Global Mean Precipitation Research Articles

Atmospheric circulation and hydroclimate impacts of alternative warming scenarios for the Eocene

Abstract. Recent work in modelling the warm climates of the early Eocene shows that it is possible to obtain a reasonable global match between model surface temperature and proxy reconstructions, but only by using extremely high atmospheric CO2 concentrations or more modest CO2 levels complemented by a reduction in global cloud albedo. Understanding the mix of radiative forcing that gave rise to Eocene warmth has important implications for constraining Earth's climate sensitivity, but progress in this direction is hampered by the lack of direct proxy constraints on cloud properties. Here, we explore the potential for distinguishing among different radiative forcing scenarios via their impact on regional climate changes. We do this by comparing climate model simulations of two end-member scenarios: one in which the climate is warmed entirely by CO2 (which we refer to as the greenhouse gas (GHG) scenario) and another in which it is warmed entirely by reduced cloud albedo (which we refer to as the low CO2–thin clouds or LCTC scenario) . The two simulations have an almost identical global-mean surface temperature and equator-to-pole temperature difference, but the LCTC scenario has ∼ 11 % greater global-mean precipitation than the GHG scenario. The LCTC scenario also has cooler midlatitude continents and warmer oceans than the GHG scenario and a tropical climate which is significantly more El Niño-like. Extremely high warm-season temperatures in the subtropics are mitigated in the LCTC scenario, while cool-season temperatures are lower at all latitudes. These changes appear large enough to motivate further, more detailed study using other climate models and a more realistic set of modelling assumptions.

The atmospheric hydrologic cycle in the ACME v0.3 model

We examine the global water cycle characteristics in the Accelerated Climate Modeling for Energy v0.3 model (a close relative to version 5.3 of the Community Atmosphere Model) in atmosphere-only simulations spanning the years 1980–2005. We evaluate the simulations using a broad range of observational and reanalysis datasets, examine how the simulations change when the horizontal resolution is increased from 1° to 0.25 $$^{\circ }$$ , and compare the simulations against models participating in the the Atmosphere Model Intercomparison Project of the 5th Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). Particular effort has been made to evaluate the model using the best available observational estimates and verifying model biases with additional datasets when differences are known to exist among the observations. Regardless of resolution, the model exhibits several biases: global-mean precipitation, evaporation, and precipitable water are too high, light precipitation occurs too frequently, and the atmospheric residence time of water is too short. Many of these biases are shared by the multi-model mean climate of models participating in CMIP5. The reasons behind regional biases in precipitation are discussed by examining how different fields, such as local evaporation and transport of water vapor, contribute to the bias. Although increasing the horizontal resolution does not drastically change the water cycle, it does lead to a few differences: an increase in global mean precipitation rate, an increase in the fraction of total precipitation that falls over land, more frequent heavy precipitation (>30 mm day $$^{-1}$$ ), and a decrease in precipitable water. One of the most notable changes is the shift of precipitation produced by the convective parameterization to that produced by the large-scale microphysics parameterization. We analyze how changes in moisture and circulation with resolution contribute to this shift in the precipitation partitioning. Because changing horizontal resolution requires some re-tuning, the effect of that tuning was evaluated by performing an additional simulation at 1 $$^{\circ }$$ but using the tunings from the 0.25 $$^{\circ }$$ simulation. The evaluation shows that the more frequent heavy precipitation, the decrease in precipitable water, and the shift from convective to large-scale precipitation are predominantly due to resolution changes, while tuning changes have a major influence on the global mean precipitation and the land/ocean partitioning of precipitation.

Simultaneous stabilization of global temperature and precipitation through cocktail geoengineering

AbstractSolar geoengineering has been proposed as a backup plan to offset some aspects of anthropogenic climate change if timely CO2 emission reductions fail to materialize. Modeling studies have shown that there are trade‐offs between changes in temperature and hydrological cycle in response to solar geoengineering. Here we investigate the possibility of stabilizing both global mean temperature and precipitation simultaneously by combining two geoengineering approaches: stratospheric sulfate aerosol increase (SAI) that deflects sunlight to space and cirrus cloud thinning (CCT) that enables more longwave radiation to escape to space. Using the slab ocean configuration of National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Earth System Model, we simulate SAI by uniformly adding sulfate aerosol in the upper stratosphere and CCT by uniformly increasing cirrus cloud ice particle falling speed. Under an idealized warming scenario of abrupt quadrupling of atmospheric CO2, we show that by combining appropriate amounts of SAI and CCT geoengineering, global mean (or land mean) temperature and precipitation can be restored simultaneously to preindustrial levels. However, compared to SAI, cocktail geoengineering by mixing SAI and CCT does not markedly improve the overall similarity between geoengineered climate and preindustrial climate on regional scales. Some optimal spatially nonuniform mixture of SAI with CCT might have the potential to better mitigate climate change at both the global and regional scales.

