Climatology and Spatio-Temporal Variability of Wintertime Total and Extreme Rainfall in Thailand during 1970-2012
This study aims at examining wintertime (December-January-February; DJF) climatology and spatio-temporal variability of Thailand’s total and extreme rainfall during 1970-2012. Analysis showed that the area along the Gulf of Thailand’s eastern coast not only received much amount of rainfall but also...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Thai Society of Higher Eduction Institutes on Environment
2017-07-01
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| Series: | EnvironmentAsia |
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| Online Access: | http://www.tshe.org/ea/pdf/EA10-2-17.pdf |
| _version_ | 1811262784739999744 |
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| author | Atsamon Limsakul Patama Singhruck Lin Wang |
| author_facet | Atsamon Limsakul Patama Singhruck Lin Wang |
| author_sort | Atsamon Limsakul |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study aims at examining wintertime (December-January-February; DJF) climatology and spatio-temporal variability of Thailand’s total and extreme rainfall during 1970-2012. Analysis showed that the area along the Gulf of Thailand’s eastern coast not only received much amount of rainfall but also underwent great extremes and variances during the northeast monsoon (NEM) winters. Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis similarly revealed that the leading mode of each DJF total or extreme rainfall index was marked by maximum loadings concentrated at the stations located at the exposed area of the NEM flow.
Correlation analysis indicated that the leading EOF mode of DJF total and extreme indices in Thailand tended to be higher (lower) than normal during strong (weak) East Asian Winter Monsoon (EAWM). On longer timescales, the recent decadal change observed in the leading EOF mode of all rainfall indices has been coincident with re-amplification of the EAWM taken place since the early/mid 2000. The leading EOF mode of DJF total and extreme rainfall indices in Thailand also exhibited strong correlations with the tropical-subtropical Pacific Ocean surface temperatures. It was characterized as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)/El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-related boomerang-shaped spatial patterns, resembling the typical mature phases of the La Niña event and the PDO cool epoch. Based on our analysis, it is reasonable to believe that the anomalies of the NEM and other key EAWM-related circulations are likely to be the possible causes of DJF total and extreme rainfall variations in Thailand. In addition, the ENSO and PDO as the primary global atmospheric external forcing are likely to exert their influence on wintertime Thailand’s climate via modulating the EAWM/NEM-related circulations anomalies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T19:31:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3b06126eb94140dd98c43f8ceccd1e08 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1906-1714 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T19:31:45Z |
| publishDate | 2017-07-01 |
| publisher | Thai Society of Higher Eduction Institutes on Environment |
| record_format | Article |
| series | EnvironmentAsia |
| spelling | doaj.art-3b06126eb94140dd98c43f8ceccd1e082022-12-22T03:19:19ZengThai Society of Higher Eduction Institutes on EnvironmentEnvironmentAsia1906-17142017-07-0110216217610.14456/ea.2017.31Climatology and Spatio-Temporal Variability of Wintertime Total and Extreme Rainfall in Thailand during 1970-2012Atsamon Limsakul0Patama Singhruck1 Lin Wang 2Environmental Research and Training Center, Technopolis, Klong 5, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, ThailandDepartment of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, ThailandCenter for Monsoon System Research, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2718, Beijing 100190, ChinaThis study aims at examining wintertime (December-January-February; DJF) climatology and spatio-temporal variability of Thailand’s total and extreme rainfall during 1970-2012. Analysis showed that the area along the Gulf of Thailand’s eastern coast not only received much amount of rainfall but also underwent great extremes and variances during the northeast monsoon (NEM) winters. Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis similarly revealed that the leading mode of each DJF total or extreme rainfall index was marked by maximum loadings concentrated at the stations located at the exposed area of the NEM flow. Correlation analysis indicated that the leading EOF mode of DJF total and extreme indices in Thailand tended to be higher (lower) than normal during strong (weak) East Asian Winter Monsoon (EAWM). On longer timescales, the recent decadal change observed in the leading EOF mode of all rainfall indices has been coincident with re-amplification of the EAWM taken place since the early/mid 2000. The leading EOF mode of DJF total and extreme rainfall indices in Thailand also exhibited strong correlations with the tropical-subtropical Pacific Ocean surface temperatures. It was characterized as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)/El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-related boomerang-shaped spatial patterns, resembling the typical mature phases of the La Niña event and the PDO cool epoch. Based on our analysis, it is reasonable to believe that the anomalies of the NEM and other key EAWM-related circulations are likely to be the possible causes of DJF total and extreme rainfall variations in Thailand. In addition, the ENSO and PDO as the primary global atmospheric external forcing are likely to exert their influence on wintertime Thailand’s climate via modulating the EAWM/NEM-related circulations anomalies.http://www.tshe.org/ea/pdf/EA10-2-17.pdfClimatologyspatio-temporal variabilitynortheast monsoonEast Asian winter monsoon |
| spellingShingle | Atsamon Limsakul Patama Singhruck Lin Wang Climatology and Spatio-Temporal Variability of Wintertime Total and Extreme Rainfall in Thailand during 1970-2012 EnvironmentAsia Climatology spatio-temporal variability northeast monsoon East Asian winter monsoon |
| title | Climatology and Spatio-Temporal Variability of Wintertime Total and Extreme Rainfall in Thailand during 1970-2012 |
| title_full | Climatology and Spatio-Temporal Variability of Wintertime Total and Extreme Rainfall in Thailand during 1970-2012 |
| title_fullStr | Climatology and Spatio-Temporal Variability of Wintertime Total and Extreme Rainfall in Thailand during 1970-2012 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Climatology and Spatio-Temporal Variability of Wintertime Total and Extreme Rainfall in Thailand during 1970-2012 |
| title_short | Climatology and Spatio-Temporal Variability of Wintertime Total and Extreme Rainfall in Thailand during 1970-2012 |
| title_sort | climatology and spatio temporal variability of wintertime total and extreme rainfall in thailand during 1970 2012 |
| topic | Climatology spatio-temporal variability northeast monsoon East Asian winter monsoon |
| url | http://www.tshe.org/ea/pdf/EA10-2-17.pdf |
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