Dominant Modes of Tibetan Plateau Summer Surface Sensible Heating and Associated Atmospheric Circulation Anomalies

Abstract

Based on empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis, the dominant modes of variations in summer surface sensible heating (SH) over the Tibetan Plateau (TP), as well as the associated atmospheric circulation anomalies, were investigated in this study. The results show that the first dominant mode of summer SH presents a feature of decadal reduction over the whole TP on an interdecadal time scale, and the second dominant mode is characterized by a zonally asymmetric pattern with positive (negative) SH anomalies in the western (eastern) TP on an interannual time scale. The variations of summer SH are dominated by anomalies in downwelling surface shortwave radiation (DSWR), which are associated with atmospheric circulation changes. The first dominant mode of variation in SH is connected to the interdecadal variation of the Silk Road Pattern (SRP). Further analysis reveals that the interdecadal phase shift of the SRP induces anticyclone circulation to the northeast of the TP, leading to enhanced water vapor supply and convergence over the TP. This can lead to an increase in the total cloud cover, and a reduction in DSWR, contributing to the decadal reduction in SH over the TP. The second dominant mode of variation in SH is related to a stationary teleconnection pattern over the Eurasian continent named the North Atlantic-East and North Asia pattern (NAENA). Corresponding to the positive phase of the NAENA, there is a cyclone anomaly to the west TP, leading to anomalous water vapor convergence (divergence) over the eastern (western) TP. This can result in enhanced (decreased) cloud cover, reduced (increased) DSWR, and therefore, an anomalous decrease (enhancement) in SH over the east (west) of the TP. Furthermore, the southwesterly wind anomaly, which is accompanied by the anomalous cyclone to the west TP, leads to positive SH in the western TP.

Keywords

• surface sensible heating
• Tibetan Plateau
• teleconnection wave trains
• dominant modes
• interannual and interdecadal variations