Implementation and calibration of a stochastic multicloud convective parameterization in the NCEP Climate Forecast System (CFSv2)

AbstractA comparative analysis of fourteen 5 year long climate simulations produced by the National Centers for Environmental Predictions (NCEP) Climate Forecast System version 2 (CFSv2), in which a stochastic multicloud (SMCM) cumulus parameterization is implemented, is presented here. These 5 year runs are made with different sets of parameters in order to figure out the best model configuration based on a suite of state‐of‐the‐art metrics. This analysis is also a systematic attempt to understand the model sensitivity to the SMCM parameters. The model is found to be resilient to minor changes in the parameters used implying robustness of the SMCM formulation. The model is found to be most sensitive to the midtropospheric dryness parameter (MTD) and to the stratiform cloud decay timescale (τ30). MTD is more effective in controlling the global mean precipitation and its distribution while τ30 has more effect on the organization of convection as noticed in the simulation of the Madden‐Julian oscillation (MJO). This is consistent with the fact that in the SMCM formulation, midtropospheric humidity controls the deepening of convection and stratiform clouds control the backward tilt of tropospheric heating and the strength of unsaturated downdrafts which cool and dry the boundary layer and trigger the propagation of organized convection. Many other studies have also found midtropospheric humidity to be a key factor in the capacity of a global climate model to simulate organized convection on the synoptic and intraseasonal scales.

Tightening of tropical ascent and high clouds key to precipitation change in a warmer climate

The change of global-mean precipitation under global warming and interannual variability is predominantly controlled by the change of atmospheric longwave radiative cooling. Here we show that tightening of the ascending branch of the Hadley Circulation coupled with a decrease in tropical high cloud fraction is key in modulating precipitation response to surface warming. The magnitude of high cloud shrinkage is a primary contributor to the intermodel spread in the changes of tropical-mean outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) and global-mean precipitation per unit surface warming (dP/dTs) for both interannual variability and global warming. Compared to observations, most Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase 5 models underestimate the rates of interannual tropical-mean dOLR/dTs and global-mean dP/dTs, consistent with the muted tropical high cloud shrinkage. We find that the five models that agree with the observation-based interannual dP/dTs all predict dP/dTs under global warming higher than the ensemble mean dP/dTs from the ∼20 models analysed in this study.

High cloud variations with surface temperature from 2002 to 2015: Contributions to atmospheric radiative cooling rate and precipitation changes

AbstractThe global mean precipitation is largely constrained by atmospheric radiative cooling rates (Qr), which are sensitive to changes in high cloud fraction. We investigate variations of high cloud fraction with surface temperature (Ts) from July 2002 to June 2015 and compute their radiative effects on Qr using the Fu‐Liou‐Gu plane‐parallel radiation model. We find that the tropical mean (30°S–30°N) high cloud fraction decreases with increasing Ts at a rate of about −1.0 ± 0.34% K−1 from 2002 to 2015, which leads to an enhanced atmospheric cooling around 0.86 W m−2 K−1. On the other hand, the northern midlatitudes (30°N–60°N) high cloud fraction increases with surface warming at a rate of 1.85 ± 0.65% K−1 and the near‐global mean (60°S–60°N) high cloud fraction shows a statistically insignificant decreasing trend with increasing Ts over the analysis period. Dividing high clouds into cirrus, cirrostratus, and deep convective clouds, we find that cirrus cloud fraction increases with surface warming at a rate of 0.32 ± 0.11% K−1 (0.01 ± 0.17% K−1) for the near‐global mean (tropical mean), while cirrostratus and deep convective clouds decrease with surface warming at a rate of −0.02 ± 0.18% K−1 and −0.33 ± 0.18% K−1 for the near‐global mean and −0.64 ± 0.23% K−1 and −0.37 ± 0.13% K−1 for the tropical mean, respectively. High cloud fraction response to feedback to Ts accounts for approximately 1.9 ± 0.7% and 16.0 ± 6.1% of the increase in precipitation per unit surface warming over the period of 2002–2015 for the near‐global mean and the tropical mean, respectively.

