Sensitivity of Climate Changes to CO_2 Emissions in China

In this study, the authors demonstrate that the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 （CMIP5） models project a robust response in changes of mean and climate extremes to warming in China. Under a scenario of a 1% CO2 increase per year, surface temperature in China is projected to increase more rapidly than the global average, and the model ensemble projects more precipitation （2.2%/℃）. Responses in changes of climate extremes are generally much stronger than that of climate means. The majority of models project a consistent re- sponse, with more warm events but fewer cold events in China due to CO2 warming. For example, the ensemble mean indicates a high positive sensitivity for increasing summer days （12.4%/℃） and tropical nights （26.0%/℃）, but a negative sensitivity for decreasing frost days （-4.7%/℃） and ice days （-7.0%/℃）. Further analyses indicate that precipitation in China is likely to become more extreme, featuring a high positive sensitivity. The sensitivity is high （2.4%/℃） for heavy precipitation days （〉 10 mm d l） and increases dramatically （5.3%/℃） for very heavy precipitation days （〉 20 mm d-1）, as well as for precipitation amounts on very wet days （10.8%/℃） and extremely wet days （22.0%/℃）. Thus, it is concluded that the more extreme precipitation events generally show higher sensitivity to CO2 warming. Additionally, southern China is projected to experience an increased risk of drought and flood occurrence, while an increased risk of flood but a decreased risk of drought is likely in other regions of China.     

1951-2005年中国区域气候变化与干旱化趋势

摘 要：利用1951-2006年中国区域160个站的月降水及月平均气温资料,对中国区域近56 a气候要素的变化及其与干旱化联系的事实进行了分析。结果表明：降水减少的地区主要位于我国北方的西北东部、华北及东北;在南方,西南的降水减少趋势与上述地区具有类似特征。气温基本为增温趋势,而西北东部及西南地区气温也在20世纪80年代发生转折性变化,由80年代中期以前的降温趋势转为其后的增温趋势。地表湿润指数分析的结果指出：我国西北东部、华北、东北及西南地区当前正处于一个干旱化过程,但不同地区干湿变化特征及干旱化的持续时间和位相却有差别。     

1961-200年中国各季降水趋势变化

Trends in six indices of precipitation in China for seasons during 1961-2007 were analyzed based on daily observations at 587 stations. The trends were estimated by using Sen＇s method with Mann-Kendall＇s test for quantifying the significance. The geographical patterns of trends in the seasonal indices of extremes were similar to those of total precipitation. For winter, both total and extreme precipitation increased over nearly all of China, except for a small part of northern China. Increasing trends in extreme precipitation also occurred at many stations in southwestern China for spring and the midlower reaches of the Yangtze River and southern China for summer. For autumn, precipitation decreased in eastern China, with an increasing length of maximum dry spell, implying a drying tendency for the post-rainy season. Wetting trends have prevailed in most of western China for all seasons. The well-known ＇flood in the south and drought in the north＇ trend exists in eastern China for summer, while a nearly opposite trend pattern exist for spring.     

夏季西北干旱气候形成的数值模拟——高原地形和环流场等的影响

为了进一步检验和修改本文部分作者先前初步提出的影响夏季西北干旱气候形成的因子及如何相互作用形成西北干旱气候的物理图像,本文继续用一全球大气环流谱模式,设计了5组试验,利用ECMWF 的格点分析值资料,进行了数值模拟。结果表明,青藏高原隆升和环流差异是形成西北干旱气候的重要因子,已提出的西北干旱气候形成的物理图像大体是正确的。     

东亚夏季风边缘带的气候特征

利用近30年的NCEP再分析格点资料及中国站点降水资料,从降水、湿度、风场、水汽输送等角度研究了东亚夏季风边缘带的气候特征及其与华北、西北降水的关系。结果表明,降水场、比湿场、风场、水汽输送场所描述的东亚夏季风边缘带位置基本一致,大致沿西南—东北走向自西向东经过黄河上游—河套—华北北部—东北。夏季风边缘带附近的夏季降水年际变化较大,且夏季降水量与季风强度呈正相关。当夏季风影响到西北、华北北部时,西北、华北夏季降水偏多;反之则偏少。     

