基于CMIP6模式数据的1961—2100年青藏高原地表气温时空变化分析

基于第六次国际耦合模式比较计划（CMIP6）的22个地球气候/系统模式模拟数据,分析了1961—2100年期间青藏高原年均地表气温在不同情景下的时空变化。结果表明,多模式集合平均的模拟结果优于大多数单个模式。由于共享社会经济路径（SSP）和辐射强迫的不同,在SSP1-2.6、SSP2-4.5、SSP3-7.0和SSP5-8.5四种情景下,2015—2100年间青藏高原年均地表气温的增温趋势分别为0.10 ℃·（10a）^-1、0.29 ℃·（10a）^-1、0.53 ℃·（10a）^-1和0.69 ℃·（10a）^-1,帕米尔高原、藏北高原中西部和巴颜喀拉山区为三个升温中心。相对于1995—2014年参考时段,到本世纪中期（2041—2060年）,青藏高原区域年均地表气温将分别增加1.37 ℃、1.72 ℃、1.98 ℃和2.30 ℃,而到本世纪末期（2081—2100年）,年均地表气温将分别增加1.42 ℃、2.65 ℃、4.28 ℃和5.38 ℃。与《巴黎协定》提出的到本世纪末全球平均气温升高不超过2 ℃目标相比,无论在哪种情景下,到本世纪中期时青藏高原年均地表气温相对于工业革命前均升高超过2 ℃,这会造成极大的气候生态环境问题。     

基于CMIP6模式的黄河上游地区未来气温模拟预估

利用第六次国际耦合模式比较计划（CMIP6）提供的5个气候模式,并结合基于地面气象站的CN05.1气象资料,评估了CMIP6模式对黄河上游地区1961—2014年气温变化的模拟能力。基于7个共享社会经济路径及代表性浓度路径（SSP-RCP）组合情景,结合多模式集合平均预估了2015—2100年黄河上游地区年均气温和季平均气温的时空变化规律。结果表明：多模式集合平均能较好地模拟黄河上游地区历史平均气温的空间分布格局与年变化。7个未来情景一致表明,2015—2100年黄河上游地区年平均气温呈现波动上升趋势［0.03～0.82 ℃?（10a）^-1］。其中,低辐射强迫情景下（SSP1-1.9、SSP1-2.6及SSP4-3.4）气温先呈现增加趋势,21世纪中期到达增幅峰值,之后增温呈现放缓趋势;而中、高辐射强迫情景下（SSP2-4.5、SSP3-7.0、SSP4-6.0及SSP5-8.5）气温表现为持续上升态势。空间上,未来气温增幅显著的区域位于黄河上游西部地区;时间上,呈现夏季增温快,春季增温慢。四季增温的空间分布呈现出一致特征,表现为西部增温强于东部,北部增温强于南部。研究结果可为黄河流域水资源管理及气候变化的适应性研究提供科学依据。     

Projections of temperature changes over South America during the twenty-first century using CMIP6 models

A 22-member ensemble from CMIP6 is used to analyze the projected changes and seasonal behavior in surface air temperature over South America during the twenty-first century. In the future projections, CMIP6 models shown a high dependency to the socioeconomic pathway over each country of South America. The multimodel ensemble projects a continuous increase in the annual mean temperature over South America during the twenty-first century under the three future scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5). Besides, it was possible to identify consistent positive trends across all the models, with values between 0.45 ± 0.05 and 2.05 ± 0.31 °C cy⁻¹ under the historical experiment, however largest trends occurs for the projection periods (near, mid and far future), with values between − 0.87 ± 0.84 to 2.88 ± 0.60 °C cy⁻¹ (SSP1-2.6), 1.41 ± 0.88 to 5.32 ± 0.81 °C cy⁻¹ (SSP2-4.5) and 4.75 ± 0.58 to 8.76 ± 0.74 °C cy⁻¹ (SSP5-8.5) with maximum values at Bolivia, Brasil, Paraguay and Venezuela whilst minimum values for Argentina and Uruguay, regardless of the SSP scenario used. From the seasonal behavior analysis was possible to identify maximum values between January and March whilst minimum between June and July, except in Brasil, Venezuela and Guyana–Surinam–French Guayana, with annual range decreasing as the latidude decreases. By the end of the twenty-first century the annual mean temperature over South america is projected to increase between 0.92–2.11 °C, 0.97–3.37 °C and 1.27–6.14 °C under SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 projection scenarios respectively. This projected increase of temperature across the continent will produce negative repercussions in the social, economic and political spheres. The results obtained in this study provide insights about the CMIP6 performance over this region, which can be used to develop adaptation strategies and might be useful for the adaptation to the climate change.

