Advanced Search
Article Contents

Weather and Climate Effects of the Tibetan Plateau


doi: 10.1007/s00376-012-1220-y

  • Progress in observation experiments and studies concerning the effects of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) on weather and climate during the last 5 years are reviewed. The mesoscale topography over the TP plays an important role in generating and enhancing mesoscale disturbances. These disturbances increase the surface sensible heat (SH) flux over the TP and propagate eastward to enhance convection and precipitation in the valley of Yangtze River. Some new evidence from both observations and numerical simulations shows that the southwesterly flow, which lies on the southeastern flank of the TP, is highly correlated with the SH of the southeastern TP in seasonal and interannual variability. The mechanical and thermal forcing of the TP is an important climatic cause of the spring persistent rains over southeastern China. Moreover, the thermodynamic processes over the TP can influence the atmospheric circulation and climate over North America and Europe by stimulating the large-scale teleconnections such as the Asian-Pacific oscillation and can affect the atmospheric circulation over the southern Indian Ocean. Estimating the trend in the atmospheric heat source over the TP shows that, in contrast to the strong surface and troposphere warming, the SH over the TP has undergone a significant decreasing trend since the mid-1980s. Despite the fact that {\it in situ} latent heating presents a weak increasing trend, the springtime atmospheric heat source over the TP is losing its strength. This gives rise to reduced precipitation along the southern and eastern slopes of the TP and to increased rainfall over northeastern India and the Bay of Bengal.
  • [1] Mu Mu, Duan Wansuo, Wang Jiacheng, 2002: The Predictability Problems in Numerical Weather and Climate Prediction, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 19, 191-204.  doi: 10.1007/s00376-002-0016-x
    [2] ZHOU Feifan, DING Ruiqiang, FENG Guolin, FU Zuntao, DUAN Wansuo, 2012: Progress in the Study of Nonlinear Atmospheric Dynamics and Predictability of Weather and Climate in China (2007--2011), ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 29, 1048-1062.  doi: 10.1007/s00376-012-1204-y
    [3] MU Mu, DUAN Wansuo, XU Hui, WANG Bo, 2006: Applications of Conditional Nonlinear Optimal Perturbation in Predictability Study and Sensitivity Analysis of Weather and Climate, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 23, 992-1002.  doi: 10.1007/s00376-006-0992-3
    [4] DUAN Wansuo, JIANG Zhina, XU Hui, 2007: Progress in Predictability Studies in China (2003--2006), ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 24, 1086-1098.  doi: 10.1007/s00376-007-1086-6
    [5] LIU Ge, WU Renguang, ZHANG Yuanzhi, and NAN Sulan, 2014: The Summer Snow Cover Anomaly over the Tibetan Plateau and Its Association with Simultaneous Precipitation over the Mei-yu-Baiu region, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 31, 755-764.  doi: 10.1007/s00376-013-3183-z
    [6] LIU Yimin, BAO Qing, DUAN Anmin, QIAN Zheng'an, WU Guoxiong, 2007: Recent Progress in the Impact of the Tibetan Plateau on Climate in China, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 24, 1060-1076.  doi: 10.1007/s00376-007-1060-3
    [7] Ting HUA, Xunming WANG, 2018: Temporal and Spatial Variations in the Climate Controls of Vegetation Dynamics on the Tibetan Plateau during 1982-2011, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 35, 1337-1346.  doi: 10.1007/s00376-018-7064-3
    [8] Guoxiong WU, Bian HE, Anmin DUAN, Yimin LIU, Wei YU, 2017: Formation and Variation of the Atmospheric Heat Source over the Tibetan Plateau and Its Climate Effects, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 34, 1169-1184.  doi: 10.1007/s00376-017-7014-5
    [9] Binghao JIA, Xin LUO, Longhuan WANG, Xin LAI, 2023: Changes in Water Use Efficiency Caused by Climate Change, CO2 Fertilization, and Land Use Changes on the Tibetan Plateau, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 40, 144-154.  doi: 10.1007/s00376-022-2172-5
    [10] JIANG Dabang, DING Zhongli, Helge DRANGE, GAO Yongqi, 2008: Sensitivity of East Asian Climate to the Progressive Uplift and Expansion of the Tibetan Plateau Under the Mid-Pliocene Boundary Conditions, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 25, 709-722.  doi: 10.1007/s00376-008-0709-x
    [11] DUAN Anmin, WU Guoxiong, LIANG Xiaoyun, 2008: Influence of the Tibetan Plateau on the Summer Climate Patterns over Asia in the IAP/LASG SAMIL Model, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 25, 518-528.  doi: 10.1007/s00376-008-0518-2
    [12] JIN Liya, WANG Huijun, CHEN Fahu, JIANG Dabang, 2006: A Possible Impact of Cooling over the Tibetan Plateau on the Mid-Holocene East Asian Monsoon Climate, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 23, 543-550.  doi: 10.1007/s00376-006-0543-y
    [13] NIU Tao, CHEN Longxun, ZHOU Zijiang, 2004: The Characteristics of Climate Change over the Tibetan Plateau in the Last 40 Years and the Detection of Climatic Jumps, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 21, 193-203.  doi: 10.1007/BF02915705
    [14] Yujie WANG, Botao ZHOU, Dahe QIN, Jia WU, Rong GAO, Lianchun SONG, 2017: Changes in Mean and Extreme Temperature and Precipitation over the Arid Region of Northwestern China: Observation and Projection, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 34, 287-305.  doi: 10.1007/s00376-016-6160-5
    [15] S. PANCHEV, T. SPASSOVA, 2005: Simple General Atmospheric Circulation and Climate Models with Memory, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 22, 765-769.  doi: 10.1007/BF02918720
    [16] Susannah M. BURROWS, Aritra DASGUPTA, Sarah REEHL, Lisa BRAMER, Po-Lun MA, Philip J. RASCH, Yun QIAN, 2018: Characterizing the Relative Importance Assigned to Physical Variables by Climate Scientists when Assessing Atmospheric Climate Model Fidelity, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 35, 1101-1113.  doi: 10.1007/s00376-018-7300-x
    [17] Lijing CHENG, John ABRAHAM, Kevin E. TRENBERTH, Tim BOYER, Michael E. MANN, Jiang ZHU, Fan WANG, Fujiang YU, Ricardo LOCARNINI, John FASULLO, Fei ZHENG, Yuanlong LI, Bin ZHANG, Liying WAN, Xingrong CHEN, Dakui WANG, Licheng FENG, Xiangzhou SONG, Yulong LIU, Franco RESEGHETTI, Simona SIMONCELLI, Viktor GOURETSKI, Gengxin CHEN, Alexey MISHONOV, Jim REAGAN, Karina VON SCHUCKMANN, Yuying PAN, Zhetao TAN, Yujing ZHU, Wangxu WEI, Guancheng LI, Qiuping REN, Lijuan CAO, Yayang LU, 2024: New Record Ocean Temperatures and Related Climate Indicators in 2023, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES.  doi: 10.1007/s00376-024-3378-5
    [18] DONG Wenjie, CHOU Jieming, FENG Guolin, 2007: A New Economic Assessment Index for the Impact of Climate Change on Grain Yield, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 24, 336-342.  doi: 10.1007/s00376-007-0336-y
    [19] FAN Lei, Zhengyu LIU, LIU Qinyu, 2011: Robust GEFA Assessment of Climate Feedback to SST EOF Modes, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 28, 907-912.  doi: 10.1007/s00376-010-0081-5
    [20] Shuo JIA, Jiefan YANG, Hengchi LEI, 2024: Case Studies of the Microphysical and Kinematic Structure of Summer Mesoscale Precipitation Clouds over the Eastern Tibetan Plateau, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 41, 97-114.  doi: 10.1007/s00376-023-2303-7

