Variation in the Positioning of the Asian Summer Monsoon Boundary in the Tibetan Plateau and Potential Drivers

Abstract

Studying the variation in the boundary position of the Asian summer monsoon in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) region and its potential drivers is important for understanding the climate in this region. Three sets of mean monthly precipitation data from 1980 to 2019 were sourced from the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre, the Climate Research Unit, and China Meteorological Information Service Centre. Several indicators that represent the Asian summer monsoon boundary (ASMB) were selected to compare their applicability to the TP region and elucidate the changes in the location of the ASMB in the TP over the last four decades. The results showed that the ASMB in the TP region extends in a southwest-northeast direction, with a clear north-south variation. It reaches as far north as the Kunlun Mountains and as far south as the Himalayas. The largest amplitude in spatial fluctuation occurs in the middle of the TP, and the smallest amplitude occurs at both ends of the region. A “small-large-small” fluctuation pattern was observed from west to east. The water vapor mainly originates from the South Asian region. The South Asian summer monsoon can move the ASMB position northward, whereas the westerly wind moves the ASMB position southward. Variation in the ASMB in the TP region is closely associated with the South Asian monsoon and westerly wind.