Data Spotlight: Projecting Alaska Snowpack Response to Climate Change Release Date:
Snow: More than just a Weather Phenomena
Figure 1. Snow Telemetry (SNOTEL, 21 total) and snowcourse sites (170 total) used in this study, 13 Alaska climate divisions (black boundaries), and 1970–1999 historical snowfall equivalent (SFE).
(Public domain.)
Snow is an iconic and integral part of the Alaskan landscape, serving many functions to both the people and wildlife that live there. Snow provides crucial habitat for species such as the native Alaskan snowshoe hare, wolverine, and lynx, and plant life is affected by the timing of the onset and end of the snow season. Glaciers, which are the result of centuries of snow accumulation and compaction, harbor snowfields that melt later than other snow and contribute to streamflow important to resident and migratory fish. Local hydroelectric power systems, recreation-seekers, and transportation infrastructure all rely on accurate prediction
Many studies have sought to constrain climate projections based on recent observations. Until recently, these constraints had limited impact, and projected warming ranges were driven primarily by model outputs. Here, we use the newest climate model ensemble, improved observations, and a new statistical method to narrow uncertainty on estimates of past and future human-induced warming. Cross-validation suggests that our method produces robust results and is not overconfident. We derive consistent observationally constrained estimates of attributable warming to date and warming rate, the response to a range of future scenarios, and metrics of climate sensitivity. We find that historical observations narrow uncertainty on projected future warming by about 50%. Our results suggest that using an unconstrained multimodel ensemble is no longer the best choice for global mean temperature projections and that the lower end of previous estimates of 21st century warming can now be excluded.
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The frequency and intensity of extreme weather conditions and climate events have significantly affected both human life and the natural environment.
(Photo : Photo by Macau Photo Agency on Unsplash)
A taxi rides under heavy rain that is causing flooding in Macau, China
Holding capacity for atmospheric water vapor has been increasing due to global warming, and that leads to the escalation of water and/or energy circulation. That causes noticeable changes in the occurrence of precipitation extremes.
A recent study by Dr. Qin Peihua and his colleagues from the IAP or the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinse Academy of Sciences investigates precipitation extremes in modern-day China using the RegCM4 regional climate model and GC or the Global Climate Models. The two models took part in the CMIP5 or the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5.
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