Winter-spring minimum temperature variations inferred from tree-ring δ^(13)C in southeastern China

Long-term temperature variations inferred from high-resolution proxies provide an important context to evaluate the intensity of current warming.However,tem-perature reconstructions in humid southeastern China are scarce and particularly lack long-term data,limiting us to obtain a complete picture of regional temperature evolution.In this study,we present a well-verified reconstruction of winter-spring(January–April)minimum temperatures over southeastern China based on stable carbon isotopic(δ^(13)C)records of tree rings from Taxus wallichiana var.mairei from 1860 to 2014.This reconstruction accounted for 56.4%of the total observed variance.Cold periods occurred during the 1860s–1910s and 1960s–1970s.Although temperatures have had an upward trend since the 1920s,most of the cold extremes were in recent decades.The El Niño-Southern Oscillation(ENSO)variance acted as a key modulator of regional winter-spring minimum temperature variability.However,teleconnections between them were a nonlinear process,i.e.,a reduced or enhanced ENSO variance may result in a weakened or intensified temperature-ENSO relationship.

Earthquakes as a potential contributing factor to climate change at multi-decadal scale

Climate changes at the multi-decadal scale are often associated with multi-decadal phase shifts of the dominant sea surface temperature （SST） pattern, such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation （PDO）. The PDO may be associated with the North Pacific branch of the Thermohaline Circulation （THC）. Great earthquakes （M 〉8）, particularly along the route of the THC, might modulate the vertical mixing and bring deep, cold water to surface, contributing to multi-decadal changes in surface currents and the PDO. This may eventually lead to multi-decadal climate changes. We tested this hypothesis for the Pacific Ocean where great earthquakes have been frequently recorded. We found associations between the PDO and recurrent earthquakes along the route of the deep currents of the THC in the modern period since 1900, and relationships between hydroclimate change in Monsoonal Asia and historical earthquakes since 1300. However, it should be noted that this hypothesis is very preliminary and has many gaps that needs further evidences from more observational records and modeling studies.

全球变暖和厄尔尼诺导致青藏高原中部湿地迅速扩张

阐明青藏高原湿地的时空变化规律和驱动因素,对理解青藏高原湿地对气候变化的响应及保护其生态系统和生物多样性至关重要.由于湿地边界的不确定性、遥感数据光谱和纹理特征的复杂性,湿地的智能识别监测面临许多技术挑战.本研究提出了一种面向遥感场景分类的深度学习框架,实现了基于Landsat遥感图像的青藏高原湿地智能提取.结果表明,近30年(1990~2019年)青藏高原湿地面积增加了31.2%,其中青藏高原中部,即羌塘高原、柴达木盆地和三江源地区的湿地面积增长最明显.气温升高引起的多年冻土融化是该地区湿地面积增长的主要驱动力.因厄尔尼诺而导致的气温和降水异常进一步加剧了湿地面积的增长.

Difference in Tree Growth Responses to Climate at the Upper Treeline: Qilian Juniper in the Anyemaqen Mountains

Three ring-width chronologies were developed from Qilian Juniper （Sabina przewalskii Kom.） at the upper treeline along a west-east gradient in the Anyemaqen Mountains. Most chronological statistics, except for mean sensitivity （MS）, decreased from west to east. The first principal component （PC1） Ioadings indicated that stands in a similar climate condition were most important to the variability of radial growth. PC2 Ioadings decreased from west to east, suggesting the difference of tree-growth between eastern and western Anyemaqen Mountains. Correlations between standard chronologies and climatic factors revealed different climatic influences on radial growth along a west-east gradient in the study area. Temperature of warm season （July-August） was important to the radial growth at the upper treeline in the whole study area. Precipitation of current May was an important limiting factor of tree growth only in the western （drier） upper treeline, whereas precipitation of current September limited tree growth in the eastern （wetter） upper treeline. Response function analysis results showed that there were regional differences between tree growth and climatic factors in various sampling sites of the whole study area. Temperature and precipitation were the important factors influencing tree growth in western （drier） upper treeline. However, tree growth was greatly limited by temperature at the upper treeline in the middle area, and was more limited by precipitation than temperature in the eastern （wetter） upper treeline.

Vegetation and climate change during Marine Isotope Stage 3 in China

Fossil pollen records from 45 sites across China were evaluated and synthesized to document vegetation and climate change during Marine Isotope Stage 3(MIS 3)at 60–27 ka and to understand the large-scale controls.During MIS3, vegetation type was dominantly forest in eastern China, forest steppe/meadow in the north and Tibetan Plateau, and steppe desert in northwestern arid China. We developed a semi-quantitative vegetation index to reflect change in plant abundance(by inferring the general climate conditions), with a vegetation score from 1to 3 based on the different vegetation types inferred from pollen data at individual sites at intervals of 2,000 years.The reconstructed vegetation index shows higher values during MIS 3, especially during the period 53–40 ka, than at the Last Glacial Maximum. Our results also suggest that climate on the basis of vegetation change was cooler and drier during MIS 3 than during the Holocene optimum;however, MIS 3 vegetation was probably similar to modern vegetation. The close relationship between vegetation change, insolation and Asian summer monsoon strength suggests that climate variations, probably in both temperature and precipitation, are the primary drivers of regional vegetation change. Additional well-dated, high-resolution palaeoclimate records from many locations across China will be needed to understand the vegetation change and climate forcings on millennial and centennial scales within MIS 3.

Co-varying temperatures at 200 hPa over the Earth’s three poles

The Earth’s three poles,the North Pole,South Pole,and Third Pole(i.e.,the Tibetan Plateau and its surroundings),hold the largest amount of fresh water on Earth as glaciers,sea ice,and snow.They are sensitive to climate change.However,the linkages between climate variations of the three poles,particularly between the South Pole and Third Pole,remain largely unknown.The temperatures at 200 hPa over the three poles are the highest in the summer and are less affected by surface conditions,which could reflect large-scale dynamic linkages.Temperatures at 200 hPa peak the three poles during their respective hemispheric summer and exhibit in-phase variations on interdecadal timescales(10–100 years).The 200 hPa temperatures over the North Pole and South Pole were significantly correlated with the Brewer-Dobson circulation(BDC),which transports stratospheric ozone poleward,heating the air at 200 hPa.Tropopause warming over the Third Pole was found to enhance the poleward BDC,particularly to the South Pole,linking the Third Pole’s climate to the other two poles.Additionally,the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation(IPO)also exhibits links with the 200 hPa temperatures of the three poles.

The ancient Book of Changes inspires policies for modern Chinese scientific research

1 Introduction The output of scientific research in China ranks second in the world according to the Nature Index of 2015(www.nature.com/nature/journal/v522/n7556_supp/full/522S34a.html)and the ISI Web of Science(http://thomsonreuters.com).Although important advances have been made,it should be noted that China has the