Search

The summer surface air temperatures (SAT) over Eurasia exhibit a non‐uniform multidecadal pattern since the 1990s, with amplified warming over Europe–West Asia (EWA) and Northeast Asia (NEA) but weak warming over Central Asia. However, current climate models may inadequately capture this regional pattern. In this study, we evaluated the performance of 44 coupled models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) in simulating the decadal variability of Eurasian temperatures. Results show that all the CMIP6 models generally reproduce the largest SAT trends from 1985 to 2020 over EWA and NEA. However, the models fail to capture the non‐uniform warming pattern and the SAT magnitudes are underestimated in most CMIP6 models. We compare "good" and "poor" ensemble, which represent the best and worst simulations of the non‐uniform warming, in order to understand the inter‐model spread. The BMME models capture the teleconnection wave trains from northwest Europe to East Asia, and the associated summer North Atlantic Oscillation like circulation changes. In contrast, the WMME models fail to reproduce such teleconnections. The contrast between the BMME and WMME simulations give a measure of confidence that the non‐uniform warming pattern over Eurasia is tightly coupled with the upper‐tropospheric wave‐like pattern over Eurasia. If such atmospheric circulation changes cannot be reproduced, the non‐uniform warming pattern over Eurasia will not be captured. Our results suggest a fundamental pattern of atmospheric circulation changes that determine the non‐uniform warming variations in model simulations. Plain Language Summary: Previous studies have documented pronounced multidecadal temperature variations in summer during the late 20th century over Eurasia, with accelerated warming over Europe–West Asia (EWA) and Northeast Asia (NEA), but weak warming over Central Asia. Whether Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) climate models are able to adequately reproduce this non‐uniform pattern remain unknown. Here we quantitatively evaluated the performance of 44 CMIP6 models in simulating the summer surface air temperatures decadal variations over Eurasia since 1950 and further investigated the key factors in causing the differences in the simulation ability among the models. Our results show that a good performance of the model is closely related to its ability in simulating the Silk Road Pattern, which can induce the intrinsic teleconnection wave trains, causing the anticyclonic circulations around EWA and NEA, and increase warm advection and downward shortwave radiation, leading to amplified warming there. Our findings provide a perspective of physical linkage to understand the model uncertainty in simulating the non‐uniform multidecadal pattern over Eurasia. Key Points: Evaluation of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) models for the summer non‐uniform multidecadal temperature variations over EurasiaThe magnitudes of non‐uniform warming variations are substantially underestimated in most CMIP6 modelsSimulation of the upper‐tropospheric wave‐like pattern is key and significantly affects the model's performance in simulating the surface air temperatures [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the influence of the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) on the multidecadal variability of winter surface air temperature in arid central Asia (ACASAT). Apart from a long-term warming trend, the observational analysis shows that the winter ACASAT exhibits a significant multidecadal variability, which is characterized by antiphase fluctuations with the AMO. The mechanism for this negative correlation between the AMO and the winter ACASAT is explored from the aspect of wave teleconnection. The AMO provides energy for the Scandinavian teleconnection pattern at middle and low altitudes by regulating the high-altitude wave train over the middle and high latitudes of Eurasia, and thus has an impact on the remote climate in arid central Asia. Results from the linear baroclinic model (LBM) provide evidence for the linkage between the AMO and the Scandinavian teleconnection pattern. When the AMO is in its warm periods, the Scandinavian teleconnection pattern is in a positive phase, which further makes the cold air from the northeast strengthen, leading to the anomalously colder surface air temperature in arid central Asia. Based on the relationship that the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) leads the AMO by 15–20 years, it is further found that there is a leading relationship between the NAO and the winter ACASAT via the AMO. On this basis, an empirical model using the NAO as a predictor was established to predict the ACASAT, and the empirical model shows good hindcast performance. Results from the model show that the winter ACASAT will continue to rise in the next 10 years and decline after 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Atlantic multidecadal variability (AMV), a dominant mode of multidecadal variations in North Atlantic sea surface temperatures (NASST), has major impacts on global climate. Given that both internal variability and external forcing have contributed to the historical AMV, how future anthropogenic forcing may regulate the AMV is of concern but remains unclear. By analyzing observations and a large ensemble of model simulations [i.e., the Max Planck Institute Grand Ensemble (MPI-GE)], the internally generated (AMVIV) and externally forced (AMVEX) components of the AMV and their climatic impacts during the twenty-first century are examined. Consistent with previous findings, the AMVIV would weaken with future warming by 11%–17% in its amplitude by the end of the twenty-first century, along with reduced warming anomaly over the midlatitude North Atlantic under future warming during the positive AMVIV phases. In contrast, the AMVEX is projected to strengthen with reduced frequency under future warming. Furthermore, future AMVIV-related temperature variations would weaken over Eurasia and North Africa but strengthen over the United States, whereas AMVIV-related precipitation over parts of North America and Eurasia would weaken in a warmer climate. The AMVEX's impact on global precipitation would also weaken. The results provide new evidence that future anthropogenic forcing (i.e., nonlinear changes in GHGs and aerosols) under different scenarios can generate distinct multidecadal variations and influence the internally generated AMV, and that multidecadal changes in anthropogenic forcing are important for future AMV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the winter, the cold wave activity over the mid-high latitudes has profound impacts on agriculture, economic and human wellbeing. Such extreme weather events have been connected with the East Asia winter monsoon system and significantly influence the climate over the Eurasian continent. However, the multidecadal variabilities and regional interconnections of the cold wave activity across the Northern Hemisphere are lesser-known. In this study, we investigate the multidecadal variations in the cold wave frequency (CWF) and find an inverse relationship between Greenland and central Eurasia. Observational and modeling evidence suggests that the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) is