TEMPERATURE,RAINFALL VARIATIONS AND THEIR ANOMALIES OVER CHINA UNDER THE COLD-WARM BACKGROUND IN THE 20TH CENTURY

In this study,the climate trend of the annual average air temperature and total annual rainfall inChina in the present century has been examined.It is noted that in the Northwest,the Northeast andNorth China the climate has become notably warmer this century but the rainfall trend has not beenevident,mainly negative.In the 1980s China's rainfall and temperature showed noticeable regionalfeatures: warm and dry in North China,cold and dry in the Southwest,warm and wet in theNortheast,cold and wet in the middle-lower reaches of the Changjiang River.Besides,the fourinterdecadal climate change features and ranges of this century have been studied.It is found that onthe scale of several decades there was considerably less rainfall in the most part of China in the warmbackground than in the cold background.The increase of temperature which started from the 1970smainly happened in the Northwest and Northeast,while to the south of the Huanghe River thetemperature increase did not even as great as in 1940s.The corresponding rainfall feature is that mostareas experienced much less rainfall except the area to the south of the Huanghe River and over theChangjiang and Huaihe River basin.     

我国北方区域沙尘天气的时间特征分析

将我国北方沙尘主要影响区划分为3个区（西北区、华北区、东北区）,用网格面积加权计算区域平均的方法,比较了各区沙尘天气的时间演化特征。结果表明：西北部沙尘日数的量级明显多于东北部;沙尘暴的发生有比较明显的日变化特征,各区白天较夜间更易发生沙尘暴,2区（华北区）和3区（东北区）发生沙尘暴初始时刻的峰值出现在14：00,1区（西北区）出现在15：00～16：00;2区和3区出现沙尘天气的极值在4月,而1区在4、5两个月都是极值期;春季是各区沙尘天气的多发期,1区夏季沙尘天气发生的频次也较高;各区的沙尘日数均在20世纪80年代中期前后发生了由多到少的跃变,1区和2区的突变点在1987年,3区在1983年。我国北方3个区沙尘天气的日、月、季节变化有明显的区域特征,其中1区表现得较为独特,2区和3区则比较接近。     

TEMPERATURE, RAINFALL VARIATIONS AND THEIR ANOMALIES OVER CHINA UNDER THE COLD-WARM BACKGROUND IN THE 20TH CENTURY*

In this study,the climate trend of the annual average air temperature and total annual rainfall in China in the present century has been examined.It is noted that in the Northwest,the Northeast and North China the climate has become notably warmer this century but the rainfall trend has not been evident,mainly negative.In the 1980s China's rainfall and temperature showed noticeable regional features:warm and dry in North China,cold and dry in the Southwest,warm and wet in the Northeast,cold and wet in the middle-lower reaches of the Changjiang River.Besides,the four interdecadal climate change features and ranges of this century have been studied.It is found that on the scale of several decades there was considerably less rainfall in the most part of China in the warm background than in the cold background.The increase of temperature which started from the 1970s mainly happened in the Northwest and Northeast,while to the south of the Huanghe River the temperature increase did not even as great as in 1940s.The corresponding rainfall feature is that most areas experienced much less rainfall except the area to the south of the Huanghe River and over the Changjiang and Huaihe River basin.     

