Spring Indian Ocean-western Pacific SST contrast and the East Asian summer rainfall anomaly

Abstract

After studying the relationship between SST in the tropical Indian Ocean (TIO), tropical western Pacific (TWP), and tropical eastern Pacific (TEP) and East Asian summer rainfall (EASR), using data provided by NOAA/OAR/ESRL PSD and the National Climate Center of China for the period 1979–2008, an index, SSTDI, was defined to describe the SST difference between the TIO and TWP. In comparison with the winter ENSO, the spring SST contrast between the TIO and TWP was found to be more significantly associated with summer rainfall in East Asia, especially along the EASR band and in Northeast China. This spring SST contrast can persist into summer, resulting in a more significant meridional teleconnection pattern of lower-tropospheric circulation anomalies over the western North Pacific and East Asia. These circulation anomalies are dynamically consistent with the summer rainfall anomaly along the EASR band. When the SSTDI is higher (lower) than normal, the EASR over the Yangtze River valley, Korea, and central and southern Japan is heavier (less) than normal. The present results suggest that this spring SST contrast can be used as a new and better predictor of EASR anomalies.