Heatwaves in Europe: areas of homogeneous variability and links with the regional to large-scale atmospheric and SSTs anomalies

This work presents a methodology to study the interannual variability associated with summertime months in which extremely hot temperatures are frequent. Daily time series of maximum and minimum temperature fields (T _max and T _min, respectively) are used to define indexes of extreme months based on the number of days crossing thresholds. An empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis is applied to the monthly indexes. EOF loadings give information about the geographical areas where the number of days per month with extreme temperatures has the largest variability. Correlations between the EOF principal components and the time series of other fields allow plotting maps highlighting the anomalies in the large scale circulation and in the SSTs that are associated with the occurrence of extreme events. The methodology is used to construct the “climatology” of the extremely hot summertime months over Europe. In terms of both interannual and intraseasonal variability, there are three regions in which the frequency of the extremely hot days per month homogeneously varies: north-west Europe, Euro-Mediterranean and Eurasia region. Although extremes over those regions occur during the whole summer (June to August), the anomalous climatic conditions associated with frequent heatwaves present some intraseasonal variability. Extreme climate events over the north-west Europe and Eurasia are typically related to the occurrence of blocking situations. The intraseasonal variability of those patterns is related to the amplitude of the blocking, the relative location of the action centre and the wavetrain of anomalies downstream or upstream of the blocking. During June and July, blocking situations which give extremely hot climate conditions over north-west Europe are also associated with cold conditions over the eastern Mediterranean sector. The Euro-Mediterranean region is a transition area in which extratropical and tropical systems compete, influencing the occurrence of climate events: blockings tend to be related to extremely hot months during June while baroclinic anomalies dominate the variability of the climate events in July and August. We highlight that our method could be easily applied to other regions of the world, to other fields as well as to model outputs to assess, e.g. the potential change of extreme climate events in a warmer climate.     

Equatorial Atlantic sea surface temperature variations: Research note

Abstract

Monthly mean sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies were computed for six 10°‐wide boxes stretching across the equatorial Atlantic Ocean for the period 1890–1979. These values were used to produce a time‐longitude section of the interannual SST variability along the equator. This section shows cycles of basin‐wide warming and cooling occurring with irregular periods that typically range between two and four years. The warming and cooling events in these cycles normally display some westward phase propagation. The peak magnitudes of the interannual SST anomalies are generally of the order of 1°C or less, except in the Gulf of Guinea where they can be somewhat larger.

An estimate was made of the basin‐wide equatorial SST anomaly in each month (excluding the Gulf of Guinea). This was composited around the times of the warm and cold extremes of the Pacific Southern Oscillation. This analysis revealed a detectable, but rather weak, tendency for phase locking of the interannual SST variations in the equatorial Pacific and Atlantic oceans.     

Opposing Trends of Winter Cold Extremes over Eastern Eurasia and North America under Recent Arctic Warming

Under recent Arctic warming, boreal winters have witnessed severe cold surges over both Eurasia and North America,bringing about serious social and economic impacts. Here, we investigated the changes in daily surface air temperature(SAT) variability during the rapid Arctic warming period of 1988/89–2015/16, and found the daily SAT variance, mainly contributed by the sub-seasonal component, shows an increasing and decreasing trend over eastern Eurasia and North America, respectively. Increasing c...     

