Global mean temperature changes during the last millennium

A synthetic study is made on the global or hemispheric mean temperature series for the last millennium worked out by Mann et al., Jones et al., Crowley and Lowery, and Briffa. The global mean temperature series reconstructed by using proxy data at 30 sites by Wang et al. and simulations from AD 1000 to 2000 by energy balance model are described and compared with the series of others. Wang's series gives greater variability and shows the highest correlation coefficient (0.83) with the simulation results. Uncertainties in the reconstructions and simulations are discussed. The errors in reconstructing a global mean temperature series according to 30 sites as used in the research are estimated. Wang's series indicate that temperature average for the 11th century is higher than the mean of the last millennium. It infers that the Medieval Warm Period predominated to some extent over the globe. However, the 20th century is no doubt the warmest century during the last millennium.     

Reconstruction of temperature series in China for the last 5000 years

A temperature series with a 100 year resolution for the last 5000 years in China has been reconstructed by using 31 long-term temperature proxy series selected from recent publications in the last 20 years. The proxy records include pollens, stalagmites, lake-sediments, peat, ice cores and historical documents. The result reveals that in the millennial scale temperature variation it was warm in 3050-250 BC and it was cold in 250 BC-1950 AD. In the above two periods there were many stages of sub-scale temperature fluctuations. The result also shows an obvious temperature discrepancy on the century to multi-century scale between the Eastern Monsoon Region, the Qinghai-Tibet Region and the Northwestern Region in 2850 BC, 2350 BC, 1350 BC, 950-350 BC, 50-250 AD, and 550 AD. A comparison between the reconstructed series of this paper and some North Hemisphere temperature series indicates that in the long-term scale change, the temperature change in China is in phrase with that of the Northern Hemisphere during the last 5000 years, while on the century to multi-century scale there are differences at the beginning and end times, which may imply that temperature change does not occur simultaneously in different regions.     

Atmospheric oscillations over the last millennium

The variations of global atmospheric oscillations over the last millennium, including the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the North Pacific Oscillation (NPO) highly associated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), the Southern Oscillation (SO) and the Antarctic Oscillation (AAO), are studied and compared in this paper based on observations and reconstructed data. The cross correlation analysis of AAO, NAO and NPO shows that there is no significant relationship on interannual variation among them. However, the consistency on decadal variability is prominent. During A.D.1920–1940 and A.D.1980–2000, the positive (strong) phase was dominant and the negative (weak) one noticeable during A.D.1940–1980. In addition, the reconstructed atmospheric oscillations series demonstrate that the positive phase existed in the early of the last millennium for NAO and in the late of the last millennium for AAO, respectively; while it occurred in the mid-late of the last millennium for PDO and ENSO.     

Simulation of the climatic effects of natural forcings during the pre-industrial era

The MPM-2,an Earth system model of intermediate complexity,is employed to study the climate sys-tem response to natural forcings during the pre-industrial era (1000-1800 AD),with a special focus on the surface air temperature (SAT) evolution. Solar radiation and volcanism are the primary natural forcings during this period. In the MPM-2,the solar radiation forcing determines the long-term trend of the climate system change,and the volcanic forcing intensifies (weakens) this trend. Ultimately,the combination of solar and volcanic forcings dominates the long-term changes of the climate system. These results are in good agreement with other model data or temperature reconstructions. Natural forcings can well explain the Little Ice Age (LIA) and the Medieval Warm Period (MWP). At the large regional scale,the SAT response to natural forcings is almost coincident with that of the Northern Hemisphere. Based on MPM-2 model results,it is concluded that the global climate gradually became cold during the pre-industrial era. However,MPM-2 model results substantially correlate with recon-structed solar and volcanic forcings. Namely,to some great extent,these results strongly rely on the forcing series data we choose. Therefore,in order to accurately simulate the secular variation of the historical climate,it is very important to reconstruct well the solar radiation change and volcanic forc-ing data are well reconstructed for the past 10000 years,at least for the past 2000 years,in addition to the model improvements. The sensitivity study on the abrupt solar radiation change indicates that the increased solar radiation not only strengthens the nonlinear response of SAT,but intensifies the global hydrological cycle. At the same time,the biosphere is also affected obviously.     

