Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of doubled carbon dioxide on rainfall responses to large-scale forcing: A two-dimensional cloud-resolving modeling study

  • Published:
Advances in Atmospheric Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Rainfall responses to doubled atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration were investigated through the analysis of two pairs of two-dimensional cloud-resolving model sensitivity experiments. One pair of experiments simulated pre-summer heavy rainfall over southern China around the summer solstice, whereas the other pair of experiments simulated tropical rainfall around the winter solstice. The analysis of the time and model domain mean heat budget revealed that the enhanced local atmospheric warming was associated with doubled carbon dioxide through the weakened infrared radiative cooling during the summer solstice. The weakened mean pre-summer rainfall corresponded to the weakened mean infrared radiative cooling. Doubled carbon dioxide increased the mean tropical atmospheric warming via the enhanced mean latent heat in correspondence with the strengthened mean infrared radiative cooling during the winter solstice. The enhanced mean tropical rainfall was associated with the increased mean latent heat.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bazzaz, F. A., 1990: The response of natural ecosystems to the rising global CO2 levels. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 21, 167–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, G. and I. M. Held, 2007: Phase speed spectra and the recent poleward shift of Southern Hemisphere surface westerlies. Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L21805, doi: 10.1029/2007GL031200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Churchill, D. D., and R. A. Houze Jr., 1984: Development and structure of winter monsoon cloud clusters on 10 December 1978. J. Atmos. Sci., 41, 933–960.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cui, X. P., and X. F. Li, 2006: Role of surface evaporation in surface rainfall processes. J. Geophys. Res., 111, D17112, doi: 10.1029/2005JD006876.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Emori, S., and S. J. Brown, 2005: Dynamic and thermodynamic changes in mean and extreme precipitation under changed climate. Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, doi: 10.1029/2005GL023272.

  • Feng, L., T. J. Zhou, B. Wu, T. Li, and J.-J. Luo, 2011: Projection of future precipitation change over China with a highresolution global atmospheric model. Adv. Atmos. Sci., 28, 464–476, doi: 10.1007/s00376-010-0016-1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fields, P. A., J. B. Graham, R. H. Rosenblatt, and G. N. Somero, 1993: Effects of expected global climate change on marine faunas. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 8, 361–367.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Folland, C. K., and Coauthors, 2001: Global temperature change and its uncertainties since 1861. Geophys. Res. Lett., 28, 2621–2624.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao, S. T., and X. F. Li, 2008: Cloud-resolving Modeling of Convective Processes. Springer, Dordrecht, 206 pp.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Gao, S. T., and X. F. Li, 2010: Precipitation equations and their applications to the analysis of diurnal variation of tropical oceanic rainfall. J. Geophys. Res., 115, D08204, doi: 10.1029/2009JD012452.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gao, S. T., X. P. Cui, Y. S. Zhou, and X. F. Li, 2005: Surface rainfall processes as simulated in a cloudresolving model. J. Geophys. Res., 110, D10202, doi: 10.1029/2004JD005467.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IPCC, 2001: Climate Change 2001: The Scientific Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Third Assessment Report of International Panel on Climate Change, Houghton et al., Eds., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge and New York, 572 pp.

  • IPCC, 2007: Climate Change 2007: Mitigation of Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, B. Metz et al., Eds., Geneva, Switzerland, 852 pp.

  • Jones, P. D., and A. Moberg, 2003: Hemispheric and large-scale surface air temperature variations: An extensive revision and an update to 2001. J. Climate, 16, 206–223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kharin, V. V., and F. W. Zwiers, 2005: Estimating extremes in transient climate change simulations. J. Climate, 18, 1156–1173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, H. M., L. Feng, and T. J. Zhou, 2011: Multi-model projection of July–August climate extreme changes over China under CO2doubling. Part I: Precipitation. Adv. Atmos. Sci., 28, 433–447, doi: 10.1007/s00376-010-0013-4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, X. F., and S. T. Gao, 2011: Precipitation Modeling and Quantitative Analysis. Springer Dordrecht, 240 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, X. F., C.-H. Sui, K.-M. Lau, and M.-D. Chou, 1999: Largescale forcing and cloud-radiation interaction in the tropical deep convective regime J. Atmos. Sci., 56, 3028–3042.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, X. F, C.-H. Sui, and K.-M. Lau, 2002a: Interactions between tropical convection and its environment: An energetics analysis of a 2D cloud resolving simulation. J. Atmos. Sci., 59, 1712–1722.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, X. F., C.-H. Sui, and K.-M. Lau, 2002b: Dominant cloud microphysical processes in a tropical oceanic convective system: A 2-D cloud resolving modeling study. Mon. Wea. Rev., 130, 2481–2491.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manabe, S., and R. T. Wetherald, 1975: The effects of doubling the CO2 concentration on the climate of a general circulation model. J. Atmos. Sci., 32, 3–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meehl, G. A., J. M. Arblaster, and C. Tebaldi, 2005: Understanding future patterns of increased precipitation intensity in climate model simulations. Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, doi: 10.1029/2005GL023680.

