Determining key upstream convection and rainout zones affecting δ18O in water vapor and precipitation based on 10-year continuous observations in the East Asian Monsoon region

An increasing number of studies have recognized the crucial impact of upstream convective activities and rainout processes on the stable isotopic composition of precipitation (delta 18Op) and water vapor (delta 18Ov) at mid and low latitudes. However, it is difficult to precisely identify the upstream convection and rainout zones using the common method based on the spatial distribution of time-lagged temporal correlation. Using a 10-year continuous high-resolution delta 18Ov and delta 18Op dataset at Nanjing (southeast China), the longest record of this kind, we develop an improved time-lagged correlation method for Key Upstream Convection Zones Identification (KUCZI). Utilizing this method, we find that summer delta 18Ov and delta 18Op at Nanjing are primarily controlled by the convective activities and rainout processes along the moisture transport pathway from the Maritime Continent (MC), via the Indo-China Peninsula and South China Sea (ICP_SCS), to Southeast China (SEC), particularly over SEC. Contrary to the conclusion of many existing studies, there is a possibility that the Indian Ocean is not a major convection zone affecting delta 18Op and delta 18Ov at Nanjing. Our results indicate that we may need to reconsider the role of the Indian Ocean on the paleoclimate interpretation of stalagmite delta 18O records in the East Asian Monsoon (EAM) region.(c) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

An increasing number of studies have recognized the crucial impact of upstream convective activities and rainout processes on the stable isotopic composition of precipitation and water vapor at mid and low latitudes. This study focuses on the Nanjing region and develops an improved time-lagged correlation method for identifying key upstream convection zones. The results show that summer precipitation and water vapor composition in Nanjing are primarily controlled by convective activities and rainout processes along the moisture transport pathway from the Maritime Continent, via the Indo-China Peninsula and South China Sea, to Southeast China.