Gang Huang

Chinese Academy of Sciences | CAS · Institute of Atmospheric Physics

Due to windward slope topography and monsoon activities, the populated Northeast Indian subcontinent (NEI) suffers from heavy rainfall and floods almost every year. Extreme persistent downpours lashed NEI in summer 2020, ranked the second heaviest on record since 1901. This event caused about 550 fatalities and economic loss up to hundreds of milli...

Plain Language Summary Previous studies has revealed that tropical cyclone (TC) activity increased over the southern South China Sea (SCS) and decreased over the northern SCS and Taiwan since the early 2010s. In warming climates, TC activity shows significant poleward extension. Thus, in this study, we broadened the study area to 50°N and focused o...

The reversibility of South Asian summer monsoon (SASM) precipitation under the CO 2 removal scenario is critical for climate mitigation and adaptation. In the idealized CO 2 ramp-up (from 284.7 to 1138.8 ppm) and symmetric ramp-down experiments, SASM precipitation is largely reversible while exhibiting strong asymmetry: it may overshoot the unpertu...

Weather forecasting has been playing an important role in socio-economics. However, operational numerical weather prediction (NWP) is insufficiently accurate in terms of precipitation forecasting, especially for heavy rainfalls. Previous works on NWP bias correction utilizing deep learning (DL) methods mostly focused on a local region, and the Chin...

El Niño has been recorded to change its properties since the 1980s, characterized by more common extreme El Niño and Central Pacific (CP) El Niño events. However, it is still unclear whether such change is externally forced or part of the natural variability. Here, we find that the frequency of the extreme and CP El Niño events also increased durin...

The western North Pacific anomalous anticyclone (WNPAC) is the key circulation modulating the East Asian summer climate. In this study, the formation mechanism of the summer WNPAC that is independent of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is investigated. Although ENSO has a significant relationship with WNPAC, except for the super El Niño years, t...

With the rapid warming in the past few decades, the snow water equivalent (SWE) in winter and spring decreased generally over the Northern Hemisphere, but an increasing trend occurred in some areas, especially in east Siberia. In this paper, we analyze the sources and reasons for the SWE increase in east Siberia in winter since 1979 and document pr...

Previous studies have documented the associations between short-term diurnal temperature range (DTR) exposure and cardiovascular disease (CVD) via time-series analyses. However, the long-term impacts of DTR through a population-based prospective cohort have not been elucidated thoroughly. This study aimed to quantify the longitudinal association of...

Transitional climate zone (TCZ) over East Asia is located between humid and arid regions, which is a highly sensitive and disaster-prone region especially under global climate change. Due to limited water resources, the atmospheric moisture availability has a dominant control on the precipitation variability. Hence, this study is motivated to revea...

The multi-scale variability of global sea surface temperature (GSST), which is often dominated by secular trends, significantly impacts global and regional climate change. Previous studies were mainly carried out under linear assumptions. Even if the nonlinear evolution patterns have been discussed based on annual-mean data, the conclusions are sti...

Objective Blue sky has been considered to boost outdoor physical activity and social interaction, ameliorate work pressure and life stress, and enhance people's sense of happiness. However, the direct association between blue sky exposure and cardiovascular disease (CVD) still lacks epidemiological evidence. In this study, we aimed to quantify thei...

Although the Weather Research and Forecasting model with solar extensions (WRF-Solar) is tailed for solar energy applications, its official version lacks the consideration of the online aerosol-radiation process. To overcome this limitation, we have coupled the aerosol module online with the radiation module, then assimilated the high-resolution ae...

Observations, theoretical analyses, and climate models show that the dominant timescale of multidecadal variability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is related to westward temperature propagations in the subpolar North Atlantic, which is modulated by oceanic baroclinic Rossby waves or thermal Rossby waves. Here, we find maj...

The Pacific–South America (PSA) teleconnection pattern triggered by the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is suggested to be moving eastward and intensifying under global warming. However, the underlying mechanism is not completely understood. Previous studies have proposed that the movement of the PSA teleconnection pattern is attributable to th...

Transitional Climate Zone (TCZ) over East Asia, characterized by semi-arid climate, is ecologically fragile environment with limited water resources, making atmospheric moisture supply being the key influential factor. This study investigates the moisture sources of summer (JJA) rainfall in the TCZ over East Asia and associated impact during 1979–2...

Plain Language Summary Due to windward slope topography and monsoon activities, the populated Northeast Indian subcontinent (NEI) suffers from heavy rainfall and floods almost every year. Extreme persistent downpours lashed NEI in summer 2020, ranked the second heaviest on record since 1901. This event caused about 550 fatalities and economic loss...

Most western Northwest China (WNWC) has experienced notable wetting in recent decades. Despite the widespread attention of scientific community, the causes of such climate shift are still not well‐understood. In this study, we find that the dominant mode of Indian Ocean sea surface temperature variability — Indian Ocean Basin mode (IOBM) plays a cr...

