Projected Changes in Mountain Precipitation Under CO2‐Induced Warmer Climate
Abstract Mountains play a vital role in shaping regional and global climate, altering atmospheric circulation and precipitation patterns. To this end, identifying projected changes in mountain precipitation is significantly challenging due to topographic complexity. This study explains how mountain...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Earth's Future |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EF003886 |
| _version_ | 1797648049958289408 |
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| author | Pratik Kad Kyung‐Ja Ha Sun‐Seon Lee Jung‐Eun Chu |
| author_facet | Pratik Kad Kyung‐Ja Ha Sun‐Seon Lee Jung‐Eun Chu |
| author_sort | Pratik Kad |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Mountains play a vital role in shaping regional and global climate, altering atmospheric circulation and precipitation patterns. To this end, identifying projected changes in mountain precipitation is significantly challenging due to topographic complexity. This study explains how mountain precipitation could respond to rising greenhouse gases. Using a series of century‐long fully coupled high‐resolution simulations conducted with the Community Earth System Model, we aim to disentangle future changes in mountain precipitation in response to atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) perturbations. Our research findings indicate that the warming observed in global mountains is more pronounced when compared to the mean warming rates experienced globally and in the ocean under elevated CO2. We identify five low‐latitude mountain ranges with elevation‐dependent precipitation response, including New Guinea, East Africa, Eastern Himalayas, Central America, and Central Andes. Those mountains are expected to have a mixture of increasing and decreasing precipitation in response to CO2‐induced warming, especially over the summit and steep topography. To elucidate the mechanisms controlling future changes in mountain precipitation, we propose “Orographic moisture omega feedback” in which an increase in low‐level relative humidity enhances local precipitation by strengthening the upward motion through moist processes for the wetting response and vice versa for the drying response. The effects of Mountain precipitation changes can be extended to hydrology and could lead to significant consequences for human societies and ecosystems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T15:26:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bb5d16edbac34acf8a5cc162cfd94680 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2328-4277 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T15:26:32Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Earth's Future |
| spelling | doaj.art-bb5d16edbac34acf8a5cc162cfd946802023-10-27T17:42:30ZengWileyEarth's Future2328-42772023-10-011110n/an/a10.1029/2023EF003886Projected Changes in Mountain Precipitation Under CO2‐Induced Warmer ClimatePratik Kad0Kyung‐Ja Ha1Sun‐Seon Lee2Jung‐Eun Chu3Department of Climate System Pusan National University Busan South KoreaDepartment of Climate System Pusan National University Busan South KoreaCenter for Climate Physics Institute for Basic Science Busan South KoreaLow‐Carbon and Climate Impact Research Centre School of Energy and Environment City University of Hong Kong Hong Kong ChinaAbstract Mountains play a vital role in shaping regional and global climate, altering atmospheric circulation and precipitation patterns. To this end, identifying projected changes in mountain precipitation is significantly challenging due to topographic complexity. This study explains how mountain precipitation could respond to rising greenhouse gases. Using a series of century‐long fully coupled high‐resolution simulations conducted with the Community Earth System Model, we aim to disentangle future changes in mountain precipitation in response to atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) perturbations. Our research findings indicate that the warming observed in global mountains is more pronounced when compared to the mean warming rates experienced globally and in the ocean under elevated CO2. We identify five low‐latitude mountain ranges with elevation‐dependent precipitation response, including New Guinea, East Africa, Eastern Himalayas, Central America, and Central Andes. Those mountains are expected to have a mixture of increasing and decreasing precipitation in response to CO2‐induced warming, especially over the summit and steep topography. To elucidate the mechanisms controlling future changes in mountain precipitation, we propose “Orographic moisture omega feedback” in which an increase in low‐level relative humidity enhances local precipitation by strengthening the upward motion through moist processes for the wetting response and vice versa for the drying response. The effects of Mountain precipitation changes can be extended to hydrology and could lead to significant consequences for human societies and ecosystems.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EF003886mountain meteorologyelevation‐dependent precipitationCO2greenhouse warmingfuture projectionorographic rainfall |
| spellingShingle | Pratik Kad Kyung‐Ja Ha Sun‐Seon Lee Jung‐Eun Chu Projected Changes in Mountain Precipitation Under CO2‐Induced Warmer Climate Earth's Future mountain meteorology elevation‐dependent precipitation CO2 greenhouse warming future projection orographic rainfall |
| title | Projected Changes in Mountain Precipitation Under CO2‐Induced Warmer Climate |
| title_full | Projected Changes in Mountain Precipitation Under CO2‐Induced Warmer Climate |
| title_fullStr | Projected Changes in Mountain Precipitation Under CO2‐Induced Warmer Climate |
| title_full_unstemmed | Projected Changes in Mountain Precipitation Under CO2‐Induced Warmer Climate |
| title_short | Projected Changes in Mountain Precipitation Under CO2‐Induced Warmer Climate |
| title_sort | projected changes in mountain precipitation under co2 induced warmer climate |
| topic | mountain meteorology elevation‐dependent precipitation CO2 greenhouse warming future projection orographic rainfall |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EF003886 |
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