Comparative analysis of the ability of a set of CMIP3 and CMIP5 global climate models to represent precipitation in South America

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 583-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Gulizia ◽  
Inés Camilloni
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yangyang Xu ◽  
Lei Lin ◽  
Simone Tilmes ◽  
Katherine Dagon ◽  
Lili Xia ◽  
...  

<p>To mitigate the projected global warming in the 21st century, it is well-recognized that society needs to cut CO2 emissions and other short-lived warming agents aggressively. However, to stabilize the climate at a warming level closer to the present day, such as the “well below 2 ◦C” aspiration in the Paris Agreement, a net-zero carbon emission by 2050 is still insufficient. The recent IPCC special report calls for a massive scheme to extract CO2 directly from the atmosphere, in addition to decarbonization, to reach negative net emissions at the mid-century mark. Another ambitious proposal is solar-radiation-based geoengineering schemes, including injecting sulfur gas into the stratosphere. Despite being in public debate for years, these two leading geoengineering schemes have not been directly compared under a consistent analytical framework using global climate models.</p><p>Here we present the first explicit analysis of the hydroclimate impacts of these two geoengineering approaches using two recently available large-ensemble model experiments conducted by a family of state-of-the-art Earth system models. Our analysis focuses on the projected aridity conditions over the Americas in the 21st century in detailed terms of the potential mitigation benefits, the temporal evolution, the spatial distribution (within North and South America), the relative efficiency, and the physical mechanisms. We show that sulfur injection, in contrast to previous notions of leading to excessive terrestrial drying (in terms of precipitation reduction) while offsetting the global mean greenhouse gas (GHG) warming, will instead mitigate the projected drying tendency under RCP8.5. The surface energy balance change induced by sulfur injection, in addition to the well-known response in temperature and precipitation, plays a crucial role in determining the overall terrestrial hydroclimate response. However, when normalized by the same amount of avoided global warming in these simulations, sulfur injection is less effective in curbing the worsening trend of regional land aridity in the Americas under RCP8.5 when compared with carbon capture. Temporally, the climate benefit of sulfur injection will emerge more quickly, even when both schemes are hypothetically started in the same year of 2020. Spatially, both schemes are effective in curbing the drying trend over North America. However, for South America, the sulfur injection scheme is particularly more effective for the sub-Amazon region (southern Brazil), while the carbon capture scheme is more effective for the Amazon region. We conclude that despite the apparent limitations (such as an inability to address ocean acidification) and potential side effects (such as changes to the ozone layer), innovative means of sulfur injection should continue to be explored as a potential low-cost option in the climate solution toolbox, complementing other mitigation approaches such as emission cuts and carbon capture (Cao et al., 2017). Our results demonstrate the urgent need for multi-model comparison studies and detailed regional assessments in other parts of the world.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matias Ezequiel Olmo ◽  
Rocio Balmaceda-Huarte ◽  
Maria Laura Bettolli

Abstract High-resolution climate information is required over southeastern South America (SESA) for a better understanding of the observed and projected climate changes due to their strong socio-economic and hydrological impacts. Thereby, this work focuses on the construction of an unprecedented multi-model ensemble of statistically downscaled global climate models (GCMs) for daily precipitation, considering different statistical techniques - including analogs, generalized linear models and neural networks - and a variety of CMIP5 and CMIP6 models. The skills and shortcomings of the different downscaled models were identified. Most of the methods added value in the representation of the main features of daily precipitation, especially in the spatial and intra-annual variability of extremes. The statistical methods showed to be sensitive to the driver GCMs, although the ESD family choice also introduced differences in the simulations. The statistically downscaled projections depicted increases in mean precipitation associated with a rising frequency of extreme events - mostly during the warm season - following the registered trends over SESA. Change rates were consistent among downscaled models up to the middle 21st century when model spread started to emerge. Furthermore, these projections were compared to the available CORDEX-CORE RCM simulations, evidencing a consistent agreement between statistical and dynamical downscaling procedures in terms of the sign of the changes, presenting some differences in their intensity. Overall, this study evidences the potential of statistical downscaling in a changing climate and contributes to its undergoing development over SESA.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 905-922
Author(s):  
Jessica C. A. Baker ◽  
Dayana Castilho de Souza ◽  
Paulo Y. Kubota ◽  
Wolfgang Buermann ◽  
Caio A. S. Coelho ◽  
...  

AbstractIn South America, land–atmosphere interactions have an important impact on climate, particularly the regional hydrological cycle, but detailed evaluation of these processes in global climate models has been limited. Focusing on the satellite-era period of 2003–14, we assess land–atmosphere interactions on annual to seasonal time scales over South America in satellite products, a novel reanalysis (ERA5-Land), and two global climate models: the Brazilian Global Atmospheric Model version 1.2 (BAM-1.2) and the U.K. Hadley Centre Global Environment Model version 3 (HadGEM3). We identify key features of South American land–atmosphere interactions represented in satellite and model datasets, including seasonal variation in coupling strength, large-scale spatial variation in the sensitivity of evapotranspiration to surface moisture, and a dipole in evaporative regime across the continent. Differences between products are also identified, with ERA5-Land, HadGEM3, and BAM-1.2 showing opposite interactions to satellites over parts of the Amazon and the Cerrado and stronger land–atmosphere coupling along the North Atlantic coast. Where models and satellites disagree on the strength and direction of land–atmosphere interactions, precipitation biases and misrepresentation of processes controlling surface soil moisture are implicated as likely drivers. These results show where improvement of model processes could reduce uncertainty in the modeled climate response to land-use change, and highlight where model biases could unrealistically amplify drying or wetting trends in future climate projections. Finally, HadGEM3 and BAM-1.2 are consistent with the median response of an ensemble of nine CMIP6 models, showing they are broadly representative of the latest generation of climate models.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1090
Author(s):  
Cássia Gabriele Dias ◽  
Michelle Simões Reboita ◽  
Lívia Márcia M. Dutra ◽  
Rosmeri Porfírio Da Rocha

