Teleconnections between the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation and eastern China summer precipitation during the Medieval Climate Anomaly and Little Ice Age

Abstract

The teleconnection between the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and eastern China summer precipitation (ECSP) for the modern period has been emphasized in the past few decades. We test its stability during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) and Little Ice Age (LIA) based on the composite results of the median of six models under the Paleoclimate Modeling Intercomparison Project Phase3 (PMIP3) framework. During the MCA, ECSP generally increases in positive AMO phases relative to negative phases, similar to the modern teleconnection, while during the LIA, the precipitation tends to reduce over eastern China, especially in the Yangtze River basin. Decomposing the precipitation change on the basis of a diagnostic moisture budget manifests that the different AMO-related precipitation changes stem from distinct effects of circulation-induced moisture convergence during the two periods. Compared with negative AMO phases, positive AMO phases during the MCA show an anomalous lower-level cyclone and upper-level anticyclone over eastern China that facilitate the upward motion anomaly and precipitation excess. During the LIA, a barotropic anticyclone centers in Northeast China and weakens the high-level westerlies over eastern China; this favors descending and upper-level divergence anomalies and leads to precipitation decreases. The distinct convergence changes are determined by differing propagation paths of the AMO-induced teleconnection wave train during the two periods.