Influence of interannual variability of antarctic sea-ice on summer rainfall in Eastern China

Based on the Antarctic sea-ice coverage reanalysis data from the Hadley Center and other observational data during the 30-year period from 1969 to 1998, it is shown that Antarctic sea-ice coverage exhibits considerable interannual variability with a complex relation to El Nino and the South Oscillation (ENSO). Besides this, the ice maintains the seasonal persistence of the atmospheric circulation in high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere. Thus it can be used as a predictor in short-term climate prediction. Both correlation and time series analyses demonstrate that summer rainfall in eastern China is closely related to Antarctic sea-ice coverage. When it is extended during boreal spring through summer, there is more rainfall in the lower reaches of the Yellow River of North China, and in contrast, less rainfall is found in the Zhujiang River basin of South China and Northeast China. A further analysis indicates that this rainfall pattern is related to the intensity of the East Asian summer monsoon caused by interannual variability of Antarctic sea-ice coverage.