Relations between climatic variability and hydrologic time series from four alluvial basins across the southwestern United States

Hydrologic time series of groundwater levels, streamflow, precipitation, and tree-ring indices from four alluvial basins in the southwestern United States were spectrally analyzed, and then frequency components were reconstructed to isolate variability due to climatic variations on four time scales. Reconstructed components (RCs), from each time series, were compared to climatic indices like the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), North American Monsoon (NAM), and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), to reveal that as much as 80% of RC variation can be correlated with climate variations on corresponding time scales. In most cases, the hydrologic RCs lag behind the climate indices by 1–36 months. In all four basins, PDO-like components were the largest contributors to cyclic hydrologic variability. Generally, California time series have more variation associated with PDO and ENSO than the Arizona series, and Arizona basins have more variation associated with NAM. ENSO cycles were present in all four basins but were the largest relative contributors in southeastern Arizona. Groundwater levels show a wide range of climate responses that can be correlated from well to well in the various basins, with climate responses found in unconfined and confined aquifers from pumping centers to mountain fronts.     

The long-term trends (1982–2006) in vegetation greenness of the alpine ecosystem in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

The increased rate of annual temperature in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau exceeded all other areas of the same latitude in recent decades. The influence of the warming climate on the alpine ecosystem of the plateau was distinct. An analysis of alpine vegetation under changes in climatic conditions was conducted in this study. This was done through an examination of vegetation greenness and its relationship with climate variability using the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer satellite imagery and climate datasets. Vegetation in the plateau experienced a positive trend in greenness, with 18.0 % of the vegetated areas exhibiting significantly positive trends, which were primarily located in the eastern and southwestern parts of the plateau. In grasslands, 25.8 % of meadows and 14.1 % of steppes exhibited significant upward trends. In contrast, the broadleaf forests experienced a trend of degradation. Temperature, particularly summer temperature, was the primary factor promoting the vegetation growth in the plateau. The wetter and warmer climate in the east contributed to the favorable conditions for vegetation. The alpine meadow was mostly sensitive to temperature, while the steppes were sensitive to both temperature and precipitation. Although a warming climate was expected to be beneficial to vegetation growth in the alpine region, the rising temperature coupled with reduced precipitation in the south did not favor vegetation growth due to low humidity and poor soil moisture conditions.     

东亚夏季风水汽输送带及其对中国大暴雨与洪涝灾害的影响

东亚夏季风每年给中国东部地区带来充沛的降水，是中国水资源的主要来源，同时也常常给中国造成严重的洪涝灾害。东亚夏季风水汽输送的强度、影响范围和持续性在极端暴雨过程中起着关键的作用。这支夏季风气流的水汽输送带可称为东亚季风水汽输送带，与国际上近期提出的"大气河"概念相近，但又不完全相同。东亚夏季风水汽输送带是东亚夏季风最具地区性的特征，也是东亚地区夏季大暴雨和洪涝的制造者。本文根据近百年来的资料，综合评述了东亚夏季风水汽输送带的特征和形成原因，并以海河、黄河、淮河与长江近百年最强的5次持续大暴雨过程为例，分析了季风水汽输送带的重要作用。最后，提出气候变暖可以通过4个方面影响全球水循环，包括气候变暖后大气可容纳更多的水汽、大气环流发生变化、辐射强迫改变以及气溶胶影响的区域性等，这些变化都会对季风水汽输送带产生重要影响。     

东亚夏季风水汽输送带及其对中国大暴雨与洪涝灾害的影响

东亚夏季风每年给中国东部地区带来充沛的降水，是中国水资源的主要来源，同时也常常给中国造成严重的洪涝灾害。东亚夏季风水汽输送的强度、影响范围和持续性在极端暴雨过程中起着关键的作用。这支夏季风气流的水汽输送带可称为东亚季风水汽输送带，与国际上近期提出的"大气河"概念相近，但又不完全相同。东亚夏季风水汽输送带是东亚夏季风最具地区性的特征，也是东亚地区夏季大暴雨和洪涝的制造者。本文根据近百年来的资料，综合评述了东亚夏季风水汽输送带的特征和形成原因，并以海河、黄河、淮河与长江近百年最强的5次持续大暴雨过程为例，分析了季风水汽输送带的重要作用。最后，提出气候变暖可以通过4个方面影响全球水循环，包括气候变暖后大气可容纳更多的水汽、大气环流发生变化、辐射强迫改变以及气溶胶影响的区域性等，这些变化都会对季风水汽输送带产生重要影响。     

Linking moisture and near-surface wind with winter temperature to reveal the Holocene climate evolution in arid Xinjiang region of China

An increasing number of palaeo-climatic records have been reported to identify the Holocene climate history in the arid Xinjiang region of northwest China. However, few studies have fully considered the internal linkages within the regional climate system, which may limit our understanding of the forcing mechanisms of Holocene climate change in this region. Here, we systematically consider three major issues of the moisture/precipitation, temperature and near-surface wind relevant to the Holocene climate history of Xinjiang. First, despite there still has debated for the Holocene moisture evolution in this region, more climatic reconstructions from lake sediments, loess, sand-dunes and peats support a long-term regional wetting trend. Second, temperature records from ice cores, peats and stalagmites demonstrate a long-term winter warming trend during the Holocene in middle- to high-latitudes of Asia. Third, recent studies of aeolian sedimentary sequences reveal that the near-surface winds in winter gradually weakened during the Holocene, whereas the winter mid-latitude Westerlies strengthened in the Tienshan Mountains. Based on this evidence, in the arid Xinjiang region we propose an early to middle Holocene relatively cold and dry interval, with strong near-surface winds; and a warmer, wetter interval with weaker near-surface winds in the middle to late Holocene during winter. Additionally, we develop a conceptual model to explain the pattern of Holocene climate changes in this region. From the early to the late Holocene, the increasing atmospheric CO₂ content and winter insolation, and the shrinking of high-latitude continental ice-sheets, resulted in increasing winter temperatures in middle to high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. Subsequently, the increased winter temperature strengthened the winter mid-latitude Westerlies and weakened the Siberian high-pressure system, which caused an increase in winter precipitation and a decrease in near-surface wind strength. This scenario is strongly supported by evidence from geological records, climate simulation results, and modern reanalysis data. Our hypothesis highlights the important contribution of winter temperature in driving the Holocene climatic evolution of the arid Xinjiang region, and it implies that the socio-economic development and water resources security of this region will face serious challenges presented by the increasing winter temperature in the future.     

三大自然区过渡地带近50年来气候类型变化及其对气候变化的响应

The transition area of three natural zones (Eastern Monsoon Region, Arid Region of Northwest China, Qinghai Tibet Plateau Region) is influenced by the Asian monsoon and middle latitude westerly circulation because of its special geographical position. And it is more sensitive to global climate change. The Koppen climate classification, which is widely used in the world, and the accumulated temperature-dryness classification, which is usually used in China, were used to study the climate zones and changes in the region of longitude 97.5°~108°E, latitude 33°~41.5°N, from 1961 to 2010. The changing areas of each climate zone were compared to the East Asian Summer Monsoon index, the South Asian Summer Monsoon index, the Summer Westerly index, the East Asian Winter Monsoon index, the Plateau Summer Monsoon index, the North Atlantic Oscillation index, the Southern Oscillation index, NINO3.4 index, to explore the response of the transition area of three natural zones to each climate system. According to the results, this region will become wetter when the Summer Westerly or the East Asian Winter Monsoon is relatively strong. When the East Asian Summer Monsoon or the South Asian Summer Monsoon becomes strong, the climate in low altitude region of the study area will easily become drier, and the climate in high altitude region of the study area is easily to become wetter. When the Plateau Summer Monsoon is relatively strong, the climate in the study area will easily become drier. When the North Atlantic Oscillation is relatively strong, the study area will easily become wetter. And when the El Niño is relatively strong, or the Southern Oscillation is relatively weak, the study area will easily become drier. In general, the moisture status of this region is mainly controlled by the middle latitude westerly circulation. The enhancement of the Asian summer monsoon could increase the precipitation in the southeast part of this regional, but, according to the degrees of dryness and the types of climate change in this paper, warming effects could offset precipitation increasing and make the area drier. The transition area of three natural zones is influenced by multiple interactions of climate systems from East Asia. A single climatic index, such as air temperature or precipitation, can not completely represent the regional features of climate change. As a result, areas of climate zones can be used as an important index in the regional climate change assessment.     

