Climate phenomena and their relevance for future regional climate change

Abstract

This chapter assesses the scientific literature on projected changes in major climate phenomena and more specifically their relevance for future change in regional climates, contingent on global mean temperatures continue to rise. Regional climates are the complex result of processes that vary strongly with location and so respond differently to changes in global-scale influences. The following large-scale climate phenomena are increasingly well simulated by climate models and so provide a scientific basis for understanding and developing credibility in future regional climate change. A phenomenon is considered relevant to regional climate change if there is confidence that it has influence on the regional climate and there is confidence that the phenomenon will change, particularly under the Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5 (RCP4.5) or higher end scenarios. {Table 14.3} There is growing evidence of improved skill of climate models in reproducing climatological features of the global monsoon. Taken together with identified model agreement on future changes, the global monsoon, aggregated over all monsoon systems, is likely to strengthen in the 21st century with increases in its area and intensity, while the monsoon circulation weakens. Monsoon onset dates are likely to become earlier or not to change much and monsoon retreat dates are likely to delay, resulting in lengthening of the monsoon season in many regions.