Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The East Asian summer monsoon: an overview

  • Published:
Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The present paper provides an overview of major problems of the East Asian summer monsoon. The summer monsoon system over East Asia (including the South China Sea (SCS)) cannot be just thought of as the eastward and northward extension of the Indian monsoon. Numerous studies have well documented that the huge Asian summer monsoon system can be divided into two subsystems: the Indian and the East Asian monsoon system which are to a greater extent independent of each other and, at the same time, interact with each other. In this context, the major findings made in recent two decades are summarized below: (1) The earliest onset of the Asian summer monsoon occurs in most of cases in the central and southern Indochina Peninsula. The onset is preceded by development of a BOB (Bay of Bengal) cyclone, the rapid acceleration of low-level westerlies and significant increase of convective activity in both areal extent and intensity in the tropical East Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. (2) The seasonal march of the East Asian summer monsoon displays a distinct stepwise northward and northeastward advance, with two abrupt northward jumps and three stationary periods. The monsoon rain commences over the region from the Indochina Peninsula-the SCS-Philippines during the period from early May to mid-May, then it extends abruptly to the Yangtze River Basin, and western and southern Japan, and the southwestern Philippine Sea in early to mid-June and finally penetrates to North China, Korea and part of Japan, and the topical western West Pacific. (3) After the onset of the Asian summer monsoon, the moisture transport coming from Indochina Peninsula and the South China Sea plays a crucial “switch” role in moisture supply for precipitation in East Asia, thus leading to a dramatic change in climate regime in East Asia and even more remote areas through teleconnection. (4) The East Asian summer monsoon and related seasonal rain belts assumes significant variability at intraseasonal, interannual and interdecadal time scales. Their interaction, i.e., phase locking and in-phase or out-phase superimposing, can to a greater extent control the behaviors of the East Asian summer monsoon and produce unique rythem and singularities. (5) Two external forcing i.e., Pacific and Indian Ocean SSTs and the snow cover in the Eurasia and the Tibetan Plateau, are believed to be primary contributing factors to the activity of the East Asian summer monsoon. However, the internal variability of the atmospheric circulation is also very important. In particular, the blocking highs in mid-and high latitudes of Eurasian continents and the subtropical high over the western North Pacific play a more important role which is quite different from the condition for the South Asian monsoon. The later is of tropical monsoon nature while the former is of hybrid nature of tropical and subtropical monsoon with intense impact from mid-and high latitudes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • JCL Chan YG Wang XJ Xu (2000) ArticleTitleDynamic and thermodynamic characteristics associated with the onset of the 1998 South China Sea summer monsoon. J Meteor Soc Japan 78 367–380

    Google Scholar 

  • JCL Chan WX Ai JJ Xu (2002) ArticleTitleMechanisms responsible for the maintenance of the 1998 South China Sea summer monsoon. J Meteor Soc Japan 80 1103–1113 Occurrence Handle10.2151/jmsj.80.1103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CP Chang (2004) The East Asian monsoon. World Scientific Singapore 560

    Google Scholar 

  • CP Chang GT-J Chen (1995) ArticleTitleTropical circulation associated with southwest monsoon onset and westerly surge over the South China Sea. Mon Wea Rev 123 3221–3267

    Google Scholar 

  • CP Chang SC Hou HS Kuo CTJ Chen (1998) ArticleTitleThe development of an intense East Asian summer monsoon disturbance with strong vertical coupling. Mon Wea Rev 126 2692–2712 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0493(1998)126<2692:TDOAIE>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CP Chang L Yi GTJ Chen (2000a) ArticleTitleA numerical simulation of vortex development during the 1992 East Asian summer monsoon onset using the Naveys regional model. Mon Wea Rev 128 1604–1631 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0493(2000)128<1604:ANSOVD>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CP Chang Y Zhang T Li (2000b) ArticleTitleInterannual and interdecadal variations of the East Asian summer monsoon and the tropical sea-surface temperatures. Part 1: Relationships with Yangtze River Valley rainfall. J Climate 13 4310–4325 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0442(2000)013<4310:IAIVOT>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • GTJ Chen (1983) ArticleTitleObservational aspects of the Meiyu phenomena in subtropical China. J Meteor Soc Japan 61 306–312

    Google Scholar 

  • GTJ Chen (1988) ArticleTitleOn the synoptic-climatological characteristics of the East Asian Meiyu front. Atmos Sci 16 435–446

