Tropical cyclone contribution to interdecadal change in summer rainfall over South China in the early 1990s

Joo Hong Kim, Chun Chieh Wu, Chung Hsiung Sui, Chang Hoi Ho

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Abstract

This study investigated the tropical cyclone (TC) rainfall (P TC) contribution to the interdecadal change in summer (June, July and August) rainfall (P Total) over South China between 1981 - 1992 (ID1) and 1993 - 2002 (ID2). In an area-averaged sense, the interdecadal change in P Total was largely attributed to non-TC rainfall for the summer total and months of June and July, while P TC became comparable in August. When the month-to-month spatial variability was considered, noticeable negative P TC contributions showed up over the southeastern coast, Hainan Island, and Taiwan in June and over the southern coastal regions in July. In contrast, a positive P TC contribution spread over South China with its maxima over the southern coastal regions in August, a pattern which appeared to be diametrically opposed to that of the negative P TC contribution in July, though the latter was less significant. The negative P TC contribution over the coastal and insular regions in June and July corresponded to less TC activity there. In June, it was attributed to reduced basin-wide TC activity due to prevailing unfavorable large-scale environments in ID2, whereas, in July, to less TC approaches from the Philippine Sea due to an enhanced cyclonic circulation centered on Taiwan in ID2. Conversely, in August, the overall enhanced positive P TC contribution was mainly by the direct influences of increased TC formations over the South China Sea in ID2.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)49-58
Number of pages10
JournalTerrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
Volume23
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2012

Keywords

  • Interdecadal change
  • South china
  • Summer rainfall
  • Tropical cyclone

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