Climate change projections over China using regional climate models forced by two CMIP5 global models. Part II: projections of future climate.

ABSTRACT: The changes in mean and extreme climate in China during 2020–2060 are detected with both Weather Research and Forecasting and RegCM4, by downscaling the simulations from EC‐EATTH and IPSL‐CM5A under both the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. The climate changes under the two scenarios exhibit similar patterns, with stronger intensity under the RCP8.5 scenario. For the mean precipitation, increases are projected in most regions, with the largest relative increase in the Tarim Basin. Slight drought mainly occurs in the south‐eastern part of China. The frequency of drizzle rain is expected to decrease in all the sub‐regions, but the moderate to heavy rainfall as well as the storm would occur more frequently, especially on the Tibetan Plateau. The whole country would experience much warmer climate in the future, with the strongest warming over the Tibetan Plateau. By detecting the changes in climate extremes, it is indicated that less dry extremes would occur in the wet areas of China, while more dry events in the arid and semiarid regions. The wet extreme indices would increase in most regions, especially in the wet areas. The surface air temperature tends to become extremely warmer in the future over the whole country, with the strongest change over the Tibetan Plateau. The changes in mean and extreme climate depend strongly on the driving global climate models, with wetter and warmer climate in the downscalings over IPSL‐CM5A, and the model physics of the regional climate models also exert great impact on the projections. Finally, the possible mechanisms for the changes of extreme precipitation are discussed. The enhanced summer monsoon in the future transports more moisture to China, which could lead to more summer precipitation. As a result, the wet extremes tend to increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]