Skip navigation

Seasonal climatic effects and feedbacks of anthropogenic heat release due to global energy consumption with CAM5

Seasonal climatic effects and feedbacks of anthropogenic heat release due to global energy consumption with CAM5

Chen, Bing, Wu, C., Liu, X., Chen, L., Wu, Jian, Yang, H., Luo, Tao, Wu, Xue, Jiang, Yiquan, Jiang, Lei, Brown, H. Y., Lu, Z., Fan, W., Lin, G., Sun, Bo and Wu, M. (2018) Seasonal climatic effects and feedbacks of anthropogenic heat release due to global energy consumption with CAM5. Climate Dynamics, 52 (11). pp. 6377-6390. ISSN 0930-7575 (Print), 1432-0894 (Online) (doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-018-4528-1)

[img]
Preview
PDF (Author Accepted Version)
28848 YANG_Seasonal_Climatic_Effects_and_Feedbacks_(AAM)_2018.pdf - Accepted Version

Download (14MB) | Preview

Abstract

Anthropogenic heat release (AHR) is the heat generated in global energy consumption, which has not been considered in global climate models generally. The global high-resolution AHR from 1992 to 2013, which is estimated by using the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP)/Operational Linescan System (OLS) satellite data, is implemented into the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5). The seasonal climatic effects and possible feedbacks of AHR are examined in this study. The modeling results show that AHR increases the global annual mean surface temperature and land surface temperature by 0.02 ± 0.01 K (1σ uncertainty) and 0.05 ± 0.02 K (1σ uncertainty), respectively. The global climatic effect of AHR varies with season: with a stronger climatic effect in the boreal winter leading to global mean land surface temperature increases by 0.10 ± 0.01 K (1σ uncertainty). In the selected regions (40°N–60°N, 0°E–45°E) of Central and Western Europe the average surface temperature increases by 0.46 K in the boreal summer, and in the selected regions (45°N–75°N, 30°E–140°E) of northern Eurasia the average surface temperature increases by 0.83 K in the boreal winter. AHR changes the height and thermodynamic structure of the global planetary boundary layer, as well as the stability of the lower troposphere, which affects the global atmospheric circulation and low cloud fraction. In addition, at the surface both the shortwave radiation flux in the boreal summer and the down-welling longwave flux in the boreal winter change signifi- cantly, as a result of the change in low clouds caused by the effect of AHR. This study suggests a possible new mechanism of AHR effect on global climate through changing the global low-cloud fraction, which is crucial for global energy balance, by modifying the thermodynamic structure and stability of the lower troposphere. Thus this study improves our understanding of the global climate change caused by human activities.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Anthropogenic heat release; climatic effect; climate feedback; climate change
Subjects: S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group: Faculty of Engineering & Science
Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute
Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > Livelihoods & Institutions Department
Last Modified: 20 Jul 2020 00:01
URI: http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/28848

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics