Bay of Bengal-East Asia-Pacific Teleconnection in Boreal Summer

A new teleconnection pattern (the BEAP) across the Bay of Bengal-East Asia-Pacific region in boreal summer is revealed in this study using mainly ERA-Interim reanalysis data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. The BEAP index (BEAPI) is defined as the signed sum of standardized apparent moisture sinks at five centers along the pathway. Correlation analysis of the apparent heat sources and apparent moisture sinks has verified the existence of the BEAP teleconnection. Variations in BEAP can affect precipitation anomalies resulting from the anomalous moisture transport and the antiphase surface temperature variation. Wave flux analysis has verified the Rossby wave propagation route that originates around the central Bay of Bengal and extends across North China to the West Pacific. La Nina-type sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) appearing simultaneously in the same season can excite a positive BEAP pattern by enhancing convection over the Bay of Bengal, while El Nino-type SSTAs have the opposite effect. Significant correlation between the BEAPI and the SSTAs can last from early summer to early winter. Numerical experiments confirm the BEAP teleconnection pattern and the associated physical processes.