Changes in Climate over the South China Sea and Western Pacific Regions on Global Climate

Apparent climate change signals have been found over the South China Sea and western Pacific regions in the past decades. For example, the sea surface temperature has risen clearly in these regions and the tropical atmospheric heating has enhanced most strongly over the Maritime Continent and adjacent areas. Experiments with multiple earth system models including the NCAR CESM indicate that that these regional climate change signals have exerted significant influences on the global climate. Associated changes have been found in the weakening monsoons over India and the Arabian Sea, the declining Sahel rainfall, and the well-observed drying tendency in East Asia. The change in sea surface temperature associated with the shift between eastern Pacific El Nino and central Pacific El Nino even inhibits summertime Artic warming and thus sea-ice melting over the Canada Basin. Furthermore, the change in atmospheric heating over Southeast Asia and the western Pacific is related to changes in the mid-Pacific trough and thus the rainfall over North and Central America.