Influence of atmospheric heat sources over the Tibetan Plateau and the tropical western North Pacific on the inter-decadal variations of the stratosphere-troposphere exchange of water vapor

• Published in: Science China. Earth sciences Vol. 51; no. 8; pp. 1179 - 1193
• Main Authors: Zhan, RuiFen, Li, JianPing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg SP Science in China Press 01.08.2008; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Atmosphere; Climatology; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Geology; Global climate; Heat; Marine; Oceans; Stratosphere; Studies; Tropopause; Troposphere; Water; Water vapor; Weather forecasting; Tibet; ISEW, South China Sea; China, People's Rep., Xizang, Tibetan Plateau; IN, North Pacific; Tibetan Plateau; atmospheric heat source; inter-decadal variations; STE; tropical western North Pacific
• ISSN: 1006-9313; 1674-7313; 1862-2801; 1869-1897
• DOI: 10.1007/s11430-008-0082-8

This study investigates the Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange (STE) of water vapor, emphasizes its inter-decadal variations over Asia in boreal summer, and discusses the influences of atmospheric heat sources over the Tibetan Plateau and the tropical western North Pacific (WNP) on them by using the Wei method with reanalysis data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) for the years of 1958–2001. The climatology shows that the upward transport of water vapor across the tropopause in boreal summer is the most robust over the joining area of the South Asian Peninsula and Indian-Pacific Oceans (defined as AIPO). The upward transport over there can persistently convey the abundant water vapor into the stratosphere and then influence the distribution and variation of the stratospheric water vapor. The analysis shows that inter-decadal variations of the water vapor exchange over the AIPO are significant, and its abrupt change occurred in the mid-1970s and the early 1990s. In these three periods, as important channels of the water vapor exchange, the effect of Bay of Bengal-East Asia as well as South China Sea was gradually weakening, while the role of the WNP becomes more and more important. Further studies show that atmospheric heat sources over the Tibetan Plateau and the WNP are two main factors in determining the inter-decadal variations of water vapor exchange. The thermal influences over the Tibetan Plateau and the WNP have been greatly adjusted over the pass 44 years. Their synthesis influences the inter-decadal variations of the water vapor exchange by changing the Asian summer monsoon, but their roles vary with time and regions. Especially after 1992, the influence of heat source over the Tibetan Plateau remarkably weakens, while the heat source over the WNP dominates the across-tropopause water vapor exchange. Results have important implications for understanding the transport of other components in the atmosphere and estimating the impact of human activities (emission) on global climate.