Future Precipitation Extremes in China under Climate Change and Their Physical Quantification Based on a Regional Climate Model and CMIP5 Model Simulations

The atmospheric water holding capacity will increase with temperature according to Clausius-Clapeyron scaling and affects precipitation.The rates of change in future precipitation extremes are quantified with changes in surface air temperature.Precipitation extremes in China are determined for the 21st century in six simulations using a regional climate model,RegCM4,and 17 global climate models that participated in CMIP5.First,we assess the performance of the CMIP5 models and RCM runs in their simulation of extreme precipitation for the current period(RF:1982-2001).The CMIP5 models and RCM results can capture the spatial variations of precipitation extremes,as well as those based on observations:OBS and XPP.Precipitation extremes over four subregions in China are predicted to increase in the mid-future(MF:2039-58)and far-future(FF:2079-98)relative to those for the RF period based on both the CMIP5 ensemble mean and RCM ensemble mean.The secular trends in the extremes of the CMIP5 models are predicted to increase from 2008 to 2058,and the RCM results show higher interannual variability relative to that of the CMIP5 models.Then,we quantify the increasing rates of change in precipitation extremes in the MF and FF periods in the subregions of China with the changes in surface air temperature.Finally,based on the water vapor equation,changes in precipitation extremes in China for the MF and FF periods are found to correlate positively with changes in the atmospheric vertical wind multiplied by changes in surface specific humidity(significant at the p<0.1 level).     

陆面过程对全球变暖的响应及可能机制—基于CMIP3的多模式集合分析

利用“国际耦合模式比较计划” (Phase 3 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, CMIP3) 12个模式对20世纪 (The Twentieth-Century Climate in Coupled Models, 20C3M) 和21世纪SRES (Special Report on Emissions Scenarios) A1B 情景下的模拟结果, 通过21世纪 (2001～2099年) 与20世纪 (1901～1999年) 陆面能量和水文变量的对比分析, 揭示了陆面过程对全球变暖响应的基本特征, 并探讨了其可能的响应机制。结果表明, 与20世纪相比, 21世纪全球陆面平均的表面温度、 地表净辐射、 潜热通量明显增加; 而感热通量有所减小。降水、 径流、 蒸发等地表水循环分量也表现出不同程度的增加, 而土壤含水量有减小趋势。通过分析近地层主要大气强迫变量与陆面变量之间的联系, 发现陆面能量平衡过程对全球变暖的响应主要受向下长波辐射和气温变化的影响, 而温度的变化对陆面水文过程的影响起决定性的作用。进一步分析表明, 陆面过程对全球变暖的响应存在明显的区域性差异, 陆面温度和感热对全球变暖响应最显著的区域位于北半球中高纬, 而净辐射和潜热对全球变暖的响应在亚洲中部和非洲大陆最显著。相对于20世纪, 21世纪主要是长波辐射和温度对陆面能量平衡过程的贡献重要。对于陆面水文过程, 径流和土壤含水量对全球变暖的响应在亚洲中部以及北美最显著。在全球变暖背景下, 21世纪相对于20世纪, 温度对陆面水循环的影响更加显著, 主要体现在北半球中纬度地区。     

Regional climate changes as the factors of impact on the objects of construction and infrastructure

Considered are the changes in the climate impact on the objects of construction and infrastructure on the territory of Russia. The focus is on the changes in the characteristics of daily air temperature and precipitation expected by the middle of the 21st century, which are of high importance in terms of the building design. The assessment of expected changes is based on the results of ensemble computations using the MGO gobal climate model and the embedded regional model (MGO RCM) with the horizontal resolution of 25 km. Along with the ensemble-averaged estimates of changes in applied climate parameters, an uncertainty of estimates associated with the natural climate variability is analyzed using the data of numerical experiments. The attention is drawn to the most significant effects of climate changes which should be taken into account when developing the measures for adapting the construction sector in Russia.     

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.     

