【Introduction】
    
      In this study, moisture sources for different intensities of summer (June–July–August) rainfall over the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) were investigated by performing a transient simulation for the period 1979–2009 using the Lagrangian particle dispersion model FLEXPART. The results showed that continental areas surrounding the CLP, namely northwestern China–eastern central Asia and central eastern China, were major moisture source regions for summer rainfall over the CLP and that oceanic moisture originated from the East China Sea, the South China Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the Arabian Sea played a secondary role. The moisture contribution of northwestern China–eastern central Asia to the CLP significantly decreased with increasing intensity of rainfall, whereas the contribution of central eastern China to the CLP slightly increased. Moreover, the moisture contribution of oceanic source regions to the CLP increased with the increased rainfall intensity. The East China Sea and the Bay of Bengal were the two most substantial oceanic moisture source regions for the 0–5th percentile (0–P5th) to 50th–75th percentile (P50th–P75th) rainfall classes, whereas the South China Sea and the Bay of Bengal were the two most substantial oceanic moisture source regions for the 75th–95th percentile (P75th–P95th) and the 95th–100th percentile (P95th–P100th) rainfall classes.

【Citation】

Hu, Q., D. Jiang*, X. Lang, Sources of moisture for different intensities of summer rainfall over the Chinese Loess Plateau during 1979–2009, International Journal of Climatology, 2018, 38(Suppl. 1), e1280–e1287.

Figure. Ratios of moisture uptake over each source region to the total moisture release in the CLP for different classes of summer rainfall during 1979–2009 (unit: %). The ratios of the moisture finally released in the CLP and the unreleased moisture plus themoisture loss en route are represented in black and grey bars, respectively. The abbreviations of the source region are as follows: NCEC stands for northwestern China–eastern central Asia, CE for central eastern China, SCS for the South China Sea, ECS for the East China Sea, AS for the Arabian Sea, and BOB for the Bay of Bengal.