperature (SST) over the tropical Atlantic and the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) is investigated based on the observational data and Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) historical simulations. The results show that warm (cold) tropical Atlantic SST (TASST) during May tends to be followed by a strong (weak) EASM with positive (negative) precipitation anomalies over the subtropical frontal area. Evidence is also provided that the atmospheric teleconnections propagating in both east and west directions are the key mechanisms linking the EASM with the preceding May TASST. That is, the warm TASST anomaly during late spring can persist through the subsequent summer, which, in turn, induces the Gill-type Rossby wave response in the eastern Pacific, exciting the westward relay of the Atlantic signal, as well as the eastward propagation of the Rossby wave along the jet stream. Furthermore, the westward (eastward) propagating teleconnection signal may induce the anomalous anticyclone in the lower troposphere over the Philippine Sea (anomalous tropospheric anticyclone with barotropic structure over the Okhotsk Sea). The anomalous anticyclonic circulation over the Philippine Sea (Okhotsk Sea) brings warm and humid (cold) air to higher latitudes (lower latitudes). These two different types of air mass merge over the Baiu-Meiyu–Changma region, causing the enhanced subtropical frontal rainfall. To support the observational findings, CMIP5 historical simulations are also utilized. Most state-of-the-art CMIP5 models can simulate this relationship between May TASST and the EASM.
Highlights
The climate in Northeast Asia, including the Korean peninsula, China, and Japan, is strongly affected by the East Asian Summer Monsoon system (EASM) known as Baiu in Japan, Changma in Korea, and Meiyu in China (BCM, Hong and Ahn 2015)
The interannual variability of the EASM has been researched to be influenced by various factors, such as El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO; e.g., Wang et al 2000; Wu et al 2009, 2012; Yun et al 2010; Kim and Kug 2018), the Indian summer monsoon (Wang et al 2001), Indian Ocean Sea Surface Temperature (SST; e.g., Yang et al 2007; Xie et al 2009; Yun et al 2010; Park et al 2018), Okhotsk blocking (e.g., Wu et al 2009; Park and Ahn 2014), Arctic Oscillation (e.g., Gong and Ho 2003; Gong et al 2011), and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO; e.g., Sung et al 2006; Wu et al 2009, 2012; Sun and Wang 2012; Zuo et al 2013; Zheng et al 2016)
Several studies showed that the EASM is highly correlated with the North Atlantic SST variability from the preceding winter to summer based on observations and model experiments (Wu et al 2009, 2012; Zuo et al 2013; 1 3 Vol.:(0123456789)
Summary
The climate in Northeast Asia, including the Korean peninsula, China, and Japan, is strongly affected by the East Asian Summer Monsoon system (EASM) known as Baiu in Japan, Changma in Korea, and Meiyu in China (BCM, Hong and Ahn 2015). In addition to the Atlantic SST-ENSO link, Ham et al (2017) revealed that the TASST variability can influence the Korean summer precipitation Based on these aforementioned studies, TASST generally persists from the preceding spring through the following summer due to the oceanic thermal memory, and its signal can be transmitted to the western Pacific through teleconnections (Wu et al 2009, 2012; Zuo et al 2013; Ham et al 2013a, 2017; Ham and Kug 2015; Zheng et al 2016).
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