Climate Variability and Change: Past, Present and Future – An Overview

Prior to the 20th century Northern Hemisphere average surface air temperatures have varied in the order of 0.5 ^°C back to AD 1000. Various climate reconstructions indicate that slow cooling took place until the beginning of the 20th century. Subsequently, global-average surface air temperature increased by about 0.6 °C with the 1990s being the warmest decade on record. The pattern of warming has been greatest over mid-latitude northern continents in the latter part of the century. At the same time the frequency of air frosts has decreased over many land areas, and there has been a drying in the tropics and sub-tropics. The late 20th century changes have been attributed to global warming because of increases in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations due to human activities. Underneath these trends is that of decadal scale variability in the Pacific basin at least induced by the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO), which causes decadal changes in climate averages. On interannnual timescales El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) causes much variability throughout many tropical and subtropical regions and some mid-latitude areas. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) provides climate perturbations over Europe and northern Africa. During the course of the 21st century global-average surface temperatures are very likely to increase by 2 to 4.5 ^°C as greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere increase. At the same time there will be changes in precipitation, and climate extremes such as hot days, heavy rainfall and drought are expected to increase in many areas. The combination of global warming, superimposed on decadal climate variability (IPO) and interannual fluctuations (ENSO, NAO) are expected lead to a century of increasing climate variability and change that will be unprecedented in the history of human settlement. Although the changes of the past and present have stressed food and fibre production at times, the 21st century changes will be extremely challenging to agriculture and forestry.     

我国夏季降水及相关大气环流场未来变化的预估及不确定性分析

利用政府间气候变化专门委员会第四次评估报告(IPCCAR4)的15个耦合气候模式在不同排放情景下的模拟结果,对我国夏季降水及相关大气环流场的未来时空变化特征与模式之间的不确定性作了研究。结果表明,在全球变暖背景下,我国夏季降水表现出较强的局地特征。其中,我国东部和高原地区的降水在21世纪表现出明显的增加趋势,而且这种趋势随着变暖的加剧而增强,同时模式模拟结果之间的一致性也更好,表明这一结果的可信度较高。在全球变暖背景下,我国新疆南部地区表现为持续的降水减少趋势,而我国西南地区夏季降水的变化则呈现出先减少(21世纪初)后增加的特征,不同模式对降水这些局地特征的模拟也都表现出较好的一致性。其他地区夏季降水在21世纪的变化不大,同时模式模拟的一致性也较差。多模式模拟的我国未来百年夏季降水的这些变化特征在温室气体高、中、低不同排放情景下基本一致,A2情景预估结果变化最大,A1B次之,B1相对最小。东亚夏季大气环流场的预估结果显示,在全球变暖的背景下,大部分模式的模拟结果都表明,东亚夏季风环流有所增强,从而使得由低纬度大洋和南海地区向我国大陆的水汽输送增加,造成该地区大气含水量的增多,从而为我国东部地区夏季降水的增加提供有利条件。此外,随着全球变暖的加剧,西太平洋副热带高压持续增强,其变化对我国东部地区夏季降水的影响程度和范围也明显增大。这些环流场及其不确定性的分析结果进一步加强了我国夏季降水未来变化预估结果的可信度。     

Climate of Russia in the 21st Century. Part 2. Verification of atmosphere-ocean general circulation models CMIP3 for projections of future climate changes

Results of simulation of radiation, cloud cover, surface air temperature, sea-level pressure, and hydrological regime components for Russia with the help of an ensemble of CMIP3 global climate models is analyzed. Despite a large spread among the models, the CMIP3 AOGCM ensemble simulations of the key characteristics of the observed surface climate agree well with observations, anyway in averaging over areas of vast regions, from watersheds of large rivers to the whole of Russia. These means (ensemble-and area-averaged values) often fall into the range of estimates derived from observations. This suggests the existence of uncertainty in the estimates obtained from simulations as well as from observational data. Comparison of different-generation models demonstrates a gradual improvement of the AOGCM simulation of surface climate characteristics. In general, the averaging over the CMIP3 AOGCM ensemble allows us to state that the ensemble is suitable for estimates of future climate changes.     

CMIP5模式对中国地区气温模拟能力评估与预估

利用第五次国际耦合模式比较计划（CMIP5）中29个气候模式的气温模拟结果,评估了各模式对中国地区年平均气温的模拟能力,对未来不同典型浓度路径（RCPs）下中国地区气温的可能变化给出了预估。结果表明：各模式能较好地模拟过去100多年中国地区增温趋势和年平均气温的空间分布,从模式间标准差来看,各模式对中国中部、南部气温模拟具有较高的一致性。利用相对均方根误差分析了各模式的模拟能力,对于多时间尺度（月、年）气温的气候平均态,有7个模式表现良好,高于中等水平,5个模式的模拟能力低于中等水平,模式集合平均值的模拟效果优于大多数单个模式。根据29个模式的评估结果,使用模拟性能相对较好的模式分析了未来不同排放情景下中国地区气温变化,21世纪前期,不同排放情景之间的预估结果差别较小,21世纪中期各情景之间的差别逐渐增大,到21世纪后期,3种排放情景的升温差别明显增大。     

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.     