两类ENSO对中国北方冬季平均气温和极端低温的不同影响

利用1961-2012年观测、再分析资料以及全球大气环流模式数值试验,探讨了中国北方冬季平均气温对于不同类型（即东部型和中部型）ENSO事件的气候响应,并分析了不同类型ENSO对极端低温事件的可能影响,重点关注了北大西洋涛动（NAO）在其中的桥梁作用。结果表明,ENSO信号能通过调制北大西洋地区的大气环流改变欧亚中高纬度地区的纬向温度平流输送和西伯利亚高压的强度,进而影响中国北方冬季气温,由于不同类型ENSO事件海温分布的差异,这种影响具有明显的非线性特征。在两类厄尔尼诺和东部型拉尼娜事件冬季,北大西洋涛动均呈现负位相,不利于北大西洋的暖湿空气向欧亚大陆输送,西伯利亚高压偏强,因而中国北方地区较气候态偏冷。中部型厄尔尼诺和东部型拉尼娜事件冬季气温负异常的显著区域分别位于东北大范围地区、内蒙古河套附近;东部型厄尔尼诺事件冬季显著的冷异常信号仅局限于黑龙江北部与大兴安岭地区;而中部型拉尼娜事件冬季虽伴随北大西洋涛动正位相,但其空间结构向西偏移,对下游中国北方地区气温的直接影响并不显著,可能受局地信号干扰较大。数值试验再现了北大西洋涛动以及中国北方冬季气温对不同类型ENSO的响应,进一步佐证了上述结论。此外,两类厄尔尼诺事件冬季中国东北地区日平均气温容易偏低,极端低温事件的发生频次增多;而两类拉尼娜事件对极端低温的影响较弱。      

土壤湿度年际变化对中国区域极端气候事件模拟的影响研究Ⅱ.敏感性试验分析

利用NCARCAM3.1大气环流模式,设计了有、无土壤湿度年际异常的两组数值试验,探讨了土壤湿度年际异常对极端气候事件模拟的可能影响。结果表明,模式模拟的极端气候事件对土壤湿度异常十分敏感,土壤湿度异常对极端气候指标的多年平均空间分布、年际变率以及年际变化均具有重要影响。当不考虑土壤湿度的年际异常时:(1)模拟的暖夜日数、暖昼日数和热浪持续指数的发生频次在全国范围内均明显减少,而霜冻日数则明显增加。极端降水指标的响应表现出明显的空间差异,极端降水频次在江淮流域明显减小,而极端降水强度则表现为东北减弱、长江流域增强;中雨日数和持续湿期在我国大部分地区减少。(2)极端气温指标的年际变率在我国大部分地区呈减小趋势;而极端降水事件的变化则较为复杂,极端降水频次和极端降水强度的年际变率在长江以南有所增强,而北方地区则有所减弱。中雨日数和持续湿期的年际变率在我国呈现出较为一致的减少趋势。(3)模式对暖夜日数、霜冻日数的年际变化的模拟能力明显下降,并对4个极端降水指标的年际变化的模拟能力在全国多数区域均有不同程度的下降。     

北极—欧亚温度偶极型对应环流的非对称特征及可能成因

基于1950—2021年美国国家环境预报中心/大气研究中心(NCEP/NCAR)再分析资料以及英国哈德莱中心提供的海温、海冰密集度资料,分析了年际尺度上北极—欧亚温度偶极型模态及其对应环流的非对称特征和可能形成机理。结果表明,这种模态自身即相关地表气温异常的位置和强度在其正负位相下非对称性都较弱,其中暖北极—冷欧亚(Warm Arctic-Cold Eurasia,WACE)事件下的温度异常分布略偏北,在欧亚大陆的冷异常相较于冷北极—暖欧亚(Cold Arctic-Warm Eurasia,CAWE)事件暖异常的强度略强。然而,WACE模态正负位相对应的环流有明显的非对称性,WACE事件对应着弱的北大西洋涛动(North Atlantic Oscillation,NAO)正位相以及欧亚大陆上空的强大的高压异常,而CAWE事件则对应着强NAO负位相。进一步研究表明,这种环流的非对称性特征与热带太平洋海温调控的非对称性有关,当La Niña事件出现,尤其海温的负异常中心偏西时,欧亚大陆中高纬地区地表气温易呈现WACE的形态,而CAWE事件则主要由大气内部变率调控,与热带太平洋海温的联系不明显。     

Can Eurasia Experience a Cold Winter under a Third-Year La Ni?a in 2022/23?

The Northern Hemisphere(NH) often experiences frequent cold air outbreaks and heavy snowfalls during La Ni?a winters. In 2022, a third-year La Ni?a event has exceeded both the oceanic and atmospheric thresholds since spring and is predicted to reach its mature phase in December 2022. Under such a significant global climate signal, whether the Eurasian Continent will experience a tough cold winter should not be assumed, despite the direct influence of mid-to high-latitude,large-scale atmospheric ...     

