Robust increase in South Asian monsoon rainfall under warming driven by extratropical clouds and ocean

Abstract The responses of South Asian Monsoon (SAM) circulation under global warming are known to be highly uncertain, leading to the widespread of SAM rainfall projections among models. Here, we show that the uncertain SAM circulation in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 models consists...

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Main Authors: Yong-Jhih Chen, Yen-Ting Hwang, Jian Lu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-12-01
Series:npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-024-00843-7
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author Yong-Jhih Chen
Yen-Ting Hwang
Jian Lu
author_facet Yong-Jhih Chen
Yen-Ting Hwang
Jian Lu
author_sort Yong-Jhih Chen
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The responses of South Asian Monsoon (SAM) circulation under global warming are known to be highly uncertain, leading to the widespread of SAM rainfall projections among models. Here, we show that the uncertain SAM circulation in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 models consists of two robust components that partly offset each other: a weakening component linked to a global thermodynamic constraint and a northward shift component understood through a regional 2D energetic perspective. We further attribute the robust northward shift of SAM circulation to positive cloud feedback over the Eurasia Continent and heat uptake in the Southern Ocean. A set of climate model simulations supports the finding that SAM rainfall increase is primarily due to the northward shift of circulation driven by extratropical processes. This energetic perspective opens new avenues for predicting monsoon rainfall by connecting circulation changes to radiative forcing, feedbacks, and ocean heat uptake.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2397-3722
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publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
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series npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
spelling doaj-art-ada0aabdb1f44dcd9689dc18a340decb2024-12-22T12:23:56ZengNature Portfolionpj Climate and Atmospheric Science2397-37222024-12-017111010.1038/s41612-024-00843-7Robust increase in South Asian monsoon rainfall under warming driven by extratropical clouds and oceanYong-Jhih Chen0Yen-Ting Hwang1Jian Lu2Department of Atmospheric Sciences, National Taiwan UniversityDepartment of Atmospheric Sciences, National Taiwan UniversityAtmospheric, Climate, and Earth Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National LaboratoryAbstract The responses of South Asian Monsoon (SAM) circulation under global warming are known to be highly uncertain, leading to the widespread of SAM rainfall projections among models. Here, we show that the uncertain SAM circulation in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 models consists of two robust components that partly offset each other: a weakening component linked to a global thermodynamic constraint and a northward shift component understood through a regional 2D energetic perspective. We further attribute the robust northward shift of SAM circulation to positive cloud feedback over the Eurasia Continent and heat uptake in the Southern Ocean. A set of climate model simulations supports the finding that SAM rainfall increase is primarily due to the northward shift of circulation driven by extratropical processes. This energetic perspective opens new avenues for predicting monsoon rainfall by connecting circulation changes to radiative forcing, feedbacks, and ocean heat uptake.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-024-00843-7
spellingShingle Yong-Jhih Chen
Yen-Ting Hwang
Jian Lu
Robust increase in South Asian monsoon rainfall under warming driven by extratropical clouds and ocean
npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
title Robust increase in South Asian monsoon rainfall under warming driven by extratropical clouds and ocean
title_full Robust increase in South Asian monsoon rainfall under warming driven by extratropical clouds and ocean
title_fullStr Robust increase in South Asian monsoon rainfall under warming driven by extratropical clouds and ocean
title_full_unstemmed Robust increase in South Asian monsoon rainfall under warming driven by extratropical clouds and ocean
title_short Robust increase in South Asian monsoon rainfall under warming driven by extratropical clouds and ocean
title_sort robust increase in south asian monsoon rainfall under warming driven by extratropical clouds and ocean
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-024-00843-7
work_keys_str_mv AT yongjhihchen robustincreaseinsouthasianmonsoonrainfallunderwarmingdrivenbyextratropicalcloudsandocean
AT yentinghwang robustincreaseinsouthasianmonsoonrainfallunderwarmingdrivenbyextratropicalcloudsandocean
AT jianlu robustincreaseinsouthasianmonsoonrainfallunderwarmingdrivenbyextratropicalcloudsandocean