Gong et al. (2026) Circulation Pathways of Persistent Compound Heat–Drought Extremes Over the Middle and Lower Yangtze River Vary With Tibetan Plateau Whole‐Column Heating Intensity

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-10-30
• Authors: Chengqi Gong, Xiaohua Dong, Yaoming Ma, Qiao Zhao, Jianzan Yang, Lu Li, Dan Yu, Chong Wei, Zhongbo Su
• DOI: 10.1029/2026jd048182

Research Groups

Not specified in abstract.

Short Summary

This study investigates the relationship between Tibetan Plateau whole-column heating and persistent compound heat-drought extremes (PCHDEs) over the Middle and Lower Yangtze River (MLYR), revealing that large-scale circulation configurations accompanying MLYR PCHDEs vary significantly with the intensity of TP atmospheric heating.

Objective

• To clarify the relationship between persistent compound heat–drought extremes (PCHDEs) over the Middle and Lower Yangtze River (MLYR) and Tibetan Plateau (TP) whole‐column heating.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Middle and Lower Yangtze River (MLYR), Tibetan Plateau (TP).
• Temporal Scale: 1961–2022, focusing on six specific PCHDE events within this 62-year period.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Diagnostic analysis of vertically integrated apparent heat source (TP).
• Data sources: Not specified in abstract (likely reanalysis or observational data used to derive TP).

Main Results

• All six MLYR PCHDE events examined coincided with positive anomalies in the Tibetan Plateau's vertically integrated apparent heat source (TP).
• The associated large-scale circulation configurations differed significantly based on the intensity of TP heating.
• Under weaker heating conditions (mean TP increase of 9.7%), PCHDEs were primarily linked to eastward expansion of the South Asian high (SAH) or structural anomalies of the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH), with limited involvement of the East Asian subtropical jet (EASJ).
• Under stronger heating conditions (mean TP increase of 24.5%), PCHDEs were associated with enhanced downstream Rossby-wave propagation and coordinated adjustments of the SAH, WPSH, and EASJ, leading to stronger regional subsidence and reduced moisture transport over the MLYR.
• A particularly favorable configuration for MLYR PCHDEs occurred when TP was anomalously strong, and the ascending branch of the Rossby wave pattern was located west of the MLYR, resulting in persistent anticyclonic subsidence over the MLYR.
• Across the six events, the regional maximum temperature increased by approximately 3.2 °C, and precipitation decreased by approximately 46.8% relative to corresponding periods in other years.

Contributions

• Reveals that the large-scale circulation configurations accompanying MLYR PCHDEs are not uniform but vary with the intensity of TP atmospheric heating.
• Provides a differentiated understanding of the atmospheric mechanisms linking TP heating to MLYR PCHDEs under varying heating intensities.

Funding

Not specified in abstract.

Citation

@article{Gong2026Circulation,
  author = {Gong, Chengqi and Dong, Xiaohua and Ma, Yaoming and Zhao, Qiao and Yang, Jianzan and Li, Lu and Yu, Dan and Wei, Chong and Su, Zhongbo},
  title = {Circulation Pathways of Persistent Compound Heat–Drought Extremes Over the Middle and Lower Yangtze River Vary With Tibetan Plateau Whole‐Column Heating Intensity},
  journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1029/2026jd048182},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2026jd048182}
}