Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Amplified subtropical stationary waves in boreal summer and their implications for regional water extremes

Publication ,  Journal Article
Yuan, J; Li, W; Deng, Y
Published in: Environmental Research Letters
October 14, 2015

The linkage between climate change and increased frequency/magnitude of weather extremes remains an open question in the scientific field. Here we investigate such a dynamical linkage by focusing on an amplification trend of the northern subtropical stationary waves found in recent decades. Specifically, we show that in multiple modern reanalysis products, a robust positive trend exists in a wave amplitude index defined through the summer-mean tropospheric stream function field. Pronounced changes in the subtropical atmospheric circulation accompany this wave amplification, including an intensified South Asian monsoon and strengthened subtropical highs over the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans. Through modifying the characteristics of large-scale moisture transport, these circulation changes are coupled to changes in the regional precipitation amount and the occurrence of water extremes including both droughts and heavy rainfall events. Given this connection, amplified stationary waves have likely contributed to the elevated occurrence probabilities of droughts in the central United States, Mexico, Japan, and northern China, as well as those of heavy rainfall events in South Asia, southeastern China, and the eastern United States. These results suggest that as climate warming continues, the amplification of subtropical stationary waves will increase the risk of water extremes over the above-mentioned regions.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Environmental Research Letters

DOI

ISSN

1748-9326

Publication Date

October 14, 2015

Volume

10

Publisher

IOP Publishing: Open Access Journals

Related Subject Headings

  • Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Yuan, J., Li, W., & Deng, Y. (2015). Amplified subtropical stationary waves in boreal summer and their implications for regional water extremes. Environmental Research Letters, 10. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/10/104009
Yuan, J., W. Li, and Y. Deng. “Amplified subtropical stationary waves in boreal summer and their implications for regional water extremes.” Environmental Research Letters 10 (October 14, 2015). https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/10/104009.
Yuan J, Li W, Deng Y. Amplified subtropical stationary waves in boreal summer and their implications for regional water extremes. Environmental Research Letters. 2015 Oct 14;10.
Yuan, J., et al. “Amplified subtropical stationary waves in boreal summer and their implications for regional water extremes.” Environmental Research Letters, vol. 10, IOP Publishing: Open Access Journals, Oct. 2015. Manual, doi:10.1088/1748-9326/10/10/104009.
Yuan J, Li W, Deng Y. Amplified subtropical stationary waves in boreal summer and their implications for regional water extremes. Environmental Research Letters. IOP Publishing: Open Access Journals; 2015 Oct 14;10.
Journal cover image

Published In

Environmental Research Letters

DOI

ISSN

1748-9326

Publication Date

October 14, 2015

Volume

10

Publisher

IOP Publishing: Open Access Journals

Related Subject Headings

  • Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences