Abstract: The spatial and temporal variations of large-scale atmospheric moisture sinks over southern China in spring during 1958-2004 are studied based on the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data. The results reveal that the two main anomalous centers of moisture sinks lay in the central and eastern parts of South China, and the border region of Guangxi, Hunan and Guizhou Provinces, respectively. The first anomalous center showed both remarkably interannual and interdecadal variations with the interdecadal variance being dominant, while the second center mainly displayed interannual variation. When the southwesterly (northeasterly) moisture flux over southern China and its vicinity increased, then more (less) water vapor was transported from the low latitudes to the atmosphere over southern China, which resulted in strong (weak) atmospheric moisture sinks over the above-regions in southern China.

Key words: southern China, atmospheric moisture sink, spatial and temporal variations, spring