Long-Term Variation of Surface Heating over the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Linked to the Westerly Jet

  • FAN Weiwei ,
  • MA Weiqiang ,
  • ZHENG Yan ,
  • YANG Zhimin
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  • College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China;Institute of Tibetan Plateau, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China

Received date: 2017-04-11

  Online published: 2018-06-28

Abstract

Based on a 30-yr set of daily surface heat flux data for 1979-2008 over the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) from ERA-interim, the spatial distribution and long-term trends of sensible and latent heat flux over the QTP were analyzed respectively. The factors responsible for the trends of sensible heat flux and latent heat flux in spring were investigated in this paper and we discussed the relationship between the surface heating and the westerly jet over the QTP emphases. Significant differences in spatial pattern and variability between sensible heat flux and latent heat flux were observed. The spatial distributions of seasonal-mean surface heating show that sensible heat flux increases from the southeast to the northwest over the QTP in seasons except spring, while latent heat flux increases from the northwest to the southeast of QTP throughout the four seasons. The decreasing of sensible heat flux and the increasing of latent heat flux occur in almost the QTP in the four seasons during the study time. Long-term variation of surface heating over the QTP in spring is more remarkable than the other three seasons. The maximum increasing rate of latent heat flux[0.79 W·m-2·(10a)-1] and the maximum decreasing rate of sensible heat flux[-1.83 W·m-2·(10a)-1] appeare both in spring. In terms of the inter-annual variation of surface heating over the QTP, there is a significant negative correlation (R=-0.69) between latent heat flux and sensible heat flux, which indicates that the changes of latent heat flux and sensible heat flux may be affected by the same climatic factor. Further analysis suggested that there is a close relationship between the surface heating field and the westerly jet over the QTP. The weakening trend of the westerly jet over the QTP has an important impact on the change of sensible heat flux as well as latent heat flux. The possible effect mechanisms are as follows:The weakened of the westerly jet leads to a declining trend in the surface wind speed over the QTP, furthermore, contributes to the decrease of sensible heat flux. Besides, accompanied by the change of westerly jet, the India-Burma trough gets stronger leading to an anomalous cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal. Due to the stronger convection, more water vapor content is found in the region, and also more moisture carried by the anomalous southeast flow forming in the cyclonic to the QTP. Accordingly, the stronger precipitation is found over the QTP in spring. As a result, the latent heat flux over the QTP presents an increasing trend during three recent decades.

Cite this article

FAN Weiwei , MA Weiqiang , ZHENG Yan , YANG Zhimin . Long-Term Variation of Surface Heating over the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Linked to the Westerly Jet[J]. Plateau Meteorology, 2018 , 37(3) : 591 -601 . DOI: 10.7522/j.issn.1000-0534.2017.00062

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