The Causes of Variation in the Zonal Asymmetry of the Asian Westerly Jet and Its Impacts on East Asian Climate in Boreal Summer

Based on CMAP (Climate Prediction Center (CPC) Merged Analysis of Precipitation) monthly mean rainfall data and NCEP/DOE (National Centers for Environmental Prediction/Design of Experiments) II Reanalysis data from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and the monthly precipitation and average temperature data from NMIC (National Meteorological Information Center), the authors defined an index (I_Aja) that describes the zonal asymmetric variation of the Asian westerly jet in the upper troposphere, from which the authors investigated the characteristics of the intensity difference between the eastern and western parts of the Asian westerly jet and its impacts on the climate of East Asia from 1979 to 2019. The conclusions are as follows: There are prominent interannual variations in the zonal asymmetry of the Asian summer westerly jet, with significant quasi-periods of 6–8 years and 2 years. When the zonal asymmetry of the Asian summer westerly jet is typically strong (weak), the wave-like anomalous rainfall pattern generates positive (negative)—negative (positive)—positive (negative) signs in the lower to higher latitudes in the East Asia sector along with negative (positive) temperature anomalies in the Lake Baikal area, and simultaneously significant positive (negative) anomalies in regions in West China and North Japan. The divergent and convergent wind components by the anomalous diabatic heating as a potential vorticity source directly induce the circulation anomalies in the mid-latitudes. The anomalous anticyclonic circulation causes the intensity of the west Asian jet to increase and the eastern segment to decrease, which strengthens the zonal asymmetry of the Asian summer westerly jet. The formation of and support provided by the zonal asymmetric anomalies of the Asian jet are affected by their convergence and divergence in the tropics and mid-latitudes, as well as the eastward propagation of wave energy in the westerlies. This eastward propagation of wave energy may be related to the sea surface temperature anomaly of the Northern Atlantic. These results facilitate a better understanding of the formation mechanisms of the zonal asymmetry of the Asian summer westerly jet.