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen GTJ (2004) Research on the phenonena of Meiyu during the past quarter century: An overview. In: The East Asian Monsoon (Chang CP, ed). Singapore: World Scientific, 560 pp

  • GTJ Chen CP Chang (1980) ArticleTitleThe structure and vorticity budget of an early summer monsoon trough (Mei-Yu) over southeastern China and Japan. Mon Wea Rev 108 942–953 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0493(1980)108<0942:TSAVBO>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SJ Chen Osso L Dell’ (1984) ArticleTitleNumerial prediction of the heavy rainfall vortex over Eastern Asia monsoon region. J Meteor Soc Japan 62 730–747

    Google Scholar 

  • SJ Chen YH Kuo W Wang ZY Tao B Cu (1998) ArticleTitleA modeling case study of heavy rainstorms along the Mei-Yu front. Mon Wea Rev 126 2330–2351 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0493(1998)126<2330:AMCSOH>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • TC Chen JM Chen (1995) ArticleTitleAn observational study of the South China Sea monsoon during the 1979 summer: Onset and life cycle. Mon Wea Rev 123 2295–2318 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0493(1995)123<2295:AOSOTS>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • GP Cressman (1981) ArticleTitleCirculation of the West Pacific jet streams. Mon Wea Rev 109 2450–2463 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0493(1981)109<2450:COTWPJ>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NE Davidson JL McBride BJ McAvaney (1983) ArticleTitleThe onset of the Australian monsoon during winter MONEX: synoptic aspects. Mon Wea Rev 111 496–516 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0493(1983)111<0496:TOOTAM>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • YH Ding (1981) ArticleTitleA case study of formation and structure of a depression over the Arabian Sea. Chinese J Atmos Sci 5 267–280

    Google Scholar 

  • Ding YH (1991) Advanced synoptic meteorology. China Meteorological Press, pp 792 (in Chinese)

  • YH Ding (1992) ArticleTitleSummer monsoon rainfalls in China. J Meteor Soc Japan 70 373–396

    Google Scholar 

  • YH Ding (1994) Monsoons over China Kluwer Academic Publisher Dordrecht Boston London 419

    Google Scholar 

  • Ding YH (2004) Seasonal march of the East Asian summer monsoon. In: The East Asian Monsoon (Chang CP, ed). Singapore: World Scientific Publisher, 560 pp

  • Ding YH, Li CY (eds) (1999) Onset and evolution of the South China Sea monsoon and its interaction with the ocean. China Meteorological Press, 423 pp

  • Ding YH Liu JJ (2003) Climatology of the Meiyu. Acta Meteorol Sinica (submitted)

  • YH Ding YJ Liu (2001) ArticleTitleOnset and the evolution of the summer monsoon over the South China Sea during SCSMEX field experiment in 1998. J Meteor Soc Japan 79 255–276 Occurrence Handle10.2151/jmsj.79.255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • YH Ding Y Sun (2002) ArticleTitleSeasonal march of the East Asian summer monsoon and related moisture transport. Wea Climate 1 18–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Ding YH, Sun Y (2003) Interdecadal variation of the temperature and precipitation patterns in the East-Asian monsoon region. Proc. Int. Symp. on Climate Change (ISCC). Beijing, China, 31 March–3 April, 2003, WMO/TD-No. 1172, 66–71

  • YH Ding Y Zhang Q Ma GQ Hu (2001) ArticleTitleAnalysis of the large scale circulation features and synoptic systems in East Asia during the intensive observation period of GAME/HUBEX. J Meteor Soc Japan 79 277–300 Occurrence Handle10.2151/jmsj.79.277

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • YH Ding CY Li YJ Liu (2004) ArticleTitleOverview of the South China Sea monsoon experiment. Adv Atmos Sci 21 343–360

    Google Scholar 

  • Fong SK, Wang AY (eds) (2001) Climatological atlas for Asian Summer monsoon. Macau Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau and Macau Foundation, 318 pp

  • Q Guo J Wang (1988) ArticleTitleA comparison of the summer precipitation in India with that in China. J Trop Meteorol 4 53–60

    Google Scholar 

  • HY He JW McGinnis ZS Song M Yanai (1987) ArticleTitleOnset of the Asian summer monsoon in 1979 and the effect of the Tibetan Plateau. Mon Wea Rev 115 1966–1995 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0493(1987)115<1966:OOTASM>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • RH Huang WJ Li (1988) ArticleTitleInfluence of heat source anomaly over the western tropical Pacific on the subtropical high over East Asia and its physical mechanism. Acta Atmos Sinica (special issue) 107–116

