Comparison of single-forcing varieties of 20th century historical experiments in a subset of models from the Fifth Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) reveals that South Asian summer monsoon rainfall increases towards the present day in Greenhouse Gas (GHG)-only experiments with respect to pre-industrial levels, while it decreases in anthropogenic aerosol-only experiments. Comparison ...

In this paper, zonal momentum balances of the tropical atmospheric circulation during the global monsoon mature months (January and July) are analyzed in three dimensions based on the ECMWF Interim ReAnalysis (ERA-Interim). It is found that the dominant terms in the balance of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) in both months are the pressure gradient force, the Coriolis force, and friction. ...

The Tibetan Plateau exerts a profound influence on winds in boreal winter primarily through mechanical means, blocking flow to create waves in the jet stream that extend around Earth’s full circumference (e.g. Held et al., 2002). In contrast, this plateau was thought to influence boreal summer winds primarily through its thermal effects, providing a heat source over 4 km high and 2,000 km wide ...

Previous studies have suggested a sound chronological correlation between the Hulu Cave record (East Asian monsoon) and Greenland ice-core records, which implies a dominant control of northern hemisphere climate processes on monsoon intensity. We present an objective, straightforward statistical evaluation that challenges this generally accepted paradigm for sub-orbital variability. We propose ...

Prevailing opinion assigns the Tibetan Plateau a crucial role in shaping Asian climate, primarily by heating of the atmosphere over Tibet during spring and summer. Accordingly, the growth of the plateau in geologic time should have written a signature on Asian paleoclimate. Recent work on Asian climate, however, challenges some (not all) of these views. The high Tibetan Plateau may affect the S...

South Asian monsoon low-pressure systems (LPSs) are synoptic-scale cyclonic vortices that produce substantial precipitation over the Indian subcontinent. In this study, a catalogue of four regional varieties LPSs, which occur during June–September 1979–2018, is used for 4 examining track statistics, thermal and moisture structure, contribution each variety. The modulation LPS activity by tropi...

Little is known about the genesis and growth mechanisms of monsoon depressions, despite the great importance of these storms for the hydrological cycle of the Asian–Australian monsoon region. Of the few theoretical studies that have examined this issue, most have attributed the amplification of monsoon depressions to some form of baroclinic instability or stable baroclinic growth, highly modifi...

The Asian summer monsoon has great socioeconomic impacts. Understanding how the huge Tibetan and Iranian Plateaus affect the Asian summer monsoon is of great scientific value and has far-reaching significance for sustainable global development. One hypothesis considers the plateaus to be a shield for monsoon development in India by blocking cold-dry northerly intrusion into the tropics. Based o...

The physics involved in the abrupt climate changes of the late Quaternary have eluded paleoclimatologists for many years. More paleoclimatic records characteristic of different elements of the global climate system are needed for better understanding of the cause–feedback relationships in the system. The East Asian monsoon is an important part of the global climate system and the mechanical lin...