Abstract
The climatological characteristics and interdecadal variability of the water vapor transport and budget over the Yellow River-Huaihe River valleys (YH1) and the Yangtze River-Huaihe River valleys (YH2) of East China were investigated in this study, using the NCEP/NCAR monthly mean reanalysis datasets from 1979 to 2009. Changes in the water vapor transport pattern occurred during the late 1990s over YH1 (YH2) that corresponded with the recent interdecadal changes in the eastern China summer precipitation pattern. The net moisture influx in the YH1 increased and the net moisture influx in the YH2 decreased during 2000–2009 in comparison to 1979–1999. Detailed features in the moisture flux and transport changes across the four boundaries were explored. The altered water vapor transport over the two domains can be principally attributed to the additive effects of the changes in the confluent southwesterly moisture flow by the Indian summer monsoon and East Asian summer monsoon (related with the eastward recession of the western Pacific subtropical high). The altered water vapor transport over YH1 was also partly caused by the weakened midlatitude westerlies.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Boos, W. R., and Z. M. Kuang, 2010: Dominant control of the South Asian monsoon by orographic insulation versus plateau heating. Nature, 463, 218–222, doi: 10.1038/nature08707.
Chang, C.-P., Y. S. Zhang, and T. Li, 2000: Interannual and interdecadal variations of the East Asian Summer Monsoon and tropical Pacific SSTs. Part II: Meridional structure of the monsoon. J. Climate, 13, 4326–4340.
Chen, T.-C., M.-C. Yen, and M. Murakami, 1988: The water vapor transport associated with the 30–50 day oscillation over the Asian monsoon regions during 1979 summer. Mon. Wea. Rev., 116, 1983–2002.
Cheng, H., R. L. Edwards, W. S. Broecher, G. H. Denton, X. G. Kong, Y. J. Wang, R. Zhang, and X. F. Wang, 2009: Ice age terminations. Science, 326, 248–252, doi: 10.1126/science.1177840.
Ding, Y. H., and J. C. L. Chan, 2005: The East Asian summer monsoon: an overview. Meteor. Atmos. Phys., 89, 117–142, doi: 10.1007/s00703-005-0125-z.
Ding, Y. H., Y. Sun, Z. Y. Wang, Y. X. Zhu, and Y. F. Song, 2009: Inter-decadal variation of the summer precipitation in China and its association with decreasing Asian summer monsoon Part II: Possible causes. International Journal of Climatology, 29, 1926–1944, doi:10.1002/joc.1759.
Gong, D.-Y., and C.-H. Ho, 2002: Shift in the summer rainfall over the Yangtze River valley in the late 1970s. Geophys. Res. Lett., 29(10), doi: 10.1029/2001GL014523.
Han, J. P., and H. J. Wang, 2007: Interdecadal variability of the East Asian summer monsoon in an AGCM. Adv. Atmos. Sci., 24(5), 808–818, doi: 10.1007/s00376-007-0808-0.
He, J. H., C. H. Sun, Y. Y. Liu, J. Matsumoto, and W. J. Li, 2007: Seasonal transition features of large-scale moisture transport in the Asian-Australian monsoon region. Adv. Atmos. Sci., 24(1), 1–14, doi: 10.1007/s00376-007-0001-5.
Hu, Z.-Z., 1997: Interdecadal variability of summer climate over East Asia and its association with 500 hPa height and global sea surface temperature. J. Geophys. Res., 102(D16), 19403–19412.
James, R., M. Bonazzola, B. Legras, K. Surbled, and S. Fueglistaler, 2008: Water vapor transport and dehydration above convective outflow during Asian monsoon. Geophys. Res. Lett., 35(L20810), doi: 10.1029/2008GL035441.
Li, H.-Y., Z.-H. Lin, and H. Chen, 2009a: Interdecadal variability of spring precipitation over South China and its associated atmospheric water vapor transport. Atmos. Oceanic Sci. Lett., 2(2), 113–118.
Li, S. C., D. L. Li, P. Zhao, and G. Q. Zhang, 2009b: The climatic characteristics of vapor transportation in rainy season of the origin area of three rivers in Qinhai-Xizang Plateau. Acta Meteorologica Sinica, 67(4), 591–598. (in Chinese)
Liu, Y. J., Y. H. Ding, Y. F. Song, and J. Zhang, 2009: Climatological characteristics of the moisture budget and their anomalies over the joining area of Asia and the Indian-Pacific Ocean. Adv. Atmos. Sci., 26(4), 642–655, doi: 10.1007/s00376-009-9010-x.