Reconstruction and analysis of time series of ENSO for the last 500 years

This paper reports the classification of ENSO into seven categories according to annual (March to February of next year) mean SST of Ni(n)o 3.4 and composite index (ΔI) for the period of 1861～2000. Categories +3, +2, and +1 denote very strong, strong and weak warm episodes (E), -3, -2, and -1 mean very strong, strong and weak cold episodes (A). Absolute SST anomalies are about 1.5 ℃, 1.0 ℃ and 0.5 ℃ respectively for the categories 3, 2, and 1 (or -3, -2, and -1). The normal years are expressed as category 0. Annual categories of ENSO are estimated on the basis of proxy data from AD 1501 to 1860. And a series of ENSO category is established for the period of 1501～2000 in conjunction with the observational data. Comparison of proxy data with observations for 1874～1973 indicates that about 80% of the El Ni(n)o years and La Ni(n)a years can be reconstructed from proxy data, and the reliability of the reconstruction is verified. Analysis of the power spectrum of the reconstructed ENSO series shows significant peaks at QBO, 3～4a (year), 5～6a, and 10a period, the former three are in accordance with the observations for the last 100 years or more. Studies on long term variability of ENSO indicates that ENSO frequency is relatively stationary during the last 500 years, including the Little Ice Age (LIA) (1550～1850) and Modern Warming Period (the 20th century). However, the frequency of E is a little higher in the 20th century and that of A is somewhat higher during the LIA.     

Characteristics of decadal-centennial-scale changes in East Asian summer monsoon circulation and precipitation during the Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age and in the present day

Using meteorological observations, proxies of precipitation and temperature, and climate simulation outputs, we synthetically analyzed the regularities of decadal-centennial-scale changes in the summer thermal contrast between land and ocean and summer precipitation over the East Asian monsoon region during the past millennium; compared the basic characteristics of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) circulation and precipitation in the present day, the Little Ice Age (LIA) and the Medieval Warm Period (MWP); and explored their links with solar irradiance and global climate change. The results indicate that over the last 150 years, the EASM circulation and precipitation, indicated by the temperature contrast between the East Asian mainland and adjacent oceans, had a significant decadal perturbation and have been weaker during the period of rapid global warming over the past 50 years. On the centennial time scale, the EASM in the MWP was strongest over the past 1000 years. Over the past 1000 years, the EASM was weakest in 1450-1570. When the EASM circulation was weaker, the monsoon rain belt over eastern China was generally located more southward, with there being less precipitation in North China and more precipitation in the Yangtze River valley; therefore, there was an anomalous pattern of southern flood/northern drought. From the 1900s to 1920s, precipitation had a pat- tern opposite to that of the southern flood/northern drought, with there being less precipitation in the Yangtze River valley and more precipitation in North China. Compared with the case for the MWP, there was a longer-time-scale southern flood/northern drought phenomenon in 1400-1600. Moreover, the EASM circulation and precipitation did not synchronously vary with the trend of global temperature. During the last 150 years, although the annual mean surface temperature around the world and in China has increased, the EASM circulation and precipitation did not have strengthening or weakening trends. Over the past 1000 years, the weakest EASM occurred ahead of the lowest Northern Hemispheric temperature and corresponded to the weakest solar irradiance.     

A comparison of the Medieval Warm Period, Little Ice Age and 20th century warming simulated by the FGOALS climate system model

To compare differences among the Medieval Warm Period (MWP), Little Ice Age (LIA), and 20th century global warming (20CW), six sets of transient and equilibrium simulations were generated using the climate system model FGOALS_gl. This model was developed by the State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The results indicate that MWP warming is evident on a global scale, except for at mid-l...     

