Journal
CLIMATE DYNAMICS
Volume 34, Issue 6, Pages 859-872Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s00382-009-0564-1
Keywords
Climate change; High elevation; Tibetan Plateau; Global climate model; Specific humidity; Downward longwave
Categories
Funding
- NJ Agricultural Experiment Station [32103]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
We examine trends in climate variables and their interrelationships over the Tibetan Plateau using global climate model simulations to elucidate the mechanisms for the pattern of warming observed over the plateau during the latter half of the twentieth century and to investigate the warming trend during the twenty-first century under the SRES A1B scenario. Our analysis suggests a 4A degrees C warming over the plateau between 1950 and 2100. The largest warming rates occur during winter and spring. For the 1961-2000 period, the simulated warming is similar to the observed trend over the plateau. Moreover, the largest warming occurs at the highest elevation sites between 1950 and 2100. We find that increases in (1) downward longwave radiation (DLR) influenced by increases in surface specific humidity (q), and (2) absorbed solar radiation (ASR) influenced by decreases in snow cover extent are, in part, the reason for a large warming trend over the plateau, particularly during winter and spring. Furthermore, elevation-based increases in DLR (influenced by q) and ASR (influenced by snow cover and atmospheric aerosols) appear to affect the elevation dependent warming trend simulated in the model.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available