likely to be the driving force of the multidecadal seesaw in CWF, while the effects of the Arctic sea ice are very limited. The increased sea surface temperature (SST) in association with the AMO warms the subpolar troposphere and weakens the predominant westerlies over mid-high latitudes, resulting in positive geopotential height anomalies over the subpolar region. This further weakens the Icelandic Low and strengthens the Siberian High, which directly induces the warming (cooling) over Greenland (central Eurasia). There is a strong coherence between the mean state of surface air temperature and temperature extremes. The AMO-induced warming/cooling in Greenland/central Eurasia corresponds well with less/more frequent cold wave activities. Our results provide new insight into the multidecadal variability of cold wave activities and suggest that the CWF in the Northern Hemisphere may be interlinked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent summer surface air temperature (SAT) changes over densely populated Eurasia exhibit a non‐uniform pattern with amplified warming over Europe and East Asia (EA) but weak warming over Central Asia (CA), forming a wave train‐like structure. However, the key factors that determine this non‐uniform warming pattern remain unclear. By analyzing observations and model simulations, here, we show that more than half of the SAT multidecadal variations from 1950 to 2014 over Europe‐west Asia and EA may have resulted from external forcing, rather than from internal variability in the Atlantic as previously thought. In contrast, the recent SAT over CA is influenced mainly by internal variations in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Large ensemble model simulations suggest that the forced SAT multidecadal variations over Eurasia are mainly caused by changes in greenhouse gases and aerosols. Our findings provide strong evidence for major impacts of external forcing on multidecadal climate variations over Eurasia. Plain Language Summary: Previous studies have documented non‐uniform decadal warming rates in summer since the mid‐1990s over densely populated Eurasia, with amplified warming over Europe and East Asia (EA) but weak warming over Central Asia. This unique tripole warming pattern and its cause have attracted considerable attention. It may arise from internal variability (IV; e.g., Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation [AMO]) and/or external forcing. Furthermore, it was found that the recent AMO resulted from both IV and decadal changes in aerosols. Thus, the relative contributions of IV and external forcing to the recent Eurasian warming pattern remain unclear. Here we show that the surface air temperature multidecadal variations since 1950 over Eurasia are caused by both IV and external forcing, with more than half of the variations over Europe‐west Asia and EA resulted from external forcing (i.e., greenhouse gases [GHGs] and aerosols), in contrast to the previous notion that the non‐uniform warming is mainly originated from the Atlantic Ocean. Looking ahead into the upcoming decades, aerosols will continue to decrease, whereas the AMO will likely be in its positive phase. These changes, together with continued increases in GHGs, will accelerate warming trends over Eurasia and further exacerbate summer heat waves. Key Points: More than half of the multidecadal surface air temperature (SAT) variations from 1950 to 2014 over Europe‐west Asia and East Asia resulted from external forcingThe forced SAT multidecadal variations over Eurasia are mainly caused by changes in greenhouse gases and aerosolsOur study helps reconcile human and natural drivers of the tripole pattern of multidecadal summer temperature variations over Eurasia [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past 40 years, the global annual mean surface temperature has experienced a nonuniform warming, differing from the spatially uniform warming simulated by the forced responses of large multimodel ensembles to anthropogenic forcing. Rather, it exhibits significant asymmetry between the Arctic and Antarctic, with intermittent and spatially varying warming trends along the Northern Hemisphere (NH) midlatitudes and a slight cooling in the tropical eastern Pacific. In particular, this "wavy" pattern of temperature changes over the NH midlatitudes features strong cooling over Eurasia in boreal winter. Here, we show that these nonuniform features of surface temperature changes are likely tied together by tropical eastern Pacific sea surface temperatures (SSTs), via a global atmospheric teleconnection. Using six reanalyses, we find that this teleconnection can be consistently obtained as a leading circulation mode in the past century. This tropically driven teleconnection is associated with a Pacific SST pattern resembling the interdecadal Pacific oscillation (IPO), and hereafter referred to as the IPO-related bipolar teleconnection (IPO-BT). Further, two paleo-reanalysis reconstruction datasets show that the IPO-BT is a robust recurrent mode over the past 400 and 2000 years. The IPO-BT mode may thus serve as an important internal mode that regulates high-latitude climate variability on multidecadal time scales, favoring a warming (cooling) episode in the Arctic accompanied by cooling (warming) over Eurasia and the Southern Ocean (SO). Thus, the spatial nonuniformity of recent surface temperature trends may be partially explained by the enhanced appearance of the IPO-BT mode by a transition of the IPO toward a cooling phase in the eastern Pacific in the past decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid warming has led to an aggregated environmental degradation over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) in the last few decades, including accelerated glacier retreat, early snowmelt, permafrost degradation, and forest fire occurrence. Attribution of this warming in recent decades has mainly been focused on anthropogenic forcing. Yet, linkages to the Atlantic multidecadal variability (AMV), an essential part of the climate system causing decadal to centennial fluctuations of temperature, remains poorly understood for the TP, especially at long time scales. Using well-replicated tree-ring width records, we reconstructed 358 years of summer minimum temperature (MinT) of the whole TP. This reconstruction matches the recent warming signal recorded since the 1980s, and captures 63% of the variance in 1950–2005 instrumental records. A teleconnection from the North Atlantic to the TP is further identified based in observations and simulations with an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM). We propose that half of the multidecadal variability of TP summer MinT can be explained by the AMV over the past three and a half centuries. Both observations and AGCM simulations indicate that the AMV warm phase induces a zonal dipole response in sea level pressure across the Atlantic–Eurasia region, with anomalously high surface pressure and corresponding downward atmospheric motion over the TP. We propose that the descending motion during warm AMV phases causes negative rainfall and positive temperature anomalies over the TP. Our findings highlight that the AMV plays a role in the multidecadal temperature variability over the TP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]