Chinese geoscientists from Nanjing University have discovered that gravitational waves from the Tibetan Plateau have a significant impact on spring rains in East Asia. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Science China Earth Sciences (SCES).
The team found that gravity waves caused by small-scale orography (elevation and landform) on the Tibetan Plateau are a significant contributor to rainfall in the East Asian region. This effect is comparable to the effect of strong heating of the surface of the large-scale orography of a plateau.
“The disruption of orographic gravity waves causes regional wave drift in the mid-troposphere, which disrupts the geostrophic balance of the large-scale westerly flow and thus creates geostrophic meridional circulation in the Tibetan Plateau,” the study said.
As a result, the southwest monsoon flow on the southeastern slope of the Tibetan Plateau is strengthening and carrying more water vapor to East Asia, leading to longer and heavier spring rainfalls.
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