AUTHOR=Yao Yulong , Wang Junjie , Zou Xinqing 

TITLE=Rapid changes in heatwaves pose dual challenge in Eastern China and its adjacent seas

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.979391

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2022.979391

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=This paper performs a comparative analysis on the spatiotemporal variations of the statistical characteristics of both atmospheric heatwaves over the land (AHWs) in eastern China and marine heatwaves (MHWs) in adjacent seas during the past 40 years using a unified heatwave definition. The multi-year average total days, duration, and frequency of MHWs were 5, 8, and 3 times higher than those of AHWs during 1982-2019, respectively, while the heatwave intensities of AHWs and MHWs were unchanged. The future frequency and duration of AHWs will continue to increase, leading to a superimposed increase in the total AHW days; the decreasing frequency and increasing duration of MHWs will result in year-round MHW days from 2060. During summer MHWs, the warm seawater temperature anomaly can stimulate latent heat release, leading to anomalous 500-hPa geopotential heights. Under the control of high-pressure systems, clear skies dominate the weather conditions in eastern China and trigger AHW events. Besides, rapid decay of El Niño in summer will promote stronger west Northern Pacific subtropical high and its westward extension, which may cause more serious heatwaves.