High resolution Tibetan Plateau regional reanalysis 1961-present

Area of Science:

• * Atmospheric science and climate modeling.
• * Cryospheric research and environmental monitoring.

Background:

• * The Tibetan Plateau (TP) faces significant climate change impacts, including glacier melt and permafrost thaw.
• * Limited observational data necessitates reliable regional reanalysis for understanding TP climate dynamics.
• * Global warming poses risks to local populations and downstream regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To develop a high-resolution, long-term atmospheric regional reanalysis dataset for the TP.
• * To evaluate the performance of the new dataset against existing reanalysis products.
• * To quantify climate trends, specifically precipitation changes, on the TP.

Main Methods:

• * Development of a 62-year (1961-2022) high-resolution (9 km) hourly atmospheric regional reanalysis (TPRR).
• * Utilized the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model with re-initialization, spectral nudging, and optimizations.
• * Forced TPRR using ERA5 hourly data.

Main Results:

• * TPRR demonstrates superior performance compared to ERA5 in capturing climatological precipitation and T2m (air temperature at 2m).
• * TPRR accurately reproduces precipitation frequency, intensity, and diurnal cycles.
• * A statistically significant wetting trend of 0.0071 mm/year was quantified over the TP.

Conclusions:

• * The developed Tibetan Plateau Regional Reanalysis (TPRR) provides a valuable tool for climate research in the region.
• * TPRR offers improved accuracy for understanding precipitation and temperature patterns amidst global warming.
• * The study confirms a wetting trend on the TP, highlighting the need for continued monitoring and adaptation strategies.