     

1979—2100年青藏高原夏季大气0 ℃层高度变化分析

大气0 ℃层高度是决定青藏高原冰冻圈消融状态的重要指标。基于ERA5再分析资料,分析了1979—2019年青藏高原夏季大气0 ℃层高度时空变化,发现青藏高原夏季大气0 ℃层高度介于4 423~5 972 m之间,以高原中南部（30°~32° N,83.5°~88.5° E）为高值中心,呈纬向分带状向四周逐渐降低。过去41 a青藏高原夏季大气0 ℃层高度总体呈持续上升趋势,高原北部上升趋势大于南部,祁连山地区上升趋势最为明显,为60 m?（10a）^-1,而在高原西南部略呈下降趋势。平均而言,青藏高原夏季地面温度每升高1 ℃,大气0 ℃层高度升高122 m。利用CMIP6模式数据,预估在SSP1-2.6、SSP2-4.5、SSP3-7.0和SSP5-8.5四种社会共享路径情景下,2020—2100年期间青藏高原夏季大气0 ℃层高度都呈现升高趋势,但不同情景下升高趋势在空间上差别较大。相对于1979—2014年参考时段,在四种情景下,到2081—2100年青藏高原夏季平均大气0 ℃层高度将分别升高265 m、394 m、576 m 和729 m;相对应的是到2081—2100年,在高原上处于夏季大气0 ℃层高度以下的冰川面积分别为第二次冰川编目数据的79%、86%、94%和98%。仅从夏季大气0 ℃层高度变化角度看,在SSP5-8.5情景下,到本世纪末期,预估除帕米尔高原和昆仑山西北部地区外,青藏高原其他地区的冰川在夏季将不存在积累区。     

Rapid warming in mid-latitude central Asia for the past 100 years

Surface air temperature variations during the last 100 years (1901–2003) in mid-latitude central Asia were analyzed using Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOFs). The results suggest that temperature variations in four major sub-regions, i.e. the eastern monsoonal area, central Asia, the Mongolian Plateau and the Tarim Basin, respectively, are coherent and characterized by a striking warming trend during the last 100 years. The annual mean temperature increasing rates at each sub-region (representative station) are 0.19°C per decade, 0.16°C per decade, 0.23°C per decade and 0.15°C per decade, respectively. The average annual mean temperature increasing rate of the four sub-regions is 0.18°C per decade, with a greater increasing rate in winter (0.21°C per decade). In Asian mid-latitude areas, surface air temperature increased relatively slowly from the 1900s to 1970s, and it has increased rapidly since 1970s. This pattern of temperature variation differs from that in the other areas of China. Notably, there was no obvious warming between the 1920s and 1940s, with temperature fluctuating between warming and cooling trends (e.g. 1920s, 1940s, 1960s, 1980s, 1990s). However, the warming trends are of a greater magnitude and their durations are longer than that of the cooling periods, which leads to an overall warming. The amplitude of temperature variations in the study region is also larger than that in eastern China during different periods.     

Effect of land surface processes on the Tibetan Plateau’s past and its predicted response to global warming: an analytical investigation based on simulation results from the CMIP5 model

