Observed trends in clouds and precipitation (1983–2009): implications for their cause(s)

Zhong, Xiang; Liu, Shaw Chen; Liu, Run; Wang, Xinlu; Mo, Jiajia; Li, Yanzi

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-4899-2021

Articles | Volume 21, issue 6

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-4899-2021

© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-4899-2021

© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 21, issue 6

Research article

|

30 Mar 2021

Research article |

| 30 Mar 2021

Observed trends in clouds and precipitation (1983–2009): implications for their cause(s)

Xiang Zhong, Shaw Chen Liu, Run Liu, Xinlu Wang, Jiajia Mo, and Yanzi Li

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-4899-2021-supplement

Data sets

Cloud Properties from ISCCP and PATMOS-x Corrected for Spurious Variability Related to Changes in Satellite Orbits, Instrument Calibrations, and Other Factors J. R. Norris and A. T. Evan https://doi.org/10.5065/D62J68XR

Pacific interdecadal climate oscillation with impacts on salmon production (https://psl.noaa.gov/gcos_wgsp/Timeseries/PDO/) N. J. Mantua, S. R. Hare, Y. Zhang, J. M. Wallace, and R. C. Francis https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0477(1997)078<1069:APICOW>2.0.CO;2

The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation and its relationship to rainfall and river flows in the continental U.S. (https://psl.noaa.gov/data/timeseries/AMO/) D. B. Enfield, A. M. Mestas-Nunez, and P. J. Trimble https://doi.org/10.1029/2000GL012745

Global analyses of sea surface temperature, sea ice, and night marine air temperature since the late nineteenth century (https://psl.noaa.gov/gcos_wgsp/Timeseries/Nino34/) N. A. Rayner, D. E. Parker, E. B. Horton, C. K. Folland, L. V. Alexander, D. P. Rowell, E. C. Kent, and A. Kaplan https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JD002670

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Short summary

The distributions of linear trends in total cloud cover and precipitation in 1983–2009 are both characterized by a broadening of the major ascending zone of Hadley circulation around the Maritime Continent. The broadening is driven primarily by the moisture–convection–latent-heat feedback cycle under global warming conditions. Contribution by other climate oscillations is secondary. The reduction of total cloud cover in China in 1957–2005 is driven by the same mechanism.