The Different Effects of Two Types of El Niño on Eastern China's Spring Precipitation During the Decaying Stages

El Ni & ntilde;o is one of the most significant global climatic phenomena affecting the East Asian atmospheric circulation and climate. This study uses multi-source datasets, including observations and analyses, and statistical methods to investigate the variations and potential causes of boreal spring precipitation anomalies in eastern China under different El Ni & ntilde;o sea surface temperature conditions, namely, the Eastern Pacific and Central Pacific (EP and CP) El Ni & ntilde;o cases. The findings reveal that, particularly along the Yangtze-Huaihe valley, spring precipitation markedly increases in most regions of eastern China during the EP El Ni & ntilde;o decaying stages. Conversely, during the CP El Ni & ntilde;o decaying stages, precipitation anomalies are weak, with occurrences of weak negative anomalies in the same regions. Further analyses reveal that during the decaying spring of different El Ni & ntilde;o cases, differences in the location and strength of the Northwest Pacific (NWP) abnormal anticyclone, which is associated with the central-eastern Pacific warm sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA), result in distinct anomalous precipitation responses in eastern China. The SSTA center of the EP El Ni & ntilde;o is more easterly and stronger. In the meantime, NWP abnormal anticyclones are more easterly and have a broader range, facilitating water vapor transport over eastern China. By contrast, the CP El Ni & ntilde;o SSTA center is westward and relatively weaker, leading to a relatively weak, westward, and narrower anomalous NWP anticyclone that causes less significant water vapor transport anomalies in eastern China. This paper highlights the diverse impacts of El Ni & ntilde;o diversity on regional atmospheric circulation and precipitation, providing valuable scientific references for studying regional climate change in East Asia.