Using the regional climate model RegCM4.4.5, coupled with the land model CLM4.5, we investigated the effects of springtime soil moisture in the Indochina Peninsula on summer precipitation over the South China Sea and its surrounding areas in 1999. Results have indicated that there exists positive correlation between soil moisture and summer precipitation over the western Pacific Ocean and negative correlation between soil moisture and summer precipitation over the eastern Indian Ocean. Summer precipitation in the South China Sea and its surrounding areas responds to springtime soil moisture in the Indochina Peninsula(the northwest region is critical) because general atmospheric circulation is sensitive to the near-surface thermodynamic state. Increased(decreased) soil moisture would result in decreased(increased) local surface temperatures. Latitudinal, small-scale land-sea thermal differences would then result in northeasterly wind(southwesterly wind) anomalies in the upper layer and southwesterly wind(northeasterly wind) anomalies in the lower layer, which strengthen(weaken) monsoon development. As a result,precipitation would enter the Western Pacific region earlier(later), and water vapor over the eastern Indian Ocean would enter the South China Sea earlier(later), causing a precipitation reduction(increase) in the eastern Indian Ocean and increase(reduction) in the Western Pacific.
Based on composite analysis and numerical simulations using a regional climate model(RegCM3), this paper analyzed the impact of the LHF anomaly in the tropical western Pacific on the precipitation over the south of China in June. The results are as follows.(1) Correlation analysis shows that the SC precipitation in June is negatively correlated with the LHF of the tropical western Pacific in May and June, especially in May. The SC precipitation in June appears to negatively correlate with low-level relative vorticity in the abnormal area of LHF in the tropical western Pacific.(2) The LHF anomaly in the tropical western Pacific is a vital factor affecting the flood and drought of SC in June. A conceptual model goes like this: When the LHF in the tropical western Pacific is abnormally increased(decreased), an anomalous cyclone(anticyclone) circulation is formed at the low-level troposphere to its northwest. As a result, an anomalous northeast(southwest) air flow affects the south of China, being disadvantageous(advantageous) to the transportation of water vapor to the region. Meanwhile, there is an anomalous anticyclone(cyclone) at the low-level troposphere and an anomalous cyclone(anticyclone) circulation at the high-level troposphere in the region, which is advantageous for downdraft(updraft) there. Therefore a virtual circulation forms updraft(downdraft) in the anomalous area of LHF and downdraft(updraft) in the south of China, which finally leads to the drought(flood) in the region.