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang RH, Sun FY (1990) The impacts of the western Pacific warm pool on the summer climate anomaly in East Asia. Training Workshop on Diagnosis and Prediction of Monthly and Seasonal Atmospheric Variations, Nanjing, China, 15–19 October, 1990 71–74

  • RH Johnson PE Ciesielski (2002) ArticleTitleCharacteristics of the 1998 summer monsoon onset over the northern South China Sea. J Meteor Soc Japan 80 561–578 Occurrence Handle10.2151/jmsj.80.561

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • K Kato (1987) ArticleTitleAirmass transformass over the semiarid region around North China and about change in the structure of the Baiu front in early summer. J Meteor Soc Japan 15 737–750

    Google Scholar 

  • RH Kriplani A Kulkarni (1997) ArticleTitleRainfall variability over south-east Asia connections with Indian monsoon and ENSO extremes: New perspectives. Int J Climatol 17 1155–1168 Occurrence Handle10.1002/(SICI)1097-0088(199709)17:11<1155::AID-JOC188>3.0.CO;2-B

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • RH Kriplani A Kulkarni (2001) ArticleTitleMonsoon rainfall variations and teleconnections over south and east Asia. Int J Climatol 21 603–616 Occurrence Handle10.1002/joc.625

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • TN Krishnamurti P Ardanuy Y Ramanathan R Pasch (1981) ArticleTitleOn the onset vortex of the summer monsoon. Mon Wea Rev 109 341–363

    Google Scholar 

  • YH Kuo L Cheng RA Anthes (1986) ArticleTitleMesoscale analyses of Sichuan flood catastrophe, 11–15 July, 1981. Mon Wea Rev 114 1984–2003 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0493(1986)114<1984:MAOTSF>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • K-M Lau Yang Song (1997) ArticleTitleClimatology and interannual variability of the Southeast Asian monsoon. Adv Atmos Sci 14 141–162

    Google Scholar 

  • K-M Lau H Weng (2002) ArticleTitleRecurrent teleconnection patterns linking summer time precipitation variability over East China and North America. J Meteor Soc Japan 80 1309–1324 Occurrence Handle10.2151/jmsj.80.1309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • K-M Lau GJ Yang SH Shen (1988) ArticleTitleSeasonal and intraseaonal climatology of summer monsoon rainfall over East Asia. Mon Wea Rev 116 18–37 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0493(1988)116<0018:SAICOS>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • K-M Lau YH Ding JT Wang R Johnson R Cifelli J Gerlach O Thjiely T Rikenbach SC Tsay PH Lin (2000) ArticleTitleA report of the field operation and early results of the South China Sea monsoon experiment (SCSMEX). Bull Amer Meteor Soc 81 1261–1270 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0477(2000)081<1261:AROTFO>2.3.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li CY (2001) Activities of the summer monsoon over the South China Sea and its anomaly as well as influence. Research Project of the Environment and Resources. In: The South China Sea (Su Jilan, ed). China Ocean Press, 150 pp (in Chinese)

  • CY Li LP Zhang (1999) ArticleTitleActivity of the South China Sea summer monsoon and it effect. Acta Atmos Sinica 23 257–266

    Google Scholar 

  • PD Lian (1988) ArticleTitleIndian summer monsoon and rainfall in North China, Acta Meteorol Sinica 46 75–81

    Google Scholar 

  • JJ Liu YH Ding JH He (2003) ArticleTitleThe structure analysis of a typical Meiyu front. Acta Meteorol Sinica 61 291–301

    Google Scholar 

  • XD Liu M Yanai (2002) ArticleTitleInfluence of Eurasian spring snow cover on Asian summer rainfall. Int J Climatol 22 1075–1089 Occurrence Handle10.1002/joc.784

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • YM Liu JCL Chan JY Mao GX Wu (2002) ArticleTitleThe role of Bay of Bengal convection in the onset of the 1998 South China Sea summer monsoon. Mon Wea Rev 130 2731–2744 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0493(2002)130<2731:TROBOB>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • HB Luo M Yanai (1984) ArticleTitleThe large-scale circulation and heat sources over the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding areas during the early summer of 1979, part II: Heat and moisture budgets. Mon Wea Rev 112 966–989 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0493(1984)112<0966:TLSCAH>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma JY, Chan JCL (2004) Intraseasonal variability of the South China Sea summer monsoon. J Climate (accepted)

