Quantifying contributions of climate feedbacks to tropospheric warming in the NCAR CCSM3.0

In this study, a coupled atmosphere-surface “climate feedback-response analysis method” (CFRAM) was applied to the slab ocean model version of the NCAR CCSM3.0 to understand the tropospheric warming due to a doubling of CO₂ concentration through quantifying the contributions of each climate feedback process. It is shown that the tropospheric warming displays distinct meridional and vertical patterns that are in a good agreement with the multi-model mean projection from the IPCC AR4. In the tropics, the warming in the upper troposphere is stronger than in the lower troposphere, leading to a decrease in temperature lapse rate, whereas in high latitudes the opposite it true. In terms of meridional contrast, the lower tropospheric warming in the tropics is weaker than that in high latitudes, resulting in a weakened meridional temperature gradient. In the upper troposphere the meridional temperature gradient is enhanced due to much stronger warming in the tropics than in high latitudes. Using the CFRAM method, we analyzed both radiative feedbacks, which have been emphasized in previous climate feedback analysis, and non-radiative feedbacks. It is shown that non-radiative (radiative) feedbacks are the major contributors to the temperature lapse rate decrease (increase) in the tropical (polar) region. Atmospheric convection is the leading contributor to temperature lapse rate decrease in the tropics. The cloud feedback also has non-negligible contributions. In the polar region, water vapor feedback is the main contributor to the temperature lapse rate increase, followed by albedo feedback and CO₂ forcing. The decrease of meridional temperature gradient in the lower troposphere is mainly due to strong cooling from convection and cloud feedback in the tropics and the strong warming from albedo feedback in the polar region. The strengthening of meridional temperature gradient in the upper troposphere can be attributed to the warming associated with convection and cloud feedback in the tropics. Since convection is the leading contributor to the warming differences between tropical lower and upper troposphere, and between the tropical and polar regions, this study indicates that tropical convection plays a critical role in determining the climate sensitivity. In addition, the CFRAM analysis shows that convective process and water vapor feedback are the two major contributors to the tropical upper troposphere temperature change, indicating that the excessive upper tropospheric warming in the IPCC AR4 models may be due to overestimated warming from convective process or underestimated cooling due to water vapor feedback.     

Quantifying contributions to polar warming amplification in an idealized coupled general circulation model

An idealized coupled general circulation model is used to demonstrate that the surface warming due to the doubling of CO₂ can still be stronger in high latitudes than in low latitudes even without the negative evaporation feedback in low latitudes and positive ice-albedo feedback in high latitudes, as well as without the poleward latent heat transport. The new climate feedback analysis method formulated in Lu and Cai (Clim Dyn 32:873–885, 2009) is used to isolate contributions from both radiative and non-radiative feedback processes to the total temperature change obtained with the coupled GCM. These partial temperature changes are additive and their sum is convergent to the total temperature change. The radiative energy flux perturbations due to the doubling of CO₂ and water vapor feedback lead to a stronger warming in low latitudes than in high latitudes at the surface and throughout the entire troposphere. In the vertical, the temperature changes due to the doubling of CO₂ and water vapor feedback are maximum near the surface and decrease with height at all latitudes. The simultaneous warming reduction in low latitudes and amplification in high latitudes by the enhanced poleward dry static energy transport reverses the poleward decreasing warming pattern at the surface and in the lower troposphere, but it is not able to do so in the upper troposphere. The enhanced vertical moist convection in the tropics acts to amplify the warming in the upper troposphere at an expense of reducing the warming in the lower troposphere and surface warming in the tropics. As a result, the final warming pattern shows the co-existence of a reduction of the meridional temperature gradient at the surface and in the lower troposphere with an increase of the meridional temperature gradient in the upper troposphere. In the tropics, the total warming in the upper troposphere is stronger than the surface warming.     

Dynamical greenhouse-plus feedback and polar warming amplification. Part II: meridional and vertical asymmetries of the global warming

