Divergent Responses of Summer Precipitation in China to 1.5°C Global Warming in Transient and Stabilized Scenarios

• Main Authors: Zhihong Jiang, Qiyao Hou, Tim Li, Yongxiao Liang, Laurent Li
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2021-09-01
• Series: Earth's Future
• Subjects: precipitation change; global warming target; transient and stabilized scenarios; dynamic and thermodynamic effect; land‐ocean thermal contrast; meridional temperature gradient
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EF001832

Abstract Responses of summer precipitation in China to global 1.5°C warming with transient and stabilized pathways are investigated through the analysis of the Common Earth System Model climate simulations. Precipitation increases more significantly in southeast China in the stabilized scenario compared with the transient one. The difference is primarily attributable to dynamic factors related to circulation changes and driven by differences of land‐ocean thermal contrast between the two scenarios. The stabilized warming favors conditions of larger ocean warming and smaller land warming, leads to enhanced meridional temperature gradient and ultimately speeds up the jet stream over East Asia. Ageostrophic wind at the entrance of the accelerated jet strengthens ascending motion and precipitation along the coast of Asia from southeast China to India. The enhanced heating over India further induces a Kelvin‐wave response with an anomalous anticyclone that contributes to the enhanced westward shifted of the western North Pacific Subtropical High. Southerly winds at the west flank of the anticyclone transport moisture northward from tropical oceans, and strengthen precipitation in southeast China.