Effects on Asian monsoon of gigantic qinghai-xizang plateau and Western Pacific warm pool

Abstract

A GCM study is performed of the effects on Asian summer monsoon initiation of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and western Pacific warm pool, results show that the Plateau, being a prominent sensible heat source, acts as a basic factor for the formation of the monsoon circulation; the northward transported low-latitude and low-level warm, moist flow in relation to the sensible heating experiences dynamic lifting on the south and east sides of the highland, releasing vast quantities of latent heat through condensation, whereby the monsoon circulation pattern is further modulated; the temperature contrast between the Pacific warm pool and the Australian/marine continents serves as another basic factor for the northern SW summer monsoon genesis over the South-China Sea-the western Pacific, which, however, falls into a category of winter monsoon on a physical basis.