未来我国极端温度事件变化情景分析

基于Hadley气候预测与研究中心的区域气候模式系统PRECIS（Providing REgional Climates for Impacts Studies）单向嵌套该中心全球海-气耦合气候模式HadCM3高分辨率的大气部分HadAM3P, 检验PRECIS对我国气候基准时段（1961—1990年）极端温度事件的模拟能力, 分析IPCCSRES（Special Reporton Emission Scenarios）B2情景下未来2071—2100年相对于气候基准时段我国极端温度事件的变化响应。与观测资料的对比分析表明:PRECIS能够较好地模拟我国气候基准时段极端温度事件的局地分布特征。IPCC SRESB2情景下, 预估未来2071—2100年我国大部分地区高温日数出现频率均比气候基准时段高5倍以上; 霜冻日数将呈减少趋势, 我国南方地区的减少趋势大于北方地区; 暖期持续指数整体将呈增加趋势, 我国东北地区、西北地区中西部、华北地区和东南沿海地区增加显著; 冷期持续指数整体将呈减少趋势, 且东北地区、华北地区、西北地区及内蒙古、青藏高原大部地区的减少幅度将达到90%以上。     

近50年东北地区温度降水变化特征分析

以东北三省为研究区,利用1951～2000年东北地区110个气象站的观测资料,采用小波分析方法,对近50 a温度、降水变化进行分析。结果表明:东北地区的年平均气温有15 a的周期变化,15 a周期变化中还有2～4 a短波动;降水分为多、少、多3个阶段;年平均气温以0.6℃/10 a的速率上升,春季气温上升最高,冬季次之;降水变化以0.27 mm/a的速率递减,其中春季降水略有增加,夏、秋季降水均为减少趋势。     

Impacts of Recent Climate Change on Dry-Land Crop Water Consumption in the Northern Agro-Pastoral Transitional Zone of China

Climate change has substantially impacted crop growth and development in the northern agro-pastoral transitional zone. Examination of the response of crop water consumption to climate change may provide a guide for adapting local agricultural production and ecological construction to new realities. The water consumption of three local crops (wheat, naked oats, and potatoes) is examined for Wuchuan County in the northern agro-pastoral transitional zone of China using meteorological data from 1960 to 2007 and soil moisture data from 1983 to 2007. The relationships between climate change and the crop water consumption are discussed. The results show that Wuchuan experienced both a warming trend and a reduction of precipitation between 1960 and 2007. The annual mean surface air temperature increased at a rate of 0.04℃ yr-1 and the annual precipitation decreased at a rate of 0.7 mm yr-1 . Both trends are particularly pronounced between 1983 and 2007, with an increase in annual mean temperature of 0.09℃ yr-1 and a decrease in annual mean precipitation of 2.1 mm yr-1 . Crop water consumption decreased between 1983 and 2007 for wheat (1.65 mm yr-1 ), naked oats (2.04 mm yr-1 ), and potatoes (3.85 mm yr-1 ). Potatoes and naked oats consume more water than wheat. Climate change has significantly impacted crop water consumption. Water consumption and rainfall during the growing season are positively correlated, while water consumption and active accumulated temperature are negatively correlated. Compared to precipitation, accumulated temperature has little impact on crop water consumption. Recent climate change has been detrimental for crop production in Wuchuan County. Adaptation to climate change should include efforts to breed drought-resistant crops and to develop drought-resistant cultivation techniques.     

MM5 Simulations of the China Regional Climate During the LGM. Ⅱ： Influence of Change of Land Area,Vegetation, and Large-scale Circulation Background

Using a regional climate model MM5 nested to an atmospheric global climate model CCM3, a series of simulations and sensitivity experiments have been performed to investigate the relative LGM climate response to changes of land-sea distribution, vegetation, and large-scale circulation background over China. Model results show that compared with the present climate, the fluctuations of sea-land distribution in eastern Asia during the LGM result in the temperature decrease in winter and increase in summer. It has significant impact on the temperature and precipitation in the east coastal region of China. The impact on precipitation in the east coastal region of China is the most significant one, with 25%-50% decrease in the total precipitation change during the LGM. On the other hand, the changes in sea-land distribution have less influence on the climate of inland and western part of China. During the LGM, significant changes in vegetation result in temperature alternating with winter increase and summer decrease, but differences in the annual mean temperature are minor. During the LGM, the global climate, i.e., the large-scale circulation background has changed significantly. These changes have significant influences on temperature and precipitation over China. They result in considerable temperature decreases in this area, and direct the primary patterns and characteristics of temperature changes. Results display that, northeastern China has the greatest temperature decrease, and the temperature decrease in the Tibetan Plateau is larger than in the eastern part of China located at the same latitude. Moreover, the change of large-scale circulation background also controls the pattern of precipitation change. Results also show that, most of the changes in precipitation over western and northeastern parts of China are the consequences of changing large-scale circulation background, of which 50%-75% of precipitation changes over northern and eastern China are the results of changes in large-scale circulation backgrou     

The Statistical Significance Test of Regional Climate Change Caused by Land Use and Land Cover Variation in West China

The West Development Policy being implemented in China is causing significant land use and land cover （LULC） changes in West China. With the up-to-date satellite database of the Global Land Cover Characteristics Database （GLCCD） that characterizes the lower boundary conditions, the regional climate model RIEMS-TEA is used to simulate possible impacts of the significant LULC variation. The model was run for five continuous three-month periods from 1 June to 1 September of 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997, and the results of the five groups are examined by means of a student t-test to identify the statistical significance of regional climate variation. The main results are： （1） The regional climate is affected by the LULC variation because the equilibrium of water and heat transfer in the air-vegetation interface is changed. （2） The integrated impact of the LULC variation on regional climate is not only limited to West China where the LULC varies, but also to some areas in the model domain where the LULC does not vary at all. （3） The East Asian monsoon system and its vertical structure are adjusted by the large scale LULC variation in western China, where the consequences are the enhancement of the westward water vapor transfer from the east oast and the relevant increase of wet-hydrostatic energy in the middle-upper atmospheric layers. （4） The ecological engineering in West China affects significantly the regional climate in Northwest China, North China and the middle-lower reaches of the Yangtze River; there are obvious effects in South, Northeast, and Southwest China, but minor effects in Tibet.     

2013年秋季东北地区气候异常及成因分析

2013年秋季,东北地区气候异常特征总体表现为：气温偏高,降水总体偏多,尤其10和11月降水持续异常偏多。分析表明,西北太平洋中纬度地区暖海温外强迫和大气环流系统的组合异常是东北地区气候异常的主要原因。秋季北极涛动正位相特征显著,东北地区上空为异常正高度距平控制,环流异常形势不利于冷空气扩散南下影响东北地区,造成秋季东北地区明显偏暖。秋季中后期,东北地区降水偏多主要受西北太平洋中纬度地区异常偏强的东南风水汽输送影响。     

The Unprecedented Freezing Disaster in January 2008 in Southern China and Its Possible Association with the Global Warming

The unprecedented disaster of low temperature and persistent rain, snow, and ice storms, causing widespread freezing in the Yangtze River Basin and southern China in January 2008, is not a local or regional event, but a part of the chain events of large-scale low temperature and snow storms in the same period in Asia. The severity and impacts of the southern China 2008 freezing disaster were the most significant among others. This disastrous event was characterized by three major features： （1） snowfall, freezing rain, and rainfall, the three forms of precipitation, coexisted with freezing rain being the dominant producer responsible for the disaster; （2） low temperature, rain and snow, and freezing rain exhibited extremely great intensity, with record-breaking measurements observed for eight meteorological variables based on the statistics made by China National Climate Center and the provincial meteorological services in the Yangtze River Basin and southern China; （3） the disastrous weathers persisted for an exceptionally long time period, unrecorded before in the meteorological observation history of China.
The southern China 2008 freezing disaster may be resulted from multiple different factors that superimpose on and interlink with one another at the right time and place. Among them, the La Nina situation is a climate background that provided conducive conditions for the intrusions of cold air into southern China; the persistent anomaly of the atmospheric circulation in Eurasia is the direct cause for a succession of cold air incursions into southern China; and the northward transport of warm and moist airflows from the Bay of Bengal and South China Sea finally warranted the formation of the freezing rain and snow storms and their prolonged dominance in the southern areas of China.
A preliminary discussion of a possible association of this disastrous event with the global warming is presented. This event may be viewed as a short-term regional perturbation to the global warming. There is no     