Complex interactions between the land surface and atmosphere and the exchange of water and energy have a significant impact on climate. The Tibetan Plateau is the highest plateau in the world and is known as “Earth’s third pole”. Because of its unique natural geographical and climatic characteristics, it directly affects China’s climate, as well as the world’s climate, through its thermal and dynamic roles. In this study, the BCCCSM1.1 model for the simulation results of CMIP5 is used to analyze the variation of the land surface processes of the Tibetan Plateau and the possible linkages with temperature change. The analysis showed that, from 1850 to 2005, as temperature increases, the model shows surface downward short-wave radiation, upward short-wave radiation, and net radiation to decrease, and long-wave radiation to increase. Meanwhile, latent heat flux increases, whereas sensible heat flux decreases. Except for sensible heat flux, the correlation coefficients of land surface fluxes with surface air temperature are all significant at the 99 % significance level. The model results indicate rising temperature to cause the ablation of ice (or snow) cover and increasing leaf area index, with reduced snowfall, together with a series of other changes, resulting in increasing upward and downward long-wave radiation and changes in soil moisture, evaporation, latent heat flux, and water vapor in the air. However, rising temperature also reduces the difference between the surface and air temperature and the surface albedo, which lead to further reductions of downward and upward short-wave radiation. The surface air temperature in winter increases by 0.93 °C/100 years, whereas the change is at a minimum (0.66 °C/100 years) during the summer. Downward short-wave and net radiation demonstrate the largest decline in the summer, whereas upward short-wave radiation demonstrates its largest decline during the spring. Downward short-wave radiation is predominantly affected by air humidity, followed by the impact of total cloud fraction. The average downward short-wave and net radiation attain their maxima in May, whereas for upward short-wave radiation the maximum is in March. The model predicts surface temperature to increase under all the different representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios, with the rise under RCP8.5 reaching 5.1 °C/100 years. Long-wave radiation increases under the different emission scenarios, while downward short-wave radiation increases under the low- and medium-emission concentration pathways, but decreases under RCP8.5. Upward short-wave radiation reduces under the various emission scenarios, and the marginal growth decreases as the emission concentration increases.     

Soil temperatures in four metropolitan cities of Korea from 1960 to 2010: implications for climate change and urban heat

This study was conducted to reveal the trends of the air temperature and soil temperature for 51 years (1960–2010) and their relationship in four of Korea’s largest metropolitan cities (Seoul, Incheon, Busan and Daejeon). Also, the trends of the air and soil temperatures between the studied metropolitan cities and a rural area (Chupungryong) were compared to examine the effect of urban heat. Among the metropolitan cities, the long-term mean soil temperatures (depth 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 3.0, 5.0 m) were lowest (13.34–14.80 °C) in Seoul and highest (16.24–16.54 °C) in Busan, which is mainly the effect of the latitude. The soil temperature exponentially increased with depth in the three cities except for Busan and was closely related to the air temperature. The soil temperatures responded well to the air temperature change (maximum correlation coefficients 0.88–0.98) but this response was slightly delayed with depth. The air and soil temperatures increased at the rates of 0.24–0.40 and 0.11–0.73 °C/decade, respectively, for the period. The increasing rate of the soil temperature was the largest in Daejeon as 0.39–0.73 °C/decade, which was almost 2–4 times greater than those of the other cities (0.11–0.40 °C/decade), and it rose with depth. The increase of the soil temperature was coincident with the increase of the air temperature, which indicates that the soil temperature was largely affected by the increasing of the air temperature. In contrast, the increase in air temperature in Chupungryong (0.06 °C/decade) was significantly lower than in the metropolitan cities. In addition, the increase of the soil temperature in the rural area (0.13 °C/decade) was also much lower than that in the inland cities (0.20–0.27 °C/decade) while it showed no substantial difference from that in the coastal cities (0.11–0.15 °C/decade). Therefore, it is inferred that the soil temperature of the metropolitan cities increased with the increase of the air temperature due to global warming as well as the anthropogenic urban heat.     

Active layer thickness variations on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau under the scenarios of climate change

Climate change has greatly influenced the permafrost regions on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP). Most general circulation models (GCMs) project that global warming will continue and the amplitude will amplify during the twenty-first century. Climate change has caused extensive degradation of permafrost, including thickening of the active layer, rising of ground temperature, melting of ground ice, expansion of taliks, and disappearance of sporadic permafrost. The changes in the active layer thickness (ALT) greatly impact the energy balance of the land surface, hydrological cycle, ecosystems and engineering infrastructures in the cold regions. ALT is affected by climatic, geographic and geological factors. A model based on Kudryavtsev’s formulas is used to study the potential changes of ALT in the permafrost regions on the QTP. Maps of ALT for the year 2049 and 2099 on the QTP are projected under GCM scenarios. Results indicate that ALT will increase with the rising air temperature. ALT may increase by 0.1–0.7 m for the year 2049 and 0.3–1.2 m for the year 2099. The average increment of ALT is 0.8 m with the largest increment of 1.2 m under the A1F1 scenario and 0.4 m with the largest increment of 0.6 m under the B1 scenario during the twenty-first century. ALT changes significantly in sporadic permafrost regions, while in the continuous permafrost regions of the inland plateau ALT change is relatively smaller. The largest increment of ALT occurs in the northeastern and southwestern plateaus under both scenarios because of higher ground temperatures and lower soil moisture content in these regions.     

气候变化情景下青藏高原多年冻土活动层厚度变化预测

在人类活动和气候变暖的共同影响下, 浅层多年冻土近地表和活动层的热状况会发生显著的变化, 从而对生态环境、 水文、 工程等产生较大的影响. 以A1B, A2, B1气候变化情景模式为基础, 运用Stefan公式计算和预测了青藏高原多年冻土区活动层厚度的变化特征. 结果表明: 以羌塘盆地为中心, 青藏高原多年冻土活动层厚度向其四周不断增加, 多年冻土活动层厚度随着气温升高而增加. A1B 、 A2模式下活动层厚度变化大, 相对人类活动强度较小的B1模式活动层厚度变化较小. 到2050年时, A1B情景活动层厚度平均约为3.07 m, 相对于2010年活动层厚度约增加0.3~0.8 m; B1情景活动层厚度增加0.2~0.5 m; A2情景增加0.2~0.55 m. 到2099年, A1B情景活动层的平均厚度将约为3.42 m; A2情景将可达3.53 m; B1情景将可达2.93 m. 气候变暖将可能加深活动层, 百年后将大范围改变多年冻土的空间分布.     

Surface Air Temperature Projection Under 1.5 ℃ Warming Threshold Based on Corrected Pattern Scaling Technique

The global mean temperature during the recent decade (2007-2016) has increased above 1 ℃ relative to the pre-industrial period (1861-1890). The climate change and impact under 1.5 ℃ warming in the future have become a great concern in global society. Temperature projections, especially in regional scale, show great uncertainty depending on used climate models. Taking advantage of pattern scaling technique and observed temperature changes during 1951-2005, we tried to project the temperature changes globally under 1.5 ℃ threshold relative to current climate state, i.e. about 1 ℃ warming around 2007-2016. The projections of 21 climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project - Phase 5 under four Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP2.6, RC4.5, RCP6.0 and RCP8.5) were used to correct the assumptions in pattern scaling. Results showed that the geographical distribution and warming amplitude of surface air temperature changes under 1.5 ℃ threshold are similar in the four scenarios. Warming over most of the land would be above 0.6 ℃, 0.3 ℃ warmer than ocean. The Northern Hemisphere would be 0.2 ℃ warmer than the Southern Hemisphere. The temperature over China region will increase by 0.7 ℃. The warming in the Northern and Central China under RCP2.6 was obviously higher than that in the other scenarios. Ignoring the impact of correction method, uncertainty in temperature projection based on pattern scaling was much smaller than that in climate models, both in global and regional scales.     

The nature of MIS 3 stadial–interstadial transitions in Europe: New insights from model–data comparisons

15 abrupt warming transitions perturbed glacial climate in Greenland during Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3, 60–27 ka BP). One hypothesis states that the 8–16 °C warming between Greenland Stadials (GS) and Interstadials (GI) was caused by enhanced heat transport to the North Atlantic region after a resumption of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) from a weak or shutdown stadial mode. This hypothesis also predicts warming over Europe, a prediction poorly constrained by data due to the paucity of well-dated quantitative temperature records. We therefore use a new evidence from biotic proxies and a climate model simulation to study the characteristics of a GS–GI transition in continental Europe and the link to enhanced AMOC strength. We compare reconstructed climatic and vegetation changes between a stadial and subsequent interstadial – correlated to GS15 and GI14 (～55 ka BP) – with a simulated AMOC resumption using a three-dimensional earth system model setup with early-MIS 3 boundary conditions. Over western Europe (12°W–15°E), we simulate twice the annual precipitation, a 17 °C warmer coldest month, a 8 °C warmer warmest month, 1300 °C-day more growing degree days with baseline 5 °C (GDD5) and potential vegetation allowing tree cover after the transition. However, the combined effect of frequent killing frosts, <20 mm summer precipitation and too few GDD5 after the transition suggest a northern tree limit lying at ～50°N during GI14. With these 3 climatic limiting factors we provide a possible explanation for the absence of forests north of 48°N during MIS 3 interstadials with mild summers. Finally, apart from a large model bias in warmest month surface air temperatures, our simulation is in reasonable agreement with reconstructed climatic and vegetation changes in Europe, thus further supporting the hypothesis.     

