Impacts of Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation on the East Asian Climate: A Review

Herein, the authors review recent studies on the AMO (Atlantic multidecadal oscillation) and its influence on the climate of East Asian regions. Specifically, the authors focus on drivers, index definitions, and impacts of the AMO on the East Asian summer and winter climates as well as the combined effects of the AMO and other oceans. Until now, the AMO mechanisms have been debated. The AMO is considered caused by the multidecadal Atlantic meridional overturning circulation variability, external forcings (e.g., aerosols), or stochastic atmospheric forcing. The positive phase of the AMO can strengthen the East Asian summer monsoon and increase the summer precipitation and temperature over East Asia in three ways and vice versa. Additionally, under the positive AMO phase, the East Asian winter monsoon system becomes strong, and the mid-latitude Eurasian Continent and northern China become cold and vice versa. Because of the importance of the AMO, further understanding of its drivers and climatic effects on the East Asian climate helps improve the decadal to interdecadal predictions of the East Asian climate.