Impact of Indian and East Asian Summer Monsoons on the Diurnal Temperature Range of the Low-Latitude Highlands of China in the Rainy Season

This study investigates the impact of the Indian and East Asian summer monsoons on the diurnal temperature range (DTR) in the low-latitude highlands of China (CLLH) based on in situ DTR observations, ERAS data, and numerical simulations. Diagnoses indicate that the DTR in the CLLH shows a significant positive correlation with the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) and a negative correlation with the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM). When a strengthened ISM occurs with a weakened EASM, an anomalous anticyclonic circulation with downward motion is excited over the CLLH. This anomalous circulation pattern increases the DTR in the rainy season by reducing the medium and high cloud cover in the CLLH. A weakened ISM with a strengthened EASM decreases the DTR over the CLLH in the rainy season. Numerical experiments help to verify this crucial physical process linking the variability of the ISM and EASM with the DTR in the CLLH. The model results further indicate that the covariability of ISM and EASM contributes most to the variability of the rainy season DTR in the CLLH, followed by the individual variability of the EASM; the smallest contribution to the rainy season DTR in the CLLH is the individual variability of the ISM.

Automated summary

This study investigates the impact of the Indian and East Asian summer monsoons on the diurnal temperature range (DTR) in the low-latitude highlands of China. The results show that the DTR in this region is positively correlated with the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) and negatively correlated with the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM). When the ISM is strengthened and the EASM is weakened, an anomalous anticyclonic circulation is excited over the study area, leading to an increase in the DTR during the rainy season.