Get Citation+

Export:  

Share Article

Manuscript History

Manuscript received: 10 September 2012
Manuscript revised: 10 September 2012
通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com
  • 1. 

    沈阳化工大学材料科学与工程学院 沈阳 110142

  1. 本站搜索
  2. 百度学术搜索
  3. 万方数据库搜索
  4. CNKI搜索

Weather and Climate Effects of the Tibetan Plateau

  • 1. State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029;State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029;State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029;Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085;National Meteorological Information Centre, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing 100084

Abstract: Progress in observation experiments and studies concerning the effects of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) on weather and climate during the last 5 years are reviewed. The mesoscale topography over the TP plays an important role in generating and enhancing mesoscale disturbances. These disturbances increase the surface sensible heat (SH) flux over the TP and propagate eastward to enhance convection and precipitation in the valley of Yangtze River. Some new evidence from both observations and numerical simulations shows that the southwesterly flow, which lies on the southeastern flank of the TP, is highly correlated with the SH of the southeastern TP in seasonal and interannual variability. The mechanical and thermal forcing of the TP is an important climatic cause of the spring persistent rains over southeastern China. Moreover, the thermodynamic processes over the TP can influence the atmospheric circulation and climate over North America and Europe by stimulating the large-scale teleconnections such as the Asian-Pacific oscillation and can affect the atmospheric circulation over the southern Indian Ocean. Estimating the trend in the atmospheric heat source over the TP shows that, in contrast to the strong surface and troposphere warming, the SH over the TP has undergone a significant decreasing trend since the mid-1980s. Despite the fact that {\it in situ} latent heating presents a weak increasing trend, the springtime atmospheric heat source over the TP is losing its strength. This gives rise to reduced precipitation along the southern and eastern slopes of the TP and to increased rainfall over northeastern India and the Bay of Bengal.

Catalog

    /

    DownLoad:  Full-Size Img  PowerPoint
    Return
    Return