Impact of Tibetan plateau warming amplification on the interannual variations in East Asia Summer precipitation

Abstract The amplified warming on the Tibetan Plateau (TA) is a distinctive characteristic of global climate change, leading to various climate responses with far-reaching implications. This study investigates the influence of interannual variation of TA on summer precipitation over East Asia (Pre_E...

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Main Authors: XiaoJing Jia, XinHai Chen, Wei Dong, Hao Ma, JingWen Ge, QiFeng Qian
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-01-01
Series:npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-025-00920-5
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author XiaoJing Jia
XinHai Chen
Wei Dong
Hao Ma
JingWen Ge
QiFeng Qian
author_facet XiaoJing Jia
XinHai Chen
Wei Dong
Hao Ma
JingWen Ge
QiFeng Qian
author_sort XiaoJing Jia
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The amplified warming on the Tibetan Plateau (TA) is a distinctive characteristic of global climate change, leading to various climate responses with far-reaching implications. This study investigates the influence of interannual variation of TA on summer precipitation over East Asia (Pre_EA) using observational data and a Linear Baroclinic Model (LBM). When TA exceeds the Northern Hemisphere average, summer precipitation in the Yangtze River Valley significantly decreases, while it increases in North China and South China, resulting in a tripole Pre_EA pattern. Notably, the relationship between TA and Pre_EA is independent of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and explains more variance in Pre_EA than ENSO. Our analysis reveals that TA enhances the tripole Pre_EA pattern by modulating moisture transport and vertical motion in the East Asia-North Pacific regions. Specifically, positive TA is linked to significant local tropospheric warming, which intensifies and eastward expands the South Asian High, creating a double-gyre meridional circulation over East Asia. Additionally, positive TA induces an eastward-propagating wave, reinforcing a midlatitude anomalous high-pressure belt over East Asia and the western North Pacific regions. These circulation changes weaken the East Asian subtropical jet, form a notable double jet configuration, and promote subsidence over mid-latitude East Asia. Moreover, anomalously warm sea surface temperatures in the Northwestern Pacific reinforce the TA-Pre_EA relationship by contributing to the mid-latitude East Asia-North Pacific high-pressure belt. Our LBM model experiments support these findings. Our study provides an in-depth understanding of the physical processes influencing summer precipitation variability in East Asia.
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spelling doaj-art-a71e4330b78743a4804933dd1be1e9cd2025-01-26T12:22:29ZengNature Portfolionpj Climate and Atmospheric Science2397-37222025-01-018111210.1038/s41612-025-00920-5Impact of Tibetan plateau warming amplification on the interannual variations in East Asia Summer precipitationXiaoJing Jia0XinHai Chen1Wei Dong2Hao Ma3JingWen Ge4QiFeng Qian5Key Laboratory of Geoscience Big Data and Deep Resource of Zhejiang Province, School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang UniversityKey Laboratory of Geoscience Big Data and Deep Resource of Zhejiang Province, School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang UniversityKey Laboratory of Geoscience Big Data and Deep Resource of Zhejiang Province, School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang UniversityZhejiang Climate CenterZhejiang Climate CenterZhejiang Institute of Meteorological ScienceAbstract The amplified warming on the Tibetan Plateau (TA) is a distinctive characteristic of global climate change, leading to various climate responses with far-reaching implications. This study investigates the influence of interannual variation of TA on summer precipitation over East Asia (Pre_EA) using observational data and a Linear Baroclinic Model (LBM). When TA exceeds the Northern Hemisphere average, summer precipitation in the Yangtze River Valley significantly decreases, while it increases in North China and South China, resulting in a tripole Pre_EA pattern. Notably, the relationship between TA and Pre_EA is independent of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and explains more variance in Pre_EA than ENSO. Our analysis reveals that TA enhances the tripole Pre_EA pattern by modulating moisture transport and vertical motion in the East Asia-North Pacific regions. Specifically, positive TA is linked to significant local tropospheric warming, which intensifies and eastward expands the South Asian High, creating a double-gyre meridional circulation over East Asia. Additionally, positive TA induces an eastward-propagating wave, reinforcing a midlatitude anomalous high-pressure belt over East Asia and the western North Pacific regions. These circulation changes weaken the East Asian subtropical jet, form a notable double jet configuration, and promote subsidence over mid-latitude East Asia. Moreover, anomalously warm sea surface temperatures in the Northwestern Pacific reinforce the TA-Pre_EA relationship by contributing to the mid-latitude East Asia-North Pacific high-pressure belt. Our LBM model experiments support these findings. Our study provides an in-depth understanding of the physical processes influencing summer precipitation variability in East Asia.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-025-00920-5
spellingShingle XiaoJing Jia
XinHai Chen
Wei Dong
Hao Ma
JingWen Ge
QiFeng Qian
Impact of Tibetan plateau warming amplification on the interannual variations in East Asia Summer precipitation
npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
title Impact of Tibetan plateau warming amplification on the interannual variations in East Asia Summer precipitation
title_full Impact of Tibetan plateau warming amplification on the interannual variations in East Asia Summer precipitation
title_fullStr Impact of Tibetan plateau warming amplification on the interannual variations in East Asia Summer precipitation
title_full_unstemmed Impact of Tibetan plateau warming amplification on the interannual variations in East Asia Summer precipitation
title_short Impact of Tibetan plateau warming amplification on the interannual variations in East Asia Summer precipitation
title_sort impact of tibetan plateau warming amplification on the interannual variations in east asia summer precipitation
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-025-00920-5
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