Regional Responses of Climate in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean to Gradual Global Warming for a CO₂ Quadrupling

Abstract

This study investigates the regional responses of a climate model to the gradual increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide at 1% per year compounded for quadrupling. Use of NCAR fully coupled Climate System Model (CSM1.2) is attempted, with special emphasis on the simulated sea-level changes in the neighbouring seas of the northwestern Pacific Ocean with an enhanced resolution. Regional warming and sea level change are higher than global changes. At the time of CO₂ quadrupling, the model predicts a rise in sea level of 19 cm and 25 cm for the globe and the northwestern Pacific Ocean, respectively, while surface air temperature rises are 2.9°C and 3.0°C for the globe and the northwestern Pacific Ocean, respectively. Based on simulations, climate changes in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean will be more distinctive compared with the global average, mainly due to exceptionally large warming and sea level change near the entrance of the Kuroshio extension.