青藏高原季风对我国西北干旱区气候的影响

基于ERA-Interim逐月再分析资料及同期高原和我国西北干旱区观测站温度与降水资料,分析高原季风与西北干旱区气候的关系,对比高原典型强弱季风年平均大尺度环流和水汽输送条件的差异,探讨高原强弱季风年西北干旱区气候差异形成的原因。研究结果表明:高原季风与我国西北干旱区气候相关关系显著;高原强弱季风年对应的大尺度环流和垂直环流系统存在明显差异;水汽条件和抬升条件好坏与降水量多寡配合得较好,即强高原季风年,高原北部边缘水汽条件和抬升条件更有利于降水,而弱高原季风年,高原北部边缘水汽条件和抬升条件偏差,对应降水量较常年同期偏少。     

中国西北地区干旱气侯学的新进展及其主要科学问题

回顾了“十五”期间中国西北地区干旱气侯学的进展。就遥感监测、西北干旱形成机制、西北地区年代际的气候变化、西北干旱新的强讯号、高原干旱气候生态作物适应性和西北干旱监测预测业务服务综合系统等方面所取得重要研究进展和学术成就,作了系统的回顾;并对21世纪初干旱气侯学的主要科学问题作了展望。     

中国东北夏季极端高温变化特征及其与环流异常的联系

利用东北地区1960—2010年夏季逐日气温资料,研究了中国东北地区夏季极端高温的时空变化特征和区域性特征,并对东北地区夏季极端高温事件与大气环流异常的可能联系进行分析。结果表明,东北地区夏季极端高温频数有明显的升高趋势,升高幅度由南向北逐渐增大;东北地区南部、东北部和西北部夏季极端高温频数的年际及年代际变化存在明显差异。东北地区夏季极端高温高发年500 hPa位势高度上盛行纬向环流,东北地区上空位势高度的垂直分布接近于正压结构,且一直延伸至对流层顶,海平面气压场上亚洲大陆低压明显偏弱,南北气压梯度减小,冷空气不易南下;低发年,则反之。     

Changes in Seasonality in China under Enhanced Atmospheric CO2 Concentration

Seasonality changes in China under elevated atmospheric CO 2 concentrations were simulated using nine global climate models,assuming a 1% per year increase in atmospheric CO 2.Simulations of 20th century experiments of season changes in China from the periods 1961 80 to 1981 2000 were also assessed using the same models.The results show that the ensemble mean simulation of the nine models performs better than that of an individual model simulation.Compared the mean climatology of the last 20 years in the CO 2-quadrupling experiments with that in the CO 2-doubling ones,the ensemble mean results show that the hottest/coldest continuous-90-day (local summer/winter) mean temperature increased by 3.4/4.5°C,2.7/2.9°C,and 2.9/4.1°C in Northeast (NE),Southwest (SW),and Southeast (SE) China,respectively,indicating a weakening seasonal amplitude (SA),but by 4.4/4.0°C in Northwest (NW) China,indicating an enlarging SA.The local summer lengthened by 37/30/66/54 days in NW,NE,SW,and SE China,respectively.In some models,the winter disappeared during the CO 2-quadrupling period,judging by the threshold based on the CO 2-doubling period.The average of the other model simulations show that the local winter shortened by 42/36/61/44 days respectively,in the previously mentioned regions.     

A Seasonal Prediction Model for the Summer Rainfall in Northeast China Using the Year-To-Year Increment Approach

Using the year-to-year increment approach, this study investigated the relationship of selected climatic elements with the increment time series of the summer rainfall between successive years in Northeast China, including the soil moisture content, sea surface temperature, 500 hPa geopotential height, and sea level pressure in the preceding spring for the period 1981–2008. Two spring predictors were used to construct the seasonal prediction model: the area mean soil moisture content in Northwest Eurasia and the 500 hPa geopotential height over Northeast China. Both the cross-validation and comparison with previous studies showed that the above two predictors have good predicting ability for the summer rainfall in Northeast China.