On the influence of simulated SST warming on rainfall projections in the Indo-Pacific domain: an AGCM study

Significant uncertainty exists in regional climate change projections, particularly for rainfall and other hydro-climate variables. In this study, we conduct a series of Atmospheric General Circulation Model (AGCM) experiments with different future sea surface temperature (SST) warming simulated by a range of coupled climate models. They allow us to assess the extent to which uncertainty from current coupled climate model rainfall projections can be attributed to their simulated SST warming. Nine CMIP5 model-simulated global SST warming anomalies have been super-imposed onto the current SSTs simulated by the Australian climate model ACCESS1.3. The ACCESS1.3 SST-forced experiments closely reproduce rainfall means and interannual variations as in its own fully coupled experiments. Although different global SST warming intensities explain well the inter-model difference in global mean precipitation changes, at regional scales the SST influence vary significantly. SST warming explains about 20–25% of the patterns of precipitation changes in each of the four/five models in its rainfall projections over the oceans in the Indo-Pacific domain, but there are also a couple of models in which different SST warming explains little of their precipitation pattern changes. The influence is weaker again for rainfall changes over land. Roughly similar levels of contribution can be attributed to different atmospheric responses to SST warming in these models. The weak SST influence in our study could be due to the experimental setup applied: superimposing different SST warming anomalies onto the same SSTs simulated for current climate by ACCESS1.3 rather than directly using model-simulated past and future SSTs. Similar modelling and analysis from other modelling groups with more carefully designed experiments are needed to tease out uncertainties caused by different SST warming patterns, different SST mean biases and different model physical/dynamical responses to the same underlying SST forcing.

Global Climate Responses to Land Use and Land Cover Changes Over the Past Two Millennia

A reconstructed land use/land cover change (LUCC) dataset was used with the Community Earth System Model (CESM) to conduct a climate sensitivity analysis over the past two millennia. Compared to a controlled experiment conducted with the CESM, the LUCC showed significant biogeophysical effects on global climate on multi-decadal to centennial time scales. The global annual mean temperature and precipitation show clear decadal and multi-centennial scale oscillations when the LUCC effect was considered in the CESM simulation. With increased crop acreage and decreased natural vegetation over the past two millennia, the reflected terrestrial solar radiation has increased and the net terrestrial radiation has decreased, leading to a decrease in the global annual mean temperature. Global annual mean precipitation has also decreased along with decreased evaporation and atmospheric humidity. Our simulation suggests that LUCC mainly influences convective precipitation and has little influence on large-scale precipitation. The impact of LUCC has latitudinal and seasonal differences. The largest response of temperature to LUCC has occurred in the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere (NH), while the largest precipitation response occurred at lower latitudes of the NH. The responses of temperature and precipitation to LUCC is stronger in winter and spring than in summer and autumn.

Relative contributions of weather systems to mean and extreme global precipitation

AbstractThis study presents the first global estimates of the relative contributions of different weather systems, i.e., tropical cyclone, center and front of extratropical cyclone, and others, to mean and extreme precipitation. An objective method of classification of the precipitating weather systems was used with a reanalysis data set and a satellite‐based precipitation product for 2001–2010. Tropical cyclones, extratropical cyclones with associated fronts, and other weather systems contribute about 4%, 37%, and 59%, respectively, of the global (60°S–60°N) mean precipitation. The relative contributions of the weather systems were found to be different both in terms of the different classes of precipitation intensity and in terms of the different temporal scales of precipitation. Tropical cyclones and extratropical cyclones produced greater contributions to extreme hourly precipitation than to annual precipitation in most of the oceanic regions of their activity. The contributions of tropical cyclones to extreme precipitation showed clear peaks on temporal scales of 24–72 h. The contributions of extratropical cyclones showed less dependence on the temporal scale than tropical cyclones. Consideration of combinations of multiple weather systems revealed that in eastern North America and East Asia, substantial portions (22% and 19%, respectively) of the extreme 24 h precipitation related to tropical cyclones are contributed by the coexistence of tropical cyclones and fronts. However, such contributions were found rarely in other land regions. On most temporal scales, fronts at locations remote from the centers of extratropical cyclones were found to contribute to extreme precipitation as much as the centers of extratropical cyclones.