Comparison of temperature change between the westerly and monsoon influencing region in China from 1961 to 2006

Surface air temperature is one of the main factors that can be used to denote climate change. Its variation in the westerly and monsoon-influenced part of China (i.e., North-West and East China) were analyzed by using monthly data during 1961–2006 from 139 and 375 meteorological stations over these two regions, respectively. The method of trend coefficient and variability was utilized to study the consistency and discrepancy of temperature change over North-West and East China. The results suggest that whether for the annual or the seasonal mean variations of temperature, there were consistent striking warming trends based on the background of global warming over North-West and East China. The most obvious warming trends all appeared in winter over the two regions. Except for the period in spring, the annual and seasonal mean warming trends in North-West China are more obvious than those in East China. The annual mean temperature warming rates are 0.34°C per decade and 0.22°C per decade over North-West and East China, respectively. The average seasonal increasing rates in spring, summer, autumn, and winter are 0.22°C per decade, 0.24°C per decade, 0.35°C per decade, and 0.55°C per decade in North-West China, respectively. At the same time, they are 0.25°C per decade, 0.11°C per decade, 0.22°C per decade, and 0.39°C per decade in East China, respectively. The temperature discrepancies of two adjacent decades are positive over the westerlies and monsoonal region, and they are bigger in the westerlies region than those in the monsoonal region. The most significant warming rate is from the North-East Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China to West Qinghai Province of China in all seasons and annually over the westerlies region. The North and North-East China are the main prominent warming areas over the monsoonal region. The warming rate increases with latitude in the monsoonal region, but this is not the case in the westerlies region.     

Thermal hazards zonation and permafrost change over the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

The Qinghai–Tibet Plateau is the largest permafrost region at low latitude in the world. Climate warming may lead to permafrost temperature rise, ground ice thawing and permafrost degradation, thus inducing thermal hazards. In this paper, the ARCGIS method is used to calculate the changes of ground ice content and active layer thickness under different climate scenarios on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, in the coming decades, thus providing the basis for hazards zonation. The method proposed by Nelson in 2002 was used for hazards zonation after revision, which was based on the changes of active layer thickness and ground ice content. The study shows that permafrost exhibits different degrees of degradation in the different climate scenarios. The thawing of ground ice and the change from low-temperature to high-temperature permafrost were the main permafrost degradation modes. This process, accompanied with thinning permafrost, increases the active layer thickness and the northward movement of the permafrost southern boundary. By 2099, the permafrost area decreases by 46.2, 16.01 and 8.5% under scenarios A2, A1B and B1, respectively. The greatest danger zones are located mainly to the south of the West Kunlun Mountains, the middle of the Qingnan Valley, the southern piedmont of the Gangdise and Nyainqentanglha Mountains and some regions in the southern piedmont of the Himalayas. The Qinghai–Tibet Plateau permafrost region is in the low-risk category. Climate warming exacerbates the development of thermal hazards. In 2099, the permafrost region is mainly in the middle-risk category, and only a small portion is in the low-risk category.     

Global warming and South Indian monsoon rainfall—lessons from the Mid-Miocene

Precipitation over India is driven by the Indian monsoon. Although changes in this atmospheric circulation are caused by the differential seasonal diabatic heating of Asia and the Indo-Pacific Ocean, it is so far unknown how global warming influences the monsoon rainfalls regionally. Herein, we present a Miocene pollen flora as the first direct proxy for monsoon over southern India during the Middle Miocene Climate Optimum. To identify climatic key parameters, such as mean annual temperature, warmest month temperature, coldest month temperature, mean annual precipitation, mean precipitation during the driest month, mean precipitation during the wettest month and mean precipitation during the warmest month the Coexistence Approach is applied. Irrespective of a ~ 3–4 °C higher global temperature during the Middle Miocene Climate Optimum, the results indicate a modern-like monsoonal precipitation pattern contrasting marine proxies which point to a strong decline of Indian monsoon in the Himalaya at this time. Therefore, the strength of monsoon rainfall in tropical India appears neither to be related to global warming nor to be linked with the atmospheric conditions over the Tibetan Plateau. For the future it implies that increased global warming does not necessarily entail changes in the South Indian monsoon rainfall.     

