Mechanism underlying the correlation between the warming-wetting of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and atmospheric energy changes in high-impact oceanic areas

Abstract The powerful thermal driving force of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) exerts a significant influence on weather, climate, and environmental processes in Asia and across the globe. This paper investigates the causes of climate change on the QTP from the perspective of global atmospheric ener...

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Main Authors: Na Dong, Xiangde Xu, Renhe Zhang, Chan Sun, Wenyue Cai, Runze Zhao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-12-01
Series:npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-024-00849-1
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author Na Dong
Xiangde Xu
Renhe Zhang
Chan Sun
Wenyue Cai
Runze Zhao
author_facet Na Dong
Xiangde Xu
Renhe Zhang
Chan Sun
Wenyue Cai
Runze Zhao
author_sort Na Dong
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The powerful thermal driving force of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) exerts a significant influence on weather, climate, and environmental processes in Asia and across the globe. This paper investigates the causes of climate change on the QTP from the perspective of global atmospheric energy transport and water cycle. During summer, a “hollow energy pool” has been discovered in the troposphere, with its energy center located above the QTP, the “Asian water tower”. Our study indicates that the QTP serves as a critical “window” for the global transport of water vapor and energy. Since 1991, the total atmospheric energy (TAE) and precipitation in the warming-wetting region of the QTP (central and northern plateau) have exhibited interdecadal growth. Furthermore, the TAE of the plateau is closely linked to the TAE and water vapor of oceans at mid-low latitudes, and even in the southern hemisphere, the increased precipitation in the warming-wetting region of the plateau has been mainly regulated by the atmospheric energy and water vapor transport structures over the equatorial western Pacific, southwestern Pacific, and southern Indian Ocean, we further reveal the energy transport channel from the warming oceanic areas of the southern and northern hemispheres to the QTP. This study deepens the novel understanding of atmospheric energy accompanying water vapor transport in the southern and northern hemispheres, which is of significant importance for understanding the responses of energy and water cycle in the warming-wetting of the QTP and global climate change.
format Article
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issn 2397-3722
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publisher Nature Portfolio
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series npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
spelling doaj-art-47f3c25e431c45feba85d96776451ada2024-12-29T12:14:43ZengNature Portfolionpj Climate and Atmospheric Science2397-37222024-12-017111110.1038/s41612-024-00849-1Mechanism underlying the correlation between the warming-wetting of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and atmospheric energy changes in high-impact oceanic areasNa Dong0Xiangde Xu1Renhe Zhang2Chan Sun3Wenyue Cai4Runze Zhao5Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences & Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan UniversityState Key Laboratory of Severe Weather, Chinese Academy of Meteorological SciencesDepartment of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences & Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan UniversityNational Satellite Meteorological Center (National Centre for Space Weather)State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather, Chinese Academy of Meteorological SciencesState Key Laboratory of Severe Weather, Chinese Academy of Meteorological SciencesAbstract The powerful thermal driving force of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) exerts a significant influence on weather, climate, and environmental processes in Asia and across the globe. This paper investigates the causes of climate change on the QTP from the perspective of global atmospheric energy transport and water cycle. During summer, a “hollow energy pool” has been discovered in the troposphere, with its energy center located above the QTP, the “Asian water tower”. Our study indicates that the QTP serves as a critical “window” for the global transport of water vapor and energy. Since 1991, the total atmospheric energy (TAE) and precipitation in the warming-wetting region of the QTP (central and northern plateau) have exhibited interdecadal growth. Furthermore, the TAE of the plateau is closely linked to the TAE and water vapor of oceans at mid-low latitudes, and even in the southern hemisphere, the increased precipitation in the warming-wetting region of the plateau has been mainly regulated by the atmospheric energy and water vapor transport structures over the equatorial western Pacific, southwestern Pacific, and southern Indian Ocean, we further reveal the energy transport channel from the warming oceanic areas of the southern and northern hemispheres to the QTP. This study deepens the novel understanding of atmospheric energy accompanying water vapor transport in the southern and northern hemispheres, which is of significant importance for understanding the responses of energy and water cycle in the warming-wetting of the QTP and global climate change.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-024-00849-1
spellingShingle Na Dong
Xiangde Xu
Renhe Zhang
Chan Sun
Wenyue Cai
Runze Zhao
Mechanism underlying the correlation between the warming-wetting of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and atmospheric energy changes in high-impact oceanic areas
npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
title Mechanism underlying the correlation between the warming-wetting of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and atmospheric energy changes in high-impact oceanic areas
title_full Mechanism underlying the correlation between the warming-wetting of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and atmospheric energy changes in high-impact oceanic areas
title_fullStr Mechanism underlying the correlation between the warming-wetting of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and atmospheric energy changes in high-impact oceanic areas
title_full_unstemmed Mechanism underlying the correlation between the warming-wetting of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and atmospheric energy changes in high-impact oceanic areas
title_short Mechanism underlying the correlation between the warming-wetting of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and atmospheric energy changes in high-impact oceanic areas
title_sort mechanism underlying the correlation between the warming wetting of the qinghai tibet plateau and atmospheric energy changes in high impact oceanic areas
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-024-00849-1
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