A modeling study of effective radiative forcing and climate response due to increased methane concentration

An atmospheric general circulation model BCC_AGCM2.0 and observation data from ARIS were used to calculate the effective radiative forcing (ERF) due to increased methane concentration since pre-industrial times and its impacts on climate. The ERF of methane from 1750 to 2011 was 0.46 W m−2 by taking it as a well-mixed greenhouse gas, and the inhomogeneity of methane increased its ERF by about 0.02 W m−2. The change of methane concentration since pre-industrial led to an increase of 0.31 °C in global mean surface air temperature and 0.02 mm d−1 in global mean precipitation. The warming was prominent over the middle and high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere (with a maximum increase exceeding 1.4 °C). The precipitation notably increased (maximum increase of 1.8 mm d−1) over the ocean between 10°N and 20°N and significantly decreased (maximum decrease >–0.6 mm d−1) between 10°S and 10°N. These changes caused a northward movement of precipitation cell in the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Cloud cover significantly increased (by approximately 4%) in the high latitudes in both hemispheres, and sharply decreased (by approximately 3%) in tropical areas.

ASSESSING GLOBAL CLIMATE VARIABILITY UNDER COLDEST AND WARMEST PERIODS AT DIFFERENT LATITUDINAL REGIONS

Effect of climate change on water balance will play a key role in the biosphere system. To study the global climate change impact on water balance during 95-year period (1901-1995), long-term grid climatic data including global mean monthly temperature and precipitation at 0.5 x 0.5 degree resolution were analysed. The trend and variation of climate change, the time series of monthly air temperature and precipitation data were aggregated into annual arithmetic means for two extreme periods (1901-1920 and 1990-1995). The potential evapotranspiration (Eo) was calculated using Thornthwaite method.<br />The changes in mean annual value were obtained by subtracting the maximum period data from 1990 to 1995 (Max) with the minimum period data from 1901 to 1920 (Min). The results revealed that over 95-year period, mean global air temperature increased by 0.57oC. The temperature increase varied greatly in Asia, with more than 3.0oC, especially at 45-70oN, as well over the northern part of America (60-65oN) and Europe (55- 75oN). In low latitude across Asia, Africa, and South America, the variation was less than 1.5oC. In 80-85ºN region, the variation was relatively small and at higher latitudes it increased<br />significantly. Precipitation varied temporally and spatially. In the 40-45ºN and 40-45ºS regions, increasing precipitation of more than 100 mm occurred during the June-August and<br />September-November, especially in the northern hemisphere. The Eo increase of 2000 mm during 95 years occurred in the tropical northern America, middle Africa, and South-East Asia. A grid in Central Java of Indonesia showed that the Eo increase of 2500 mm during 95 years resulted in the decrease of growing period by 100 days. In coping with climate change, adjustment of cropping calendar is imperative.

ASSESSING GLOBAL CLIMATE VARIABILITY UNDER COLDEST AND WARMEST PERIODS AT DIFFERENT LATITUDINAL REGIONS

Effect of climate change on water balance will play a key role in the biosphere system. To study the global climate change impact on water balance during 95-year period (1901-1995), long-term grid climatic data including global mean monthly temperature and precipitation at 0.5 x 0.5 degree resolution were analysed. The trend and variation of climate change, the time series of monthly air temperature and precipitation data were aggregated into annual arithmetic means for two extreme periods (1901-1920 and 1990-1995). The potential evapotranspiration (Eo) was calculated using Thornthwaite method.<br />The changes in mean annual value were obtained by subtracting the maximum period data from 1990 to 1995 (Max) with the minimum period data from 1901 to 1920 (Min). The results revealed that over 95-year period, mean global air temperature increased by 0.57oC. The temperature increase varied greatly in Asia, with more than 3.0oC, especially at 45-70oN, as well over the northern part of America (60-65oN) and Europe (55- 75oN). In low latitude across Asia, Africa, and South America, the variation was less than 1.5oC. In 80-85ºN region, the variation was relatively small and at higher latitudes it increased<br />significantly. Precipitation varied temporally and spatially. In the 40-45ºN and 40-45ºS regions, increasing precipitation of more than 100 mm occurred during the June-August and<br />September-November, especially in the northern hemisphere. The Eo increase of 2000 mm during 95 years occurred in the tropical northern America, middle Africa, and South-East Asia. A grid in Central Java of Indonesia showed that the Eo increase of 2500 mm during 95 years resulted in the decrease of growing period by 100 days. In coping with climate change, adjustment of cropping calendar is imperative.

