Nature Communications (Jun 2017)

Tightening of tropical ascent and high clouds key to precipitation change in a warmer climate

  • Hui Su,
  • Jonathan H. Jiang,
  • J. David Neelin,
  • T. Janice Shen,
  • Chengxing Zhai,
  • Qing Yue,
  • Zhien Wang,
  • Lei Huang,
  • Yong-Sang Choi,
  • Graeme L. Stephens,
  • Yuk L. Yung

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms15771
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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The sensitivity of global precipitation to warming is largely governed by changes in atmospheric longwave radiation, a function of cloud cover. Here the authors show that tightening of the tropical circulation with warming drives a decrease in high cloud cover, resulting in higher precipitation changes.