春季欧亚大陆地表气温变化特征的气候意义

研究了春季欧亚大陆地表气温的年际变化及其相联系的环流场特征,发现春季欧亚大陆地表气温年际变化呈现为大陆尺度的南北跷跷板式的空间分布特征, 即当中高纬度地表气温为正距平时,副热带地区则为负距平,反之亦然。这种空间分布型代表了欧亚大陆中高纬度地表气温年际变化的主要特征。进一步的研究表明,这种变化与前期冬季北大西洋涛动（NAO）有着显著的正相关,而与同期的NAO无关。同时,欧亚大陆地表气温异常存在着明显的从冬到夏的持续性。与东亚初夏气候变化关系的研究表明,春季欧亚大陆地表气温的变化通过影响鄂霍次克高压的变化进一步影响初夏梅雨的变化。当春季欧亚大陆中高纬度地表气温为正距平时,鄂霍次克高压偏强,初夏梅雨较活跃,反之亦然。     

Northern poleward edge of regional Hadley cell over western Pacific during boreal winter: year-to-year variability,influence factors and associated winter climate anomalies

Compared to the zonal-mean Hadley cell (HC), our knowledge of the characteristics, influence factors and associated climate anomalies of the regional HC remains quite limited. Here, we examine interannual variability of the northern poleward HC edge over western Pacific (WPHCE) during boreal winter. Results suggest that interannual variability of the WPHCE is impacted by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Modoki, North Pacific Oscillation (NPO) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The WPHCE tends to shift poleward during negative phase of the ENSO Modoki, and positive phases of the NPO and NAO, which highlights not merely the tropical forcing but also the extratropical signals that modulate the WPHCE. ENSO modoki, NPO and NAO modulate the WPHCE via inducing atmospheric anomalies over the western North Pacific. We further investigate the climatic impacts of the WPHCE on East Asia. The poleward shift of the northern descending branch of the WPHC results in anomalous upward (downward) motions and upper-level divergence (convergence) anomalies over south-central China (northern East-Asia), leading to increased (decreased) rainfall there. Moreover, pronounced cold surface air temperature anomalies appear over south-central China when the sinking branch of the WPHC moves poleward. Based on the temperature diagnostic analysis, negative surface temperature tendency anomalies over central China are mostly attributable to the cold zonal temperature advection and ascent-induced adiabatic cooling, while the negative anomalies over South China are largely due to the cold meridional temperature advection. These findings could improve our knowledge of the WPHCE variability and enrich the knowledge of forcing factors for East Asian winter climate.

     

Quantifying uncertainties in projections of extremes��a perturbed land surface parameter experiment

Uncertainties in the climate response to a doubling of atmospheric CO₂ concentrations are quantified in a perturbed land surface parameter experiment. The ensemble of 108 members is constructed by systematically perturbing five poorly constrained land surface parameters of global climate model individually and in all possible combinations. The land surface parameters induce small uncertainties at global scale, substantial uncertainties at regional and seasonal scale and very large uncertainties in the tails of the distribution, the climate extremes. Climate sensitivity varies across the ensemble mainly due to the perturbation of the snow albedo parameterization, which controls the snow albedo feedback strength. The uncertainty range in the global response is small relative to perturbed physics experiments focusing on atmospheric parameters. However, land surface parameters are revealed to control the response not only of the mean but also of the variability of temperature. Major uncertainties are identified in the response of climate extremes to a doubling of CO₂. During winter the response both of temperature mean and daily variability relates to fractional snow cover. Cold extremes over high latitudes warm disproportionately in ensemble members with strong snow albedo feedback and large snow cover reduction. Reduced snow cover leads to more winter warming and stronger variability decrease. As a result uncertainties in mean and variability response line up, with some members showing weak and others very strong warming of the cold tail of the distribution, depending on the snow albedo parametrization. The uncertainty across the ensemble regionally exceeds the CMIP3 multi-model range. Regarding summer hot extremes, the uncertainties are larger than for mean summer warming but smaller than in multi-model experiments. The summer precipitation response to a doubling of CO₂ is not robust over many regions. Land surface parameter perturbations and natural variability alter the sign of the response even over subtropical regions.     