  • Shen, X. Y., Y. Wang, N. Zhang, and X. F. Li, 2010: Precipitation and cloud statistics in the deep tropical convective regime. J. Geophys. Res., 115, D24205, doi: 10.1029/2010JD014481.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shen, X. Y., Y. Wang, and X. F. Li, 2011a: Radiative effects of water clouds on rainfall responses to the large-scale forcing during pre-summer heavy rainfall over southern China. Atmospheric Research, 99, 120–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shen, X. Y., Y. Wang, and X. F. Li, 2011b: Effects of vertical wind shear and cloud radiative processes on responses of rainfall to the large-scale forcing during pre-summer heavy rainfall over southern China. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 137, 236–249.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shen, X. Y., N. Zhang, and X. F. Li, 2011c: Effects of largescale forcing and ice clouds on pre-summer heavy rainfall over southern China in June 2008: A partitioning analysis based on surface rainfall budget. Atmospheric Research, 101, 155–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shen, X. Y., J. Liu, and X. F. Li, 2012a: Evaluation of convectivestratiform rainfall separation schemes by precipitation and cloud statistics. Journal of Tropical Meteorology, 18, 98–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shen, X., J. Liu, and X. Li, 2012b: Torrential rainfall responses to ice microphysical processes during pre-summer heavy rainfall over southern China. Adv. Atmos. Sci., 29, 493–500, doi: 10.1007/s00376-011-1122-4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tao, W.-K., J. Simpson, C.-H. Sui, B. Ferrier, S. Lang, J. Scala, M.-D. Chou and K. Pickering, 1993: Heating, moisture and water budgets of tropical and midlatitude squall lines: Comparisons and sensitivity to longwave radiation. J. Atmos. Sci., 50, 673–690.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tao, W.-K., S. Lang, J. Simpson, C.-H. Sui, B. Ferrier, and M.-D. Chou, 1996: Mechanisms of cloud-radiation interaction in the tropics and midlatitudes. J. Atmos. Sci., 53, 2624–2651.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tebaldi, C., K. Hayhoe, J. M. Arblaster, and G. A. Meehl, 2006: Going to the extremes: An intercomparison of modelsimulated historical and future changes in extreme events. Climatic Change, 79, 185–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vecchi, G. A. and B. J. Soden, 2007: Global warming and the weakening of the tropical circulation. J. Climate, 20, 4316–4340.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y., X. Y. Shen, and X. F. Li, 2010: Microphysical and radiative effects of ice clouds on responses of rainfall to the largescale forcing during pre-summer heavy rainfall over southern China. Atmospheric Research, 97, 35–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weller, R. A., and S. P. Anderson, 1996: Surface meteorology and air-sea fluxes in the western equatorial Pacific warm pool during the TOGA Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment. J. Climate, 9, 1959–1990.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, Y. T., R. Seager, M. F. Ting, N. Naik, and T. A. Shaw, 2012: Atmospheric circulation response to an instantaneous doubling of carbon dioxide. Part I: Model experiments and transient thermal response in the troposphere. J. Climate, 8, 2862–2879.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China

    Xiaofan Li

  2. Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster of the Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China

    Xinyong Shen & Jia Liu

Authors
  1. Xiaofan Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xinyong Shen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jia Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiaofan Li.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Li, X., Shen, X. & Liu, J. Effects of doubled carbon dioxide on rainfall responses to large-scale forcing: A two-dimensional cloud-resolving modeling study. Adv. Atmos. Sci. 31, 525–531 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-013-3030-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-013-3030-2

Key words

Search

Navigation