Changes in East Asian summer monsoon and summer rainfall over eastern China during recent decades

In the East Asian monsoon region over eastern China, east of 100°E, summer rainfall controlled by the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) is mainly concentrated during June-August. Summer rainfall accounts for more than half of the annual total, or 52%, according to rainfall observations from 160 meteorological stations in China from 1951 to 2014 over the aforementioned region. A stronger EASM corresponds to more rainfall over northern China, whereas a weaker EASM leads to more rainfall over the Yangtze-Huai River valley. Summer climate changes over eastern China in recent decades have been affected by internal natural factors within the climate system and by external forcing arising from the anthropogenic effects of greenhouse gas (GHG) and aerosol emissions. Therefore, recent research has focused on EASM and summer rainfall variations resulting from natural and anthropogenic factors, which is crucial for providing a better understanding of their roles in the East Asian climate from a global warming perspective.