Reconstruction of the past 1000-a temperature in Canada based on pollen data

Reconstructions of past climate based on pollen data have formed a robust approach and produced a great of products in time scales from a millennium to ten millenniums. However, it is an attempt for reconstruction of the past decade-century climate in the Global Change field. This note reports a reconstruction of the past 1000-a temperature in a 50-a scale in Canada based on pollen data. Because there were little human activities during the last 1000 years in North America, the climate in the period mainly responded to natural changes. The reconstruction of a natural-forcing change in the climate can provide a basis to recognize the climate changes impacted from human activities in China. The technique of modern analogue can be implemented to reconstruct the past millennium climate in China.     

中国中世纪暖期温度的时空变化特征

采用全球海气耦合模式ECHO-G的1000个模式年的长积分气候模拟方法分析了中国中世纪暖期温度的存在性与时空变化特征.结果表明：中国的中世纪暖期出现在公元1000—1250年间,但它不是一个持续稳定的暖期,而是存在峰谷起伏变化,其中最暖的30年（中世纪暖期鼎盛期）出现在1131—1160年.中世纪暖期中国的年平均和冬、夏季平均温度距平变幅西部最大,东部最小.其鼎盛期中国的温度距平相对于千年温度都是正值,中国东部的增温幅度由南向北逐渐加大,变幅为0.4℃—0.8℃,而中国西部的增温呈Ω型分布,且随着海拔高度的增加,增温幅度逐渐加大,最大增温达2.0℃—2.2℃.     

中国东部季风区小冰期干湿变化及影响机制

通过对已发表的中国东部季风区小冰期气候重建结果和全球不同气候模式的对比分析,探讨我国季风区小冰期的气候干湿响应模式.本文认为:中国季风区小冰期的干湿变化受到西伯利亚冷高压的影响,华北和东北受影响最大,而中部和南部季风区变化机制更为复杂;我国季风区的小冰期存在以秦岭淮河(约34°N)为大致分界的北部冷干和南部冷湿模式,这种模式在千年或更长的时间尺度上的存在性,需要更多高分辨率的古气候资料以及模拟数据进行探讨.     

Key points on temperature change of the past 2000 years in China

Itisimportanttostudythetemperaturechangeduringthepast 2 0 0 0 yearsforunderstandingtheis suessuchasthegreenhouseeffectandglobalwarminginducedbyhumanactivities .Chinahasadvantagesinreconstructinghistoricalclimatechangeforitsabun dantdocumentedhistoricalrecordsandothernaturalevidenceobtainedfromtreerings ,lakesediments ,icecores ,andstalagmite .SinceDr .Chulaidafounda tiononthestudyoftemperaturechangeinChinaforthepast 5 0 0 0 years[1] ,significantprogressinthestudyoftemperaturechangeofthepast 2…     

Reconstruction of sea surface temperature series in the last 220 years by use of reef corals in Xisha waters, South China Sea

On the basis of construction of the growth rate thermometers by use ofPorites Iutea from the northern part of the South China Sea and the hindcast sea surface temperature (SST) in the last 100 years, we reconstructed the SST series in the past 220 years in the Xisha waters and analyzed the characteristics of the climatic change of that period. The results show that the low and high SST changes in the last 220 years in the Xisha waters appeared in the stage and the quasi-periodic variation within the century scale. The range of annual SST variation in the interage was increasing. The SST values were slightly rising during the last 100 years.     

Simulated and reconstructed winter temperature in the eastern China during the last millennium

Since the 1990s, under the auspicious impetus of two international research programs, the “Past Global Changes” (PAGES) and the “Climate Variability and Pre- dictability” (CLIVAR), massive research work has been carried out on climate and environment changes over the past 2000 years[1-3]. But majority of the studies has been centered on obtaining various kinds of climatic proxy data (such as historical documents, tree rings, ice cores, lake cores) and focused on the reconstruction of…     

Decadal-scale precipitation variations in arid and semiarid zones of northern China during the last 500 years

Regional decadal precipitation reconstructions for the arid and semi-arid zones of northern China were established by the use of different palaeoclimate archives such as ice-cores, tree-rings, lake sediments and written historical documents. Local rainfall reconstructions from single sites were averaged to obtain regional precipitation records for western and eastern regions of an arid and semiarid zone of northern China, respectively. All established regional precipitation curves display 5 dry periods, each lasting about 50 years. Meanwhile, precipitation reconstructions show regional dissimilarities. During the last 500 years, the trends of precipitation change in the eastern arid region are basically consistent with those in the western and eastern regions of the semiarid zone. Precipitation variations in the western arid region are unique, showing significant local patterns of rainfall variability. Maximum entropy method (MEM) spectral estimates show that each regional precipitation series contains stationary century-scale periodicities of about 120 a.Singular spectrum analysis was applied to isolating the century-scale oscillation signals from the regional proxy precipitation series. Significant periods with wavelengths of 121.4a, 154.6a, 124.3a, 118.6a, 108.5a and 121.4a were found 26.56%, 26.44%, 28.87%, 18.67%, 33.48% and 34.04% of the variances of the original series for the western arid zone,the eastern arid zone, the whole arid zone, the western semiarid zone, the eastern semiarid zone and whole northern China, respectively.     

1470年～2000年长江中下游夏半年干湿变化的频谱分析

以长江中下游地区8个代表性站点1470年～2000年的旱涝等级资料和1951年～2000年5～9月的器测降水量数据为基础,采用EOF、滑动t检验、小波分析等统计技术,对1470年～2000年长江中下游地区干湿演变的时空特征进行了分析.结果表明:(1)旱涝等级资料能够准确表达该区域干湿演变的时空特征;(2)前3个主要模态——全区一致、东西相反、南北相反,基本上反映了该区域干湿变化的主要特征,其中第一模态解释了42.3%的方差;(3)在30年的时间尺度上,区域干湿突变均出现在1850s以前,1550s、1740s,1820s,1837s由干转湿,1620s、1520s和1850s由湿转干,近50a是过去500a中年际气候变率最大的时段;(4)干湿演变的主要周期是117a、40a、30a、18a、5a和2～3a,除了18年和2～3a的周期震荡强弱变化不明显外,其余的周期信号强弱均在18世纪温暖时段前后出现了明显变化.这也意味着,19世纪的寒冷时段并非是17世纪寒冷时段的循环再现,这两个寒冷时段存在着一定的差异.     

中国百年乡土教材演变述评

依据大量散见的史料,进行系统的梳理分析,将中国百年乡土教材的发端、演变脉络总结为三个时期五次高峰期,认为中国乡土教材源于舶来成于传统;伴随于乡土教育运动;适应于教育改革运动,普及面广而作用为补充;存在着有发展空间无实施保证、体系上与学校教育的其他内容相对脱节、其功能作用或被夸大或被忽视、缺乏相应的师资、相应理论建设不够、一直没有得到有效总结等局限。     

中国北方中部地区近五十年气温和降水的变化趋势

基于中国北方中部地区150个气象站点的气象数据,对该地区近50年来气温和降水量的倾向率及其空间分布运用线性趋势分析和空间插值等方法进行分析.结果表明:该地区气温在近50年呈现出整体上升趋势,且2月份的升温最为显著;气温变化趋势的分布格局上,东南部升温速率较西北部低;平均最低气温上升趋势明显,对气温升高的贡献率较大;降水量呈下降趋势,下降区域主要集中在35~40°N之间,且主要与7、8月份降水量减少有关.     

Estimation on the response of glaciers in China to the global warming in the 21st century

Glaciers in China can be categorized into 3 types, i.e. the maritime (temperate) type, sub-continental (sub-polar) type and extreme Continental (polar) type, which take 22%, 46% and 32% of the total existing glacier area (59 406 km2) respectively. Researches indicate that glaciers of the three types show different response patterns to the global warming. Since the Maxima of the Little Ice Age (the 17th century), air temperature has risen at a magnitude of 1.3℃on average and the glacier area decreased corresponds to 20% of the present total glacier area in western China. it is estimated that air temperature rise in the 2030s, 2070s and 2100s will be of the order of 0.4-1.2, 1.2-2.7 and 2.1-4.0 K in western China. With these scenarios, glaciers in China will suffer from further shrinkage by 12%, 28% and 45% by the 2030s, 2070s and 2100s. The uncertainties may account for 30%-67% in 2100 in China.