This paper examines several prominent thermodynamic and dynamic factors responsible for the meridional and vertical warming asymmetries using a moist coupled atmosphere–surface radiative transportive four-box climate model. A coupled atmosphere–surface feedback analysis is formulated to isolate the direct response to an anthropogenic greenhouse gas forcing from individual local feedbacks (water vapor, evaporation, surface sensible heat flux, and ice-albedo), and from the non-local dynamical feedback. Both the direct response and response to water vapor feedback are stronger in low latitudes. The joint effect of the ice-albedo and dynamical greenhouse-plus feedbacks acts to amplify the high latitude surface warming whereas both the evaporation and dynamical greenhouse-minus feedbacks cause a reduction of the surface warming in low latitudes. The enhancement (reduction) of local feedbacks in high (low) latitudes in response to the non-local dynamic feedback further strengthens the polar amplification of the surface warming. Both the direct response and response to water vapor feedback lead to an increase of lapse rate in both low and high latitudes. The stronger total dynamic heating in the mean state in high latitudes is responsible for a larger increase of lapse rate in high latitudes in the direct response and response to water vapor feedback. The local evaporation and surface sensible heat flux feedbacks reduce the lapse rate both in low and high latitudes through cooling the surface and warming the atmosphere. The much stronger evaporation feedback leads to a final warming in low latitudes that is stronger in the atmosphere than the surface.     

Empirical estimation of the monthly-mean daily temperature range

Summary ?This is a sequel to a study of the empirical estimation of the annual mean temperature and its range, at any location on land, based on the historical surface climate record. Here the spatial patterns of the daily temperature range (DTR) and its seasonal variation are examined. The DTR is highest in the subtropical deserts and is less at high latitudes, as well as within 30–150 km from an ocean. It is generally higher in winter (summer) at low (high) latitudes. The coastal DTR reduction is explained by sea breezes, onshore advection, and low-level cloud cover. Even large bodies of water, such as Lake Michigan, affect the near-shore DTR. Elevation does not directly affect the DTR, but valleys tend to have a DTR that is 2–6 K larger than adjacent hills or ridges. The main factor affecting the DTR is the afternoon relative humidity, which is dynamically linked to low-level cloud cover. An empirical relationship between DTR and afternoon relative humidity has an uncertainty of about 1.4 K for monthly-mean values. Received March 6, 2002; revised September 20, 2002; accepted November 3, 2002     

On the interpretation of inter-model spread in CMIP5 climate sensitivity estimates

This study diagnoses the climate sensitivity, radiative forcing and climate feedback estimates from eleven general circulation models participating in the Fifth Phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5), and analyzes inter-model differences. This is done by taking into account the fact that the climate response to increased carbon dioxide (CO₂) is not necessarily only mediated by surface temperature changes, but can also result from fast land warming and tropospheric adjustments to the CO₂ radiative forcing. By considering tropospheric adjustments to CO₂ as part of the forcing rather than as feedbacks, and by using the radiative kernels approach, we decompose climate sensitivity estimates in terms of feedbacks and adjustments associated with water vapor, temperature lapse rate, surface albedo and clouds. Cloud adjustment to CO₂ is, with one exception, generally positive, and is associated with a reduced strength of the cloud feedback; the multi-model mean cloud feedback is about 33 % weaker. Non-cloud adjustments associated with temperature, water vapor and albedo seem, however, to be better understood as responses to land surface warming. Separating out the tropospheric adjustments does not significantly affect the spread in climate sensitivity estimates, which primarily results from differing climate feedbacks. About 70 % of the spread stems from the cloud feedback, which remains the major source of inter-model spread in climate sensitivity, with a large contribution from the tropics. Differences in tropical cloud feedbacks between low-sensitivity and high-sensitivity models occur over a large range of dynamical regimes, but primarily arise from the regimes associated with a predominance of shallow cumulus and stratocumulus clouds. The combined water vapor plus lapse rate feedback also contributes to the spread of climate sensitivity estimates, with inter-model differences arising primarily from the relative humidity responses throughout the troposphere. Finally, this study points to a substantial role of nonlinearities in the calculation of adjustments and feedbacks for the interpretation of inter-model spread in climate sensitivity estimates. We show that in climate model simulations with large forcing (e.g., 4 × CO₂), nonlinearities cannot be assumed minor nor neglected. Having said that, most results presented here are consistent with a number of previous feedback studies, despite the very different nature of the methodologies and all the uncertainties associated with them.     

