EFFECTS OF THE SEA-ICE ALONG THE NORTH PACIFIC ON SUMMER RAINFALL IN CHINA^*

By using statistic method,the effects of the abnormal sea-ice along the North Pacific on both summer rainfall and temperature in China and the corresponding distribution of atmospheric circulation during the period from late winter to early spring are explored in this article.The analysis indicates that the percentage of the sea-ice area along the North Pacific is the biggest during February-April,so is the distribution of the standard variance.Thus,the period of February-April is the natural winter of the sea-ice along the North Pacific.A quasi-four-year oscillation exists in the sea-ice-area-index during this period.The abnormal sea-ice area has significant effects on both summer rainfall and temperature of China.At the 500 hPa geopotential height field corresponding to the years with large values of seaice areas,the polar vortex in May is obviously stretched to east and south.The subtropical high over West Pacific strengthens enormously and extends northwards,and the Mongolian trough deepens.The deepening maintains till June and July.The summer meridional cell over the East Asia increases,with the southerly being able to reach high latitudes.As a result,the rainfall increases over the areas north of the Yangtze River and decreases over the areas south of the Yangtze River obviously in China.In the temperature field,it is shown that the temperature is lower over most areas in northern China.and higher in southern China.There are opposite situations in the years when sea-ice index is small.