Ocean surface energy balance allows a constraint on the sensitivity of precipitation to global warming.

ABSTRACT: Climate models generally predict higher precipitation in a future warmer climate. Whether the precipitation intensification occurred in response to historical warming continues to be a subject of debate. Here, using observations of the ocean surface energy balance as a hydrological constraint, we find that historical warming intensified precipitation at a rate of 0.68 ± 0.51% K^-1, which is slightly higher than the multi-model mean calculation for the historical climate (0.38 ± 1.18% K^-1). The reduction in ocean surface albedo associated with melting of sea ice is a positive contributor to the precipitation temperature sensitivity. On the other hand, the observed increase in ocean heat storage weakens the historical precipitation. In this surface energy balance framewo

SUBMITTER: Wang W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8035209 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature