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Simulated warm periods of climate over China during the last two millennia: The Sui‐Tang warm period versus the Song‐Yuan warm period
Author(s) -
Yan Qing,
Zhang Zhongshi,
Wang Huijun,
Jiang Dabang
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-8996
pISSN - 2169-897X
DOI - 10.1002/2014jd022941
Subject(s) - climatology , precipitation , china , period (music) , monsoon , climate change , environmental science , atmospheric sciences , geography , geology , meteorology , oceanography , physics , acoustics , archaeology
Abstract A 2000 year simulation forced by the external forcings of the last two millennia is carried out with the Community Earth System Model. We compare climate changes over China between the peak Sui‐Tang warm period (Sui‐TangWP; 650–700 A.D.) and Song‐Yuan warm period (Song‐YuanWP; 950–1000 A.D.), which were two key culturally, economically, and educationally prosperous eras in Chinese history. The simulation indicates warm conditions in both periods, but the warmth is mainly seen in East China in the peak Sui‐TangWP, and over the whole of China in the peak Song‐YuanWP. The warming in the peak Sui‐TangWP is attributed to the localized increase of atmospheric net energy with favorable heat transport, whereas the peak Song‐YuanWP results from the increase of global solar radiation. The annual mean precipitation anomalies in the peak Sui‐TangWP exhibit a meridional dipole pattern over East China, with enhanced precipitation in the region south of the Yangtze River and decreased precipitation to the north. In the peak Song‐YuanWP, the precipitation enhances over most parts of China. The precipitation anomalies are largely attributed to the water vapor transport anomalies associated with monsoon circulation changes. The simulated climate changes are broadly consistent with reconstructions, but the magnitude is greatly underestimated. Based on the simulation and reconstructions, we suggest that the Sui‐TangWP may have been a regional phenomenon in China, while the Song‐YuanWP was a reflection of global/hemispheric‐scale warm events that took place at the same time.