The diversity of La Niña decay and the corresponding spring and summer precipitation anomalies over eastern China

Abstract

The present study investigates the diversity of the La Niña decaying phase and the corresponding spring and summer precipitation anomalies over the eastern China. Based on the differences in sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) evolution during the La Niña decaying phase, 18 La Niña events in the period 1961–2016 are classified into three types—namely, the “persistent type” (P‐type), the “re‐intensified type” (R‐type), and the “fast‐decay type” (F‐type). Precipitation responses over eastern China during the decaying spring and summer of the three types of La Niña present significant differences. For the R‐type La Niña decaying spring, the enhanced precipitation appears over northeastern China but significant suppressed precipitation anomalies are observed elsewhere, particularly in Yellow River basin, the Yangtze River basin, and southeastern China. Significant negative precipitation anomaly appears over northeastern China in both P‐type and F‐type La Niña decaying spring. In the decaying summer, for P‐type La Niña, dry anomalies are apparent in southern and northern China. For R‐type La Niña, negative rainfall anomalies are notable in northeastern China, the Hetao region, and the middle reaches of the Yangtze River basin. For F‐type La Niña, significant negative rainfall anomalies are found over the Yangtze River basin and parts of northern China. The responses of the large‐scale circulation anomalies to the distinct SSTA patterns of the different types of La Niña are responsible for the diversity of rainfall anomalies over eastern China. The precipitation anomaly pattern in eastern China is closely associated with the different types of La Niña decay, and it is seasonal‐dependent. These two aspects should be taken into account when conducting seasonal predictions of spring and summer rainfall anomalies over eastern China using El Niño–Southern Oscillation as a predictor.

Contrasting Influence of Gobi and Taklimakan Deserts on the Dust Aerosols in Western North America

“…Dust aerosol arises mainly from arid desert regions and exerts a significant influence on global climate and energy budgets (e.g., Chen et al, ; Ge et al, ; Hu et al, ; Huang et al, ). The emission of dust aerosol can not only change the radiative budget of the Earth system through absorbing and scattering solar radiation directly but also influence the cloud microphysical processes indirectly, and even the ecosystems at regional and global scales (Chen et al, ; Degobbi et al, ; DeMott et al, ; Jickells et al, ; Mahowald et al, ; Miller et al, ; Rosenfeld & Nirel, ). East Asia is a major source of dust aerosol as there are several deserts located in northwestern China and Mongolia that contribute a large amount of dust particles to the global dust mass loading (e.g., Chen et al, ; Guan et al, ; Hara et al, ; Huang et al, , ).…”

The precipitation variability of the wet and dry season at the interannual and interdecadal scales over eastern China (1901–2016): the impacts of the Pacific Ocean

“…The relatively high (low) precipitation over the Huang-Huai (Yangtze) River basin from 2000 to 2008 in comparison with 1979-1999 is triggered by the transition from the warm to cold phase of the PDO around the 2000s, which is attributed to the weakened westerly winds and warming over Lake Baikal induced by a negative PDO phase after the 2000s (Zhu et al, 2011). The possible modulation of the PDO on the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) and East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM), which are associated with summer and winter rainfall changes in eastern China, respectively, has been documented in previous studies (e.g., Yu, 2013;Chen et al, 2013). Zhou et al (2013) pointed out an anti-correlation between the PDO and EASM since the 1950s, and negative phases of the PDO correspond to a stronger EASM with more precipitation events over northern China.…”

“…Zhou et al (2013) pointed out an anti-correlation between the PDO and EASM since the 1950s, and negative phases of the PDO correspond to a stronger EASM with more precipitation events over northern China. A much stronger EASM tends to appear after a weak EAWM in positive phases of the PDO than in negative phases of the PDO (Chen et al, 2013). Existing studies also reported a similar relationship between the positive phase of the PDO and dryness in northern China and revealed that a warm phase of the PDO in 1976-1977 resulted in a weakened EASM associated with aridity in northern China in the 1980s and 1990s (Qian and Zhou, 2014;Zhu et al, 2015;Yang et al, 2017b;.…”

Multidecadal variability of dust activity in Gobi desert and its connection with the pacific decadal oscillation

“…Dust particles, also called dust aerosols, are suspended in the atmosphere and are the main component of atmospheric aerosols, the aerodynamic diameter of which is usually less than 100 μm. The dust aerosols can modulate the cloud microphysical processes indirectly by acting as cloud condensation nuclei and ice nucleating particles (Mahowald et al 2007, Huang et al 2009, Mahowald et al 2010, Rodríguez et al 2012, Huang et al 2014, Nabat et al 2014, Chen et al 2014a, Kok et al 2023. The dust aerosols especially in East Asia have substantial impacts on human health, environment, ecosystems and climate (Abuduwaili et al 2010, Lin et al 2012, Huang et al 2013, Miao et al 2015, Schepanski 2018, Guo et al 2017.…”