Deep in the heart of Central Asia, the Kunlun Mountains form a vital barrier on the northern Tibetan Plateau.
Deep in the heart of Central Asia, the Kunlun Mountains form a vital barrier on the northern Tibetan Plateau. Their rainfall is a lifeline, feeding the oases and rivers of the arid Tarim Basin. While scientists have mapped the region’s basic climate patterns, one question remained: what drives the large year-to-year swings in summer rainfall here?
The answer, according to a new study in Climate Dynamics, originates from an unexpected source: the North Atlantic Ocean.
The research reveals that the anomalous dipole pattern of sea surface temperature in the North Atlantic affects the summer precipitation on the northern slope of the Tibetan Plateau through atmospheric teleconnection processes.
Read More: Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Science
Photo Credit: gdmoonkiller via Pixabay
