Researchers describe changing rainfall patterns in eastern China. The densely populated region of eastern China receives most of its rainfall from rain associated with fronts, particularly during the East Asian summer monsoon. Jesse Day and colleagues developed an algorithm to identify and quantify frontal rain from daily precipitation maps, which were used to examine changes in seasonal rainfall patterns in East China during the second half of the 20th century. Mean annual cumulative rainfall was significantly lower north of 34°N latitude and higher south of this latitude during 1980-2007, compared with 1951-1979. These changes were primarily due to changes in the frequency and latitude of frontal rainfall. During August-September the frequency decreased in the north and increased in the south, leading to a southward shift in the mean latitude of frontal rainfall. During 1994-2007, daily frontal rainfall accumulation during June-July was greater than during 1980-1993, particularly in the south, leading to an additional southward shift in the mean latitude of frontal rainfall. The observed shifts in rainfall patterns reflect shifts in the East Asian jetstream, and may have impacts if they were to become permanent, according to the authors.
Article #17-15386: "Changing character of rainfall in eastern China, 1951-2007," by Jesse A. Day, Inez Fung, and Weihan Liu.
MEDIA CONTACT: Jesse A. Day, University of California, Berkeley, CA; tel: 617-699-9546; e-mail: <jessed@berkeley.edu>
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