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Climate science is the study of relatively long-term weather conditions, typically spanning decades to centuries but extending to geological timescales. The discipline is primarily concerned with atmospheric properties – for example temperature and humidity – and patterns of circulation, as well as interactions with the ocean, the biosphere, and, over longer timescales, the geosphere.
Models have long predicted, and satellites have observed, stratospheric cooling from rising anthropogenic carbon dioxide, yet its magnitude and structure have lacked a robust theoretical explanation — until now.
Combining climate models with statistical learning allows an assessment of the relative contributions of different factors to trends in winter precipitation at mid-latitudes. Thermodynamic (non-circulation-related) effects are mostly consistent between models and observations, but whether circulation-related changes are forced or unforced remains unclear.
Microplastics and nanoplastics are moving in the atmosphere worldwide. Now, research shows that they can interact with sunlight and influence the climate system.
This study shows that only about one-third of CMIP6 models, those with a more northern ITCZ mean position closer to the observed climatology, simulate a southward ITCZ shift consistent with the observations, which requires a substantial AMOC weakening along with a warmer base state.
Extreme rainfall will intensify across Africa under future warming, with the largest increases expected in equatorial regions. This intensification is driven primarily by increased atmospheric moisture associated with radiation-induced warming.
Models have long predicted, and satellites have observed, stratospheric cooling from rising anthropogenic carbon dioxide, yet its magnitude and structure have lacked a robust theoretical explanation — until now.