Extreme East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) rainfall frequently induces floods that threaten millions of people, and has been generally attributed to internal climate variability. In contrast to the hydrological weakening theory of volcanic eruptions, here we present convergent empirical and modeling evidence for significant intensification of EASM ra...

SignificanceThe western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) channels moisture from the tropics that underpins the East Asian summer climate. Interannual variability of the WPSH dominates climate extremes in the densely populated countries of East Asia. In 2020, an anomalously strong WPSH led to catastrophic floods with hundreds of deaths, 28,000 homes...

Plain Language Summary The present study documents the variation with altitude of the trend in the seasonal temperature difference over the TP and detects the influence upon it of anthropogenic activities. The seasonal temperature difference weakened in most regions of the TP during 1961–2014. Also, the higher the altitude, the more notable the dec...

Plain Language Summary Despite the critical role of the Southern Ocean in global climate, it has remained poorly observed compared to other oceans. SST in the Southern Ocean is considered as an important indicator of climate change. This study shows that the Southern Ocean (50°S–70°S) sea surface temperature has a significant and robust cooling tre...

Tropical rainfall is important for regional climate around the globe. In a warming climate forced by rising CO2, the tropical rainfall will increase over the equatorial Pacific where sea surface warming is locally enhanced. Here, we analyze an idealized CO2 removal experiment from the Carbon Dioxide Removal Model Intercomparison Project and show th...

Severe and extreme drought in southeastern mainland Asia (SEMA) worsened drastically in 2010-19, occurring more than twice as frequently as in the preceding decade. It is found that the spring rainfall has undergone a concordant positive-to-negative transition with the turning point at 2010, and can explain 43% of the overall regime shift toward ex...

Based on the multimodel ensemble of 22 models in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6), the present manuscript found that in response to increasing CO2, the South Asian high (SAH) displays the opposite response over its southern region in the upper troposphere: an anticyclonic response at 100 hPa and a weak (insignificant) cyclonic...

The influence of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) is investigated based on the outputs of phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) models and compared to that in phase 5 (CMIP5). Results show that overall the CMIP6 models reproduce the ENSO-EAWM teleconnection more realistically than th...

The multi-scale variability of global sea surface temperature (GSST), which is often dominated by secular trends, significantly impacts global and regional climate change. Previous studies are mainly carried out under linear assumptions, even if the nonlinear trend features are discussed based on annual data, the conclusions of which are still inco...

On September 22, 2020, Chinese president Xi Jin-Ping solemnly announced that "China will scale up its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions by adopting more vigorous policies and measures, aims to have CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060" at the General Debate of the 74th Session of the United Nations Gen...

Although previous studies indicated that the left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), it remains unclear whether effects would be enhanced or accelerated by long-term air pollution exposure. During 4.65 years (107,726 person-years) of follow-up, 942 cases of CVD events incident were identified a...

The influence of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) is investigated based on the outputs of phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) models and compared to that in phase 5 (CMIP5). Results show that overall the CMIP6 models reproduce the ENSO-EAWM teleconnection more realistically than th...

Regional consumption activities supported by domestic production and international trade have led to substantial aerosol-related emissions worldwide. Here we quantify sulfur dioxide emissions associated with consumption by developed and developing countries and assess the resulting climate impacts using an Earth system model. We find that although...

The deep blue sky is an indicator of a lower concentration of aerosols and a cloudless sky. With increasing human emissions, a trend towards days with fewer deep blue skies might indicate a decline in a good living environment for humans. This study investigates the long-term changes of the deep blue sky in China from 1980 to 2018. Due to a lack of...

El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has a huge influence on Antarctic climate variability via Rossby wave trains. In this study, the asymmetry of the ENSO teleconnection in the Southern Hemisphere, as along with the mechanisms involved, is systematically investigated. In four reanalysis datasets, the composite atmospheric circulation anomaly in aus...

In the last decade, a sequence of once‐in‐50year or even once‐in‐100year high‐impact drought events have hit East Asia. By defining a super drought with the Standardized Precipitation Evaporation Index for the time scales of 3, 6, 12 and 24 months all below −1.5, this study aims to examine the changes in super droughts and the underlying mechanism...

Extreme East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) rainfall frequently induces floods that pose threats to millions of people across East Asia. The intensified EASM rainfall has been generally attributed to internal modes of climate variability, while external volcanic forcing has been suggested to suppress the EASM. In contrast to the hydrological weakening...

Transitional Climate Zone (TCZ) over East Asia, characterized by semi-arid climate, is ecologically fragile environment with limited water resources, making atmospheric moisture supply being the key influential factor. This study investigates the moisture sources of summer (JJA) rainfall in the TCZ over East Asia during 1979-2010 with the Lagrangia...

Observations, theoretical analyses, and climate models show that the period of multidecadal variability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is related to westward temperature propagations in the subpolar North Atlantic, which is modulated by oceanic baroclinic Rossby waves. Here, we find major periods of AMOC variability of 12...

The asymmetric impacts of El Niño and La Niña on the Pacific-North American teleconnection pattern (PNA) in boreal winter have important implications for the surface air temperature and precipitation anomalies in North America. Previous studies have shown that the varying tropical convective heating contributes to the zonal shift of the teleconnect...

The rainfall responses over the Indian Ocean (IO) are investigated based on the Representative Concentration Pathways 4.5 (RCP4.5) experiments of 13 models, in which the experiments are extended to the year 2300, from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5). During the radiative forcing (RF) increase, the rainfall pattern displays...

Only a few prospective studies have investigated the relationship between solid fuel use and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality, and they have reported inconsistent conclusions. This study aimed to investigate the effect of solid fuel heating on the risk of CVD events and all-cause mortality among non-smokers. Data of this sub-study were ob...

The Northwest Pacific (NWP) anomalous anticyclone (AAC) intensifies and extends northward from El Niño decaying early to mid-summer, despite decaying El Niño-induced sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the North Indian Ocean, North Atlantic and subtropical NWP. The present study suggests the intra-seasonal variations of AAC are induced by lo...

Variability of North Tropical Atlantic (NTA) sea surface temperature (SST), characterized by a near-uniform warming at its positive phase, is a consequential mode of climate variability. Modulated by El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the North Atlantic Oscillation, NTA warm anomalies tend to induce La Niña events, droughts in Northeast Brazil...

The influence of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) is investigated based on the outputs of phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) models and compared to that in phase 5 (CMIP5). Results show that the CMIP6 models generally reproduce the ENSO-EAWM teleconnection more realistically than...

In this paper, the response of global monsoon to changes in orbital forcing is investigated using a coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation model with an emphasis on relative roles of precession and obliquity changes. When precession decreases, there are inter-hemispheric asymmetric responses in monsoonal precipitation, featuring a significant...

The El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has a profound influence on global climate and ecosystems. Determining how the ENSO responds to greenhouse warming is a crucial issue in climate science. Despite recent progress in understanding, the responses of important ENSO characteristics, such as air temperature and atmospheric circulation, are still un...

Regional consumption activities supported by domestic production and international trade have led to substantial amounts of aerosols worldwide, yet the resulting impacts on the global climate system remains unknown. Here we quantify for the first time the climate response to aerosols associated with consumption by developing and developed countries...

Large-scale in situ observations are sorely lacking, leading to poor understanding of nationwide atmospheric turbulence over China. Nevertheless, high-resolution soundings have become available starting in 2011, providing a unique opportunity to investigate turbulence across China. Here, we calculated the mean turbulence dissipation rate (ϵ) from r...

Large-scale in situ observations are sorely lacking, leading to poor understanding of nationwide atmospheric turbulence over China. Nevertheless, high-resolution soundings have become available starting in 2011, providing a unique opportunity to investigate turbulence across China. Here, we calculated the mean turbulence dissipation rate () from ra...

In the context of global climate change, far less is known about the impact of long-term temperature variability (TV), especially in developing countries. The current study aimed to estimate the effect of long-term TV on the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in China. A total of 23,721 individuals with a mean age of 56.15 years were enrolle...

The sea ice formation and dissipation processes are complicated and involve many factors and mechanisms, from the basal growth/melting, the frazil ice formation, the snow ice processes to the dynamic process, etc. The contribution of different factors to the sea ice extent among different models over the Antarctic region has not been systematically...

The surface heat flux anomalies during El Niño events have always been treated as an atmospheric response to sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs). However, whether they play roles in the formation of SSTAs remain unclear. In this study, we find that the surface net heat flux anomalies in different El Niño types have different effects on the de...

Multidecadal variability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) plays a vital role in Earth’s climate variability. Climate change has the potential to alter the causes and characteristics of AMOC multidecadal variability. Here we use a coupled climate model to simulate AMOC multidecadal variability under three distinct atmospheri...

In the context of global climate change, far less is known about the impact of long-term temperature variability (TV), especially in developing countries. The current study aimed to estimate the effect of long-term TV on the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in China. A total of 23,721 individuals with a mean age of 56.15 years were enrolle...

The 2018 Central Pacific (CP) El Niño preceded the 2019 strong positive Indian Ocean Dipole (pIOD). The robustness of a CP El Niño preconditioning a strong pIOD has not been investigated. Here, we show that March-April-May (MAM) easterly anomalies over the equatorial eastern Indian Ocean (EIO) induced by a preceding CP El Niño drive a thermocline s...