1996 Volume 69 Issue 2 Pages 170-184
The present review paper outlines the state of the art of recent observational studies conducted by Japanese Climatologists on global- to synoptic-scale precipitation in terms of its spatial pattern, seasonal change, and interannual/interdecadal variability. In recent investigations, concerns have been extended to the global scale, while special attention has been focused on the Asian/Australian monsoon regions and their surroundings. That is, the longitudinal band from Central Asia/India in the west, to East Asia/Australia in the east. The interannual and interdecadal variability of Asian rainfall has been studied in relation to the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon, western Pacific/Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures (SSTs), Eurasian snow cover, and their associated atmospheric circulations.
The First Global Atmospheric Research Program (CARP) Global Experiment (FGGE), performed during December 1978-November 1979, promoted a deeper understanding of the spatial and seasonal distribution of precipitation on time scales shorter than one month, as well as precipitation-producing circulation mechanisms. Satellite data derived from NOAA and geostationary meteorological satellite (GMS) of Japan have been widely used for examining the spatial pattern and seasonal change of satellite-inferred precipitation, mainly over oceanic areas centered in the western Pacific. Recommendations are given for future studies and programs in this field, from the aspects of the long-term monitoring of the Asian monsoon variability and the understanding of climate dynamics linked with precipitation.
