Present-day regional climate simulation over Malaysia and western Maritime Continent region using PRECIS forced with ERA40 reanalysis

This study examines the performance of the regional climate model, PRECIS, in reproducing the historical seasonal mean climatology over the Malaysian region. The performance of the model in simulating the seasonal climate pattern of the temperature, precipitation and large-scale circulation was reasonably good. The biases of temperature are less than 2 °C in general, while the seasonal cycles match the observed pattern despite some differences in certain regions. However, the biases for precipitation were greater, particularly over the mountainous areas. These biases could be associated with the deficiencies of the model physics, related to the misrepresentation of the land–surface interaction and convective scheme. Furthermore, the model fails to simulate the mean sea-level pressure over the interior part of Borneo with a significant low-pressure centre. A higher magnitude of the moisture convergence and divergence simulated by the model also contributed to the biases of precipitation over Malaysia.     

Mean, interannual variability and trends in a regional climate change experiment over Europe. II: climate change scenarios (2071–2100)

We present an analysis of climate change over Europe as simulated by a regional climate model (RCM) nested within time-slice atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) experiments. Changes in mean and interannual variability are discussed for the 30-year period of 2071–2100 with respect to the present day period of 1961–1990 under forcing from the A2 and B2 IPCC emission scenarios. In both scenarios, the European region undergoes substantial warming in all seasons, in the range of 1–5.5°C, with the warming being 1–2°C lower in the B2 than in the A2 scenario. The spatial patterns of warming are similar in the two scenarios, with a maximum over eastern Europe in winter and over western and southern Europe in summer. The precipitation changes in the two scenarios also show similar spatial patterns. In winter, precipitation increases over most of Europe (except for the southern Mediterranean regions) due to increased storm activity and higher atmospheric water vapor loadings. In summer, a decrease in precipitation is found over most of western and southern Europe in response to a blocking-like anticyclonic circulation over the northeastern Atlantic which deflects summer storms northward. The precipitation changes in the intermediate seasons (spring and fall) are less pronounced than in winter and summer. Overall, the intensity of daily precipitation events predominantly increases, often also in regions where the mean precipitation decreases. Conversely the number of wet days decreases (leading to longer dry periods) except in the winter over western and central Europe. Cloudiness, snow cover and soil water content show predominant decreases, in many cases also in regions where precipitation increases. Interannual variability of both temperature and precipitation increases substantially in the summer and shows only small changes in the other seasons. A number of statistically significant regional trends are found throughout the scenario simulations, especially for temperature and for the A2 scenario. The results from the forcing AGCM simulations and the nested RCM simulations are generally consistent with each other at the broad scale. However, significant differences in the simulated surface climate changes are found between the two models in the summer, when local physics processes are more important. In addition, substantial fine scale detail in the RCM-produced change signal is found in response to local topographical and coastline features.     

区域海气耦合模式对华北夏季大气水汽输送模拟结果的检验及其与单独气候模式的比较分析

将区域海气耦合模式RegCM3-POM和区域气候模式RegCM3 40年(1963-2002年)的模拟结果与NCEP/NCAR再分析资料进行对比,检验区域海气耦合模式对中国华北地区夏季大气水汽含量和水汽输送特征的模拟能力,比较耦合模式与单独区域气候模式的差异.结果表明,区域海气耦合模式RegCM3-POM的模拟性能相对于单独区域气候模式RegCM3,大气水汽输送特征的模拟能力有了较大的改进.分析显示两种模式都能够较好地再现东哑地区气候平均夏季大气水汽储量浅红和水汽输送的空间分布特征,而耦合模式对大气水汽输送的模拟更为合理.在对流层中低层更接近观测;耦合模式对中国华北地区夏季平均大气水汽输送通量在垂直方向卜的分布型及水平4个边界水汽输送收支的模拟,相对于单独大气模式有了一定的改进;耦合模式对伴随华北地区夏季早涝的大气水汽异常输送也具有较好的模拟能力,其模拟的水汽输送异常的来源与观测基本一致,尤其是在20°N以北地区,耦合模式结果相对于单独区域气候模式有了很大的改进.但同时耦合模式在低纬度海洋上对气候平均夏季大气水汽含量模拟的偏差比区域气候模式显著;与观测相比,耦合模式对来自孟加拉湾地区的大气水汽输送模拟偏弱,而对西太平洋副热带高压西侧水汽输送模拟偏强,与华北夏季旱涝相联系的水汽输送异常的模拟在低纬度海洋上也存在明显偏差.