Open AccessClimatic features of summertime baroclinic wave packets over Eurasia and the associated possible impacts on precipitation in southern China
Author(s) -
Ye Dechao,
Guan Zhaoyong,
Jin Dachao
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
atmospheric science letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.951
H-Index - 45
ISSN - 1530-261X
DOI - 10.1002/asl.889
Subject(s) - baroclinity , rossby wave , climatology , zonal and meridional , geology , precipitation , northern hemisphere , southern hemisphere , wave packet , china , atmospheric sciences , geography , meteorology , physics , archaeology , quantum mechanics
Climatic features of baroclinic Rossby wave packets at 300 hPa in summers of 1979–2016 over Eurasia are investigated using the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis and daily precipitation observations in China. It is found that the waves with zonal wave‐numbers 5–7 are dominant in Northern Hemisphere. The meridional width (zonal length) of wave packets is up to 50°lat, 130°lon. The wave packets get stronger and incline a little northwestward from 850 up to 300 hPa. Most of strong wave packets are observed around the Alps, the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, and they propagate eastward, or northeastward, or southeastward. Their zonal and meridional propagation velocities reach about 32 and 7 m/s, respectively. Interannual variations of June–July precipitation in different sub‐regions of southern China are significantly affected by the baroclinic wave packet activities in different regions of Eurasia. These results have important implications for in‐depth understanding wave behaviors and their climate impacts on southern China.