长江-黄河源区未来气候情景下的生态环境变化

在IPCC的情景下,青藏高原到2100年气温将上升2～3.6℃,最大的升温将出现在冬季,降水模式将会逐渐发生改变,从北部的增加到西南的减少.对于江河源区的范围,到2100年增温在2.4～3.2℃,降水量增加约-50～200mm.植被群落在气候变化条件将发生明显变化,温带草原到寒温带针叶林群落的面积增加,而温带荒漠到冰缘荒漠的面积都缩小,分布界线向更高的海拔高度迁移.到2100年气温上升3℃,降水不变则冰川长度小于4km以下的冰川大都消失,整个长江源区的冰川面积将减少约60%以上.如果考虑降水增加,冰川面积在2100年气候条件下减少约40%,将从现在的1168.18km²减少到00km²左右,冰川融水的比重也将会由现在的占河流总径流的25%下降到18%.另外,由于冰川大量退缩,草地和湿地蒸发量加大,许多湖泊将会退缩和干涸,沼泽地退化、沙化扩展,草地退化等一系列严重的生态问题将更加突出.     

A 19<Superscript>th</Superscript> Century Baseline Temperature Estimate for Peninsular India from Combined Analysis of Geothermal and Meteorological Records

Direct information about climate change from meteorological surface air temperature records are available in India only since 1901 A.D. Meteorological surface air temperature (SAT) data for the period 1901–2006 from 49 sites in peninsular India have been combined with the geothermal data from 146 sites to extract a baseline (or pre-observational mean, POM) surface temperature prior to the existence of the observational record in the region. Periodicities of 5, 11 and 22 years in the SAT time series have little influence on the combined analysis to infer long-term climate change. The best estimate of the long-term average temperature for the 19^th Century is 0.7 °C lower than the 1961–1990 mean temperature. Considering the additional warming of 0.38°C relative to the 1961–1990 mean over a 10-year window centred on the year 2000, the hybrid POM-SAT method suggests that the total surface warming in peninsular India from mid-1800s to early- 2000s is about 1.1 °C. The study provides new evidence for significant warming prior to the establishment of widespread meteorological stations in peninsular India.     

Phytoliths as quantitative indicators for the reconstruction of past environmental conditions in China II: palaeoenvironmental reconstruction in the Loess Plateau

Quantitative reconstruction of the climatic history of the Chinese Loess Plateau is important for understanding present and past environment and climate changes in the Northern Hemisphere. Here, we reconstructed mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP) trends during the last 136 ka based on the analysis of phytoliths from the Weinan loess section (34°24′N, 109°30′E) near the southern part of the Loess Plateau in northern China. The reconstructions have been carried out using a Chinese phytolith–climate calibration model based on weighted averaging partial least-squares regression. A series of cold and dry events, as indicated by the reconstructed MAT and MAP, are documented in the loess during the last glacial periods, which can be temporally correlated with the North Atlantic Heinrich events. Our MAT and MAP estimations show that the coldest and/or driest period occurred at the upper part of L2 unit (Late MIS 6), where MAT dropped to ca 4.4 °C and MAP to ca 100 mm. Two other prominent cold-dry periods occurred at lower Ll-5 (ca 77–62 ka) and L1-1 (ca 23–10.5 ka) where the MAT and MAP decreased to about 6.1–6.5 °C and 150–370 mm, respectively, ca 6.6–6.2 °C and 400–200 mm lower than today. However, the highest MAT (average 14.6 °C, max. 18.1 °C) and MAP (average 757 mm, max. 1000 mm) occurred at Sl interval (MIS 5). During the interstadial of L1-4–L1-2 (MIS 3) and during the Holocene warm-wet period, the MAT was about 1–2 °C and MAP 100–150 mm higher than today in the Weinan region. The well-dated MAT and MAP reconstructions from the Chinese Loess Plateau presented in this paper are the first quantitatively reconstructed proxy record of climatic changes at the glacial–interglacial timescale that is based on phytolith data. This study also reveals a causal link between climatic instability in the Atlantic Ocean and climate variability in the Chinese Loess Plateau.     