Trends in warm days and cold nights over the Iberian Peninsula: relationships to large-scale variables

The aims of this study are to identify the trend of warm days and cold nights over the Iberian Peninsula and to connect the variations with large-scale variables. The reasons for performing this analysis are the effects that extremes events have on different ecosystems. Here, we present the results on spatial and temporal variability of warm days (TX90), or those exceeding the 90th percentile of maximum temperature, and cold nights (TN10), or those falling below the 10th percentile of minimum temperature. The extreme indices were derived from daily observations at stations and gridded data over land area for the period 1950 to 2006. Significant trends of more warm days and fewer cold nights were found. The trend to fewer cold nights is within the interval of global results given by the IPCC AR4 report; however, the trend to warm days is greater than the corresponding global trend. The influence of large-scale variables on these extreme indices was examined by means of the Empirical Orthogonal Function, correlation, composite maps and multiple regression analyses. Changes in TX90 are connected with the Scandinavian teleconnection index and a preferred mode of geopotential height at 500 hPa over the North Atlantic. Changes in TN10 are connected with the East Atlantic teleconnection index and the leading mode of Sea Surface Temperature (SST) variability over the North Atlantic area. Based on the links between the extreme indices and the large-scale variables we derived statistical models to describe the response of TX90 and TN10 to atmospheric circulation and SST variations. The models characterized the observed variations of TX90 and TN10 reasonably well. The results of this study encourage us to analyze, in further work, how temperature extremes might change over the Iberian Peninsula under warmer climate conditions.     

Changes of interannual NAO variability in response to greenhouse gases forcing

Observations show that there was change in interannual North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) variability in the mid-1970s. This change was characterized by an eastward shift of the NAO action centres, a poleward shift of zonal wind anomalies and a downstream extension of climate anomalies associated with the NAO. The NAO interannual variability for the period after the mid-1970s has an annular mode structure that penetrates deeply into the stratosphere, indicating a strengthened relationship between the NAO and the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and strengthened stratosphere-troposphere coupling. In this study we have investigated possible causes of these changes in the NAO by carrying out experiments with an atmospheric GCM. The model is forced either by doubling CO₂, or increasing sea surface temperatures (SST), or both. In the case of SST forcing the SST anomaly is derived from a coupled model simulation forced by increasing CO₂. Results indicate that SST and CO₂ change both force a poleward and eastward shift in the pattern of interannual NAO variability and the associated poleward shift of zonal wind anomalies, similar to the observations. The effect of SST change can be understood in terms of mean changes in the troposphere. The direct effect of CO₂ change, in contrast, can not be understood in terms of mean changes in the troposphere. However, there is a significant response in the stratosphere, characterized by a strengthened climatological polar vortex with strongly enhanced interannual variability. In this case, the NAO interannual variability has a strong link with the variability over the North Pacific, as in the annular AO pattern, and is also strongly related to the stratospheric vortex, indicating strengthened stratosphere-troposphere coupling. The similarity of changes in many characteristics of NAO interannual variability between the model response to doubling CO₂ and those in observations in the mid-1970s implies that the increase of greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere, and the resulting changes in the stratosphere, might have played an important role in the multidecadal change of interannual NAO variability and its associated climate anomalies during the late twentieth century. The weak change in mean westerlies in the troposphere in response to CO₂ change implies that enhanced and eastward extended mid-latitude westerlies in the troposphere might not be a necessary condition for the poleward and eastward shift of the NAO action centres in the mid-1970s.     

The Late Maunder Minimum (1675–1715) – A Key Period forStudying Decadal Scale Climatic Change in Europe

The Late Maunder Minimum (LMM, 1675–1715) denotes the climax of the `Little Ice Age' in Europe with marked climate variability. Investigations into interannual and interdecadal differences of atmospheric circulation between the LMM and the period 1961–1990 have been performedand undertaken based upon sea level pressure (SLP) difference maps, empiricalorthogonal function (EOF) analysis, and objective classification techniques. Since the SLP during the LMM winterwas significantly higher in northeastern Europe but below normal over the central and western Mediterranean, more frequent blocking situations were connected with cold air outbreaks towards central and eastern Europe. Springs were cold and characterized by a southward shift of the mid-latitude storm tracks. Summers in western, central Europe and northern Europe were wetter and slightly cooler than they are today due to a weakerAzores high and a more southerly position of the mean polar front axes. Autumns showed a significantly higher pressure over northern Europe and a lower pressure over continental Europe and the Mediterranean, an indication of an advanced change from summer to winter circulation. It is suggested that the pressure patterns during parts of the LMM might be attributed to the combination of external forcing factors (solar irradiance and volcanic activity) and internal oscillations and couplings in the North Atlantic.     