Inferring Aerosol Cooling from Hydrological Sensitivity

Abstract Hydrological sensitivity is the change in global-mean precipitation per degree of global-mean temperature change. This paper shows that the hydrological sensitivity of the response to anthropogenic aerosol forcing is distinct from that of the combined response to all other forcings and that this difference is sufficient to infer the associated cooling in global-mean temperature. This result is demonstrated using temperature and precipitation data generated by climate models and is robust across different climate models. Remarkably, greenhouse gas warming and aerosol cooling can be estimated in a model without using any spatial or temporal gradient information in the response, provided temperature data are augmented by precipitation data. Over the late twentieth century, the hydrological sensitivities of climate models differ significantly from that of observations. Whether this discrepancy can be attributed to observational error, which is substantial as different estimates of global-mean precipitation are not even significantly correlated with each other, or to model error is unclear. The results highlight the urgency to construct accurate estimates of global precipitation from past observations and for reducing model uncertainty in hydrological sensitivity. This paper also clarifies that previous estimates of hydrological sensitivity are limited in that standard regression methods neglect temperature–precipitation relations that occur through internal variability. An alternative method for estimating hydrological sensitivity that overcomes this limitation is presented.

A multidecadal oscillation in the northeastern Pacific

AbstractThe internal modes of the North Pacific can lead to climatic oscillations through ocean–atmosphere interactions and induce global climate responses. The best example is the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, but this fails to explain many climate phenomena. Here, another multidecadal variability over the North Pacific is described, found by analyzing reconstructed data covering the past 140 years. It is named the Pacific Multidecadal Oscillation (PMO), with anomalously high/low SSTs over the northeastern Pacific, and a quasi-60-year cycle. Related to this low-frequency variability of SST, the global mean temperature and precipitation present significant interdecadal differences. More importantly, the PMO index leads the global mean surface air temperature and SST by one to three years. The Arctic Oscillation pattern and atmospheric circulations are shown to change substantially with the transition of the PMO mode from positive to negative phases. This multidecadal oscillation improves the prospect for a...

An intensified hydrological cycle in the simulation of geoengineering by cirrus cloud thinning using ice crystal fall speed changes

AbstractProposals to geoengineer Earth's climate by cirrus cloud thinning (CCT) potentially offer advantages over solar radiation management schemes: amplified cooling of the Arctic and smaller perturbations to global mean precipitation in particular. Using an idealized climate model implementation of CCT in which ice particle fall speeds were increased 2×, 4×, and 8× we examine the relationships between effective radiative forcing (ERF) at the top of atmosphere, near‐surface temperature, and the response of the hydrological cycle. ERF was nonlinear with fall speed change and driven by the trade‐off between opposing positive shortwave and negative longwave radiative forcings. ERF was −2.0 Wm−2 for both 4× and 8× fall speeds. Global mean temperature decreased linearly with ERF, while Arctic temperature reductions were amplified compared with the global mean change. The change in global mean precipitation involved a rapid adjustment (~ 1%/Wm2), which was linear with the change in the net atmospheric energy balance, and a feedback response (~2%/°C). Global mean precipitation and evaporation increased strongly in the first year of CCT. Intensification of the hydrological cycle was promoted by intensification of the vertical overturning circulation of the atmosphere, changes in boundary layer climate favorable for evaporation, and increased energy available at the surface for evaporation (from increased net shortwave radiation and reduced subsurface storage of heat). Such intensification of the hydrological cycle is a significant side effect to the cooling of climate by CCT. Any accompanying negative cirrus cloud feedback response would implicitly increase the costs and complexity of CCT deployment.

Global warming without global mean precipitation increase?

Global climate models simulate a robust increase of global mean precipitation of about 1.5 to 2% per kelvin surface warming in response to greenhouse gas (GHG) forcing. Here, it is shown that the sensitivity to aerosol cooling is robust as well, albeit roughly twice as large. This larger sensitivity is consistent with energy budget arguments. At the same time, it is still considerably lower than the 6.5 to 7% K(-1) decrease of the water vapor concentration with cooling from anthropogenic aerosol because the water vapor radiative feedback lowers the hydrological sensitivity to anthropogenic forcings. When GHG and aerosol forcings are combined, the climate models with a realistic 20th century warming indicate that the global mean precipitation increase due to GHG warming has, until recently, been completely masked by aerosol drying. This explains the apparent lack of sensitivity of the global mean precipitation to the net global warming recently found in observations. As the importance of GHG warming increases in the future, a clear signal will emerge.

