Interannual Climate Variability Change during the Medieval Climate Anomaly and Little Ice Age in PMIP3 Last Millennium Simulations

In this study, we analyzed numerical experiments undertaken by 10 climate models participating in PMIP3（Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project Phase 3） to examine the changes in interannual temperature variability and coefficient of variation（CV） of interannual precipitation in the warm period of the Medieval Climate Anomaly（MCA） and the cold period of the Little Ice Age（LIA）. With respect to the past millennium period, the MCA temperature variability decreases by 2.0% on average over the globe, and most of the decreases occur in low latitudes. In the LIA, temperature variability increases by a global average of 0.6%, which occurs primarily in the high latitudes of Eurasia and the western Pacific. For the CV of interannual precipitation, regional-scale changes are more significant than changes at the global scale, with a pattern of increased（decreased） CV in the midlatitudes of Eurasia and the northwestern Pacific in the MCA（LIA）. The CV change ranges from-7.0% to 4.3%（from -6.3% to 5.4%）, with a global average of -0.5%（-0.07%） in the MCA（LIA）.Also, the variability changes are considerably larger in December–January–February with respect to both temperature and precipitation.

Multi-scale temperature variations and their regional differences in China during the Medieval Climate Anomaly

The Medieval Climate Anomaly(MCA,AD950-1250)is the most recent warm period lasting for several hundred years and is regarded as a reference scenario when studying the impact of and adaptation to global and regional warming.In this study,we investigated the characteristics of temperature variations on decadal-centennial scales during the MCA for four regions(Northeast,Northwest,Central-east,and Tibetan Plateau)in China,based on high-resolution temperature reconstructions and related warm-cold records from historical documents.The ensemble empirical mode decomposition method is used to analyze the time series.The results showed that for China as a whole,the longest warm period during the last 2000 years occurred in the 10th-13th centuries,although there were multi-decadal cold intervals in the middle to late 12th century.However,in the beginning and ending decades,warm peaks and phases on the decadal scale of the MCA for different regions were not consistent with each other.On the inter-decadal scale,regional temperature variations were similar from 950 to 1130;moreover,their amplitudes became smaller,and the phases did not agree well from 1130 to 1250.On the multi-decadal to centennial scale,all four regions began to warm in the early 10th century and experienced two cold intervals during the MCA.However,the Northwest and Central-east China were in step with each other while the warm periods in the Northeast China and Tibetan Plateau ended about 40-50 years earlier.On the multi-centennial scale,the mean temperature difference between the MCA and Little Ice Age was significant in Northeast and Central-east China but not in the Northwest China and Tibetan Plateau.Compared to the mean temperature of the 20th century,a comparable warmth in the MCA was found in the Central-east China,but there was a little cooling in Northeast China;meanwhile,there were significantly lower temperatures in Northwest China and Tibetan Plateau.

Quantitative attribution of Northern Hemisphere temperatures over the past 2000 years

Quantitative assessment of natural internal variability and externally forced responses of Northern Hemisphere(NH)temperatures is necessary for understanding and attributing climate change signals during past warm and cold periods.However,it remains a challenge to distinguish the robust internally generated variability from the observed variability.Here,largeensemble(70 member)simulations,Energy Balance Model simulation,temperature ensemble reconstruction,and three dominant external forcings(volcanic,solar,and greenhouse gas)were combined to estimate the internal variability of NH summer(June–August)temperatures over the past 2000 years(1–2000 CE).Results indicate that the Medieval Climate Anomaly was predominantly attributed to centennial-scale internal oscillation,accounting for an estimated 104%of the warming anomaly.In contrast,the Current Warm Period is influenced mainly by external forcing,contributing up to 90%of the warming anomaly.Internal temperature variability offsets cooling by volcanic eruptions during the Late Antique Little Ice Age.These findings have important implications for the attribution of past climate variability and improvement of future climate projections.