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Atmospheric Circulation Patterns Associated With Wildfires in the Monsoon Regions of China
Author(s) -
Zhao Fengjun,
Liu Yongqiang
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2019gl081932
Subject(s) - climatology , atmospheric circulation , trough (economics) , ridge , mediterranean climate , environmental science , china , east asian monsoon , low pressure area , monsoon , boreal , common spatial pattern , siberian high , atmospheric sciences , geography , geology , atmospheric pressure , east asia , meteorology , ecology , archaeology , cartography , biology , economics , macroeconomics
Major atmospheric circulation patterns for wildfires have been identified in regions with boreal, Mediterranean, and semiarid climates. This study investigates such patterns in the monsoon regions of China, where the climate is controlled by multiple atmospheric systems and wildfires have large spatial variability. We identified three patterns. The first pattern was characterized by a high‐pressure ridge in northeast China and contributed to wildfires by creating warmer and drier conditions. The second, meridional pattern contributed to wildfires in north, central, and south China by increasing dry air transport. The third, zonal pattern had a weaker westerly ridge and trough and contributed to wildfires in southwest China by decreasing the transport from westerly systems. We showed that a circulation index defined as the pressure difference between the positive and negative centers of fire‐pressure correlations had higher monthly fire prediction skills for large fire occurrences than local weather.