Climate feedback efficiency and synergy

Earth’s climate sensitivity to radiative forcing induced by a doubling of the atmospheric CO₂ is determined by feedback mechanisms, including changes in atmospheric water vapor, clouds and surface albedo, that act to either amplify or dampen the response. The climate system is frequently interpreted in terms of a simple energy balance model, in which it is assumed that individual feedback mechanisms are additive and act independently. Here we test these assumptions by systematically controlling, or locking, the radiative feedbacks in a state-of-the-art climate model. The method is shown to yield a near-perfect decomposition of change into partial temperature contributions pertaining to forcing and each of the feedbacks. In the studied model water vapor feedback stands for about half the temperature change, CO₂-forcing about one third, while cloud and surface albedo feedback contributions are relatively small. We find a close correspondence between forcing, feedback and partial surface temperature response for the water vapor and surface albedo feedbacks, while the cloud feedback is inefficient in inducing surface temperature change. Analysis suggests that cloud-induced warming in the upper tropical troposphere, consistent with rising convective cloud anvils in a warming climate enhances the negative lapse-rate feedback, thereby offsetting some of the warming that would otherwise be attributable to this positive cloud feedback. By subsequently combining feedback mechanisms we find a positive synergy acting between the water vapor feedback and the cloud feedback; that is, the combined cloud and water vapor feedback is greater than the sum of its parts. Negative synergies surround the surface albedo feedback, as associated cloud and water vapor changes dampen the anticipated climate change induced by retreating snow and ice. Our results highlight the importance of treating the coupling between clouds, water vapor and temperature in a deepening troposphere.     

Upper tropospheric warming intensifies sea surface warming

One of the robust features in the future projections made by the state-of-the-art climate models is that the highest warming rate occurs in the upper-troposphere especially in the tropics. It has been suggested that more warming in the upper-troposphere than the lower-troposphere should exert a dampening effect on the sea surface warming associated with the negative lapse rate feedback. This study, however, demonstrates that the tropical upper-tropospheric warming (UTW) tends to trap more moisture in the lower troposphere and weaken the surface wind speed, both contributing to reduce the upward surface latent heat flux so as to trigger the initial sea surface warming. We refer to this as a ‘top-down’ warming mechanism. The rise of tropospheric moisture together with the positive water vapor feedback enhance the downward longwave radiation to the surface and facilitate strengthening the initial sea surface warming. Meanwhile, the rise of sea surface temperature (SST) can feed back to intensify the initial UTW through the moist adiabatic adjustment, completing a positive UTW–SST warming feedback. The proposed ‘top-down’ warming mechanism and the associated positive UTW–SST warming feedback together affect the surface global warming rate and also have important implications for understanding the past and future changes of precipitation, clouds and atmospheric circulations.     

Adjustment and feedbacks in a global coupled ocean-atmosphere model

 We report the analysis of two 20-year simulations performed with the low resolution version of the IPSL coupled ocean-atmosphere model, with no flux correction at the air-sea interface. The simulated climate is characterized by a global sea surface temperature warming of about 4 °C in 20 years, driven by a net heat gain at the top of the atmosphere. Despite this drift, the circulation is quite realistic both in the ocean and the atmosphere. Several distinct periods are analyzed. The first corresponds to an adjustment during which the heat gain weakens both at the top of the atmosphere and at the ocean surface, and the tropical circulation is slightly modified. Then, the surface warming is enhanced by an increase of the greenhouse feedback. We show that the mechanisms involved in the model share common features with sensitivity experiments to greenhouse gases or to SST warming. At the top of the atmosphere, most of the longwave trapping in the atmosphere is driven by the tropical circulation. At the surface, the reduction of longwave cooling is a direct response to increased temperature and moisture content at low levels in the atmospheric model. During the last part of the simulation, a regulation occurs from evaporation at the surface and longwave cooling at TOA. Most of the model drift is attributed to a too large heating by solar radiation in middle and high latitudes. The reduction of the north–south temperature gradient, and the related changes in the meridional equator-to-pole ocean heat transport lead to a warming of equatorial and subtropical regions. This is also well demonstrated by the difference between the two simulations which differ only in the parametrization of sea-ice. When the sea-ice cover is not restored to climatology the model does not maintain sea-ice at high latitudes. The climate warms more rapidly and the water vapor and clouds feedback occurs earlier. Received: 24 May 1996 / Accepted: 29 November 1996     

TROPOSPHERIC WATER VAPOR OBSERVATIONS USING A RAMAN LIDAR OVER HEFEI*

This paper presents a Raman lidar for measuring tropospheric water vapor profiles over Hefei(31.9°N,117.17°E),China.Intercomparisons of water vapor mixing ratio obtained by this Raman lidar and GZZ-59 type radiosonde observations show the good agreements when relative humidity is higher than 20%.Typical vertical profiles and seasonal variations of water vapor mixing ratio distribution are reported.Many observation eases indicate that the high moisture layer corresponds to large aerosol scattering ratios in the lower troposphere.     

