Change in Relationship between the East Asian Winter Monsoon and the East Asian Jet Stream during the 1998–99 Regime Shift

A composite analysis was conducted on the reanalysis dataset for 1979–2016, along with an idealized model experiment to show that the relationship between the East Asian jet stream (EAJS) and the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) is nonstationary. The relationship between EAWM and the EAJS weakened during the late 1990s. This decadal change in the EAJS–EAWM relationship was mainly due to a change in the secondary circulation across the EAJS between two contrasting periods, induced by the northward shift of the EAJS. A possible mechanism associated with the decadal change in meridional displacement of the EAJS is proposed. The enhanced convective activity in the western tropical Pacific after the late 1990s results in stronger Hadley circulation that could have contributed to the northward displacement of the Hadley circulation boundary latitude. Subsequently, this leads to the northward shift of the EAJS. Therefore, it is necessary to define a new EAJS index to account for the EAWM variability based on the change in the oceanic and atmospheric mean state across the late 1990s.

Roles of Intraseasonal Disturbances and Diabatic Heating in the East Asian Jet Stream Variabilities Associated with the East Asian Winter Monsoon

This study evaluates the relative importance of diabatic heating and intraseasonal disturbances with regard to the variabilities of the East Asian jet stream (EAJS) associated with the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM). First, strong and weak monsoon years are selected based on the EAWM index of Jhun and Lee, which is highly correlated with the monsoon northerlies between the Eurasian continent and the Pacific. The EAJS is stronger and narrower in strong monsoon years and weaker and wider in weak monsoon years. Model experiments were performed to investigate the atmospheric response to the diabatic heating and the eddy–mean flow feedback from the intraseasonal disturbances. The diabatic heating is closely related to the convective activities. The intraseasonal disturbances include high-frequency components with periods of 3–10 days and low-frequency components with periods of 10–90 days. The model results indicate that the diabatic heating plays a major role maintaining the stronger and weaker EAJS in the strong and weak monsoon years, respectively, whereas the impacts of the eddy feedback are relatively small.

Effects of Different Configurations of the East Asian Subtropical and Polar Front Jets on Precipitation during the Mei-Yu Season

Observational analysis indicates that the East Asian jet stream consists of two separate branches: the East Asian subtropical jet (EASJ) and the East Asian polar front jet (EAPJ). The impacts of different intensity configurations of the EASJ and EAPJ on precipitation during the mei-yu season are investigated using the NCEP–NCAR Reanalysis Project (NNRP) dataset and daily gauge observations in East China. The intensity and location of precipitation are associated with different configurations of the EASJ and EAPJ. Precipitation intensity increases with intensification of the EASJ and EAPJ. The rainband is located to the north of the mei-yu region when the EASJ intensifies and the EAPJ weakens. Further analyses indicate that the intensity changes of the EASJ and EAPJ are linked to the cold and warm airmass activities. For cases with strong EASJ and EAPJ, both the warm-moist and cold air masses are active. When the warm-moist and cold air masses meet near 30°N, abundant precipitation occurs in the Yangtze-Huai River basin (YHRB). For cases with weak EASJ and EAPJ, both the cold and warm-moist air masses are inactive, and no significant precipitation occurs in the YHRB. For cases with strong EASJ and weak EAPJ, the warm-moist air mass moves northward while the cold air mass is weak. Precipitation concentrates to the north of YHRB. For cases with weak EASJ and strong EAPJ, cold air extends farther south while the warm-moist air mass is inactive. Precipitation occurs to the south of YHRB.