Climatic bisection of the last interglacial warm period in the Polar North Atlantic

New multiproxy marine data of the Eemian interglacial (MIS5e) from the Norwegian Sea manifest a cold event with near-glacial surface ocean summer temperatures (3–4 °C). This mid-Eemian cooling divided the otherwise relatively warm interglacial climate and was associated with widespread expansions of winter sea-ice and polar water masses due to changes in atmospheric circulation and ocean stability. While the data also verify a late rather than early last interglacial warm peak, which is in general disharmony with northern hemisphere insolation maximum and the regional climatic progression of the early Holocene, the cold event itself was likely instrumental for delaying the last interglacial climate development in the Polar North when compared with regions farther south. Such a ‘climatic decoupling’ of the Polar region may bear profound implications for the employment of Eemian conditions to help evaluate the present and future state of the Arctic cryosphere during a warming interglacial.     

Impacts of tectonic and orbital forcing on East African climate: a comparison based on global climate model simulations

A global atmosphere–ocean model has been forced with topographic and orbital scenarios in order to evaluate the relative role of both factors for the past climate of East Africa. Forcing the model with a significantly reduced topography in Eastern and Southern Africa leads to a distinct increase in moisture transport from the Indian Ocean into the eastern part of the continent and increased precipitation in Eastern Africa. Simulations with step-wise reduced height show that this climate change occurs continuously with the change in topography, i.e., an abrupt change of local climatic features with a critical height is not found. Simulations of the last interglacial (at 125,000 years before present, i.e., the Eemian interglacial) and the last glacial inception (at 115,000 years before present) are used as examples for the role of orbital-induced changes in insolation. Here, changes in meridional temperature gradients lead to modifications in moisture transport of similar order of magnitude, but with different spatial and seasonal structure. For the Eemian interglacial, a distinct increase in summer moisture transport from the Atlantic deep into the continent at around 20°N is simulated.     

Climate in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, between AD 1610 and 1885 Inferred from Oxygen and Hydrogen Isotopic Measurements of Wood Cellulose from Trees in Different Hydrologic Settings

Oxygen and hydrogen isotopes were measured in wood cellulose and cellulose-nitrate from trees that grew in different hydrologic settings in southwestern Ontario, Canada. An isotope model that accounts for isotopic fractionations associated with photosynthesis in plants was applied to the stable isotope data to infer past meteoric water isotopic composition and seasonal air moisture variations. The model-inferred climate data was rationalized in terms of the trees' hydrologic environment and weather characteristics of the Great Lakes region. The result is an account of summer and winter conditions in southwestern Ontario for 275 years (1610 to 1885) prior to instrumental climate records. Conditions between 1610 and 1750 are inferred to have been cooler and drier than present. This was followed by a warm-moist climate interval between 1750 and 1885 during which there was an increase in winter precipitation. Cool-dry conditions were recorded instrumentally in this region at the end of the nineteenth century.     

