The Tibetan plateau, rising to the 600-hPa level of the troposphere, strongly influences the atmospheric general circulation over the region, both thermally and dynamically. Development of polar frontal zones and cyclones in Temperate Asia is closely connected to activities associated with the westerly jet stream and the east Asian monsoon, both of which are significantly affected by the plateau (Kim et al., 1973; Fukui, 1977; Yeh and Gao, 1979).
Climate differs widely within Temperate Asia. The region has a tropical monsoon
climate in the far south, a humid, cool, temperate climate in the north, and
a desert climate or steppe climate in the west and the northWest. In the rest
of the area-where most of the population of the region is concentrated-a humid,
temperate climate prevails. Mean monthly and annual temperatures and mean annual
precipitation at selected sites are shown in Table 10-2.
China has kept proxy data, old documents, diaries, and other data throughout
its long history. Likewise, Korea and Japan have kept relatively homogeneous
proxy data for several hundred years. Such data are useful for analyzing climatic
changes and their impacts on human activities.
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