On the spatiotemporal characteristics of Fennoscandian tree-ring based summer temperature reconstructions

Summary We analyse the spatial representation of five previously published multi-century to millennial length dendroclimatological reconstructions of Fennoscandian summer temperatures. The reconstructions, ranging from local to regional scale, were based on either tree-ring width (TRW) or maximum latewood density (MXD) data or on a combination of the two. TRW chronologies are shown to provide reasonably good spatial information mainly for July temperatures, but a combination of TRW and MXD yields a better spatial representation for the whole summer season (June–August). A multiple-site reconstruction does not necessarily provide better spatial representation than a single site reconstruction, depending on the criterion for selecting data and also on the strength of the climate signal in the tree-ring data. In a new approach to analyse the potential for further developing Fennoscandian temperature reconstructions, we selected from a network of TRW and MXD chronologies those having the strongest temperature information a priori, to obtain a strong common climate signal suitable for a regional-scale reconstruction. Seven separate, but not independent, reconstructions based on progressively decreasing numbers of chronologies were created. We show that it is possible to improve the spatial representation of available reconstructions back to around AD 1700, giving high correlations (>0.7) with observed summer temperatures for nearly the whole of Fennoscandia, and even higher correlations (>0.85) over much of central-northern Fennoscandia. Further sampling of older trees (e.g. dry-dead and subfossil wood) would be needed to achieve the same high correlations prior to AD 1700. Our analysis suggests that it should be possible to select a few key sites for improving the reconstructions before AD 1700. Since tree-ring data from northern Fennoscandia are used in all available hemispheric-scale temperature reconstructions for the last millennium, there is also a potential for slightly improving the quality of the hemispheric-scale reconstructions, by including an improved reconstruction for Fennoscandia. However, adding new chronologies from previously unsampled regions would potentially improve hemispheric-scale temperature reconstructions more substantially. Authors’ addresses: Isabelle Gouirand, Anders Moberg, Department of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; Hans W. Linderholm, Regional Climate Group, Department of Earth Sciences, G?teborg University, SE-405 30 G?teborg, Sweden; Barbara Wohlfarth, Department of Geology and Geochemistry, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.     

The altitudinal temperature lapse rates applied to high elevation rockfalls studies in the Western European Alps

Theoretical and Applied Climatology - Temperature is one of the most important aspects of mountain climates. The relationships between air temperature and rockfalls at high-elevation sites are very...     

Evaluation of summer temperature and precipitation forecasts generated by the MM5 model over central European Russia

The results of the MM5 regional meteorological model are compared with the station data. The simulations are carried out for the central part of the East European Plain for summer with a horizontal grid resolution of 15 km (24 × 34 grid points) and 24 vertical σ-levels, the upper level corresponding to 100 hPa. The MM5 model reliably reproduces information at a spatial scale of about 100 km, systematically overestimating temperature by about 1.5°C and underestimating daily precipitation totals by about 1 mm. The distribution functions for model and observed temperatures coincide with the Gaussian distribution function. The precipitation distribution functions are rather similar and have a form of the χ²-distribution with one degree of freedom. Station and model temperature extremes generally coincide in time. Extremes of daily precipitation totals are slightly underestimated by MM5.     

Multiproxy summer and winter surface air temperature field reconstructions for southern South America covering the past centuries

We statistically reconstruct austral summer (winter) surface air temperature fields back to ad 900 (1706) using 22 (20) annually resolved predictors from natural and human archives from southern South America (SSA). This represents the first regional-scale climate field reconstruction for parts of the Southern Hemisphere at this high temporal resolution. We apply three different reconstruction techniques: multivariate principal component regression, composite plus scaling, and regularized expectation maximization. There is generally good agreement between the results of the three methods on interannual and decadal timescales. The field reconstructions allow us to describe differences and similarities in the temperature evolution of different sub-regions of SSA. The reconstructed SSA mean summer temperatures between 900 and 1350 are mostly above the 1901?C1995 climatology. After 1350, we reconstruct a sharp transition to colder conditions, which last until approximately 1700. The summers in the eighteenth century are relatively warm with a subsequent cold relapse peaking around 1850. In the twentieth century, summer temperatures reach conditions similar to earlier warm periods. The winter temperatures in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were mostly below the twentieth century average. The uncertainties of our reconstructions are generally largest in the eastern lowlands of SSA, where the coverage with proxy data is poorest. Verifications with independent summer temperature proxies and instrumental measurements suggest that the interannual and multi-decadal variations of SSA temperatures are well captured by our reconstructions. This new dataset can be used for data/model comparison and data assimilation as well as for detection and attribution studies at sub-continental scales.     

