Interdecadal variation of spring snow depth over the Tibetan Plateau and its influence on summer rainfall over East China in the recent 30 years

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (12) ◽  
pp. 3654-3660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuxiang Zhu ◽  
Haiwen Liu ◽  
Yihui Ding ◽  
Fuying Zhang ◽  
Wei Li
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Snow Depth ◽  
Summer Rainfall ◽  
Interdecadal Variation ◽  
East China ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau

scholarly journals Observed Relationship of Spring and Summer East Asian Rainfall with Winter and Spring Eurasian Snow

2007 ◽  
Vol 20 (7) ◽  
pp. 1285-1304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renguang Wu ◽  
Ben P. Kirtman
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Snow Cover ◽  
Snow Depth ◽  
Snow Water Equivalent ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Southern China ◽  
Summer Rainfall ◽  
Wave Pattern ◽  
Summer Monsoon Rainfall ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau

Abstract This study investigates the relationship between spring and summer rainfall in East Asia and the preceding winter and spring snow cover/depth over Eurasia, using station rainfall observations, satellite-observed snow cover, satellite-derived snow water equivalent, and station observations of the number of days of snow cover and snow depth. Correlation analysis shows that snow-depth anomalies can persist from winter to spring whereas snow cover anomalies cannot in most regions of Eurasia. Locally, snow cover and snow-depth anomalies in February are not related in most regions to the north of 50°N, but those anomalies in April display consistent year-to-year variations. The results suggest that the winter snow cover cannot properly represent all the effects of snow and it is necessary to separate the winter and spring snow cover in addressing the snow–monsoon relationship. Spring snow cover in western Siberia is positively correlated with spring rainfall in southern China. The circulation anomalies associated with the western Siberian spring snow cover variations show an apparent wave pattern over the eastern Atlantic through Europe and midlatitude Asia. Spring snow cover over the Tibetan Plateau shows a moderate positive correlation with spring rainfall in southern China. Analysis shows that this correlation includes El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) effects. In contrast to the Indian summer monsoon rainfall for which the ENSO interferes with the snow effects, the Tibetan Plateau snow cover and ENSO work cooperatively to enhance spring rainfall anomalies in southern China. In comparison, ENSO has larger impacts than the snow on spring rainfall in southern China.

Trends in Summer Rainfall over China Associated with the Tibetan Plateau Sensible Heat Source during 1980–2008

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 261-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anmin Duan ◽  
Meirong Wang ◽  
Yonghui Lei ◽  
Yangfan Cui
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Heat Source ◽  
Snow Depth ◽  
Southern China ◽  
Summer Rainfall ◽  
Monsoon Circulation ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Sensible Heat ◽  
Local Circulation ◽  
Precipitation Events

Abstract The impacts of the thermal forcing over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) in spring on changes in summer rainfall in China are investigated using historical records from the period between 1980 and 2008. The spring sensible heat (SH) flux and snow depth over the TP both decreased over this time period, although the trend in SH was more significant than that in snow depth. The similarity between patterns of precipitation trends over China and corresponding patterns of regression coefficients on the leading mode of spring SH change over the TP demonstrates the distinct contribution of changes in TP SH during spring. Enhanced precipitation in southern China was accompanied by increases in heavy rainfall, precipitation intensity, and the frequency of precipitation events, while reduced precipitation in northern China and northeastern China was primarily associated with decreases in the frequency of precipitation events. Further analysis using observational data and numerical simulations reveals that the reductions in SH over the TP have weakened the monsoon circulation and postponed the seasonal reversal of the land–sea thermal contrast in East Asia. In addition, the positive spring SH anomaly may generate a stronger summer atmospheric heat source over the TP due to the positive feedback between diabatic heating and local circulation.

Teleconnection between Summer NAO and East China Rainfall Variations: A Bridge Effect of the Tibetan Plateau

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (16) ◽  
pp. 6433-6444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ziqian Wang ◽  
Song Yang ◽  
Ngar-Cheung Lau ◽  
Anmin Duan
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Rainfall Variability ◽  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Summer Rainfall ◽  
East China ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Thermal Forcing ◽  
Low Level ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Eurasian Teleconnection

Although the impact of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), especially the antecedent NAO in winter and spring, on East Asian summer climate has been studied extensively, the possible connection from the summer NAO (SNAO) and then the Tibetan Plateau (TP) to East China summer rainfall remains unclear. This study reveals that on interannual time scales the SNAO is significantly correlated with the variations of East China summer rainfall and the thermal forcing of the TP provides an intermediate bridge effect in this Eurasian teleconnection. The SNAO primarily regulates the rainfall variability over the TP through large-scale wave trains and the TP rainfall anomalies in turn lead to a change in local diabatic heating, which excites Rossby waves to the downstream regions. To the northeast of the TP, an anomalous barotropic cyclone is formed in the nearly entire troposphere, generating low-level northerly flow anomalies over northern China. Meanwhile, the TP heating also induces low-level southerly flow anomalies over southern China. The anomalous northerly and southerly winds converge in the lower troposphere, enhancing the summer rainfall over central East China. Compared to the SNAO, the TP thermal forcing exerts a more direct impact on the variations of East China summer rainfall in the Eurasian teleconnection discussed.

scholarly journals Spatio-Temporal Variation Characteristics of Snow Depth and Snow Cover Days over the Tibetan Plateau

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 307
Author(s):  
Chi Zhang ◽  
Naixia Mou ◽  
Jiqiang Niu ◽  
Lingxian Zhang ◽  
Feng Liu
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Snow Cover ◽  
Snow Depth ◽  
Feedback Effect ◽  
Effect Of Temperature ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Reanalysis Dataset ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Main Factor

Changes in snow cover over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) have a significant impact on agriculture, hydrology, and ecological environment of surrounding areas. This study investigates the spatio-temporal pattern of snow depth (SD) and snow cover days (SCD), as well as the impact of temperature and precipitation on snow cover over TP from 1979 to 2018 by using the ERA5 reanalysis dataset, and uses the Mann–Kendall test for significance. The results indicate that (1) the average annual SD and SCD in the southern and western edge areas of TP are relatively high, reaching 10 cm and 120 d or more, respectively. (2) In the past 40 years, SD (s = 0.04 cm decade−1, p = 0.81) and SCD (s = −2.3 d decade−1, p = 0.10) over TP did not change significantly. (3) The positive feedback effect of precipitation is the main factor affecting SD, while the negative feedback effect of temperature is the main factor affecting SCD. This study improves the understanding of snow cover change and is conducive to the further study of climate change on TP.

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