On the vertical extent of atmospheric feedbacks

This study addresses the question: what vertical regions contribute the most to water vapor, surface temperature, lapse rate and cloud fraction feedback strengths in a general circulation model? Multi-level offline radiation perturbation calculations are used to diagnose the feedback contribution from each model level. As a first step, to locate regions of maximum radiative sensitivity to climate changes, the top of atmosphere radiative impact for each feedback is explored for each process by means of idealized parameter perturbations on top of a control (1?×?CO₂) model climate. As a second step, the actual feedbacks themselves are calculated using the changes modelled from a 2?×?CO₂ experiment. The impact of clouds on water vapor and lapse rate feedbacks is also isolated using `clear sky' calculations. Considering the idealized changes, it is found that the radiative sensitivity to water vapor changes is a maximum in the tropical lower troposphere. The sensitivity to temperature changes has both upper and lower tropospheric maxima. The sensitivity to idealized cloud changes is positive (warming) for upper level cloud increases but negative (cooling) for lower level increases, due to competing long and shortwave effects. Considering the actual feedbacks, it is found that water vapor feedback is a maximum in the tropical upper troposphere, due to the large relative increases in specific humidity which occur there. The actual lapse rate feedback changes sign with latitude and is a maximum (negative) again in the tropical upper troposphere. Cloud feedbacks reflect the general decrease in low- to mid-level low-latitude cloud, with an increase in the very highest cloud. This produces a net positive (negative) shortwave (longwave) cloud feedback. The role of clouds in the strength of the water vapor and lapse rate feedbacks is also discussed.     

Mechanisms for the land/sea warming contrast exhibited by simulations of climate change

The land/sea warming contrast is a phenomenon of both equilibrium and transient simulations of climate change: large areas of the land surface at most latitudes undergo temperature changes whose amplitude is more than those of the surrounding oceans. Using idealised GCM experiments with perturbed SSTs, we show that the land/sea contrast in equilibrium simulations is associated with local feedbacks and the hydrological cycle over land, rather than with externally imposed radiative forcing. This mechanism also explains a large component of the land/sea contrast in transient simulations as well. We propose a conceptual model with three elements: (1) there is a spatially variable level in the lower troposphere at which temperature change is the same over land and sea; (2) the dependence of lapse rate on moisture and temperature causes different changes in lapse rate upon warming over land and sea, and hence a surface land/sea temperature contrast; (3) moisture convergence over land predominantly takes place at levels significantly colder than the surface; wherever moisture supply over land is limited, the increase of evaporation over land upon warming is limited, reducing the relative humidity in the boundary layer over land, and hence also enhancing the land/sea contrast. The non-linearity of the Clausius–Clapeyron relationship of saturation specific humidity to temperature is critical in (2) and (3). We examine the sensitivity of the land/sea contrast to model representations of different physical processes using a large ensemble of climate model integrations with perturbed parameters, and find that it is most sensitive to representation of large-scale cloud and stomatal closure. We discuss our results in the context of high-resolution and Earth-system modelling of climate change.     

Downward transport and modification of tropospheric ozone through moist convection

This study estimated the largely unstudied downward transport and modification of tropospheric ozone associated with tropical moist convection using a coupled meteorology-chemistry model. High-resolution cloud resolving model simulations were conducted for deep moist convection events over West Africa during August 2006 to estimate vertical transport of ozone due to convection. Model simulations realistically reproduced the characteristics of deep convection as revealed by the estimated spatial distribution of temperature, moisture, cloud reflectivity, and vertical profiles of temperature and moisture. Also, results indicated that vertical transport reduced ozone by 50% (50 parts per billion by volume, ppbv) in the upper atmosphere (12–15 km) and enhanced ozone by 39% (10 ppbv) in the lower atmosphere (<2 km). Field observations confirmed model results and indicated that surface ozone levels abruptly increased by 10–30 ppbv in the area impacted by convection due to transport by downdrafts from the upper troposphere. Once in the lower troposphere, the lifetime of ozone decreased due to enhanced dry deposition and chemical sinks. Ozone removal via dry deposition increased by 100% compared to non-convective conditions. The redistribution of tropospheric ozone substantially changed hydroxyl radical formation in the continental tropical boundary layer. Therefore, an important conclusion of this study is that the redistribution of tropospheric ozone, due to deep convection in non-polluted tropical regions, can simultaneously reduce the atmospheric loading of ozone and substantially impact the oxidation capacity of the lower atmosphere via the enhanced formation of hydroxyl radicals.     

