Work

The Effect of Pseudo‐Global Warming on the Weather‐Climate System of Africa in a Convection‐Permitting Model

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: The African easterly jet (AEJ) and the West African Monsoon (WAM) can largely modulate high‐impact weather over Africa and the tropical Atlantic. How these features will change with a warming climate is just starting to be addressed due to global climate model limitations in resolving convection. We employ a novel regional setup for an atmospheric convection‐permitting model alongside the pseudo‐global warming (PGW) approach to address climate change impacts on the weather‐climate system of Africa during a short period of high‐impact weather. Our findings indicate that the AEJ and WAM may intensify in a future warming climate scenario. Precipitation is shown to increase over Guinea Highlands and Cameroon Mountains and shift southward due to a latitudinal expansion and increase of deep convection closer to the equator. This has relevant ramifications for the livelihood of communities that depend on water‐fed crops in tropical Africa.

Source: Geophysical Research Letters

DOI: 10.1029/2024gl112341

Authors: K. M. Núñez Ocasio, Erin M. Dougherty

Institutions: Texas A&M University, NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research

Language: English

Topic: Climate variability and models

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,900