  • KY Ma LF Bosart (1987) ArticleTitleA synoptic overview of a heavy rain event in southern China. Wea Forecast 2 89–112 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0434(1987)002<0089:ASOOAH>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maddox (1983) Large-scale meteorological conditions associated with midlatitude, mesoscale convective complexes. Mon Wea Rev 111 1475–1493

  • J Matsumoto (1997) ArticleTitleSeasonal transition of summer rainy season over Indochina and adjacent monsoon region. Adv Atmos Sci 14 231–245

    Google Scholar 

  • S Matsumoto K Ninomiya (1971) ArticleTitleOn the meso-scale and medium-scale structure of a cold front and the relevant vertical circulation. J Meteor Soc Japan 49 648–662

    Google Scholar 

  • D Miller JM Fritch (1991) ArticleTitleMesoscale convective complexes in the western Pacific region. Mon Wea Rev 119 2978–2992 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0493(1991)119<2978:MCCITW>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MQ Mu CY Li (2000) ArticleTitleOn the outbreak of the South China sea summer monsoon in 1998 and activities of the atmospheric intraseasonal oscillation. Clim Environ Res 5 375–387

    Google Scholar 

  • T Murakami YH Ding (1982) ArticleTitleWind and temperature changes over Eurasia during the early summer of 1979. J Meteorol Soc Japan 60 183–196

    Google Scholar 

  • National Climate Center of China (1998) Heavy flooding and climate anomalies in China in 1998. China Meteorological Press 139 pp

  • CW Newton (1956) ArticleTitleMechanisms of circulation change during a lee cyclogenesis. J Meteorol 13 528–539

    Google Scholar 

  • K Ninomiya (2000) ArticleTitleLarge- and meso-±-scale characteristics of Meiyu-Baiu front associated with intense rainfalls in 1–10 July 1991. J Meteor Soc Japan 78 141–157

    Google Scholar 

  • Ninomiya K (2004) Large- and mesoscale features of Meiyu-Baiu front associated with intense rainfalls. In: The East Asian Monsoon (Chang CP, ed). Singapore: World Scientific, 560 pp

  • Ninomiya K, Murakami T (1987) The early summer rainy season (Baiu) over Japan. In: Monsoon meteorology (Chang C-P, Krishnamurti TN, eds). Oxford Univ. Press, pp 93–121

  • K Ninomiya H Muraki (1986) ArticleTitleLarge scale circulation over East Asia during Baiu period of 1979. J Meteor Soc Japan 64 409–429

    Google Scholar 

  • TS Nitta (1986) ArticleTitleLong-term variations of cloud amount in the western Pacific region. J Meteor Soc Japan 64 373–390

    Google Scholar 

  • T-H Oh W-T Kwon S-B Ryoo (1997) ArticleTitleReview of the researches on Changma and future observational study (KORMEX). Adv Atmos Sci 14 207–222

    Google Scholar 

  • WH Qian DK Lee (2000) ArticleTitleSeasonal march of Asian summer monsoon. Int J Climatol 20 1371–1378 Occurrence Handle10.1002/1097-0088(200009)20:11<1371::AID-JOC538>3.0.CO;2-V

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • WH Qian H-S Kang D-K Lee (2002) ArticleTitleDistribution of seasonal rainfall in the East Asian monsoon region. Theor Appl Climatol 73 151–168 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s00704-002-0679-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • N Saito (1995) ArticleTitleQuasi-stationary waves in mid-latitudes and Baiu in Japan. J Meteor Soc Japan 63 983–995

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun Y (2002) A study of 1998 anomalous summer monsoon activity and its mechanism. Ph.D. thesis, 280 pp. Available from National Climate Center, CMA, Beijing (in Chinese)

  • Tao S, Chen L (1987) A review of recent research on the East Asian summer monsoon. In: China, Monsoon meteorology (Chang C-P, Krishnamurti TN, eds). Oxford University Press, 60–92