A correspondence between the model ensemble simulations and observations of temperature changes on the territory of Russia

The results are presented of the statistical analysis of correspondence between the model simulations and observations of temperature changes on the territory of Russia. Three model ensembles are considered, differing in the level of taking account of the impact of external forcings on the climate system of the Earth. For each of them, the statistical correspondence is estimated between the observed surface air temperature variations in the second half of the 20th century and at the beginning of the 21st century and model simulations taking account of the natural variability typical of the climate system. The analysis demonstrated that, in spite of the uncertainties associated with the differences in the representation of anthropogenic and natural external forcings on the climate in model simulations as well as with the imperfection of climate models and with internal variability of the climate system, the model experiments enable to obtain the relevant information both on the temporal evolution of temperature changes on the territory of Russia and on their spatial peculiarities.     

Uncertainty in climate change projections: the role of internal variability

Uncertainty in future climate change presents a key challenge for adaptation planning. In this study, uncertainty arising from internal climate variability is investigated using a new 40-member ensemble conducted with the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate System Model Version 3 (CCSM3) under the SRES A1B greenhouse gas and ozone recovery forcing scenarios during 2000–2060. The contribution of intrinsic atmospheric variability to the total uncertainty is further examined using a 10,000-year control integration of the atmospheric model component of CCSM3 under fixed boundary conditions. The global climate response is characterized in terms of air temperature, precipitation, and sea level pressure during winter and summer. The dominant source of uncertainty in the simulated climate response at middle and high latitudes is internal atmospheric variability associated with the annular modes of circulation variability. Coupled ocean-atmosphere variability plays a dominant role in the tropics, with attendant effects at higher latitudes via atmospheric teleconnections. Uncertainties in the forced response are generally larger for sea level pressure than precipitation, and smallest for air temperature. Accordingly, forced changes in air temperature can be detected earlier and with fewer ensemble members than those in atmospheric circulation and precipitation. Implications of the results for detection and attribution of observed climate change and for multi-model climate assessments are discussed. Internal variability is estimated to account for at least half of the inter-model spread in projected climate trends during 2005–2060 in the CMIP3 multi-model ensemble.     

Climate of Russia in the 21st century. Part 1. New evidence of anthropogenic climate change and the state of the art of its simulation

This is the first of three papers devoted to the study of climate change in Russia in the 20th and 21st centuries using ensembles of CMIP3 Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Models. Current studies of observed global and regional climate changes are briefly reviewed based on the analysis of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The anthropogenic nature of climate change is emphasized. It is also noted that the observed warming in Russia is significantly larger than global warming. Alternative hypotheses on causes of global climate changes discussed in some Russian publications are reviewed and their groundlessness is shown. The paper discusses some characteristics of ensembles of CMIP3 models that participated in the preparation of the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report. A model quality index is introduced. The dependence of simulated climate change in Russia on the choice of model ensembles and emission scenarios is considered. It is shown that the climate change in Russia does not depend significantly on the emission scenario choice until the middle of the 21st century.     

Projections of Annual Mean Air Temperature and Precipitation over the Globe and in China During the 21st Century bythe BCC Climate System Model BCC_CSM1.0

Evaluating the projection capability of climate models is an important task in climate model development and climate change studies. The projection capability of the Beijing Climate Center (BCC) Climate System Model BCC_CSM1.0 is analyzed in this study. We focus on evaluating the projected annual mean air temperature and precipitation during the 21st century under three emission scenarios (Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES) B1, A1B, and A2) of the BCC_CSM1.0 model, along with comparisons with 22 CMIP3 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 3) climate models. Air temperature averaged both globally and within China is projected to increase continuously throughout the 21st century, while precipitation increases intermittently under each of the three emission scenarios, with some specific temporal and spatial characteristics. The changes in globally-averaged and China-averaged air temperature and precipitation simulated by the BCC_CSM1.0 model are within the range of CMIP3 model results. On average, the changes of precipitation and temperature are more pronounced over China than over the globe, which is also in agreement with the CMIP3 models. The projection capability of the BCC_CSM1.0 model is comparable to that of other climate system models. Furthermore, the results reveal that the climate change response to greenhouse gas emissions is stronger over China than in the global mean, which implies that China may be particularly sensitive to climate change in the 21st century.     

Projections of annual mean air temperature and precipitation over the globe and in China during the 21st century by the BCC Climate System Model BCC_CSM1.0

Evaluating the projection capability of climate models is an important task in climate model development and climate change studies. The projection capability of the Beijing Climate Center (BCC) Climate System Model BCC CSM1.0 is analyzed in this study. We focus on evaluating the projected annual mean air temperature and precipitation during the 21st century under three emission scenarios (Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES) B1, A1B, and A2) of the BCC CSM1.0 model, along with comparisons with 22 CMIP3 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 3) climate models. Air temperature averaged both globally and within China is projected to increase continuously throughout the 21st century, while precipitation increases intermittently under each of the three emission scenarios, with some specific temporal and spatial characteristics. The changes in globally-averaged and China-averaged air temperature and precipitation simulated by the BCC CSM1.0 model are within the range of CMIP3 model results. On average, the changes of precipitation and temperature are more pronounced over China than over the globe, which is also in agreement with the CMIP3 models. The projection capability of the BCC CSM1.0 model is comparable to that of other climate system models. Furthermore, the results reveal that the climate change response to greenhouse gas emissions is stronger over China than in the global mean, which implies that China may be particularly sensitive to climate change in the 21st century.     

IPCC AR6报告解读：未来的全球气候——基于情景的预估和近期信息

依据IPCC第六次评估报告（AR6）第一工作组报告第四章的内容,对未来全球气候的预估结果进行解读。报告对21世纪全球表面气温、降水、大尺度环流和变率模态、冰冻圈和海洋圈的可能变化进行了系统评估,并对2100年以后的气候变化做了合理估计。评估指出全球平均表面气温将在未来20年内达到或超过1.5℃,平均降水也将增加,但随季节和区域而异,同时变率将增大。大尺度环流和变率模态受内部变率影响较大。到21世纪末,北冰洋可能出现无冰期;全球海洋会继续酸化,平均海平面将持续上升,百年内上升幅度依赖不同排放情景,都在2100年后继续升高。在最新的评估中采用多种约束方法,减小了预估不确定性的范围。AR6对于低排放情景以及“小概率高增暖情节”的关注为应对气候变化提供了更多、更完整的信息。综合报告的评估结果指出,未来需要进一步减小区域,特别是季风区气候预估的不确定性,并从科学研究和模式发展两方面加强我国气候预估能力的建设。     

5个IPCC AR4全球气候模式对东北三省降水模拟与预估

利用IPCC AR4中5个全球气候模式数据集和中国东北三省162个站降水实测资料,评估5个全球气候模式和多模式集合平均对中国东北三省降水的模拟能力,并对SRES B1、A1B和A2三种排放情景东北三省未来降水变化进行预估。结果表明：全球气候模式能较好再现东北三省降水的月变化,但存在系统性湿偏差;多模式集合平均能较好模拟东北三省年降水量的空间分布,但模拟中心偏北,强度略强,模式对东北三省夏季降水的模拟效果优于冬季降水;预估结果表明,三种排放情景下21世纪中前期和末期东北三省降水均将增多,21世纪末期增幅高于21世纪中前期,冬季增幅高于其他季节;就排放情景而言,SRES A1B和A2排放情景增幅相当,高于B1排放情景增幅;不同排放情景东北三省降水量增率分布呈较一致变化,A2排放情景下,增幅最显著的辽宁环渤海地区年降水量在21世纪中前期将增加7%以上,21世纪末期将增加16%。     

Future Projections of Precipitation Characteristics in East Asia Simulated by the MRI CGCM2

Projected changes in precipitation characteristics around the mid-21st century and end-of-the-century are analyzed using the daily precipitation output of the 3-member ensemble Meteorological Research Institute global ocean-atmosphere coupled general circulation model (MRI-CGCM2) simulations under the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) A2 and B2 scenarios. It is found that both the frequency and intensity increase in about 40% of the globe, while both the frequency and intensity decrease in about 20% of the globe. These numbers differ only a few percent from decade to decade of the 21st century and between the A2 and B2 scenarios. Over the rest of the globe (about one third), the precipitation frequency decreases but its intensity increases, suggesting a shift of precipitation distribution toward more intense events by global warming. South China is such a region where the summertime wet-day frequency decreases but the precipitation intensity increases. This is related to increased atmospheric moisture content due to global warming and an intensified and more westwardly extended North Pacific subtropical anticyclone, which may be related with an E1 Nin^-o-like mean sea surface temperature change. On the other hand, a decrease in summer precipitation is noted in North China, thus augmenting a south-to-north precipitation contrast more in the future.     

中国地区IPCC A1B情景下21世纪中期气候变化的数值模拟试验

利用MM5V3区域气候模式单向嵌套ECHAM5全球环流模式的结果,对中国地区实际温室气体浓度下当代气候(1981—2000年)及IPCC A1B情景下21世纪中期气候(2041—2060年)分别进行了水平分辨率为50 km的模拟试验。首先检验全球和区域模式对当代气候的模拟情况,结果表明:区域模式对中国地区地面温度和降水空间分布的模拟能力优于全球模式;与实际观测相比,区域模式模拟的地面温度在中国大部分地区偏低,模拟的降水量偏多,降水位置偏北。IPCCA1B情景下中国地区21世纪中期气候变化的模式结果显示:各季节地面温度在全国范围内都将比当代升高1.2～3.9℃,且升温幅度具有北方大于南方、冬季大于夏季的时空分布特征;降水变化具有一定的区域性和季节性,秋季和冬季降水在全国大部分地区都将增加10%～30%,春季和夏季降水则呈现"北方减少、南方增多"的趋势,变化幅度在-10%～10%之间。21世纪中期地面温度和降水变化还具有一定的年际特征:地面温度在中国地区各子区域均表现为上升趋势,升温速率在0.7～0.9℃/10a之间,温度变率也比当代有所增大;降水在西北地区略呈下降趋势,在其它子区域均为上升,降水变率的变化具有区域性特征。     

How weather impacts the forced climate response

The new interactive ensemble modeling strategy is used to diagnose how noise due to internal atmospheric dynamics impacts the forced climate response during the twentieth century (i.e., 1870?C1999). The interactive ensemble uses multiple realizations of the atmospheric component model coupled to a single realization of the land, ocean and ice component models in order to reduce the noise due to internal atmospheric dynamics in the flux exchange at the interface of the component models. A control ensemble of so-called climate of the twentieth century simulations of the Community Climate Simulation Model version 3 (CCSM3) are compared with a similar simulation with the interactive ensemble version of CCSM3. Despite substantial differences in the overall mean climate, the global mean trends in surface temperature, 500?mb geopotential and precipitation are largely indistinguishable between the control ensemble and the interactive ensemble. Large differences in the forced response; however, are detected particularly in the surface temperature of the North Atlantic. Associated with the forced North Atlantic surface temperature differences are local differences in the forced precipitation and a substantial remote rainfall response in the deep tropical Pacific. We also introduce a simple variance analysis to separately compare the variance due to noise and the forced response. We find that the noise variance is decreased when external forcing is included. In terms of the forced variance, we find that the interactive ensemble increases this variance relative to the control.     

气候变化国家评估报告(Ⅰ):中国气候变化的历史和未来趋势

The climate change in China shows a considerable similarity to the global change, though there still exist some significant differences between them. In the context of the global warming, the annual mean surface air temperature in the country as a whole has significantly increased for the past 50 years and 100 years, with the range of temperature increase slightly greater than that in the globe. The change in precipitation trends for the last 50 and 100 years was not significant, but since 1956 it has assumed a weak increasing trend. The frequency and intensity of main extreme weather and climate events have also undergone a significant change. The researches show that the atmospheric CO2 concentration in China has continuously increased and the sum of positive radiative forcings produced by greenhouse gases is probably responsible for the country-wide climate warming for the past 100 years, especially for the past 50 years. The projections of climate change for the 21st century using global and regional climate models indicate that, in the future 20-100 years, the surface air temperature will continue to increase and the annual precipitation also has an increasing trend for most parts of the country.