Regional climate change scenarios over South Asia in the CMIP5 coupled climate model simulations

Abstract

This paper evaluates the performance of a suite of state-of-art coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs) in their representation of regional characteristics of hydrological cycle and temperature over South Asia. Based on AOGCM experiments conducted for two types of future greenhouse gas emission scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) extending up to the end of 21st century, scenarios of temperature and hydrological cycle are presented. The AOGCMs, despite their relatively coarse resolution, have shown a reasonable skill in depicting the hydrological cycle over the South Asian region. However, considerable biases do exist with reference to the observed hydrological cycle and also inter-model differences. The regional climate change scenarios of temperature (T), atmospheric water balance components, precipitation, moisture convergence and evaporation (P, C and E) up to the end of the 21st century based on CMIP5 modeling experiments conducted for (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) indicate marked increase in both rainfall and temperature into the 21st century, particularly becoming conspicuous after the 2050s. The monsoon rainfall and atmospheric water balance changes under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios are discussed in detail in this paper. Spatial patterns of rainfall change projections indicate maximum increase over South Asia in most of the models. Model simulations under scenarios of increased greenhouse gas concentrations suggests that the intensification of the hydrological cycle is driven mainly by the increased moisture convergence due to increase in the water holding capacity of the atmosphere in a warmer environment, the intensification of the hydrological cycle is greater for RCP8.5 compared to RCP4.5, also fewer models indicate increased variance of temperature and rainfall in a warmer environment. While the scenarios presented in this study are indicative of the expected range of rainfall and water balance changes, it must be noted that the quantitative estimates still have large uncertainties associated with them. Five best model mean reveals the general consensus among the AOGCM results and gives the best estimate of the future projection over the South Asian monsoon region.