Ma, J.-J., and X.-Q. Gao, 2006: The transportation paths of water vapor and its relation to climate change over North China. Plateau Meteorology, 25(5), 893–899. (in Chinese)
Park, C.-K., and S. D. Schubert, 1997: On the nature of the 1994 east Asian summer drought. J. Climate, 10, 1056–1070.
Samel, A. N., W.-C. Wang, and X. Z. Liang, 1999: The monsoon rain band over China and relationships with the Eurasian circulation. J. Climate, 12, 115–131.
Severinghaus, J. P., 2009: Monsoons and meltdowns. Science, 326, 240–241, doi: 10.1126/science.1179941.
Shi, X. Y., X. H. Shi, and J. F. Mao, 2009: Interdecadal variation of water vapor transport over East Asia and its impacts on rainfall over eastern China in summer. Acta Geographica Sinica, 64(7), 861–870. (in Chinese)
Simmonds, I., D. H. Bi, and P. Hope, 1999: Atmospheric water vapor flux and its association with rainfall over China in summer. J. Climate, 12, 1353–1367.
Sun, L., B. Z. Shen, Z. T. Gao, B. Sui, L. S. Bai, S.-H. Wang, G. An, and J. Li, 2007: The impacts of moisture transport of East Asian monsoon on summer precipitation in Northeast China. Adv. Atmos. Sci., 24(4), 606–618, doi: 10.1007/s00376-007-0606-8.
Wang, H. J., 2001: The weakening of the Asian monsoon circulation after the end of 1970’s. Adv. Atmos. Sci., 18(3), 376–386.
Wang, H. J., 2002: Instability of the East Asian summer monsoon-ENSO relations. Adv. Atmos. Sci., 19, 1–11.
Wang, Y. Q., and L. Zhou, 2005: Observed trends in extreme precipitation events in China during 1961–2001 and the associated changes in large-scale circulation. Geophys. Res. Lett., 32(L09707), doi: 10.1029/2005GL022574.
Wei, J., Z.-H. Lin, J. Xia, and S.-Y. Tao, 2005: Interannual and interdecadal variability of atmospheric water vapor transport in the Haihe River basin. Pedosphere, 15(5), 585–594.
Wu, R., Z.-P. Wen, S. Yang, and Y.-Q. Li, 2010: An interdecadal change in southern China summer rainfall around 1992–93. J. Climate, 23, 2389–2403, doi: 10.1175/2009JCLI3336.1.
Xu, X. D., L. S. Chen, X. R. Wang, Q. J. Miao, and S. Y. Tao, 2004: Moisture transport source/sink structure of the Meiyu rain belt along the Yangtze River valley. Chinese Science Bulletin, 49(2), 181–188.
Zhai, P. M., and R. E. Eskridge, 1997: Atmospheric water vapor over China. J. Climate, 10, 2643–2652.
Zhang, R. H., 2001: Relations of water vapor transport from Indian monsoon with that over East Asia and the summer rainfall in China. Adv. Atmos. Sci., 18(5), 1005–1017.
Zhao, P., R. H. Zhang, J. P. Liu, X. J. Zhou, and J. H. He, 2007: Onset of southwesterly wind over eastern China and associated atmospheric circulation and rainfall. Climate Dyn., 28, 797–811, doi: 10.1007/s00382-006-0212-y.
Zhou, B. T., and H. J. Wang, 2006: Relationship between the boreal spring Hadley circulation and the summer precipitation in the Yangtze River valley. J. Geophys. Res., 111(D16109), doi: 10.1029/2005JD007006.
Zhou, T. J., and R. C. Yu, 2005: Atmospheric water vapor transport associated with typical anomalous summer rainfall patterns in China. J. Geophys. Res., 110(D08104), doi: 10.1029/2004JD005413.
Zhu, Y. L., H. J. Wang, J. H. Ma, and W. Zhou, 2010: Recent changes in the summer precipitation pattern in East China and the background circulation. Climate Dyn., doi: 10.1007/s00382-010-0852-9.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sun, B., Zhu, Y. & Wang, H. The recent interdecadal and interannual variation of water vapor transport over eastern China. Adv. Atmos. Sci. 28, 1039–1048 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-010-0093-1
Received:
Revised:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-010-0093-1