Impact of doubled CO2 on the interaction between the global and regional water cycles in four study regions

Abstract

Results from a suite of 30-year simulations (after spin-up) of the fully coupled Community Climate System Model version 2.0.1 are analyzed to examine the impact of doubling CO2 on interactions between the global water cycle and the regional water cycles of four similar-size, but hydrologically and thermally different study regions (the Yukon, Ob, St Lawrence, and Colorado river basins and their adjacent land). A heuristic evaluation based on published climatological data shows that the model generally produces acceptable results for the control 1× CO2 concentration, except for mountainous regions where it performs like other modern climate models. After doubling CO2, the Northern Hemisphere receives significantly (95% confidence level) more moisture from the Southern Hemisphere during the boreal summer than under 1× CO2 conditions, and the phase of the annual cycle of net moisture transport to areas north of 60°N shifts to a month later than in the reference simulation. Precipitation and evapotranspiration in the doubled CO2 simulation increase for the Yukon, Ob, and St Lawrence, but decrease, on average, for the Colorado region compared to the reference simulation. For all regions, interaction between global and regional water cycles increases under doubled CO2, because the amount of moisture entering and leaving the regions increases in the warmer climate. The degree of change in this interaction depends on region and season, and is related to slight shifts in the position/strength of semi-permanent highs and lows for the Yukon, Ob, and St Lawrence; in the Colorado region, higher temperatures associated with doubling CO2 and the anticyclone located over the region increase the persistence of dry conditions.