Interannual variation of the diurnal convection cycle in the western North Pacific

As revealed from the interannual variation of outgoing longwave radiation in the western Pacific, deep cumulus convection along the Meiyü-Baiu front and ITCZ is modulated by the anomalous summer circulation in the following manner: When the sea surface temperatures on the eastern tropical Pacific are anomalously warm (cold), cumulus convection is enhanced (suppressed) along the equator east of 150° E and along the Meiyü-Baiu front, but is suppressed (enhanced) along the equator west of 150° E and along a longitudinal zone (10° N-30° N) extending from the northern section of the South China Sea to the International Dateline. Since tropical deep cumulus convection exhibits a pronounced diurnal variation, the diurnal convection cycle in the western Pacific may undergo an interannual variation coherent with that of deep tropical cumulus convection. This inference is substantiated by our analysis of the diurnal convection cycle for 1980-1993 with 3-hour equivalent black-body temperature observed by the Japanese Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (GMS). As expected, the diurnal convection cycle in the western Pacific is subjected to an interannual variation in accordance with deep cumulus convection along the Meiyü-Baiu front and ITCZ. Except along the equator east of 150° E, the diurnal convection cycle does not exhibit a drastic interannual change in phase.