近40a来江河源区生态环境变化的气候特征分析

利用月气象资料,对过去40a江河源气候变化特征进行分析,并与全球、全国、青藏高原进行了比较.结果表明:江河源区气温具有增暖趋势,近40a两地年平均气温分别增加约0.8℃和0.7℃,为高原异常变暖区.黄河源区变暖的主要特征是最低气温变暖,日照时数增加;最低、最高气温的显著变暖,以及较黄河源区增加更长的日照时数是长江源区变暖的主要特征.长江源区冬季变暖的作用不是主要的,春季、夏季和秋季的变暖作用比冬季还要大;黄河源区的变暖也并不主要是冬季变暖造成的,秋季变暖的作用与其相当,其它季节的变暖作用也不能忽视.近40a来江河源区降水量略有增加,主要体现在20世纪80年代中后期以来春季与冬季降水量的明显增加,夏季降水量虽然总体上没有明显变化,且局地夏季降水量呈持续减少趋势.与全球、全国以及高原区对比显示,江河源区对全球气候变暖的响应最敏感,变暖首先从长江源和整个高原发端,之后15a.黄河源和全国才进入显著温暖期.黄河源与长江源北部降水量的增加表明,气候变暖有利于高原增加降水量.     

青藏高原气候变化的若干事实及其年际振荡的成因探讨

利用1961-2012年青藏高原88个气象台站逐月气温、降水以及温室气体等气候系统监测资料和CMIP5输出的未来气候变化情景数据,分析了近52年来青藏高原气候变化暖湿化的若干事实,揭示了其年际振荡与温室气体、高原加热场、高原季风、AO等气候系统因子的关系,预测了未来20~40年青藏高原可能的气候变化趋势。研究表明：近52年来青藏高原在总体保持气候变暖的趋势下自2006年以来出现了某些增暖趋于缓和的迹象,较全球变化滞后了8年左右;降水量的增加在青藏高原具有明显的普遍性和显著性,气候变湿较变暖具有一定的滞后性,降水量变化的5年短周期日趋不显著,而12年、25年较长周期逐渐明显且仍呈增多趋势。由于温室气体、气溶胶持续增加、高原夏季风趋强、ENSO事件和太阳辐射减少,青藏高原气候持续增暖但有所缓和;春季高原加热场增强、高原夏季风爆发提前且保持强劲,使得高原春、夏季和年降水量增加,而秋、冬季AO相对稳定少动,东亚大槽强度无明显变化,高原冬季风变化不甚显著,导致了高原秋、冬季降水量无明显变化。未来20~40年青藏高原仍有可能继续保持气温升高、降水增加趋势。     

Tree-ring growth variability in the Austrian Alps: the influence of site, altitude, tree species and climate

We present an extensive new network of ring-width chronologies, comprising data from 100 sites within the Austrian Eastern Alps, made up of multiple tree species. Principal components analysis and cluster analysis were used to identify five separate high-frequency tree-growth signals from these data. Tree-growth variability at these sites is explained by site altitude and species differences that moderate the effects of the annually varying climatic forcing on tree growth. Recently developed, two-century long gridded climate data sets for the Greater Alpine Region were used to assess the relationship between climate and tree growth. Tree growth at low altitudes is controlled mainly by spring-summer moisture availability. At high altitudes precipitation is no longer a limiting factor and growth is mostly determined by summer temperature. In the intermediate altitudinal range, we did not find any direct relationships with specific climatic variables. High-altitude chronologies suitable for reconstructing past temperatures and low-altitude chronologies suitable for reconstructing past precipitation were identified.     

Using fire regimes to delineate zones in a high-resolution lake sediment record from the western United States

Paleoenvironmental reconstructions are important for understanding the influence of long-term climate variability on ecosystems and landscape disturbance dynamics. In this paper we explore the linkages among past climate, vegetation, and fire regimes using a high-resolution pollen and charcoal reconstruction from Morris Pond located on the Markagunt Plateau in southwestern Utah, USA. A regime shift detection algorithm was applied to background charcoal accumulation to define where statistically significant shifts in fire regimes occurred. The early Holocene was characterized by greater amounts of summer precipitation and less winter precipitation than modern. Ample forest fuel and warm summer temperatures allowed for large fires to occur. The middle Holocene was a transitional period between vegetation conditions and fire disturbance. The late Holocene climate is characterized as cool and wet reflecting an increase in snow cover, which reduced opportunities for fire despite increased availability of fuels. Similarities between modern forest fuel availability and those of the early Holocene suggest that warmer summers projected for the 21st century may yield substantial increases in the recurrence and ecological impacts of fire when compared to the fire regime of the last millennium.     

西天山山区气候变化与灌区绿洲气候效应

对近40a西天山山区气候变化的特点及其变化趋势进行了分析,并以阿克苏源流区、阿克苏灌区以及叶尔羌河灌区的14个气象站的观测资料(1961—2000年)为基础,重点研究了灌区的气候变化及绿洲气候效应.20世纪90年代以来,各区域的气温增高,降水增多,其中在源流地区降水增加幅度最大,而沙尘暴、浮尘和大风日数都有明显的下降.最后,讨论了气候变化与绿洲发展的关系.     

Asian monsoon climate during the Last Glacial Maximum: palaeo‐data–model comparisons

The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) (23–19 ka BP) in the Asian monsoon region is generally described as cool and dry, due to a strong winter monsoon. More recently, however, palaeo‐data and climate model simulations have argued for a more variable LGM Asian monsoon climate with distinct regional differences. We compiled, evaluated, and partly re‐assessed proxy records for the Asian monsoon region in terms of wet/dry climatic conditions based on precipitation and effective moisture, and of sea surface temperatures. The comparison of the palaeo‐data set to LGM simulations by the Climate Community System Model version 3 (CCSM3) shows fairly good agreement: a dry LGM climate in the western and northern part due to a strengthened winter monsoon and/or strengthened westerly winds and wetter conditions in equatorial areas, due to a stronger summer monsoon. Data–model discrepancies are seen in some areas and are ascribed to the fairly coarse resolution of CCSM3 and/or to uncertainties in the reconstructions. Differences are also observed between the reconstructed and simulated northern boundaries of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The reconstructions estimate a more southern position over southern India and the Bay of Bengal, whereas CCSM3 simulates a more northern position. In Indochina, the opposite is the case. The palaeo‐data indicate that climatic conditions changed around 20–19 ka BP, with some regions receiving higher precipitation and some experiencing drier conditions, which would imply a distinct shift in summer monsoon intensity. This shift was probably triggered by the late LGM sea‐level rise, which led to changes in atmosphere–ocean interactions in the Indian Ocean. The overall good correspondence between reconstructions and CCSM3 suggests that CCSM3 simulates LGM climate conditions over subtropical and tropical areas fairly well. The few high‐resolution qualitative and quantitative palaeo‐records available for the large Asian monsoon region make reconstructions however still uncertain.     

1960-2012年祁连山东段古浪河流域极端气候事件研究

全球变暖引发极端气候事件频发、加剧,是干旱区研究关注的热点科学和社会问题。通过分析祁连山东段古浪河流域1960-2012年日气温、降水数据,研究表明：古浪河流域升温显著,作物生长期、夏日高温日数和热持续日数均在频次和幅度上显著增加,显示出对全球变暖的良好响应。降水存在准3年和准8年的高频波动特征,强降水对年降水影响日趋显著,普通日降水强度则反映出区域差异性,持续干燥日数显示本区呈现湿润化。上述认识可为古浪河流域水资源研究及生态服务提供科技支撑。     

Climatic-Ecological Aspects of the Arid American Southwest,with Special Emphasis on the White Mountains,California

The main purpose of the present study is the development of concepts and methods suitable for deriving climatological information on the basis of phytoindication in semiarid-semihumid regions where no climatological data are available. The macroclimate of the southwestern United States can be clearly defined using regression analysis. The humid oceanic and temperate climate in the western part of this region is distinguished from the dry continental climate of the Great Basin east of the Sierra Nevada. The very important role of summer precipitation for the distribution of vegetation is explained from a climatic-ecological point of view. Although microclimatic conditions point to unfavorable conditions for plant growth—extreme amounts of radiation lead to increasing thermal stress with altitude—the gradients of soil moisture during the warm season explain high vegetation densities.

