Qualifying uncertainty of precipitation projections over China: mitigating uncertainty with emergent constraints

Abstract

Predicting future mean precipitation poses significant challenges due to uncertainties among climate models, complicating water resource management. In this study, we introduce a novel methodology to mitigate uncertainty in future mean precipitation projections over China on a grid-by-grid basis. By constraining precipitation parameters of the Gamma distribution, we establish emergent constraints on parameters, revealing significant correlations between historical and future simulations. Our analysis spans the periods 2040–2069 and 2070–2099 under low-to-moderate and high emission scenarios. We observe reductions in uncertainty across most regions of China, with constrained mean precipitation indicating increases in monsoon regions and decreases in non-monsoon zones relative to raw projections. Notably, the observed 30%–40% increase in mean precipitation for the whole of China underscores the efficacy of our methodology. These observationally constrained results provide valuable insights into current precipitation projections, offering actionable information for water resource planning and climate adaptation strategies amidst future uncertainties.