  • B Wang H Lin (2002) ArticleTitleRainy season of the Asian-Pacific summer monsoon. J Climate 15 386–396 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0442(2002)015<0386:RSOTAP>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • B Wang I Orlanski (1987) ArticleTitleStudy of a heavy rain vortex formed over the eastern flank of the Tibetan Plateau. Mon Wea Rev 115 1370–1393 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0493(1987)115<1370:SOAHRV>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • B Wang XH Xu (1997) ArticleTitleNorthern Hemisphere summer monsoon singularities and climatological intraseasonal oscillation. J Climate 10 1071–1085 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0442(1997)010<1071:NHSMSA>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • B Wang R Wu X Fu (2000) ArticleTitlePacific-East Asian teleconnection: How does ENSO affect East Asian Climate? J Climate 13 1517–1536 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0442(2000)013<1517:PEATHD>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ST Wang (1970) ArticleTitleOn the plum rain in Taiwan. Quart J Meteor 44 14–22

    Google Scholar 

  • W Wang YH Kuo TT Warner (1993) ArticleTitleA diabatically driven mesoscale vortex in the lee of the Tibetan Plateau. Mon Wea Rev 121 2542–2561 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0493(1993)121<2542:ADDMVI>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • H Weng K-M Lau Y Xue (1999) ArticleTitleMulti-scale summer rainfall variability over China and its long-term link to global sea-surface temperature. J Meteor Soc Japan 77 845–857

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu CW, Chen GTJ (1988) Composite structure of environment conditions associated with MCCs in Taiwan Mei-Yu season. Proc. Conf. on Weather Analysis and Forecasting, Central Weather Bureau, Taipei, 95–106 (in Chinese with English abstract). [Available from the Central Weather Bureau, 64 Kung Yuan Rd., Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.]

  • R Wu B Wang (2001) ArticleTitleMulti-stage onset of the summer monsoon over the Western North Pacific. Clim Dyn 17 277–289 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s003820000118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • RG Wu (2002) ArticleTitleA mid-latitude Asian circulation anomaly pattern in boreal summer and its connection with the Indian and East Asian summer monsoons. Int J Climatol 22 1879–1895 Occurrence Handle10.1002/joc.845

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • XK Xiang JX Jiang (1995) ArticleTitleMesoscale convective complexes over the southern China mainland. J Appl Meteorol 6 9–17

    Google Scholar 

  • YP Xie et al. (1956) ArticleTitleA study of several precipitating weather systems in summer in China. Acta Meteorol Sinica 27 1–23

    Google Scholar 

  • GQ Xu QG Zhu (2002) ArticleTitleFeature analysis of summer monsoon LFO over the SCS in 1998. J Tropical Meteor 18 309–316

    Google Scholar 

  • Yasunari T (ed) (2001) Scientific Report I: GEWEX Asian Monsoon Experiment (GAME). GAME Publication No. 29, 605 pp. Also available as special issue of J Meteor Soc Japan, vol 79, no. 1B

  • Yeh TC, Tao SY, Li MC (1959) The abrupt change of circulation over the Northern Hemisphere during June and October. In: The atmosphere and the sea in motion (Bolin B, ed). New York: Rockefeller Inst. Press, pp 249–267

  • Zhang BC (1990) A study of the Meiyu rainstorms over the Yangtze valley. China Meteorological Press, 269 (in Chinese)

  • QY Zhang SY Tao (1998) ArticleTitleInfluence of Asian mid-high latitude circulation on East Asian summer rainfall. Acta Meteorol Sinica 56 199–211

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y, Li T, Wang B (2003) Decadal change of snow depth over the Tibetan plateau in spring: The associated circulation and its relationship to the East Asian, summer monsoon. J Climate (submitted)

  • Zhang ZQ, Chan CLJ, Ding YH (2004) Characteristics, evolution and mechanisms of the summer monsoon onset over Southeast Asia. Int J Climatol (accepted)

  • BZ Zhu YH Ding HB Luo (1990) ArticleTitleA review of the atmospheric general circulation and monsoon in East Asia. Acta Meteorol Sinica 48 4–16

    Google Scholar 

  • KZ Zhu (1934) ArticleTitleMonsoons in Southeast Asia and rainfall amount in China. Acta Geogr Sinica 1 1–27

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Climate Center, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, China

    Ding Yihui

  2. Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Johnny C. L. Chan

Authors
  1. Ding Yihui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Johnny C. L. Chan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yihui, D., Chan, J. The East Asian summer monsoon: an overview. Meteorol. Atmos. Phys. 89, 117–142 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-005-0125-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-005-0125-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation