Comparison of extreme temperature response to 0.5 °C additional warming between dry and humid regions over East–central Asia. (27th March 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Meng; Yu, Haipeng; Huang, Jianping; Wei, Yun; Liu, Xiaoyue; Zhang, Tinghan
• Is Part Of: International journal of climatology. Volume 39:Number 7(2019)
• Page Start: 3348
• Page End: 3364
• Publication Date: 2019-03-27
• Subjects: additional 0.5 °C warming -- arid and semi‐arid areas -- East–central Asia -- extreme temperature indices -- humid areas; Climatology -- Periodicals; Climat -- Périodiques; Climatologie -- Périodiques; 551.605
• DOI: 10.1002/joc.6025
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0899-8418

Abstract

Abstract : The additional 0.5 °C warming from 1.5 to 2°C global target has a significant impact on the occurrence of extreme temperature events. While the arid and semi‐arid areas (ASA) and humid areas (HA) present different response characteristics to the additional global mean 0.5 °C warming due to their differences in thermal properties. In this study, both the stabilized and transient 1.5 °C (2 °C) global warming scenarios projected by the Community Earth System Model (CESM) are used to compare the extreme temperature responses between the ASA and HA to the 2 and 1.5 °C global warming targets over East–central Asia. The results indicate that cold fixed‐threshold indices (frost days [FD] and icing days [ID]) will decrease more rapidly in ASA, by approximately 10 days (1.5 °C) and 15 days (2 °C) compared to the historical period, respectively. Warm fixed‐threshold indices (summer days [SU] and tropical nights [TR]) will become more common in HA, especially southeast of China. Under 1.5 °C target, the increase of intensity indices is equal to the average temperature warming response (1.5 °C), while the additional 0.5 °C warming makes the response of intensity indices much greater than 0.5 °C. Under 0.5 °C warmer world, the daily temperature range (DTR) will experience a 0.5 °C increase in most HA and a 0.2–0.5 °C decrease in ASA during winter. As a whole, the additional 0.5 °C warming has an amplified effect and the 1.5 °C global warming target could reduce the extreme temperature events significantly over East–central Asia. Abstract : Temporal changes during 1971–2100 for (a) FD, (b) ID, (c) SU, and (d) TR. Red lines represent the historical period in ASA, blue lines represent 2pt in ASA, green lines represent 1pt5 in ASA, the dark orange dashed lines represent the historical period in HA, purple dashed lines represent 2pt in HA, and the dark green dashed lines represent 1pt5 in HA.