Comparison of instrumental and interpolated meteorological data-based summer temperature reconstructions on Mt. Taibai in the Qinling Mountains,northwestern China

Theoretical and Applied Climatology - Previous dendroclimatical studies have been based on the relationship between tree growth and instrumental climate data recorded at lower land meteorological...     

Cutoff low systems and their relevance to large-scale extreme precipitation in the European Alps

In this paper, we attempt to highlight the relevance of cutoff low systems (CoLs) to large-scale heavy precipitation events within the Alpine region which often lead to catastrophic flooding. The main results of this study are (1) a detailed climatology (1971–1999) of CoLs for the European region, (2) contribution of CoLs to extreme precipitation events in the European Alpine region, (3) identification of regions within the European Alps most affected by extreme precipitation caused by CoLs, and (4) identification of regions where presence of CoLs is related to extreme precipitation in the Alpine region. The findings of this paper suggest that CoLs have a significant correlation with extreme precipitation events and strongly influence the climate of the Alpine region. The total contribution of CoLs to large-scale heavy precipitation events ranges between 20 and 95 % and is most pronounced in the northern and eastern parts of the Alps. More than 80 % of the events occur in the summer season. The area around the Alps and West of Spain (over the Atlantic Ocean) is the most affected region. The location of the center of CoLs that affect the Alpine region most occur on the northern and southern sides of the Alpine ridge.     

Sensitivity of carbon cycling in the European Alps to changes of climate and land cover

Assessments of the impacts of global change on carbon stocks in mountain regions have received little attention to date, in spite of the considerable role of these areas for the global carbon cycle. We used the regional hydro-ecological simulation system RHESSys in five case study catchments from different climatic zones in the European Alps to investigate the behavior of the carbon cycle under changing climatic and land cover conditions derived from the SRES scenarios of the IPCC. The focus of this study was on analyzing the differences in carbon cycling across various climatic zones of the Alps, and to explore the differences between the impacts of various SRES scenarios (A1FI, A2, B1, B2), and between several global circulation models (GCMs, i.e., HadCM3, CGCM2, CSIRO2, PCM). The simulation results indicate that the warming trend generally enhances carbon sequestration in these catchments over the first half of the twenty-first century, particularly in forests just below treeline. Thereafter, forests at low elevations increasingly release carbon as a consequence of the changed balance between growth and respiration processes, resulting in a net carbon source at the catchment scale. Land cover changes have a strong modifying effect on these climate-induced patterns. While the simulated temporal pattern of carbon cycling is qualitatively similar across the five catchments, quantitative differences exist due to the regional differences of the climate and land cover scenarios, with land cover exerting a stronger influence. The differences in the simulations with scenarios derived from several GCMs under one SRES scenario are of the same magnitude as the differences between various SRES scenarios derived from one single GCM, suggesting that the uncertainty in climate model projections needs to be narrowed before accurate impact assessments under the various SRES scenarios can be made at the local to regional scale. We conclude that the carbon balance of the European Alps is likely to shift strongly in the future, driven mainly by land cover changes, but also by changes of the climate. We recommend that assessments of carbon cycling at regional to continental scales should make sure to adequately include sub-regional differences of changes in climate and land cover, particularly in areas with a complex topography.     

Long-term summer temperature variations in the Pyrenees

Two hundred and sixty one newly measured tree-ring width and density series from living and dry-dead conifers from two timberline sites in the Spanish Pyrenees were compiled. Application of the regional curve standardization method for tree-ring detrending allowed the preservation of inter-annual to multi-centennial scale variability. The new density record correlates at 0.53 (0.68 in the higher frequency domain) with May–September maximum temperatures over the 1944–2005 period. Reconstructed warmth in the fourteenth to fifteenth and twentieth century is separated by a prolonged cooling from ∼1450 to 1850. Six of the ten warmest decades fall into the twentieth century, whereas the remaining four are reconstructed for the 1360–1440 interval. Comparison with novel density-based summer temperature reconstructions from the Swiss Alps and northern Sweden indicates decadal to longer-term similarity between the Pyrenees and Alps, but disagreement with northern Sweden. Spatial field correlations with instrumental data support the regional differentiation of the proxy records. While twentieth century warmth is evident in the Alps and Pyrenees, recent temperatures in Scandinavia are relatively cold in comparison to earlier warmth centered around medieval times, ∼1450, and the late eighteenth century. While coldest summers in the Alps and Pyrenees were in-phase with the Maunder and Dalton solar minima, lowest temperatures in Scandinavia occurred later at the onset of the twentieth century. However, fairly cold summers at the end of the fifteenth century, between ∼1600–1700, and ∼1820 were synchronized over Europe, and larger areas of the Northern Hemisphere.     

