Western North Pacific Monsoon Gyres: A New Identification Approach, Interannual Variability, and Seasonal Prediction

Abstract Western North Pacific (WNP) monsoon gyre (MG) events are an important large‐scale driver of tropical cyclone (TC) activity. However, prior studies have mostly focused on case‐specific analyses using a subjective MG identification. There is currently limited understanding of MG variability a...

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Main Authors: Yuqi Zang, Haikun Zhao, Philip J. Klotzbach, Chao Wang, Liguang Wu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-08-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL116456
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author Yuqi Zang
Haikun Zhao
Philip J. Klotzbach
Chao Wang
Liguang Wu
author_facet Yuqi Zang
Haikun Zhao
Philip J. Klotzbach
Chao Wang
Liguang Wu
author_sort Yuqi Zang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Western North Pacific (WNP) monsoon gyre (MG) events are an important large‐scale driver of tropical cyclone (TC) activity. However, prior studies have mostly focused on case‐specific analyses using a subjective MG identification. There is currently limited understanding of MG variability at interannual and longer time scales. Using spatial‐rotational metrics of the low‐level circulation, this study proposes an objective approach to identify MG events. We identify 221 MG events during the boreal summer from 1979 to 2023. MG events have an average duration of ∼5.7 days and a strong association with interannual TC activity. The interannual variability of MG activity is strongly modulated by tropical central Pacific (CP) sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies, which change the zonal and meridional circulation via inter‐basin interactions. We develop a physical‐empirical model for forecasting MG activity using tropical CP SST anomalies from the preceding summer as well as spring central Asian surface temperatures and North Atlantic sea level pressures.
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series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-8fff2c0d2b6444cb9976c2ed609e99fa2025-08-20T03:40:44ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072025-08-015215n/an/a10.1029/2025GL116456Western North Pacific Monsoon Gyres: A New Identification Approach, Interannual Variability, and Seasonal PredictionYuqi Zang0Haikun Zhao1Philip J. Klotzbach2Chao Wang3Liguang Wu4State Key Laboratory of Climate System Prediction and Risk Management/Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster Ministry of Education/Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters Pacific Typhoon Research Center Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology Nanjing ChinaState Key Laboratory of Climate System Prediction and Risk Management/Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster Ministry of Education/Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters Pacific Typhoon Research Center Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology Nanjing ChinaDepartment of Atmospheric Science Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USAState Key Laboratory of Climate System Prediction and Risk Management/Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster Ministry of Education/Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters Pacific Typhoon Research Center Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology Nanjing ChinaDepartment of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Fudan University Shanghai ChinaAbstract Western North Pacific (WNP) monsoon gyre (MG) events are an important large‐scale driver of tropical cyclone (TC) activity. However, prior studies have mostly focused on case‐specific analyses using a subjective MG identification. There is currently limited understanding of MG variability at interannual and longer time scales. Using spatial‐rotational metrics of the low‐level circulation, this study proposes an objective approach to identify MG events. We identify 221 MG events during the boreal summer from 1979 to 2023. MG events have an average duration of ∼5.7 days and a strong association with interannual TC activity. The interannual variability of MG activity is strongly modulated by tropical central Pacific (CP) sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies, which change the zonal and meridional circulation via inter‐basin interactions. We develop a physical‐empirical model for forecasting MG activity using tropical CP SST anomalies from the preceding summer as well as spring central Asian surface temperatures and North Atlantic sea level pressures.https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL116456monsoon gyreinterannual variabilityseasonal forecast modeltropical cyclones
spellingShingle Yuqi Zang
Haikun Zhao
Philip J. Klotzbach
Chao Wang
Liguang Wu
Western North Pacific Monsoon Gyres: A New Identification Approach, Interannual Variability, and Seasonal Prediction
Geophysical Research Letters
monsoon gyre
interannual variability
seasonal forecast model
tropical cyclones
title Western North Pacific Monsoon Gyres: A New Identification Approach, Interannual Variability, and Seasonal Prediction
title_full Western North Pacific Monsoon Gyres: A New Identification Approach, Interannual Variability, and Seasonal Prediction
title_fullStr Western North Pacific Monsoon Gyres: A New Identification Approach, Interannual Variability, and Seasonal Prediction
title_full_unstemmed Western North Pacific Monsoon Gyres: A New Identification Approach, Interannual Variability, and Seasonal Prediction
title_short Western North Pacific Monsoon Gyres: A New Identification Approach, Interannual Variability, and Seasonal Prediction
title_sort western north pacific monsoon gyres a new identification approach interannual variability and seasonal prediction
topic monsoon gyre
interannual variability
seasonal forecast model
tropical cyclones
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL116456
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AT haikunzhao westernnorthpacificmonsoongyresanewidentificationapproachinterannualvariabilityandseasonalprediction
AT philipjklotzbach westernnorthpacificmonsoongyresanewidentificationapproachinterannualvariabilityandseasonalprediction
AT chaowang westernnorthpacificmonsoongyresanewidentificationapproachinterannualvariabilityandseasonalprediction
AT liguangwu westernnorthpacificmonsoongyresanewidentificationapproachinterannualvariabilityandseasonalprediction