THE IMPACTS OF ORBITAL PARAMETERS ON SUMMER PRECIPITATION OVER CHINA IN THE HOLOCENE

The impact of orbital parameters on the climate of China in the Holocene is simulated from 11kaBP to 0kaBP with an interval of 1ka using National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Atmosphere Model version 2 (CAM2). The geographic distributions of summer precipitation around both 9kaBP and 4kaBP were realistically captured by CAM2, compared to the proxy data collected from 80 stations. Among all orbital parameters, the precession plays a major role in computing solar radiation, which dominates the variations of summer precipitation over China during the Holocene. The summers around 9kaBP were the wettest in China. Later on, the precipitation gradually reduced to the minimum around 0kaBP by about 10%. This tremendous change occurred from the Northeast China and the eastern Inner Mongolia extending southwestwards to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, especially over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

CAS-FGOALS Datasets for the Two Interglacial Epochs of the Holocene and the Last Interglacial in PMIP4

Two versions of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Flexible Global Ocean-Atmosphere-Land System model(CASFGOALS),version f3-L and g3,are used to simulate the two interglacial epochs of the mid-Holocene and the Last Interglacial in phase 4 of the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project(PMIP4),which aims to study the impact of changes in orbital parameters on the Earth’s climate.Following the PMIP4 experimental protocols,four simulations for the mid-Holocene and two simulations for the Last Interglacial have been completed,and all the data,including monthly and daily outputs for the atmospheric,oceanic,land and sea-ice components,have been released on the Earth System Grid Federation(ESGF)node.These datasets contribute to PMIP4 and CMIP6(phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project)by providing the variables necessary for the two interglacial periods.In this paper,the basic information of the CAS-FGOALS models and the protocols for the two interglacials are briefly described,and the datasets are validated using proxy records.Results suggest that the CAS-FGOALS models capture the large-scale changes in the climate system in response to changes in solar insolation during the interglacial epochs,including warming in mid-to-high latitudes,changes in the hydrological cycle,the seasonal variation in the extent of sea ice,and the damping of interannual variabilities in the tropical Pacific.Meanwhile,disagreements within and between the models and the proxy data are also presented.These datasets will help the modeling and the proxy data communities with a better understanding of model performance and biases in paleoclimate simulations.

Causes of Mid-Pliocene Strengthened Summer and Weakened Winter Monsoons over East Asia

The mid-Pliocene warm period was the most recent geological period in Earth＇s history that featured long-term warming. Both geological evidence and model results indicate that East Asian summer winds （EASWs） strengthened in monsoonal China, and that East Asian winter winds （EAWWs） weakened in northern monsoonal China during this period, as compared to the pre-industrial period. However, the corresponding mechanisms are still unclear. In this paper, the results of a set of numerical simulations are reported to analyze the effects of changed boundary conditions on the mid-Pliocene East Asian monsoon climate, based on PRISM3 （Pliocene Research Interpretation and Synoptic Mapping） palaeoenvironmental recon- struction. The model results showed that the combined changes of sea surface temperatures, atmospheric CO2 concentration, and ice sheet extent were necessary to generate an overall warm climate on a large scale, and that these factors exerted the greatest effects on the strengthening of EASWs in monsoonal China. The orographic change produced significant local warming and had the greatest effect on the weakening of EAWWs in northern monsoonal China in the mid-Pliocene. Thus, these two factors both had important but different effects on the monsoon change. In comparison, the effects of vegetational change on the strengthened EASWs and weakened EAWWs were relatively weak. The changed monsoon winds can be ex- plained by a reorganization of the meridional temperature gradient and zonal thermal contrast. Moreover, the effect of orbital parameters cannot be ignored. Results showed that changes in orbital parameters could have marked!y affected the EASWs and EAWWs, and caused significant short-term oscillations in the mid-Pliocene monsoon climate in East Asia.

MM5 Simulations of the China Regional Climate During the LGM.Ⅰ:Influence of CO_2 and Earth Orbit Change

Using a regional climate model MM5 nested to an atmospheric global climate model CCM3, a series of simulations and sensitivity experiments have been performed to investigate the relative Last Glacial Maximum （LGM） climate response to different mechanisms over China. Model simulations of the present day （PD） climate and the LGM climate change are in good agreement with the observation data and geological records, especially in the simulation of precipitation change. Under the PD and LGM climate, changes of earth orbital parameters have a small influence on the annual mean temperature over China. However, the magnitude of the effect shows a seasonal pattern, with a significant response in winter. Thus, this influence cannot be neglected. During the LGM, CO2 concentration reached its lowest point to 200 ppmv. This results in a temperature decrease over China. The influences of CO2 concentration on climate show seasonal and regional patterns as well, with a significant influence in winter. On the contrary, CO2 concentration has less impact in summer season. In some cases, temperature even increases with decreasing in CO2 concentration. This temperature increase is the outcome of decrease in cloud amount; hence increase the solar radiation that reached the earth＇s surface. This result suggests that cloud amount plays a very important role in climate change and could direct the response patterns of some climate variables such as temperature during certain periods and over certain regions. In the Tibetan Plateau, the temperature responses to changes of the above two factors are generally weaker than those in other regions because the cloud amount in this area is generally more than in the other areas. Relative to the current climate, changes in orbital parameters have less impact on the LGM climate than changes in CO2 concentration. However, both factors have rather less contributions to the climate change in the LGM. About 3%-10% changes in the annual mean temperature are contributed by CO2.

MM5 Simulations of the China Regional Climate During the Mid-Holocene

Using a regional climate model MM5 nested with an atmospheric global climate model CCM3, a series of simulations and sensitivity experiments have been performed to investigate responses of the mid-Holocene climate to different factors over China. Model simulations of the mid-Holocene climate change, especially the precipitation change, are in good agreement with the geologic records. Model results show that relative to the present day （PD） climate, the temperature over China increased in the mid-Holocene, and the increase in summer is more than that in winter. The summer monsoon strengthened over the eastern China north of 30°N, and the winter monsoon weakened over the whole eastern China; the precipitation increased over the west part of China, North China, and Northeast China, and decreased over the south part of China. The sensitive experiments indicate that changes in the global climate （large-scale circulation background）, vegetation, earth orbital parameter, and CO2 concentration led to the mid-Holocene climate change relative to the PD climate, and changes in precipitation, temperature and wind fields were mainly affected by change of the large-scale circulation background, especially with its effect on precipitation exceeding 50%. Changes in vegetation resulted in increasing of temperature in both winter and summer over China, especially over eastern China; furthermore, its effect on precipitation in North China accounts for 25% of the total change. Change in the orbital parameter produced the larger seasonal variation of solar radiation in the mid-Holocene than the PD, which resulted in declining of temperature in winter and increasing in summer; and also had an important effect on precipitation with an effect equivalent to vegetation in Northeast China and North China. During the mid-Holocene, CO2 content was only 280×10^-6, which reduced temperature in a very small magnitude. Therefore, factors affecting the mid-Holocene climate change over China from strong to weak are large-scale circulation pattern, vegetation, earth orbital parameter, and CO2 concentration.