Phytogeographical aspects show a clear separation between the Sierra Nevada and the White Mountains and between the White Mountains and Wheeler Peak. Lowest vegetation density is found in the Owens Valley and not, as might be expected, in the eastern part of the Great Basin. Thus, although the White Mountains are situated adjacent to the Sierra, their vegetation shows weak relations to the Sierran and Californian floristic province. In fact, Great Basin plants constitute the majority. An overall floristic comparison establishes a continuous change from the White Mountains to Wheeler Peak and an abrupt transition between the vegetation of the Sierra Nevada and the White Mountains.     

PRECIS模式对宁夏气候变化情景的模拟分析*

使用英国Hadley气候中心区域气候模式PRECIS,分析了B2温室气体排放情景下,相对于气候基准时段1961~1990年宁夏2071~2100年(2080s)地面气温、降水量等的变化。结果表明:PRECIS模式能够很好地模拟宁夏气温的分布特征,对夏季最高气温的模拟效果好于冬季最低气温;较好地模拟出了宁夏降水南多北少的空间差异特征,且对夏季降水的模拟能力明显强于年均降水和冬季降水。相对于气候基准时段, 在B2情景下,2080s宁夏年平均、冬季和夏季平均气温均明显上升,宁夏北部和南部的部分地区气温上升幅度最大,夏季平均气温和最高气温上升幅度大于冬季平均气温和最低气温;未来宁夏年、冬季和夏季平均降水较基准时段均有所增加,但降水随年代际却呈减少趋势,由于气温和降水的气候变率加大,2080s宁夏出现高温、干旱、洪涝等异常天气事件的可能性增大。     

Determining the drivers of long‐term aridity variability: a southern African case study

This paper highlights the importance of differentiating between precipitation amount and moisture availability (‘humidity’/‘aridity’) when considering proxy records of climate change. While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, moisture availability is determined by both (i) precipitation amount and (ii) temperature, through its influence on potential evapotranspiration. As many palaeoenvironmental proxies reflect changes in this water balance rather than purely precipitation amount, it is important to distinguish between the potential relative influences of precipitation and temperature if those records are to be interpreted in terms of climate mechanisms and/or compared with model outputs. As a case study, we explore how precipitation and temperature have determined moisture availability in South Africa's summer rainfall zone over the last 45 000 years. Using quantitative reconstructions of mean annual temperature, summer rainfall amount and an aridity index, our analysis reveals strong spatiotemporal variability in the relative influences of precipitation and temperature on aridity. Temperature is shown to have exerted a considerable and even dominant influence on moisture availability, resulting in elevated humidity during the last glacial period, despite significant reductions in precipitation amount.     

Temporal correspondence between pluvial lake highstands in the southwestern US and Heinrich Event 1

Pluvial lakes were abundant in the southwestern United States during Pleistocene glaciations, particularly in the Great Basin. Many of these lakes occupied closed basins; therefore, fluctuations of their water surface elevations are valuable sources of paleoclimate information. Histories of the largest lakes are well constrained, whereas dozens of smaller lakes that were present in this region have received relatively little scientific attention. Given their dimensions, these smaller lakes were climatically sensitive and can offer important information about Quaternary climate variability. Here we present new ages for the highstands of three previously undated small lakes based on radiocarbon dating of gastropod shells recovered from beach ridges. These results are combined with other published and unpublished ¹⁴C ages to yield an extensive compilation of highstand shoreline ages for lakes of all sizes throughout the southwestern US. The results indicate that although some lakes reached highstands during the Last Glacial Maximum, the strongest temporal correspondence is between highstands and Heinrich Event H1. These results are consistent with speleothem‐based reconstructions of effective moisture in the southwestern US, which show increased precipitation during stadials of the last glacial cycle. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.