Interannual and interdecadal atmospheric circulation anomalies of autumn dry/wet over the loess plateau and its multi-scalar correlation to SST

Abstract

The ecological environment is vulnerable and extremely sensitive to climate change in the loess plateau. The interannual and interdecadal variations of dry/wet index are particularly obvious in this region. Up to now, the analisis of the dry/wet variation in the loess plateau has been basically understood during summer, but the autumn dry/wet evolution of the loess plateau and the atmospheric circulation characteristic are still laking in its knowledge. Based on the monthly mean rainfall and temperature of 589 China weather stations, the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis dataset and NOAA extended reconstructed sea surface temperature (SST) data from 1961 to 2010, using the EOF/REOF, bandpass filtering, wavelet technique and regression methods, the autumn dry/wet evolution of the loess plateau and the atmospheric circulation characteristic associated with them, and the multi-scale relationship between dry/wet index and SST were analyzed on the basis of classification of dry/wet over China region in autumn. The continuous wavelet transform shows that the autumn wet/dry index exists has ～4 a and 8 a period over the loess plateau, and the ～8 year oscillation from 1970–1990 is rather obvious. On the interannual scales, the atmospheric circulation anomalies of 500 hPa associated with the wet years exhibit a ’double-blocking’ in the mid-high latitude, and the westerly jet stream turns to be weakened and the jet axis moves to the north significantly. Japan-Okhotsk Sea is featured with anticyclone, and the east wind at the bottom of the anticyclone provides favorable moisture for the middle Loess plateau. On the interdecadal scales, the atmospheric circulation anomalies associated with the wet years show the negative geopotential height anomaly over East Asian, and the East Asian subtropical westerly jet stream of 200 hPa is weakened and moves north too. The vapour of the middle Loess plateau comes from two paths, one is the westerly water vapor transport in the middle latitude, and the other is the southerly water vapor transport from the Bay of Bengal and turns to the north at the Indo-China Peninsula. When the Nino3 index (Nino3I) is in advance of dry/wet index for 5 months, there is a significantly negative correlation between them. When the Bay of Benga and South China Sea SST index (BayI) goes shead of dry/wet index for 3 months, there is a significantly negative correlation between them. On the interannual scales, the cross wavelet transform indicates that both the Nino3I and BayI have significant connections with the dry/wet index (～4 a and 4–6 a cycles). On the interdecadal scales, only BayI has significant connections with dry/wet index (～10 a cycles). By establishing the interannual and interdecadal variations of dry/wet cycle of the loess plateau, recognizing the atmospheric circulation anomalies, and building the relationship between the dry/wet index and SST, this paper reveals the physical mechanism of the dry/wet variation and finds the early waring signals for drought climate change in the region.