Global warming features considerable spatial variations over both ocean and land. The observed global warming pattern could originate from, for example, spatially varying radiative forcing (e.g., short-lived aerosols), local coupled feedbacks (e.g., ocean- or land-atmosphere interactions), and internal climate variability (e.g., Atlantic/Pacific multidecadal variability). Understanding how the warming pattern forms is critical for determining Earth’s climate sensitivity and for the projection of regional climate change. In this session, we welcome submissions on both the physical processes that drive the formation of global warming pattern and the climate impacts that result from the global warming pattern.