Changes in temperature and temperature gradients in the French Northern Alps during the last century

In mountain environments, local factors such as topography or exposure to the sun influence the spatial distribution of temperatures. It is therefore difficult to characterise the global evolution of temperatures over several decades. Such local effects can either accentuate or attenuate thermal contrasts between neighbouring areas. The present study uses two regional thermal indicators—thermal gradients and temperatures reduced to sea level—to monitor the monthly evolution of minimum and maximum temperatures in the French Northern Alps. Measures were calculated for the period extending from 1960 to 2007 based on data from 92 measuring stations. Temperature gradients were computed and further used to monitor the altitudinal evolution of temperatures. A characteristic regional temperature was determined for the whole of the French Northern Alps based on temperatures reduced to sea level, and changes in temperatures since 1960 were assessed. Multiple linear regression models made it possible to extend measurements over a longer period and to make enhanced calculations of temperature changes in the mountains since 1885. This is the first study to examine temperature changes in the French Northern Alps over such an extended period. Gradient data suggest that over the last 50 years, temperatures have changed at all altitudes. In addition, the evaluation of the temperature rise over 100 years reveals that minimal and maximal monthly temperatures trends are only significant a few months of the year.     

Influence of the circumglobal wave-train on European summer precipitation

We investigate European summer (July–August) precipitation variability and its global teleconnections using the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data (1950–2010) and a historical Coupled Model Intercomparison Project climate simulation (1901–2005) carried out using the ECHAM6/MPIOM climate model. A wavelike pattern is found in the upper tropospheric levels (200 hPa) similar to the summer circumglobal wave train (CGT) extending from the North Pacific to the Eurasian region. The positive phase of the CGT is associated with upper level anomalous low (high) pressure over western (eastern) Europe. It is further associated with a dipole-like precipitation pattern over Europe entailing significantly enhanced (reduced) precipitation over the western (eastern) region. The anomalous circulation features and associated summer precipitation pattern over Europe inverts for the negative CGT phase. Accordingly, the global teleconnection pattern of a precipitation index summarizing summer precipitation over Western Europe entails an upper level signature which consists of a CGT-like wave pattern extending from the North Pacific to Eurasia. The imprint of the CGT on European summer precipitation is distinct from that of the summer North Atlantic Oscillation, despite the two modes of variability bear strong similarities in their upper level atmospheric pattern over Western Europe. The analysis of simulated CGT features and of its climatic implications for the European region substantiates the existence of the CGT-European summer precipitation connection. The summer CGT in the mid-latitude therefore adds to the list of the modes of large-scale atmospheric variability significantly influencing European summer precipitation variability.     

Surface temperature in NW Europe during the Younger Dryas: AGCM simulation compared with temperature reconstructions

 During the Younger Dryas (YD) the climate in NW Europe returned to near-glacial conditions. To improve our understanding of climate variability during this cold interval, we compare an AGCM simulation of this climate, performed with the ECHAM model, with temperature reconstructions for NW Europe based on geological and paleoecological records. Maps for the mean winter, summer and annual temperature are presented. The simulated winters are consistent with reconstructions in the northern part of the study area. A strong deviation is noted in Ireland and England, where the simulation is too warm by at least 10 °C. It appears that the N Atlantic was cooler than prescribed in the YD simulation, including a southward expansion of the sea-ice margin. The comparison for the summer shows a too warm continental Europe in the simulation. Supposedly, these anomalously warm conditions are caused by the AGCM’s response to the prescribed increased summer insolation. The region of maximum summer cooling is similar in both the simulation and reconstruction, i.e., S Sweden. We suggest that this is due to the local cooling effect of the Scandinavian ice sheet. Compared to the present climate a considerable increase of the annual temperature range is inferred, especially for regions close to the Atlantic Ocean. Received: 20 November 1996 / Accepted: 8 July 1997     

夏季湖北电网气象敏感负荷预测模型研究

利用2009-2010年湖北电网日用电负荷资料和气象资料,提出了基于电网负荷的分解算法,将电网日最大负荷分解为基础负荷与气象敏感负荷2个主要分量.其中,气象敏感负荷与气温、相对湿度及风速的综合气象敏感负荷条件指数相关.提出了基于权重指数的湖北省面平均气象敏感负荷条件指数的算法.利用相关比法,分析了湖北省气象敏感负荷与面均气象敏感负荷条件指数的非线性关系.基于均方偏差最小原理和非线性最小二乘法,建立了夏季湖北电网气象敏感负荷与面均气象敏感负荷条件指数的多项式预测关系模型.经2010年9月模型应用检验表明,预测平均误差低于6％.该模型可用于夏季湖北省电力专业气象服务工作.     