SIMULATING THE RESPONSE OF NON-UNIFORMITY OF PRECIPITATION EXTREMES OVER CHINA TO CO2 INCREASING BY MIROC_HIRES MODEL

The response of non-uniformity of precipitation extremes over China to doubled CO2has been analyzed using the daily precipitation simulated by a coupled general circulation model,MIROC_Hires.The major conclusions are as follows:under the CO2increasing scenario(SRES A1B),the climatological precipitation extremes are concentrated over the southern China,while they are uniformly distributed over the northern China.For interannual variability,the concentration of precipitation extremes is small over the southern China,but it is opposite over the northern China.The warming effects on the horizontal and vertical scales are different over the northern and southern part of China.Furthermore,the atmospheric stability is also different between the two parts of China.The heterogeneous warming is one of the possible reasons for the changes in non-uniformity of precipitation extremes over China.     

Tibetan Plateau summer precipitation: covariability with circulation indices

Relations between Tibetan Plateau precipitation and large-scale climate indices are studied based on the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and the boreal summer season. The focus is on the decadal variability of links between the large-scale circulation and the plateau drought and wetness. Analysis of teleconnectivity of the continental northern hemisphere standardized summer precipitation reveals the Tibetan Plateau as a major SPI teleconnectivity center in south-eastern Asia connecting remote correlation patterns over Eurasia. Employing a moving window approach, changes in covariability and synchronizations between Tibetan Plateau summer SPI and climate indices are analyzed on decadal time scales. Decadal variability in the relationships between Tibetan Plateau summer SPI and the large-scale climate system is characterized by three shifts related to changes in the North Atlantic, the Indian Ocean, and the tropical Pacific. Changes in the North Atlantic variability (North Atlantic Oscillation) result in a stable level of Tibetan Plateau summer SPI variability; the response to changes in tropical Pacific variability is prominent in various indices such as Asian monsoon, Pacific/North America, and East Atlantic/Western Russia pattern.

     

Interannual Climate Variability Change during the Medieval Climate Anomaly and Little Ice Age in PMIP3 Last Millennium Simulations

In this study, we analyzed numerical experiments undertaken by 10 climate models participating in PMIP3(Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project Phase 3) to examine the changes in interannual temperature variability and coefficient of variation(CV) of interannual precipitation in the warm period of the Medieval Climate Anomaly(MCA) and the cold period of the Little Ice Age(LIA). With respect to the past millennium period, the MCA temperature variability decreases by 2.0% on average over the globe, and most of the decreases occur in low latitudes. In the LIA, temperature variability increases by a global average of 0.6%, which occurs primarily in the high latitudes of Eurasia and the western Pacific. For the CV of interannual precipitation, regional-scale changes are more significant than changes at the global scale, with a pattern of increased(decreased) CV in the midlatitudes of Eurasia and the northwestern Pacific in the MCA(LIA). The CV change ranges from-7.0% to 4.3%(from -6.3% to 5.4%), with a global average of -0.5%(-0.07%) in the MCA(LIA).Also, the variability changes are considerably larger in December–January–February with respect to both temperature and precipitation.     

The Equatorial Undercurrent in the central Atlantic and its relation to tropical Atlantic variability

Seasonal to interannual variations of the Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC) in the central Atlantic at 23°W are studied using shipboard observation taken during the period 1999–2011 as well as moored velocity time series covering the period May 2005–June 2011. The seasonal variations are dominated by an annual harmonic of the EUC transport and the EUC core depth (both at maximum during September), and a semiannual harmonic of the EUC core velocity (maximum during April and September). Substantial interannual variability during the period of moored observation included anomalous cold/warm equatorial Atlantic cold tongue events during 2005/2008. The easterly winds in the western equatorial Atlantic during boreal spring that represent the preconditioning of cold/warm events were strong/weak during 2005/2008 and associated with strong/weak boreal summer EUC transport. The anomalous year 2009 was instead associated with weak preconditioning and smallest EUC transport on record from January to July, but during August coldest SST anomalies in the eastern equatorial Atlantic were observed. The interannual variations of the EUC are discussed with respect to recently described variability of the tropical Atlantic Ocean.     

Exciting natural modes of variability by solar and volcanic forcing: idealized and realistic experiments

Using multi-millenium simulations performed with the three-dimensional climate model ECBILT-CLIO, we analyze how variations in the external forcing can excite low-frequency modes of climate variability. We find that prescribing an idealized, abrupt decrease in solar irradiance can trigger a large perturbation of the oceanic thermohaline circulation (THC) associated with a cooling of more than 5 °C in the North Atlantic over decades to centuries. Using more realistic scenarios that include the variations of solar irradiance and the influence of volcanic eruptions, such large perturbations of the THC are not triggered. Nevertheless, modifications of the forcing can strongly modify the probability of very cold years in the North Atlantic. During those cold years, sea-ice covers a large part of the Nordic Seas and the inflow of warm Atlantic waters at high latitudes is strongly reduced. Those processes induce a temporarily, strong local amplification of the forcing and generate modifications of the atmospheric conditions. Simulations of the last millenium climate using realistic forcing reveal that the probability to have such very cold years in the model is higher during the period AD 1300–1850 than during the first centuries of the second millenium or during the twentieth century. This might explain the higher variability observed during this period in some climate records in the Nordic Seas.     

A brief introduction to the issue of climate and marine fisheries

Climatic variability has profound effects on the distribution, abundance and catch of oceanic fish species around the world. The major modes of this climate variability include the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) also referred to as the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO), the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Other modes of climate variability include the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO), the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and the Arctic Oscillation (AO). ENSO events are the principle source of interannual global climate variability, centred in the ocean–atmosphere circulations of the tropical Pacific Ocean and operating on seasonal to interannual time scales. ENSO and the strength of its climate teleconnections are modulated on decadal timescales by the IPO. The time scale of the IOD is seasonal to interannual. The SAM in the mid to high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere operates in the range of 50–60 days. A prominent teleconnection pattern throughout the year in the Northern Hemisphere is the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) which modulates the strength of the westerlies across the North Atlantic in winter, has an impact on the catches of marine fisheries. ENSO events affect the distribution of tuna species in the equatorial Pacific, especially skipjack tuna as well as the abundance and distribution of fish along the western coasts of the Americas. The IOD modulates the distribution of tuna populations and catches in the Indian Ocean, whilst the NAO affects cod stocks heavily exploited in the Atlantic Ocean. The SAM, and its effects on sea surface temperatures influence krill biomass and fisheries catches in the Southern Ocean. The response of oceanic fish stocks to these sources of climatic variability can be used as a guide to the likely effects of climate change on these valuable resources.     

Response of the mean global vegetation distribution to interannual climate variability

The impact of interannual variability in temperature and precipitation on global terrestrial ecosystems is investigated using a dynamic global vegetation model driven by gridded climate observations for the twentieth century. Contrasting simulations are driven either by repeated mean climatology or raw climate data with interannual variability included. Interannual climate variability reduces net global vegetation cover, particularly over semi-arid regions, and favors the expansion of grass cover at the expense of tree cover, due to differences in growth rates, fire impacts, and interception. The area burnt by global fires is substantially enhanced by interannual precipitation variability. The current position of the central United States’ ecotone, with forests to the east and grasslands to the west, is largely attributed to climate variability. Among woody vegetation, climate variability supports expanded deciduous forest growth and diminished evergreen forest growth, due to difference in bioclimatic limits, leaf longevity, interception rates, and rooting depth. These results offer insight into future ecosystem distributions since climate models generally predict an increase in climate variability and extremes. CCR Contribution # 941