scholarly journals Large-Scale Dynamics of the Meiyu-Baiu Rainband: Environmental Forcing by the Westerly Jet*

2010 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takeaki Sampe ◽  
Shang-Ping Xie
Keyword(s):  
Convective Instability ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Eastern China ◽  
Warm Pool ◽  
Central China ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
The South ◽  
Reanalysis Dataset ◽  
Environmental Forcing ◽  
Westerly Jet

Abstract Meiyu-baiu is the major rainy season from central China to Japan brought by a zonally elongated rainband from June to mid-July. Large-scale characteristics and environmental forcing of this important phenomenon are investigated based on a reanalysis dataset. The meiyu-baiu rainband is accompanied by a trough of sea level pressure, horizontal shears, and sharp moisture gradients near the surface, a westerly jet tilted northward with height, and large northeastward moisture transport from the south. The analysis here reveals the westerly jet as an important culprit for meiyu-baiu. Along the rainband, mean ascending motion corresponds well with a band of warm horizontal temperature advection in the midtroposphere throughout summer. This adiabatic induction of upward motion originates from the advection of warm air by the westerlies from the eastern flank of the Tibetan Plateau. The ascending motion both induces convection and is enhanced by the resultant condensational heating. The westerly jet anchors the meiyu-baiu rainband also by steering transient eddies, creating periods conducive to convection through convective instability and adiabatic updrafts. Indeed, in meiyu-baiu, the probability distribution of convective instability shows large spreads and is strongly skewed, with a sharp cutoff on the unstable side resulting from the effective removal of instability by convection. Thus, active weather disturbances in the westerly waveguide explain a paradox that convection is active in the meiyu-baiu rainband while mean convective instability is significantly higher to the south over the subtropical North Pacific warm pool. In addition to the westerly jet, low-level southerly winds over eastern China between the heat low over Asia and the subtropical high pressure belt over the Pacific are another important environmental forcing for meiyu-baiu by supplying moisture. A conceptual model for meiyu-baiu is presented, and its implications for seasonal and interannual variations are discussed.

Palaeomagnetic constraints on Himalayan-Tibetan tectonic evolution

1988 ◽  
Vol 326 (1589) ◽  
pp. 177-188 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
South China ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Eastern China ◽  
Crustal Thickening ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
South China Block ◽  
The South ◽  
Palaeomagnetic Data

Palaeomagnetic data from the Lhasa, Qiangtang and Kunlun Terranes of the Tibetan Plateau are used with data from stable Eurasia, eastern China and Indochina, to test different models of crustal thickening in the Tibetan Plateau, to attempt a Carboniferous palaeogeographic reconstruction, and to calculate the relative motion between the South China Block and the Indochina Block. The data suggest that since the onset of the India—Eurasia collision, the Lhasa Terrane has moved 2000 + 800 km north with respect to stable Eurasia. This indicates that strong internal defomation must have taken place in southern Eurasia since the collision, and thus challenges the model of large-scale underthrusting of the Indian subcontinent beneath the Tibetan Plateau as the mechanism for crustal thickening in Tibet. Palaeomagnetic results from the Kunlun Terrane show that it was at 22° south latitude during the Carboniferous. A Carboniferous reconstruction is presented in which the Kunlun and Qiangtang Terranes, several Indochina terranes, and the North and South China Blocks are grouped together. These units of continental crust all share the specific tropical and subtropical Cathaysian flora, and the group is therefore called the Cathaysian composite continent. To test the model of propagating extrusion tectonics, we have used newly available palaeomagnetic results from South China and Indochina to calculate probable displacements. This exercise suggests a rotation of about 8° of Indochina with respect to the South China Block that is smaller than the predicted rotation of 40°, A large eastward translation of the South China Block relative to the Indochina Block of about 1500 km is consistent with the palaeomagnetic data.

scholarly journals Orographically Anchored El Niño Effect on Summer Rainfall in Central China

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (24) ◽  
pp. 10037-10045 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaiming Hu ◽  
Shang-Ping Xie ◽  
Gang Huang
Keyword(s):  
El Niño ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Rainfall Variability ◽  
Eastern China ◽  
Summer Rainfall ◽  
Central China ◽  
Northwest Pacific ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Rainfall Anomalies

Year-to-year variations in summer precipitation have great socioeconomic impacts on China. Historical rainfall variability over China is investigated using a newly released high-resolution dataset. The results reveal summer-mean rainfall anomalies associated with ENSO that are anchored by mountains in central China east of the Tibetan Plateau. These orographically anchored hot spots of ENSO influence are poorly represented in coarse-resolution datasets so far in use. In post–El Niño summers, an anomalous anticyclone forms over the tropical northwest Pacific, and the anomalous southwesterlies on the northwest flank cause rainfall to increase in mountainous central China through orographic lift. At upper levels, the winds induce additional adiabatic updraft by increasing the eastward advection of warm air from Tibet. In post–El Niño summers, large-scale moisture convergence induces rainfall anomalies elsewhere over flat eastern China, which move northward from June to August and amount to little in the seasonal mean.

Dynamic and Thermodynamic Relations of Distinctive Stratus Clouds on the Lee Side of the Tibetan Plateau in the Cold Season

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (21) ◽  
pp. 8378-8391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Zhang ◽  
Rucong Yu ◽  
Jian Li ◽  
Weihua Yuan ◽  
Minghua Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Eastern China ◽  
Cold Season ◽  
Water Vapor Transport ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Primary Role ◽  
Moist Air ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Stratus Clouds

Abstract Given the large discrepancies that exist in climate models for shortwave cloud forcing over eastern China (EC), the dynamic (vertical motion and horizontal circulation) and thermodynamic (stability) relations of stratus clouds and the associated cloud radiative forcing in the cold season are examined. Unlike the stratus clouds over the southeastern Pacific Ocean (as a representative of marine boundary stratus), where thermodynamic forcing plays a primary role, the stratus clouds over EC are affected by both dynamic and thermodynamic factors. The Tibetan Plateau (TP)-forced low-level large-scale lifting and high stability over EC favor the accumulation of abundant saturated moist air, which contributes to the formation of stratus clouds. The TP slows down the westerly overflow through a frictional effect, resulting in midlevel divergence, and forces the low-level surrounding flows, resulting in convergence. Both midlevel divergence and low-level convergence sustain a rising motion and vertical water vapor transport over EC. The surface cold air is advected from the Siberian high by the surrounding northerly flow, causing low-level cooling. The cooling effect is enhanced by the blocking of the YunGui Plateau. The southwesterly wind carrying warm, moist air from the east Bay of Bengal is uplifted by the HengDuan Mountains via topographical forcing; the midtropospheric westerly flow further advects the warm air downstream of the TP, moistening and warming the middle troposphere on the lee side of the TP. The low-level cooling and midlevel warming together increase the stability. The favorable dynamic and thermodynamic large-scale environment allows for the formation of stratus clouds over EC during the cold season.

scholarly journals Spatio-Temporal Variations of Water Vapor Budget over the Tibetan Plateau in Summer and Its Relationship with the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 828
Author(s):  
Deli Meng ◽  
Qing Dong ◽  
Fanping Kong ◽  
Zi Yin ◽  
Yanyan Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Warm Pool ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Southern Boundary ◽  
Pacific Warm Pool ◽  
Water Vapor Budget

The water vapor budget (WVB) over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is closely related to the large-scale atmospheric moisture transportation of the surrounding mainland and oceans, especially for the Indo-Pacific warm pool (IPWP). However, the procession linkage between the WVBs over the TP and its inner basins and IPWP has not been sufficiently elucidated. In this study, the relationship between the summer WVB over the TP and the IPWP was quantitatively investigated using reanalysis datasets and satellite-observed sea surface temperature (SST). The results show that: (1) the mean total summer vapor budget (WVBt) over the TP in the period of 1979–2018 was 72.5 × 106 kg s−1. Additionally, for the 13 basins within the TP, the summer WVB has decreased from southeast to northwest; the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin had the highest WVB (33.7%), followed by the Upper Yangtze River Basin, Ganges River Basin and Qiangtang Plateau. (2) For the past several decades, the WVBt over the TP has experienced an increasing trend (3.81 × 106 kg s−1 decade−1), although the southern boundary budget (WVBs) contributed the most and is most closely related with the WVBt, while the eastern boundary budget (WVBe) experienced a decreasing trend (4.21 × 106 kg s−1 decade−1) which was almost equal to the interdecadal variations of the WVBt. (3) For the IPWP, we defined a new warm pool index of surface latent heat flux (WPI-slhf), and found that an increasing WPI-slhf would cause an anticyclone anomaly in the equatorial western Indian Ocean (near 70° E), resulting in the increased advent of water vapor to the TP. (4) On the interdecadal scale, the correlation coefficients of the variation of the summer WVBt over the TP with the WPI-slhf and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) signal were 0.86 and 0.85, respectively (significant at the 0.05% level). Therefore, the warming and the increasing slhf of the IPWP would significantly contribute to the increasing WVB of the TP in recent decades.

The Evolution Process of Warm Season Intense Regional Rainfall Events in Yaan

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuelin Hu
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Central China ◽  
Evolution Process ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Clockwise Rotation ◽  
Maximum Rainfall ◽  
Rainfall Events ◽  
Intense Precipitation ◽  
Regional Rainfall

<p>Accurate simulation and prediction of intense precipitation events require better understanding of their physical mechanisms. This study uses Yaan—a place with regional maximum rainfall in central China—to investigate the cause and process of intense precipitation. Hourly rain gauge records and the new ERA5 reanalysis are used to characterize the evolution process of warm season intense regional rainfall events (RREs) in Yaan and its associated three-dimensional circulation. Results show that before the start of the Yaan intense RREs, moderate rainfall amount (frequency) appears northeast of the key region. The rainfall then moves southward in the following several hours along the eastern periphery of the Tibetan Plateau where it reaches peak. It then moves to and end up in the south and southeast Sichuan Basin. The progression of the RREs is found to be associated with a counter-clockwise rotation of anomalous surface winds associated with a developing mesoscale surface low-pressure center, which is further associated with the southeastward progression of a large-scale synoptic scale wave. The easterly phase of the winds in the counter-clockwise rotation causes upslope motion perpendicularly toward the terrain that leads to maximum rainfall. The findings illustrate how large-scale circulations, mesoscale systems, and specific topographic features interact to create the RREs evolution in Yaan.</p>

Variabilities of sea level components over the South China Sea based on multi-sensor satellite observations

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Sha ◽  
Xiaoming Li
Keyword(s):  
South China Sea ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
South China ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Seawater Temperature ◽  
Warm Pool ◽  
The South China Sea ◽  
The South ◽  
China Sea ◽  
Relative Contribution

<p>Seawater temperature and salinity are the two key parameters related to the regional sea level variability. In this study, the spatial-temporal variabilities of the thermal and halo steric height over the South China Sea (SCS) are investigated using multi-senor satellite remote sensing products, in-situ measurements and reanalysis. The sea surface temperature and salinity products are used to reconstruct the upper layer sea level components, and the relative contribution of these two components are quantified. It is revealed that the thermal and halo components vary in an out-of-phase pattern, and dominant different regions within SCS. Variabilities of the sea level components on different timescale are further analyzed, and the linkage with large scale processes, such as the indo-pacific warm pool, will be presented.</p>

scholarly journals Climate modulation of the Tibetan Plateau on haze in China

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 1365-1375 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Xu ◽  
T. Zhao ◽  
F. Liu ◽  
S. L. Gong ◽  
D. Kristovich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Eastern China ◽  
Atmospheric Stability ◽  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Pollutant Emissions ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Thermal Forcing ◽  
Haze Pollution

Abstract. Rapid increases in pollutant emissions in conjunction with stagnant meteorological conditions result in haze pollution in China. Recent frequent haze in China has attracted worldwide attention. Here we show a relationship between the haze events and Tibetan Plateau (TP)'s environment and climate changes. Based on observational data taken over recent decades, we identify central-eastern China (CEC) as a climatological large-scale “susceptible region” of frequent haze, which is harbored by the TP with its impact on midlatitude westerly winds. The observational and modeling studies demonstrate that the interannual variations in the thermal forcing of TP are positively correlated with the incidences of wintertime haze over CEC. Further analysis indicates that the climate warming of the TP induced changes in atmospheric circulation, driving frequent haze events in CEC. The frequent haze occurrences in CEC are consistent with decreasing winter monsoon winds, intensifying downward air flows and increasing atmospheric stability in the lower troposphere over the CEC in association with upstream plateau's thermal anomalies. Therefore, variations of haze in China are related to mechanical and thermal forcing by the TP. Our results also suggest that implications of the large TP topography for environment and climate changes should be taken into account for air pollution mitigation policies in China.

scholarly journals Large-scale atmospheric circulation control on stable water isotopes in precipitation over the northwestern and southeastern Tibetan Plateau

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoxin Yang ◽  
Sunil Acharya ◽  
Tandong Yao
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Atmospheric Circulation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Asian Summer Monsoon ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Stable Water Isotopes ◽  
South Asian Summer Monsoon ◽  
Westerly Jet ◽  
Large Scale Atmospheric Circulation

Abstract. The mid-latitude westerlies and South Asian Summer Monsoon (SASM) are two major atmospheric circulation systems influencing the Tibetan Plateau (TP). We report a seven-year (2007/2008–2013/2014) dataset of δ18O in precipitation (δ18Op) collected at three stations. Taxkorgan (TX) and Bulunkou (BLK) are located on the northwestern TP where westerly winds dominate while Lulang (LL) is situated on the southeastern TP where the SASM dominates. δ18O in precipitation (δ18Op) in northwestern TP varies with surface temperature (T) throughout the study period, and is depleted in 18O in precipitation during June to September when the monsoonal circulation enters the TP. Integration with model outputs suggests that large-scale atmospheric circulation plays a major role in isotopic seasonality in both regions. A teleconnection between precipitation on the northwestern TP and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) warm phase is suggested by changes in the relationship between δ18O and δD (e.g., reduced slope and weighted d-excess) in precipitation samples. These observations are indicative of a weakening of the mid-latitude westerly jet allowing local processes in the continental interior to become more dominant, thereby increasing the contribution of secondary evaporation from falling raindrops and kinetic fractionation. Under the conditions of a high Northern Annular Mode (NAM) the westerly jet is intensified over the southeastern TP which enhances local evaporation and continental recycling as revealed by a lower δD-δ18O slope and intercept, but higher d-excess average in contemporaneously collected precipitation samples. The significant correlation between T and δ18Op in the northwestern TP during various composite periods highlights a variation from 0.39 ‰ / ℃ (ENSO warm) to 0.77 ‰ / ℃ (high NAM), attributable to decreased (increased) water vapor availability over the northwestern TP during the ENSO warm (strong positive NAM) phase. ENSO cold and strong negative NAM phases show analogous effects on atmospheric circulation over both regions.

scholarly journals Multi-center prospective study on central line-associated bloodstream infections in 79 ICUs of China

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cui Zeng ◽  
Anhua Wu ◽  
Liuyi Li ◽  
Huixue Jia
Keyword(s):  
Bloodstream Infection ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Eastern China ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Central Line ◽  
Central China ◽  
Western China ◽  
Utilization Rate ◽  
Surveillance Network ◽  
Pediatric Icu

Abstract Background China has not yet established a national surveillance network such as NHSN from America, so there is still no large-scale investigations on central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) incidence. Several retrospective studies in China reported that the incidence of CLABSI varied due to inconsistent diagnostic criteria. We performed a nationwide survey to investigate the utilization rate of central venous catheters (CVCs) and the incidence of CLABSI in ICUs of different areas of China. Methods This is a prospective multi-center study. Patients admitted to ICUs with the use of CVCs between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2018 were enrolled in this study. Hospitals were given the definition of catheter-related bloodstream infection as: a laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infection where CVC was in place on the date of event or the day before. The characteristics of patients, information of catheterization, implementation rates of precautions, and CLABSIs were collected. The statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 25.0 software and website of Open Source Epidemiologic Statistics for Public Health. Results A total of 38,212 patients and 466,585 catheter days were involved in surveillance. The average CLABSI incidence in a thousand catheter days was 1.50, the lowest incidence unit was in pediatric ICU (0/1000 catheter days), and the lowest incidence area was in Northeast China (0.77/1000 catheter days), while the highest incidence unit was in cardiac ICU (2.48/1000 catheter days) and the highest incidence area was in Eastern China (1.62/1000 catheter days). The average utilization rate of CVC was 42.85%, the lowest utilization rate was in pediatric ICU (5.85%) and in Central China (38.05%), while the highest utilization rate was in surgical ICU (64.92%) and in Western China (51.57%). Among the 702 CLABSI cases reported, a total of 735 strains of pathogens were cultured. Staphylococcus spp. was the most common organism isolated (27.07%), followed by Enterobacteriaceae (22.31%). The implementation rates of all precautions showed an upward trend during the study period (P ≤ 0.001). Conclusion The average incidence of CLABSI in ICUs in China is 1.5/1000 catheter days, similar to the rates reported in developed countries but lower than previous reports in China. CLABSI incidence showed regional differences in China. It is necessary to implement targeted surveillance of CLABSI cases by using standardized CLABSI surveillance definitions and methodologies.

Dynamics of East Asian Spring Rainband and spring-autumn contrast: Environmental forcings of large-scale circulation

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-59
Author(s):  
Shi-Xin Wang ◽  
Hong-Chao Zuo ◽  
Fen Sun ◽  
Li-Yang Wu ◽  
Yixing Yin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Southern China ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Baroclinic Instability ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Reanalysis Dataset ◽  
Warm Advection ◽  
Westerly Jet ◽  
External Forcings

AbstractDynamics of the East Asian spring rainband are investigated with reanalysis dataset and station observations. Here, it is revealed that the rainband is anchored by external forcings. Midtropospheric jet core stays quasi-stationary around Japan. It has two branches in its entry region, which originate from the south and north flanks of Tibetan Plateau and then run northeastward and southeastward, respectively. The southern branch advects warm air from the Hengduan-Tibetan plateaus northeastwards, forming rainband over southern China through both causing adiabatic ascent motion and triggering diabatic feedback. The rainband is much stronger in spring than in autumn due to the stronger diabatic heating over Hengduan-Tibetan Plateau, more southward-displaced midtropospheric jet and resultant stronger warm advection over southern China. The northern jet branch forms a zonally-elongated cold advection belt, which reaches the maximum around northern China, and then weakens and extends eastwards towards east of Japan. The westerly jet also steers strong disturbance activities roughly collocated with the cold advection belt via baroclinic instability. The high disturbance activities belt causes large cumulative warm advections (CWA) through drastically increasing extremely warm-advection days in its eastern and south flank, where weak cold advection prevails. CWA is more essential for monthly/seasonally rainfall than conventionally-used time-average temperature advection because it is revealed that strengthened warm advection can increase rainfall through positive diabatic feedback, while cold advection cannot cause negative rainfall. Thus, the rainband is collocated with the large CWA belt instead of the 48 warm advection south of it. This rainband is jointed to the rainband over southern China, forming the long southwest-northeast-oriented East Asian spring rainband. Southeastward-increasing moisture slightly displaces the rainband southeastwards.

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