Impact of early spring sea ice in Barents Sea on midsummer rainfall distribution at Northeast China

The influence of early spring sea ice at Barents Sea on midsummer rainfall in Northeast China (NEC) is identified based on observational analyses and atmospheric modeling experiments in this study. Increased sea ice area (SIA) in the Barents Sea is ensued by positive rainfall anomalies at north of NEC and by negative anomalies at south, and vice verse. Specifically, due to a good seasonal persistence from spring to summer, the preceding sea ice anomalies exert an impact on midsummer surface air temperature anomalies and vertical stability over Barents Sea via the modulation on turbulent heat flux. The anomalous circulation is further triggered over Europe and the Mediterranean Sea through meridional vertical cells, with a barotropic structure. Accordingly, an effective Rossby wave source is excited over the eastern Mediterranean by the advection of vorticity by divergence wind, and causes an eastward propagation of Silk Road Pattern to East Asia. In addition, another SIA-related wave-like train can diffuse directly southeastward from Arctic to NEC in a polar path. Observations and numerical simulations indicate that, in response to increased sea ice at Barents Sea, an anomalous cyclone emerges over NEC, along with easterly or southeasterly over north of NEC and with northwesterly over south, leading to moisture convergence anomalies at north and divergence anomalies at south. Jointly, ascending (descending) motion anomalies favors a wet (dry) summer over north (south) of NEC.