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Earlier green‐up and spring warming amplification over Europe
Author(s) -
Ma Shaoxiu,
Pitman Andy J.,
Lorenz Ruth,
Kala Jatin,
Srbinovsky Jhan
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2016gl068062
Subject(s) - spring (device) , environmental science , climatology , northern hemisphere , climate change , global warming , biogeochemical cycle , southern hemisphere , heat wave , atmospheric sciences , climate model , phenology , latitude , geology , oceanography , ecology , mechanical engineering , geodesy , engineering , biology
The onset of green‐up of plants has advanced in response to climate change. This advance has the potential to affect heat waves via biogeochemical and biophysical processes. Here a climate model was used to investigate only the biophysical feedbacks of earlier green‐up on climate as the biogeochemical feedbacks have been well addressed. Earlier green‐up by 5 to 30 days amplifies spring warming in Europe, especially heat waves, but makes few differences to heat waves in summer. This spring warming is most noticeable within 30 days of advanced green‐up and is associated with a decrease in low‐ and middle‐layer clouds and associated increases of downward short wave and net radiation. We find negligible differences in the Southern Hemisphere and low latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Our results provide an estimate of the level of skill necessary in phenology models to avoid introducing biases in climate simulations.