Sensible Heating over the Tibetan Plateau Linked to the Onset of Asian Monsoon

Land surface heating of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) plays an important role in the Asian Monsoon system. In this study, the interannual variability of the sensible heat flux over the TP and its connection with the summer monsoon intensity and onset date was examined based on the newly released land "reanalysis" data, produced by NASA Global Land Data Assimilation System. Although correlation analyses don't show a significant relevance to the summer monsoon intensity, the interannual anomalies in sensible heating near the south flank of the TP indicate a weak reversal in the relationship with the onset date of the West Pacific East Asian monsoon. A diagnostic study shows that above (below) normal sensible heating over the south flake of the TP will lead to rapid (slow) warming of the upper air column over the TP and early (later) reversal of (overturn) the meridional temperature gradient and the vertical wind shear. This will further lead to an earlier (later) onset of the Asian Monsoon.