Vegetation feedback under future global warming

It has been well documented that vegetation plays an important role in the climate system. However, vegetation is typically kept constant when climate models are used to project anthropogenic climate change under a range of emission scenarios in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Emission Scenarios. Here, an atmospheric general circulation model, and an asynchronously coupled system of an atmospheric and an equilibrium terrestrial biosphere model are forced by monthly sea surface temperature and sea ice extent for the periods 2051?C2060 and 2090?C2098 as projected with 17 atmosphere?Cocean general circulation models participating in the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, and by appropriate atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations under the A2 emission scenario. The effects of vegetation feedback under future global warming are then investigated. It is found that the simulated composition and distribution of vegetation during 2051?C2060 (2090?C2098) differ greatly from the present, and global vegetation tends to become denser as expressed by a 21% (36%) increase in global mean leaf area index, which is most pronounced at the middle and high northern latitudes. Vegetation feedback has little effect on globally averaged surface temperature. On a regional scale, however, it induces statistically significant changes in surface temperature, in particular over most parts of continental Eurasia east of about 60°E where annual surface temperature is expected to increase by 0.1?C1.0?K, with an average of about 0.4?K for each future period. These changes can mostly be explained by changes in surface albedo resulting from vegetation changes in the context of future global warming.     

Projected changes in Eurasian and Arctic summer cyclones under global warming in the Bergen climate model

Using the coupled ocean-atmosphere Bergen Climate Model,and a Lagrangian vorticity-based cyclone tracking method,the authors investigate current climate summer cyclones in the Northern Hemisphere and their change by the end of the 21st century,with a focus on Northern Eurasia and the Arctic.The two scenarios A1B and A2 for increasing greenhouse gas concentrations are considered.In the model projections,the total number of cyclones in the Northern Hemisphere is reduced by about 3% 4%,but the Arctic Ocean and adjacent coastal re-gions harbour slightly more and slightly stronger summer storms,compared to the model current climate.This in-crease occurs in conjunction with an increase in the high-latitude zonal winds and in the meridional tempera-ture gradient between the warming land and the ocean across Northern Eurasia.Deficiencies in climate model representations of the summer storm tracks at high lati-tudes are also outlined,and the need for further model inter-comparison studies is emphasized.     

全球变暖与地球“三极”气候变化

北极、南极和青藏高原分别是地球的最北端、最南端和海拔最高的高原,被称为地球“三极”。地球三极是全球气候变化的关键区与敏感区,在区域及全球气候系统中的重要性日益凸显。本文回顾了该领域的最新研究成果,重点阐述了地球三极气候年代际变化的基本特征及其对区域气候的影响,探究了在全球气候变暖背景下地球三极气候变化之间的潜在联系,讨论并展望了未来地球三极气候变化研究所面临的挑战。     

Spatiotemporal variations in climate moisture indices in Georgia under global warming

Using observational data from 50 weather stations in Georgia for the period of 1936-2013, the following climate indices of moisture regime are studied: maximum 1-day precipitation, maximum 5-day precipitation, the simple daily intensity index, the number of days with precipitation equal to not less than 10, 20, and 50 mm, number of consecutive wet and dry days. Geoinformation maps of the spatial structure are plotted, and the dynamics of these indices is studied for the period of global warming. Expected changes in the moisture regime in different physiographic regions in Georgia are assessed.     

Stratospheric radiative feedback limited by the tropospheric influence in global warming

Whether the stratospheric radiative feedback amplifies the global warming remains under debate. The stratospheric water vapor (SWV), one of the primary feedbacks in the stratosphere, is argued to be an important contributor to the global warming. On the other hand, the overall stratospheric feedback, which consists of both the SWV feedback and the stratospheric temperature (ST) feedback, does not amount to a significant value. The key to reconciling these seemingly contradictory arguments is to understand the ST change. Here, we develop a method to decompose the ST change and to quantify the decomposed feedbacks. We find that the SWV feedback, which consists of a 0.04 W m⁻² K⁻¹ direct impact on the top-of-the-atmosphere radiation and 0.11 W m⁻² K⁻¹ indirect impact via ST cooling, is offset by a negative ST feedback of − 0.13 W m⁻² K⁻¹ that is radiatively driven by the tropospheric warming. This compensation results in an insignificant overall stratospheric feedback.

     

Summer temperature standard deviation, skewness and strong positive temperature anomalies in the present day climate and under global warming conditions

Spatial patterns of the standard deviation and skewness of daily and monthly mean summer temperature were studied with the climate model Institute of Numerical Mathematics Climate Model version 4 for three scenarios: simulation of the preindustrial climate, effect of quadrupling CO₂ concentrations, and simulation of transient climate change for the period 1850–2100. In high skewness regions of the simulated preindustrial climate, hot periods exceeded the number expected for a normal distribution by a factor of 2–8. In the model in which CO₂ concentrations were quadrupled, we found an increase in standard deviation and a northward shift of the area with positive skewness compared with the preindustrial scenario. The maximum increase in summer mean temperature was found in subtropical areas. The maximum increase in temperature averaged over the warmest 30 % of days was about 500 km to the north of the region of maximum increase of seasonal mean temperature, in the area where standard deviation was increased. The maximum increase in temperature averaged over the warmest 0.1 % of days was 500 km further north again, in an area of increased skewness. In the transient climate change simulation for 1850–2100, there was a noticeable increase in temperature of the warmest days exceeding the summer mean temperature in regions with increased skewness. In regions with decreased skewness, there was only a small increase or no rise at all in temperature for the warmest days under transient global warming.     

Ocean change around Greenland under a warming climate

Climate Dynamics - The impact of climate warming on the ocean near Greenland is investigated with a high resolution coupled global climate model. The ocean around Greenland exhibits a strong...     

Evolution of the Parisian urban climate under a global changing climate

The evolution of the Parisian urban climate under a changing climate is analyzed from long-term offline numerical integrations including a specific urban parameterization. This system is forced by meteorological conditions based on present-climate reanalyses (1970–2007), and climate projections (2071–2099) provided by global climate model simulations following two emission scenarios (A1B and A2). This study aims at quantifying the impact of climate change on air temperature within the city and in the surroundings. A systematic increase of 2-meter air temperature is found. In average according to the two scenarios, it reaches +?2.0/2.4°C in winter and +?3.5/5.0°C in summer for the minimum and maximum daily temperatures, respectively. During summer, the warming trend is more pronounced in the surrounding countryside than in Paris and suburbs due to the soil dryness. As a result, a substantial decrease of the strong urban heat islands is noted at nighttime, and numerous events with negative urban heat islands appear at daytime. Finally, a 30% decrease of the heating degree days is quantified in winter between present and future climates. Inversely, the summertime cooling degree days significantly increase in future climate whereas they are negligible in present climate. However, in terms of accumulated degree days, the increase of the demand in cooling remains smaller than the decrease of the demand in heating.     

全球变暖与城市效应共同作用下的极端天气气候事件变化的最新认知

近年来,城市气候变化问题引起高度关注。综合IPCC第一工作组第六次评估报告(IPCC AR6)关于气候变暖背景下城市对极端天气气候事件影响的评估,本文得到以下科学认识：城市化加剧了局部气候变暖,全球许多城市都面临更多更强的高温热浪事件;城市化使得诸多城市区域及其下风向极端降水增加,地表径流加强;沿海城市受到日益加剧的与海平面上升有关的复合型洪水的影响;城市污染物排放和不利通风的建筑结构加剧了区域污染,同时增加了地表的臭氧含量。预计未来城市极端高温、极端降水及有关洪水事件将更为频发,空气污染形势更为严峻,气候变化风险进一步加大。中国城镇化进程迅速,需要进一步加强气候变化背景下城市极端事件的观测、形成机理和数值模拟研究,以提升城市极端事件风险认识水平和应对能力。     

全球气候变暖背景下索马里急流变化的预估研究

索马里急流的变化对亚洲季风和气候变动具有重要的影响,未来索马里急流到底会如何演变？如何受全球变暖的影响？针对这个问题,文中利用IPCC第四次评估报告（IPCC AR4）的多个海气耦合模式的模拟结果,评估了多个模式在当前气候（20C3M）条件下对夏季低空索马里急流的模拟能力;预估模式在SRESA2排放情景下对21世纪（2010—2099）的索马里急流变化。研究结果表明,18个模式在现代气候条件下对索马里急流有较好的模拟能力;18个模式的集合平均结果预测夏季索马里低空急流在21世纪的变化过程是：初期（2010—2040）增强至减弱,中期（2050—2060）增加至最强,末期（2070—2090）减至最弱。与现代气候条件模拟结果相比,夏季索马里低空急流在未来气候变暖背景条件下是趋于减弱的过程,在21世纪末期最弱。研究还表明了夏季低空索马里急流的变化幅度与全球平均气温的变化幅度是一个非线性的关系,各模式对二者关系的描述存在不确定性,鉴于索马里急流对印度季风和东亚季风及中国气候的重要性,索马里急流的变化规律和未来演变是科学界特别需要深入研究的问题。     

Heat budget of the upper Arctic Ocean under a warming climate

The heat budget of the upper Arctic Ocean is examined in an ensemble of coupled climate models under idealised increasing CO₂ scenarios. All of the experiments show a strong amplification of surface air temperatures but a smaller increase in sea surface temperature than the rest of the world as heat is lost to the atmosphere as the sea-ice cover is reduced. We carry out a heat budget analysis of the Arctic Ocean in an ensemble of model runs to understand the changes that occur as the Arctic becomes ice free in summer. We find that as sea-ice retreats heat is lost from the ocean surface to the atmosphere contributing to the amplification of Arctic surface temperatures. Furthermore, heat is mixed upwards into the mixed layer as a result of increased upper ocean mixing and there is increased advection of heat into the Arctic as the ice edge retreats. Heat lost from the upper Arctic Ocean to the atmosphere is therefore replenished by mixing of warmer water from below and by increased advection of warm water from lower latitudes. The ocean is therefore able to contribute more to Arctic amplification.     

Spatiotemporal change in geographical distribution of global climate types in the context of climate warming

After standardizing global land climate gridded data from the Climatic Research Unit TS (time-series) 3.1 dataset for the period 1901–2009, cluster analysis is used to objectively classify world climates into 14 climate types. These climate types establish a baseline classification map and the types are named according to Köppen–Geiger climate classifications. Although the cluster analysis and Köppen classification methods are very different, the distributions of climate types obtained by the two methods are similar. Moreover, the climate types we identify also coincide well with their corresponding vegetation types. Thus, cluster analysis can be used as an effective alternative to the Köppen classification method for classifying world climate types. The spatial and temporal changes in geographical distribution of global climate types were investigated in 25-year intervals, and Cohen’s kappa coefficient is used to detect agreement between the periods. Globally, although an obvious trend in increasing global temperature is found, distribution of climate types overall show no distinct changes over the periods. However, at the regional scale, spatial change in distribution of climate types is evident in South America and Africa. In South America, larger areas of the “fully humid equatorial rainforest” (Af) and “equatorial savannah with dry winter” (Aw) climate types have changed types. In Africa, changes mainly occurred in the Af, “equatorial savannah with dry summer” (As), Aw, “steppe climate” (BS), and “desert climate” (BW) climate types. Moreover, some climate types, including Af, “equatorial monsoon” (Am), BS, BW, and “tundra climate” (ET), were susceptible to temporal climate changes, especially in the period 1976–2009.     

Dividing climate change: global warming in the Indian mass media

Much research has now been conducted into the representation of climate change in the media. Specifically, the communication of climate change from scientists and policy-makers to the public via the mass media has been a subject of major interest because of its implications for creating national variation in public understanding of a global environmental issue. However, to date, no study has assessed the situation in India. As one of the major emerging economies, and so one of the major greenhouse gas emitters, India is a key actor in the climate change story. This study analyses the four major, national circulation English-language newspapers to quantify and qualify the frames through which climate change is represented in India. The results strongly contrast with previous studies from developed countries; by framing climate change along a ‘risk-responsibility divide’, the Indian national press set up a strongly nationalistic position on climate change that divides the issue along both developmental and postcolonial lines.     