Change trend of natural gas hydrates in permafrost on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (1960–2050) under the background of global warming and their impacts on carbon emissions

Global warming and the response to it have become a topic of concern in today’s society and are also a research focus in the global scientific community. As the world’s third pole, the global warming amplifier, and the starting region of China’s climate change, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is extremely sensitive to climate change. The permafrost on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is rich in natural gas hydrates (NGHs) resources. Under the background of global warming, whether the NGHs will be disassociated and enter the atmosphere as the air temperature rises has become a major concern of both the public and the scientific community. Given this, this study reviewed the trend of global warming and accordingly summarized the characteristics of the temperature increase in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Based on this as well as the distribution characteristics of the NGHs in the permafrost on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, this study investigated the changes in the response of the NGHs to global warming, aiming to clarify the impacts of global warming on the NGHs in the permafrost of the plateau. A noticeable response to global warming has been observed in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Over the past decades, the increase in the mean annual air temperature of the plateau was increasingly high and more recently. Specifically, the mean annual air temperature of the plateau changed at a rate of approximately 0.308–0.420°C/10a and increased by approximately 1.54–2.10°C in the past decades. Moreover, the annual mean ground temperature of the shallow permafrost on the plateau increased by approximately 1.155–1.575°C and the permafrost area decreased by approximately 0.34×10⁶ km² from about 1.4×10⁶ km² to 1.06×10⁶ km² in the past decades. As indicated by simulated calculation results, the thickness of the NGH-bearing permafrost on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has decreased by 29–39 m in the past 50 years, with the equivalent of (1.69 – 2.27)×10¹⁰–(1.12–1.51)×10¹² m³ of methane (CH₄) being released due to NGHs dissociation. It is predicted that the thickness of the NGH-bearing permafrost will decrease by 23 m and 27 m, and dissociated and released NGHs will be the equivalent of (1.34–88.8)×10¹⁰ m³ and (1.57–104)×10¹⁰ m³ of CH₄, respectively by 2030 and 2050. Considering the positive feedback mechanism of NGHs on global warming and the fact that CH₄ has a higher greenhouse effect than carbon dioxide, the NGHs in the permafrost on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau will emit more CH₄ into the atmosphere, which is an important trend of NGHs under the background of global warming. Therefore, the NGHs are destructive as a time bomb and may lead to a waste of efforts that mankind has made in carbon emission reduction and carbon neutrality. Accordingly, this study suggests that human beings should make more efforts to conduct the exploration and exploitation of the NGHs in the permafrost of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, accelerate research on the techniques and equipment for NGHs extraction, storage, and transportation, and exploit the permafrost-associated NGHs while thawing them. The purpose is to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere and mitigate the atmospheric greenhouse effect, thus contributing to the global goal of peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality.©2022 China Geology Editorial Office.     

Variations in annual winter mean temperature in South China since 1736

Modern meteorological observations in South China from 1960 to 2009 show a strong correlation between winter temperatures and two snowfall parameters, the southern boundary of the snow and the number of snowy days. Based on this relationship, the variation in annual winter mean temperature in South China from 1736 to 2009 was reconstructed using data acquired from Chinese historical documents dating from the Qing dynasty, such as memos and local gazettes. The reconstructed time series were used to analyse variations in winter temperature in South China. Significant interannual and interdecadal changes were found. The maximum temperature difference between neighbouring years was 3.1 °C for 1958–2009 and 3.0 °C for 1736–1957, whereas the maximum temperature difference between adjacent decades was 0.8 °C for the 1960s–2000s and 0.6 °C for the 1740s–1950s. The 2000s was the warmest decade; the mean temperature was 1.6 °C higher than that of the 1870s, which was the coldest decade between the 1740s and the 2000s. The mean winter temperature was warmer in the 18th and 20th centuries and coldest in the 19th century.     

Hydrothermal pattern of frozen soil in Nam Co lake basin,the Tibetan Plateau

Hydrothermal processes and the regimes of frozen soil formed in alpine regions with glaciers and lake area are complex and important for ecological environment but have not been studied in Tibet. Based on soil temperature and moisture data from October 2005 to September 2006 collected in the Nam Co lake basin, Tibetan Plateau (TP), those questions were discussed. The mean annual air temperature was −3.4°C with 8 months below 0°C. Air and soil temperature varied between −25.3~13.1°C and −10.3~8.8°C, respectively. Soil moisture variations in the active layer were small with the minimum value of 1.4%, but were influenced greatly by snowmelt, rainfall and evaporation, varying up to 53.8%. The active layer froze later, thawed earlier and was thinner, however, the lower altitude limit of permafrost is higher than that in most areas of TP. The effects of soil moisture (unfrozen water content) on soil temperature, which were estimated through proposed models, were more significant near ground surface than the other layers. The surface soil temperature decreased with snowcover, the effect of cold snow meltwater infiltration on soil thermal conditions was negligible, however, the effect of rainfall infiltration was evident causing thermal disruptions.