Potential Impact of Climate Change on Vegetation in the European Alps: A Review

Based on conclusions drawn from general climatic impact assessmentin mountain regions, the review synthesizes results relevant to the European Alps published mainly from 1994 onward in the fields of population genetics, ecophysiology, phenology, phytogeography, modeling, paleoecology and vegetation dynamics. Other important factors of global change interacting synergistically with climatic factors are also mentioned, such as atmospheric CO₂ concentration, eutrophication, ozone or changes in land-use. Topics addressed are general species distribution and populations (persistence, acclimation, genetic variability, dispersal, fragmentation, plant/animal interaction, species richness, conservation), potential response of vegetation (ecotonal shift – area, physiography – changes in the composition, structural changes), phenology, growth and productivity, and landscape. In conclusion, the European Alps appear to have a natural inertia and thus to tolerate an increase of 1–2 K of mean air temperature as far as plant species and ecosystems are concerned in general. However, the impact of land-use is very likely to negate this buffer in many areas. For a change of the order of 3 K or more, profound changes may be expected.     

Influence of sea surface temperature on the European heat wave of 2003 summer. Part II: a modeling study

The Center for Ocean?CLand?CAtmosphere Studies Atmospheric General Circulation Model is used to investigate the role of global boundary conditions of sea surface temperature (SST) in the establishment and maintenance of the European heat wave of 2003 summer. It is found that the global SST anomalies can explain many major features of the European heat wave during the summer of 2003. A further experiment has investigated the role of SST outside the Mediterranean area. This supplements the results of a previous study where the role of warm Mediterranean SST was analyzed. The results suggest that the SST anomalies had an additional effect of reducing the baroclinicity in the European area reinforcing the blocking circulation and helping to create ideal conditions for the establishment of the heat wave.     

Influence of sea surface temperature on the European heat wave of 2003 summer. Part I: an observational study

The heat wave affecting Europe during summer of 2003 is analyzed in detail with observational and reanalysis data. Surface, middle and upper troposphere analysis reveal particular circulation patterns related to an atmospheric blocking condition. In general seasonal anomalies, like this intense heat wave, are strongly related to boundary conditions. Composites and empirical orthogonal functions analysis provide evidence for an organized structure in the sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly field: high SSTs in the Mediterranean basin, the North Sea and further north toward the Arctic Circle were observed mainly in the months of June and August. The outcome of this analysis on observational data shows the SST as one of the possible factors in enhancing the heat wave in the European area.     

南昌夏季气温变化特征及其预测

南昌夏季平均气温存在明显的年际变化特征,夏季平均气温有下降的趋势;利用均生函数模型对南昌夏季平均气温趋势进行了拟合和预报,拟合值与实况值基本一致,并预报了2005年～2007年南昌的夏季处于冷夏;分析了南昌夏季最高气温、最低气温变化趋势,结果表明冷夜和暖夜变化具有对称性,冷夜减少和暖夜的增加趋势几乎一致,而冷日和暖日的变化也呈非对称性分布,上升趋势比较明显,但下降趋势不明显。     

东北地区夏季气温变化特征分析

采用1951～2003年26个气象台站的夏季气温资料对我国东北地区夏季气温变化特征进行了分析。结果表明:近50多年来我国东北地区夏季气温主要经历了冷期、相对正常期和暖期3个阶段,夏季升温趋势达到0·15℃/10a,远超过全球、北半球、东北亚夏季的增暖程度。其对全球气候变暖的响应,一方面表现在夏季变暖、平均气温升高;另一方面表现在夏季气温变率加大;第三,气候变暖使东北夏季低温冷害明显减少、异常高温气候明显增多,但在变暖形势下局部发生低温冷害的现象仍然存在。     

贵州夏季气温分区变化特征

对1961--2007年贵州夏季气温用REOF方法分解,将贵州夏季气温的变化区域分为北区、南区和东区。分析3个区域夏季气温的变化趋势及年代际变化特点,发现夏季气温呈现弱上升趋势,南部地区升温明显。功率谱分析的结果表明,各分区的周期变化基本相同,有10a左右的周期。对全省以及各区作滑动均方差,发现各分区气温的年际变化存在差异。     

Interannual variability of soil moisture in the European part of Russia in summer

Interannual and interdecadal variability of soil moisture in the European part of Russia in summer months is investigated using the data for 1948-2012. It is found that the two first empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) describe about 50% of total variability of soil moisture. The spatial pattern of the first EOF is indicative of coherent changes in soil moisture in the whole European part of Russia. The second EOF is represented by the meridional dipole with the opposite signs of soil moisture variations in the northern and southern parts of the region. It is revealed that the spatiotemporal pattern of the principal EOFs of soil moisture variability in the European part of Russia almost does not vary during summer that is indicative of the uniform (for each EOF) mechanism of the formation of interan-nual variability of soil moisture.