Precipitation scaling with temperature in warm and cold climates: an analysis of CMIP5 simulations

Li, G., Harrison, S. P. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5687-1903, Izumi, K. and Prentice, I. C. (2013) Precipitation scaling with temperature in warm and cold climates: an analysis of CMIP5 simulations. Geophysical Research Letters, 40 (15). pp. 4018-4024. ISSN 0094-8276 doi: 10.1002/grl.50730

Abstract/Summary

We investigate the scaling between precipitation and temperature changes in warm and cold climates using six models that have simulated the response to both increased CO2 and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) boundary conditions. Globally, precipitation increases in warm climates and decreases in cold climates by between 1.5%/°C and 3%/°C. Precipitation sensitivity to temperature changes is lower over the land than over the ocean and lower over the tropical land than over the extratropical land, reflecting the constraint of water availability. The wet tropics get wetter in warm climates and drier in cold climates, but the changes in dry areas differ among models. Seasonal changes of tropical precipitation in a warmer world also reflect this “rich get richer” syndrome. Precipitation seasonality is decreased in the cold-climate state. The simulated changes in precipitation per degree temperature change are comparable to the observed changes in both the historical period and the LGM.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/33668
Identification Number/DOI	10.1002/grl.50730
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Interdisciplinary Research Centres (IDRCs) > Walker Institute Science > School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science > Earth Systems Science Science > School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science > Department of Geography and Environmental Science Interdisciplinary centres and themes > Centre for Past Climate Change
Uncontrolled Keywords	global water cycle; precipitation scaling; Clausius-Clapeyron relationship; evaporation; land-surface model; paleoclimate reconstructions
Publisher	American Geophysical Union
Download/View statistics	View download statistics for this item