本研究將西北太平洋－東亞地區的降雨分為春雨期、梅雨期、西北太平洋夏季季風雨期、秋雨期以及冬雨期，對各降雨期降雨的主要機制以及水氣的主要來源分別做了探討。西北太平洋－東亞地區的濕季包括：5月底到7月中典型南北溫差造成的梅雨期；7月中到9月底海洋上的西北太平洋夏季季風雨期。梅雨期鋒面降雨水氣的主要來源為，夏季季風環流的西南風與副熱帶高壓的東南風輻合，提供了水氣給鋒面系統；南邊海上降雨系統主要為高海溫透過地表熱量通量的傳送，增加進入大氣的淨能（Fnet）而產生的對流為水氣主要來源。在西北太平洋夏季季風雨期，水氣的主要來源為和高海溫相關的Fnet所引起的對流系統。此季風系統造成季風槽的向東延伸，使副熱帶高壓北移，副高的下沉氣流抑制了北邊梅雨鋒面對流的發展，故此時北邊梅雨鋒面已減弱而消失。西北太平洋－東亞地區的乾季即為冬雨期，此時期大環境被強勁的東北風所影響，空氣乾冷，水氣的主要來源是北方的冷空氣和南方的暖空氣相遇，造成暖空氣的抬升而產生降雨。介於濕季與乾季間的過渡時期：9月底到11月中旬為濕季過渡到乾季的秋雨期；3月初到5月中為乾季過渡到濕季的春雨期。秋雨期降雨所需水氣的主要來源為高海溫所引起的熱帶對流，但此時北方已受東北風影響，大氣環境已經不利於降雨。當北方伴隨鋒面的冷空氣南下時，會抑制對流系統北緣對流的發展，使在北緯20度以北地區的降雨減少。春雨期大氣環境已經開始有利降雨，但相對於秋雨期而言，海溫偏冷不利於對流發生，春雨期水氣的主要來源為南方傳送過來的濕平流，此濕平流為伴隨向西延伸的太平洋副高所產生的。
在年際變化部份，ENSO為影響西北太平洋－東亞地區最強的年際變化現象，在ENSO發生期間，春雨期、秋雨期以及西北太平洋夏季季風雨期降雨有明顯變化。El Nio（La Nia）發展年（year 0），西北太平洋地區的海溫偏低（高），減弱（增強）了熱帶對流，造成秋雨期降雨減少（增加）。El Nio（La Nia）消弱年（year 1），西北太平洋上所產生的反氣旋（氣旋）距平，使南方帶來的水氣增加（減少），造成春雨期降雨增加（減少）。El Nio在發展年與消弱年對於西北太平洋夏季季風區的影響是相反的，這樣的雙年變化（biennial variation）包括降雨、850毫巴的重力位高度場、海溫、風速風向以及Fnet都可以看到這樣相反的變化情形。El Nio year 0（year 1）在西北太平洋氣旋（反氣旋）距平的影響之下，使得西北太平洋夏季季風區的風速增強（減弱），使得蒸發量增加（減少），進而造成由Fnet所引起的上升（下沉）運動，造成西北太平洋夏季季風雨期的降雨是增加（減少），此時海溫並不如我們預期的對降雨有正回饋的貢獻。

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