Future large-scale atmospheric circulation changes and Greenland precipitation

Abstract In this work, we examine connections between patterns of future Greenland precipitation and large-scale atmospheric circulation changes over the Northern Hemisphere. In the last three decades of the 21st century, CMIP5 and CMIP6 ensemble mean precipitation significantly decreases over the n...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Baojuan Huai, Minghu Ding, Michiel R. van den Broeke, Carleen H. Reijmer, Brice Noël, Weijun Sun, Yetang Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-01-01
Series:npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-025-00899-z
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1841544867174416384
author Baojuan Huai
Minghu Ding
Michiel R. van den Broeke
Carleen H. Reijmer
Brice Noël
Weijun Sun
Yetang Wang
author_facet Baojuan Huai
Minghu Ding
Michiel R. van den Broeke
Carleen H. Reijmer
Brice Noël
Weijun Sun
Yetang Wang
author_sort Baojuan Huai
collection DOAJ
description Abstract In this work, we examine connections between patterns of future Greenland precipitation and large-scale atmospheric circulation changes over the Northern Hemisphere. In the last three decades of the 21st century, CMIP5 and CMIP6 ensemble mean precipitation significantly decreases over the northern part of the North Atlantic Ocean with respect to 1951–1980. This drying signal extends from the ocean to the southeastern margin of Greenland. The 500 hPa geopotential height change shows a clear pattern including a widespread increase across the Arctic with a negative anomaly centered over Iceland and surrounding regions. To identify the mechanisms linking atmospheric circulation variability with Greenland precipitation, we perform a singular value decomposition (SVD) and center of action (COA) analysis. We find that a northeastward shift of the Icelandic Low (IL) under the SSP5‐8.5 warming scenario leads to the drying signal found in southeast Greenland. This implies that the IL location will have a strong influence on precipitation changes over southeast Greenland in the future, impacting projections of Greenland ice sheet surface mass balance.
format Article
id doaj-art-e9c42800e2f84b4ea2c995416f6a0b1b
institution Kabale University
issn 2397-3722
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
spelling doaj-art-e9c42800e2f84b4ea2c995416f6a0b1b2025-01-12T12:13:29ZengNature Portfolionpj Climate and Atmospheric Science2397-37222025-01-018111110.1038/s41612-025-00899-zFuture large-scale atmospheric circulation changes and Greenland precipitationBaojuan Huai0Minghu Ding1Michiel R. van den Broeke2Carleen H. Reijmer3Brice Noël4Weijun Sun5Yetang Wang6College of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal UniversityState Key Laboratory of Severe Weather, Chinese Academy of Meteorological SciencesInstitute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, Utrecht UniversityInstitute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, Utrecht UniversityLaboratory of Climatology and Topoclimatology, Department of Geography, University of LiègeCollege of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal UniversityCollege of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal UniversityAbstract In this work, we examine connections between patterns of future Greenland precipitation and large-scale atmospheric circulation changes over the Northern Hemisphere. In the last three decades of the 21st century, CMIP5 and CMIP6 ensemble mean precipitation significantly decreases over the northern part of the North Atlantic Ocean with respect to 1951–1980. This drying signal extends from the ocean to the southeastern margin of Greenland. The 500 hPa geopotential height change shows a clear pattern including a widespread increase across the Arctic with a negative anomaly centered over Iceland and surrounding regions. To identify the mechanisms linking atmospheric circulation variability with Greenland precipitation, we perform a singular value decomposition (SVD) and center of action (COA) analysis. We find that a northeastward shift of the Icelandic Low (IL) under the SSP5‐8.5 warming scenario leads to the drying signal found in southeast Greenland. This implies that the IL location will have a strong influence on precipitation changes over southeast Greenland in the future, impacting projections of Greenland ice sheet surface mass balance.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-025-00899-z
spellingShingle Baojuan Huai
Minghu Ding
Michiel R. van den Broeke
Carleen H. Reijmer
Brice Noël
Weijun Sun
Yetang Wang
Future large-scale atmospheric circulation changes and Greenland precipitation
npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
title Future large-scale atmospheric circulation changes and Greenland precipitation
title_full Future large-scale atmospheric circulation changes and Greenland precipitation
title_fullStr Future large-scale atmospheric circulation changes and Greenland precipitation
title_full_unstemmed Future large-scale atmospheric circulation changes and Greenland precipitation
title_short Future large-scale atmospheric circulation changes and Greenland precipitation
title_sort future large scale atmospheric circulation changes and greenland precipitation
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-025-00899-z
work_keys_str_mv AT baojuanhuai futurelargescaleatmosphericcirculationchangesandgreenlandprecipitation
AT minghuding futurelargescaleatmosphericcirculationchangesandgreenlandprecipitation
AT michielrvandenbroeke futurelargescaleatmosphericcirculationchangesandgreenlandprecipitation
AT carleenhreijmer futurelargescaleatmosphericcirculationchangesandgreenlandprecipitation
AT bricenoel futurelargescaleatmosphericcirculationchangesandgreenlandprecipitation
AT weijunsun futurelargescaleatmosphericcirculationchangesandgreenlandprecipitation
AT yetangwang futurelargescaleatmosphericcirculationchangesandgreenlandprecipitation