O presente estudo avaliou a destreza de dois modelos climáticos globais (CFSv2 e AGCM-CPTEC) em prever a circulação atmosférica sazonal sobre a América do Sul (AS). As previsões entre os anos de 2013 e início de 2014 foram comparadas com os dados da reanálise ERA-Interim. No nível de 250 hPa, o CFSv2 previu o jato subtropical mais fraco do que o observado na reanálise, enquanto o AGCM-CPTEC o previu mais intenso durante o inverno e primavera. Nos meses de Setembro, Outubro e Novembro (SON) de 2013, a Alta da Bolívia (AB) esteve bem configurada no AGCM-CPTEC, concordando com a reanálise. No entanto, com o modelo CFSv2 a AB não se configurou. Já entre os meses de Janeiro, Fevereiro e Março (JFM) de 2014, os modelos deslocaram a AB para sudoeste de sua posição climatológica. No nível de 850 hPa, os jatos de baixos níveis a leste dos Andes foram subestimados nos meses de Março, Abril e Maio (MAM) com o AGCM-CPTEC e em SON/JFM por ambos os modelos. Em MAM, o CFSv2 previu os ventos alísios de sudeste mais similar à reanálise do que o AGCM-CPTEC. O Anticiclone Subtropical do Atlântico Sul (ASAS) foi previsto em ambos os modelos, entretanto, o AGCM-CPTEC previu a intensidade e a posição desse sistema com mais acurácia. Embora os modelos CFSv2 e AGCM-CPTEC apresentem vieses na intensidade do vento e, às vezes, na direção, pode-se afirmar que esses representaram as principais características da circulação atmosférica na AS. A B S T R A C TThe present study evaluated the ability of two global climate models (CFSv2 and AGCM-CPTEC) in predicting the seasonal atmospheric circulation over South America (SA). Predictions between the years 2013 and early 2014 were compared with ERA-Interim reanalysis. At 250 hPa level, CFSv2 predicted the subtropical jet weaker than observed in the reanalysis, while AGCM-CPTEC predicted it more intense during winter and spring. In the months of September, October and November (SON) of 2013, the Bolivian High (BH) was well configured in the AGCM-CPTEC, and this was in agreement with the reanalysis. However, with the CFSv2 the BH was not predicted. Between the months of January, February and March (JFM) of 2014, the models displaced the BH to the southwest of its climatologic position. At the 850 hPa level, the low level jet eastern of the Andes was underestimated in the months of March, April and May (MAM) by AGCM-CPTEC and in SON/JFM by both models. In MAM, CFSv2 predicted better the southeast trade winds than AGCM-CPTEC. The South Atlantic Subtropical Anticyclone (SASA) was predicted by both models, however, the AGCM-CPTEC predicted the intensity and position of this system more accurately. Although the models show biases in the wind intensity and, sometimes, in the direction, it can be affirmed that in general the CFSv2 and AGCM-CPTEC models represented the main characteristics of the atmospheric circulation in the AS.Keywords: AGCM-CPTEC. CFSv2. General circulation of the atmosphere. Seasonal forecast. South America. 


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 31241-31260
Author(s):  
Fábio da Silveira Castro ◽  
Alexandre Cândido Xavier ◽  
Roberto Avelino Cecílio ◽  
Luciano Roncetti Pimenta ◽  
Valéria Hollunder Klippel ◽  
...  

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott R. Loarie ◽  
David B. Lobell ◽  
Gregory P. Asner ◽  
Christopher B. Field

Abstract Albedo is an important factor affecting global climate, but uncertainty in the sources and magnitudes of albedo change has led to simplistic treatments of albedo in climate models. Here, the authors examine nine years (2000–08) of historical 1-km Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) albedo estimates across South America to advance understanding of the magnitude and sources of large-scale albedo changes. The authors use the magnitude of albedo change from the arc of deforestation along the southeastern edge of the Brazilian Amazon (+2.8%) as a benchmark for comparison. Large albedo increases (>+2.8%) were 2.2 times more prevalent than similar decreases throughout South America. Changes in surface water drove most large albedo changes that were not caused by vegetative cover change. Decreased surface water in the Santa Fe and Buenos Aires regions of Argentina was responsible for albedo increases exceeding that of the arc of deforestation in magnitude and extent. Although variations in the natural flooding regimes were likely the dominant mechanism driving changes in surface water, it is possible that human manipulations through dams and other agriculture infrastructure contributed. This study demonstrates the substantial role that land-cover and surface water change can play in continental-scale albedo trends and suggests ways to better incorporate these processes into global climate models.


2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrico Scoccimarro ◽  
Silvio Gualdi ◽  
Antonella Sanna ◽  
Edoardo Bucchignani ◽  
Myriam Montesarchio

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