Impact of global warming on the interannual and interdecadal climate modes in a coupled GCM

In this study, we investigated the impact of global warming on the variabilities of large-scale interannual and interdecadal climate modes and teleconnection patterns with two long-term integrations of the coupled general circulation model of ECHAM4/OPYC3 at the Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg. One is the control (CTRL) run with fixed present-day concentrations of greenhouse gases. The other experiment is a simulation of transient greenhouse warming, named GHG run. In the GHG run the averaged geopotential height at 500?hPa is increased significantly, and a negative phase of the Pacific/North American (PNA) teleconnection-like distribution pattern is intensified. The standard deviation over the tropics (high latitudes) is enhanced (reduced) on the interdecadal time scales and reduced (enhanced) on the interannual time scales in the GHG run. Except for an interdecadal mode related to the Southern Oscillation (SO) in the GHG run, the spatial variation patterns are similar for different (interannual?+?interdecadal, interannual, and interdecadal) time scales in the GHG and CTRL runs. Spatial distributions of the teleconnection patterns on the interannual and interdecadal time scales in the GHG run are also similar to those in the CTRL run. But some teleconnection patterns show linear trends and changes of variances and frequencies in the GHG run. Apart from the positive linear trend of the SO, the interdecadal modulation to the El Niño/SO cycle is enhanced during the GHG 2040?～?2099. This is the result of an enhancement of the Walker circulation during that period. La Niña events intensify and El Niño events relatively weaken during the GHG 2070?～?2090. It is interesting to note that with increasing greenhouse gas concentrations the relation between the SO and the PNA pattern is reversed significantly from a negative to a positive correlation on the interdecadal time scales and weakened on the interannual time scales. This suggests that the increase of the greenhouse gas concentrations will trigger the nonstationary correlation between the SO and the PNA pattern both on the interdecadal and interannual time scales.     

Incorporating organic soil into a global climate model

Organic matter significantly alters a soil’s thermal and hydraulic properties but is not typically included in land-surface schemes used in global climate models. This omission has consequences for ground thermal and moisture regimes, particularly in the high-latitudes where soil carbon content is generally high. Global soil carbon data is used to build a geographically distributed, profiled soil carbon density dataset for the Community Land Model (CLM). CLM parameterizations for soil thermal and hydraulic properties are modified to accommodate both mineral and organic soil matter. Offline simulations including organic soil are characterized by cooler annual mean soil temperatures (up to ∼2.5°C cooler for regions of high soil carbon content). Cooling is strong in summer due to modulation of early and mid-summer soil heat flux. Winter temperatures are slightly warmer as organic soils do not cool as efficiently during fall and winter. High porosity and hydraulic conductivity of organic soil leads to a wetter soil column but with comparatively low surface layer saturation levels and correspondingly low soil evaporation. When CLM is coupled to the Community Atmosphere Model, the reduced latent heat flux drives deeper boundary layers, associated reductions in low cloud fraction, and warmer summer air temperatures in the Arctic. Lastly, the insulative properties of organic soil reduce interannual soil temperature variability, but only marginally. This result suggests that, although the mean soil temperature cooling will delay the simulated date at which frozen soil begins to thaw, organic matter may provide only limited insulation from surface warming.     

具有热力-动力耦合的二维能量平衡气候模式

本文设计了一个热力—动力耦合的理论模式,所得到温度场和运动场的平均气候状态基本上与实况接近.分析表明,温度场和速度场是相互制约的,温度分布在纬向上的不均匀形成了垂直经圈环流,此种流场又把赤道的热量往极地输送,其结果与没有运动场耦合的情况相比,可使赤道温度降低而极地温度升高. 研究模式气候对太阳常数变化的敏感性后指出,要使冰界线从现在的72°N南移到冰河期的50°N,太阳常数要减小15％左右.这在考虑或不考虑流场耦合的模式中都是差不多的.