Fast responses of climate system to carbon dioxide, aerosols and sulfate aerosols without the mediation of SST in the CMIP5

ABSTRACTIn this study, fast climate system responses to CO2, aerosols and sulfate aerosols are studied based on simulations of Coupled Model Inter‐comparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) atmospheric models. We demonstrate that the fast climate adjustments caused by CO2 forcing lead to decreases in global annual mean cloud fractions, evaporation and precipitation and to increases in the global annual mean net radiative forcing and atmospheric water vapour content. The inhibition of rainfall is primarily caused by the reduced oceanic precipitation. Regionally, Africa, South Asia, East Asia and Australia exhibit pronounced increases in rainfall, which are presumably attributed to the strengthened summer monsoon caused by the increased land–sea thermal contrast. Aerosols and sulfate aerosols exhibit only a slight effect on the global hydrological cycle before global surface temperature changes. However, by affecting the land–sea thermal contrast, they can have profound effects on regional‐scale hydrological cycles, such as those over southern Africa, South Asia and East Asia in the boreal summer. Moreover, the cloud fast feedback under the aerosol forcing is highly associated with the way of dealing with aerosols in the atmospheric model.

The Sensitivity of the Hydrological Cycle to Internal Climate Variability versus Anthropogenic Climate Change

Abstract In response to rising CO2 concentrations, climate models predict that globally averaged precipitation will increase at a much slower rate than water vapor. However, some observational studies suggest that global-mean precipitation and water vapor have increased at similar rates. While the modeling results emphasize changes at multidecadal time scales where the anthropogenic signal dominates, the shorter observational record is more heavily influenced by internal variability. Whether the physical constraints on the hydrological cycle fundamentally differ between these time scales is investigated. The results of this study show that while global-mean precipitation is constrained by radiative cooling on both time scales, the effects of CO2 dominate on multidecadal time scales, acting to suppress the increase in radiative cooling with warming. This results in a smaller precipitation change compared to interannual time scales where the effects of CO2 forcing are small. It is also shown that intermodel spread in the response of atmospheric radiative cooling (and thus global-mean precipitation) to anthropogenically forced surface warming is dominated by clear-sky radiative processes and not clouds, while clouds dominate under internal variability. The findings indicate that the sensitivity of the global hydrological cycle to surface warming differs fundamentally between internal variability and anthropogenically forced changes and this has important implications for interpreting observations of the hydrological sensitivity.

Exploring the Effects of Solar Radiation Management on Water Cycling in a Coupled Land–Atmosphere Model*

Abstract Solar radiation management (SRM) has been proposed as a form of geoengineering to reduce the climate effects of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Modeling studies have concluded that SRM, through a reduction in total solar irradiance by approximately 2%, roughly compensates for global mean temperature changes from a doubling of carbon dioxide concentrations. This paper examines the impact of SRM on the terrestrial hydrologic cycle using the Community Land Model, version 4, coupled to the Community Atmosphere Model, version 4, with reductions in solar radiation relative to simulations with present-day and elevated CO2 concentrations. There are significant global and regional impacts due to vegetation–climate interactions that are not compensated when reductions in total solar irradiance of 1%, 2%, and 3% are imposed on top of a doubling of present-day CO2 concentrations. Water cycling slows down under SRM, including decreases in global mean precipitation and evapotranspiration. Changes in runoff and soil moisture are spatially and temporally variable, with implications for local water availability. In the tropics, evapotranspiration decreases because of increases in vegetation water use efficiency. In northern midlatitudes, soil moisture increases when evapotranspiration decreases, with some exceptions during boreal summer. Changes in soil evaporation influence water cycling in the southern subtropics, rather than changes in transpiration. The hydrologic response to SRM is nonlinear, with global mean decreases greater than expected. These results imply that SRM may not compensate for higher greenhouse gas concentrations when one considers land–atmosphere interactions.

Fast and slow precipitation responses to individual climate forcers: A PDRMIP multimodel study

AbstractPrecipitation is expected to respond differently to various drivers of anthropogenic climate change. We present the first results from the Precipitation Driver and Response Model Intercomparison Project (PDRMIP), where nine global climate models have perturbed CO2, CH4, black carbon, sulfate, and solar insolation. We divide the resulting changes to global mean and regional precipitation into fast responses that scale with changes in atmospheric absorption and slow responses scaling with surface temperature change. While the overall features are broadly similar between models, we find significant regional intermodel variability, especially over land. Black carbon stands out as a component that may cause significant model diversity in predicted precipitation change. Processes linked to atmospheric absorption are less consistently modeled than those linked to top‐of‐atmosphere radiative forcing. We identify a number of land regions where the model ensemble consistently predicts that fast precipitation responses to climate perturbations dominate over the slow, temperature‐driven responses.