中亚和南亚热力差异对塔里木盆地夏季降水的影响

利用美国国家环境预测中心/美国国家大气研究中心(NCEP/NCAR)再分析月平均资料和新疆83站降水资料,分析了1961~2010年南亚和中亚对流层中低层热力差异对塔里木盆地夏季降水的可能影响机制。研究结果表明,塔里木盆地夏季降水与中亚和南亚对流层中低层温度密切相关。当南亚对流层中低层偏暖,中亚偏冷时,500 h Pa中亚上空和蒙古上空分别为异常气旋和反气旋环流,在二者共同作用下,塔里木盆地上空盛行异常的偏南气流,有利于低纬海洋的暖湿气流北上,形成有利于降水的环流条件。同时阿拉伯海上空为异常反气旋环流,中亚上空为异常气旋环流,形成塔里木盆地夏季降水水汽的两步型输送,阿拉伯海水汽被输送至中亚和新疆地区。中亚对流层中低层温度变化主要影响500 h Pa环流,南亚对流层中低层温度变化在低纬水汽向北输送过程中扮演主要角色。青藏高原夏季风偏强时,600 h Pa高原北侧对应异常反气旋环流,异常偏北风引导高纬度冷空气南下,导致中亚区域对流层中低层偏冷,而南亚对流层中低层偏暖则与热带印度洋显著增暖密切相关。     

Retrieval of Upper Tropospheric Relative Humidity by the GMS-5 Water Vapor Channel： A Study of the Technique

This paper presents an analysis of a technique for retrieving upper tropospheric relative humidity through the GMS-5 satellite‘s 6.7-micron water vapor channel brightness temperature. NCEP analysis shows that a critical assumption of the retrieval theory, namely the constant temperature lapse rate,matches only in the tropical atmosphere. By statistical analyses of brightness temperature simulated by a radiative transfer model and of relative humidity, we examine the effect of lapse rate on this retrieval method and obtain retrieval parameters and error estimates applicable to the GMS-5 satellite over East Asia. If the retrieval parameters are properly chosen, the relative error of retrieving the upper tropospheric relative humidity in this region is less than 10%, and if applied to the low-latitude summer atmosphere, it is less than 5%.     

对流层增暖热带放大现象：基于FGOALS-g3的模拟研究

热带地区的湿绝热过程会放大地表的增暖幅度,在约200 hPa高度上产生增暖峰值,该现象被称为“热带对流层放大”。热带对流层放大是气候变化的显著特征之一,是检验气候模式性能的重要指标。本文基于RSS4.0卫星数据和ERA5.1再分析资料,系统分析了FGOALS-g3模式对气温变化特别是热带对流层放大的模拟能力,并通过新旧版本模式（FGOALS-g3与FGOALS-g2）的比较指出了新版本模式模拟技巧的提升;通过比较FGOALS-g3历史模拟试验与GAMIL3单独大气模式AMIP试验结果,研究了海气耦合过程对模拟结果的影响。结果表明,FGOALS-g3能够合理再现观测中的全球对流层显著增温趋势,但模拟的增温趋势偏强,这与气候系统内部变率以及两代气候系统模式所使用的历史气候外强迫差异有关。其对于观测中热带平均增温廓线以及热带对流层放大的空间分布均表现出良好的模拟性能,模拟的热带对流层放大现象的量值大小存在正偏差,与模拟的对流层低层温度变化偏强有关。FGOALS-g3较FGOALS-g2在性能上有一定提升,主要表现为增加了对于火山气溶胶强迫的响应,并在热带对流层放大的空间分布及平均气温趋势廓线...     

Effect of tropospheric temperature change on the zonal mean circulation and SH winter extratropical cyclones

This study aims to understand the mechanisms which cause an overall reduction of SH extratropical cyclone activity with a slight increase in the high latitudes in a warmer climate simulated in general circulation models (GCMs) with increasing CO₂. For this purpose, we conducted idealized model experiments by forcing warm temperature anomalies to the areas where climate change models exhibit local maximum warming—the tropics in the upper troposphere and the polar regions in the lower troposphere—simultaneously and separately. The Melbourne University atmospheric GCM (R21) coupled with prescribed SST was utilized for the experiments. Our results demonstrate that the reduction of SH extratropical cyclone frequency and depth in the midlatitudes but the slight increase in the high latitudes suggested in climate change models result essentially from the tropical upper tropospheric warming. With this tropical warming, the enhanced static stability which decreases baroclinicity in the low and midlatitudes turns out to be a major contributor to the decrease of cyclone activity equatorward of 45°S whereas the increased meridional temperature gradient in the high latitudes seems an important mechanism for the increase of cyclone activity over 50°–60°S.     

