Climate sensitivity controls global precipitation hysteresis in a changing CO2 pathway
Abstract The responses of the Earth’s climate system to positive and negative CO2 emissions are not identical in magnitude, resulting in hysteresis. In particular, the degree of global precipitation hysteresis varies markedly among Earth system models. Based on analysis of Earth’s energy budget, her...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-09-01
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| Series: | npj Climate and Atmospheric Science |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-023-00484-2 |
| _version_ | 1827635061576433664 |
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| author | Se-Yong Song Sang-Wook Yeh Richard P. Allan Shang-Ping Xie Soon-Il An Hyo-Seok Park |
| author_facet | Se-Yong Song Sang-Wook Yeh Richard P. Allan Shang-Ping Xie Soon-Il An Hyo-Seok Park |
| author_sort | Se-Yong Song |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The responses of the Earth’s climate system to positive and negative CO2 emissions are not identical in magnitude, resulting in hysteresis. In particular, the degree of global precipitation hysteresis varies markedly among Earth system models. Based on analysis of Earth’s energy budget, here we show that climate sensitivity controls the degree of global precipitation hysteresis. Using an idealized CO2 removal scenario, we find that the surface available energy for precipitation continues to increase during the initial negative CO2 emission period following a positive CO2 emission period, leading to a hysteresis of global precipitation. This feature is more pronounced in Earth System Models with a high climate sensitivity. Our results indicate that climate sensitivity is a key factor controlling the hysteresis behavior of global precipitation in a changing CO2 pathway. Therefore, narrowing the uncertainty of climate sensitivity helps improve the projections of the global hydrological cycle. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:22:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ef92a0f596fd40babfc4f666fac2340b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2397-3722 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:22:56Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Climate and Atmospheric Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-ef92a0f596fd40babfc4f666fac2340b2023-11-26T12:45:10ZengNature Portfolionpj Climate and Atmospheric Science2397-37222023-09-016111010.1038/s41612-023-00484-2Climate sensitivity controls global precipitation hysteresis in a changing CO2 pathwaySe-Yong Song0Sang-Wook Yeh1Richard P. Allan2Shang-Ping Xie3Soon-Il An4Hyo-Seok Park5Department of Marine Sciences and Convergence Engineering, Hanyang UniversityDepartment of Marine Sciences and Convergence Engineering, Hanyang UniversityDepartment of Meteorology and National Centre for Earth Observation, University of ReadingScripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San DiegoDepartment of Atmospheric Sciences/Irreversible Climate Change Research Center, Yonsei UniversityDepartment of Marine Sciences and Convergence Engineering, Hanyang UniversityAbstract The responses of the Earth’s climate system to positive and negative CO2 emissions are not identical in magnitude, resulting in hysteresis. In particular, the degree of global precipitation hysteresis varies markedly among Earth system models. Based on analysis of Earth’s energy budget, here we show that climate sensitivity controls the degree of global precipitation hysteresis. Using an idealized CO2 removal scenario, we find that the surface available energy for precipitation continues to increase during the initial negative CO2 emission period following a positive CO2 emission period, leading to a hysteresis of global precipitation. This feature is more pronounced in Earth System Models with a high climate sensitivity. Our results indicate that climate sensitivity is a key factor controlling the hysteresis behavior of global precipitation in a changing CO2 pathway. Therefore, narrowing the uncertainty of climate sensitivity helps improve the projections of the global hydrological cycle.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-023-00484-2 |
| spellingShingle | Se-Yong Song Sang-Wook Yeh Richard P. Allan Shang-Ping Xie Soon-Il An Hyo-Seok Park Climate sensitivity controls global precipitation hysteresis in a changing CO2 pathway npj Climate and Atmospheric Science |
| title | Climate sensitivity controls global precipitation hysteresis in a changing CO2 pathway |
| title_full | Climate sensitivity controls global precipitation hysteresis in a changing CO2 pathway |
| title_fullStr | Climate sensitivity controls global precipitation hysteresis in a changing CO2 pathway |
| title_full_unstemmed | Climate sensitivity controls global precipitation hysteresis in a changing CO2 pathway |
| title_short | Climate sensitivity controls global precipitation hysteresis in a changing CO2 pathway |
| title_sort | climate sensitivity controls global precipitation hysteresis in a changing co2 pathway |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-023-00484-2 |
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