Detection of human influences on temperature seasonality from the nineteenth century

Duan, Jianping, Ma, Zhuguo, Wu, Peili, Xoplaki, Elena, Hegerl, Gabriele, Li, Lun, Schurer, Andrew, Guan, Dabo, Chen, Liang, Duan, Yawen and Luterbacher, Jürg (2019) Detection of human influences on temperature seasonality from the nineteenth century. Nature Sustainability, 2. pp. 484-490. ISSN 2398-9629

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Abstract

It has been widely reported that anthropogenic warming is detectable with high confidence after the 1950s. However, current palaeoclimate records suggest an earlier onset of industrial-era warming. Here, we combine observational data, multiproxy palaeo records and climate model simulations for a formal detection and attribution study. Instead of the traditional approach to the annual mean temperature change, we focus on changes in temperature seasonality (that is, the summer-minus-winter temperature difference) from the regional to whole Northern Hemisphere scales. We show that the detectable weakening of temperature seasonality, which started synchronously over the northern mid–high latitudes since the late nineteenth century, can be attributed to anthropogenic forcing. Increased greenhouse gas concentrations are the main contributors over northern high latitudes, while sulfate aerosols are the major contributors over northern mid-latitudes. A reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution is expected to mitigate the weakening of temperature seasonality and its potential ecological effects.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: ecology,global and planetary change,management, monitoring, policy and law,nature and landscape conservation,geography, planning and development,urban studies,renewable energy, sustainability and the environment,food science,sdg 7 - affordable and clean energy,sdg 13 - climate action ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2303
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Social Sciences > School of International Development
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Centres > Water Security Research Centre
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Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 11 Jun 2019 08:31
Last Modified: 22 Oct 2022 04:44
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/71306
DOI: 10.1038/s41893-019-0276-4

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