Abstract
In a globally changing climate, there is a growing concern for understanding and predicting compound climate extremes. However, the relationship of compound climate extremes with each other has been mostly analyzed in isolation and/or on regional scales. Little attention has been paid to their simultaneous occurrence and compound impacts worldwide. Here we demonstrate that the compound climate extremes in the Northern Hemisphere during the boreal summer are interconnected from the tropics to the Arctic. This connection originates from the interannual variations of the Indo-Pacific warm pool’s intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ). We demonstrate that the warm pool ITCZ (WPI) convection possibly influences three major teleconnection patterns (i.e. zonal, meridional, and circumglobal) where compound climate extremes occur along the wave train excited by the WPI convection. Most notably, the WPI can sufficiently explain climate variabilities in the North Atlantic region, which influences the occurrence of compound climate extremes in many parts of Europe and North America. Our findings advance the understanding of the interannual global/regional variability of climate extremes and are potentially valuable for predicting seasonal high-impact climate extremes.
Highlights
IntroductionThe Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported that one reason for concern under global warming is the increased risk for climate extremes like heatwaves, heavy rain, drought, wildfires, and flooding (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2021)
The warm pool intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) (WPI) index The variations in the meridional circulation in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) can be estimated by various metrics such as the position and strength of the ITCZ, Hadley cell, and subtropical jetstream
We show that the partial correlation patterns of WPI against the 700 hPa geopotential height when the influence of WNP summer monsoon index (WNPMI) and PJ are respectively controlled remain significant over the Greenland region, Baffin Bay, some parts of East Asia, Okhotsk Sea, eastern United States, central Russia, northern Europe, and the Mediterranean (figures 8(a)–(d))
Summary
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported that one reason for concern under global warming is the increased risk for climate extremes like heatwaves, heavy rain, drought, wildfires, and flooding (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2021). It has become a growing motivation for the scientific community to understand the variability of compound climate extremes for effective disaster risk reduction and preparedness. The 2018 boreal summer (June–July– August; JJA) was marked by the widespread occurrence of compound climate extremes (figure 1). Wildfires, prolonged dry conditions, and heatwaves were reported in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere (NH) midlatitudes including the United States and Alaska, Canada, East Asia, Eurasia, and Europe (supplementary table S1 (available online at stacks.iop.org/ERL/16/114039/ mmedia))
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