杭州地区大气水分特征及相关问题的初步探讨

用1951年1月至2003年12月NCEP/NCAR再分析格点比湿、垂直速度资料,以及杭州站降水量资料,分析了杭州地区对流层整层可降水量、低层空气垂直上升运动强度以及地面降水量的演变特点。结果发现,可降水量与低层空气垂直上升运动具有显著的年代际变化,且这两者均利于降水的时段,降水量不一定偏多,这说明空中水资源具有很大的开发空间。对杭州6月大气可降水量的长期变化特征与全球同纬度地区作了对比,发现近53年来,杭州地区6月份降水量处于下降趋势。     

Simulations of Hydrological Cycle Changes Between the LGM and the Present Day over China

Based on the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) data in 1983–2006,it is found that there is a high value center of high cloud amount over the Tibetan Plateau (TP),while there is a high value center of middle cloud amount over the Sichuan Basin extending to the coastal area of southeastern China along the same latitude,and a low one over the TP.The present day (PD) and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) climates are simulated by using the NCAR Community Climate Model (CCM3) nested with a regio...     

末次冰期冰盛期中国地区水循环因子变化的模拟研究

ISCCP卫星资料(1983—2006年)的结果显示:青藏高原地区是高云的高值中心;而以四川为中心直到同纬度的中国东南沿海地区是中云的高值区,同时,青藏高原地区是中云的低值中心。利用全球气候模式CCM3嵌套区域模式MM5模拟了现代和末次冰期冰盛期的气候。MM5模拟的结果与ISCCP的卫星资料对比表明:模拟结果再现了中国地区高云和中云分布的主要特征。这暗示云分布的气候特征可能主要由相对湿度决定。同时,通过MM5的结果与NCEP资料的对比也说明,模式可以较好地模拟水汽和温度的垂直分布。在此基础上,研究了末次冰期冰盛期水循环因子的变化。模拟结果显示:末次冰期冰盛期夏季对流层的温度降低,在对流层中上层存在温度降低的中心;而在冬季在南方的对流层中层存在降温中心,在北方的对流层中上层温度升高。大气中水汽含量与温度变化有很好的正相关,除了冬季北方对流层中上层水汽增加外,水汽含量一般降低,而且在近地层降低的最多,随高度增高水汽变化逐渐变小。但是,水汽的相对变化在对流层上层存在降低的高值中心。相对湿度存在变化,最大的变化超过15%,而且有增加,也有减少。在区域尺度相对湿度不是保守的。相对湿度变化与中云和低云的变化一致。在末次冰期冰盛期,中国地区高云量减少,除中国西南地区外,中云和低云量减少,低云量减少的最多。降水的变化与中云和低云的变化相对应,云量增加降水增加,云量减少降水也减少。从相对湿度和有效降水可以看到在西南地区末次冰期冰盛期变得潮湿,在夏季西北地区也变得潮湿。     

Climate Simulation and Future Projection of Precipitation and the Water Vapor Budget in the Haihe River Basin

The climatological characteristics of precipitation and the water vapor budget in the Haihe River basin (HRB) are analyzed using daily observations at 740 stations in China in 1951-2007 and the 4-time daily ERA40 reanalysis data in 1958-2001. The results show that precipitation and surface air temperature present significant interannual and interdecadal variability, with cold and wet conditions before the 1970s but warm and dry conditions after the 1980s. Precipitation has reduced substantially since the 1990s, with a continued increase of surface air temperature. The total column water vapor has also reduced remarkably since the late 1970s. The multi-model ensemble from the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has capably simulated the 20th century climate features and successfully reproduced the spatial patterns of precipitation and temperature. Unfortunately, the models do not reproduce the interdecadal changes. Based on these results, future projections of the climate in the HRB are discussed under the IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) B1, A1B, and A2. The results show that precipitation is expected to increase in the 21st century, with substantial interannual fluctuations relative to the models’ baseline climatology. A weak increasing trend in precipitation is projected before the 2040s, followed by an abrupt increase after the 2040s, especially in winter. Precipitation is projected to increase by 10%-18% by the end of the 21st century. Due to the persistent warming of surface air temperature, water vapor content in the lower troposphere is projected to increase. Relative humidity will decrease in the mid-lower troposphere but increase in the upper troposphere. On the other hand, precipitation minus evaporation remains positive throughout the 21st century. Based on these projection results, the HRB region is expected to get wetter in the 21st century due to global warming.