Characteristics of Temperature Change in China over the Last 2000 years and Spatial Patterns of Dryness/Wetness during Cold and Warm Periods

This paper presents new high-resolution proxies and paleoclimatic reconstructions for studying climate changes in China for the past 2000 years. Multi-proxy synthesized reconstructions show that temperature variation in China has exhibited significant 50–70-yr, 100–120-yr, and 200–250-yr cycles. Results also show that the amplitudes of decadal and centennial temperature variation were 1.3℃ and 0.7℃, respectively, with the latter significantly correlated with long-term changes in solar radiation, especially cold periods, which correspond approximately to sunspot minima. The most rapid warming in China occurred over AD 1870–2000, at a rate of 0.56°± 0.42℃（100 yr）^（-1）; however, temperatures recorded in the 20 th century may not be unprecedented for the last 2000 years, as data show records for the periods AD 981–1100 and AD1201–70 are comparable to the present. The ensemble means of dryness/wetness spatial patterns in eastern China across all centennial warm periods illustrate a tripole pattern： dry south of 25°N, wet from 25°–30°N, and dry to the north of 30°N. However, for all centennial cold periods, this spatial pattern also exhibits a meridional distribution. The increase in precipitation over the monsoonal regions of China associated with the 20 th century warming can primarily be attributed to a mega El Nino–Southern Oscillation and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. In addition, a significant association between increasing numbers of locusts and dry/cold conditions is found in eastern China. Plague intensity also generally increases in concert with wetness in northern China, while more precipitation is likely to have a negative effect in southern China.

Nonlinear changes in cold spell and heat wave arising from Arctic sea-ice loss

Whether Arctic sea-ice loss has significant impacts on climate extremes in mid-and high-latitudes remains uncertain.Here we show the full response of cold and warm extremes under two Arctic sea-ice loss scenarios utilizing a coupled global climate model that permits the air-sea coupling.Our results show that the amount of Arctic sea-ice loss determines the spatial extent and magnitude of the weakening of atmospheric circulation in mid-and high-latitudes of the northern hemisphere,leading to nonlinear changes in cold and warm extremes.A relatively localized and moderate weakening of atmospheric circulation induced by the projected sea-ice loss in the next two decades would contribute to less winter cold extremes over the Northern Hemispheric continents.The risks of winter cold spells would be dramatically reduced as the amount of sea-ice loss is increased to the ice-free state.In contrast,as sea-ice loss increases,the continental regions would have increased risk of heat waves over all mid-and high-latitudes.

Analysis on the Long-Lasting Freezing Rain and Snowstorm Event at the Beginning of 2008

In this paper,main characteristics of the long-lasting freezing rain and snowstorm event in southern China at the beginning of 2008,features of the related atmospheric circulation and the causes thereof are analyzed.During the event,patterns of the atmospheric circulation stayed stable;the polar vortex located in the northern part of the Eastern Hemisphere was strong with little movement;the cold front from the polar region and the active warm air mass from the tropical ocean confronted each other for a long time;the blocking high to the west of Baikal remained strong and steady;the trough over central and western Asia maintained its position for quite long with a group of little troughs splitting from it frequently;the dominant wind at 700 hPa was southwesterly while shears and vortexes at 850 hPa developed continually,providing the necessary low-level convergence for subsequent precipitation.Meanwhile,in the mid troposphere,eddies were generated over the Tibetan Plateau and positive vorticity disturbances in the Sichuan Basin propagated eastward to the coastal regions of eastern China.The western Pacific subtropical high was intensive with westward and northward migrations.The subtropical frontal zone was puissant and the north-south temperature gradient was large.Quasi-stationary fronts over South China and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau remained stable.Warm air masses over the tropical ocean were active,so was the trough in the southern branch of the westerlies over the Bay of Bengal.There were four episodes associated with this event.The first one was featured with the interaction of strong cold and warm air,while the other three with the quasi-stationary fronts over South China and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau as well as vigorous penetration of cold air from the north.The existence of the inversion layer and the thick melting layer were one of the main reasons for the long-lasting freezing rains.The main reason for the snowstorms was that the positive vorticity over the Sichuan Basin propagated eastward to the coastal regions of eastern China.Abundant water vapor and intense updraft also favored the heavy snows.