Decomposition of physical processes controlling EASM precipitation changes during the mid-Piacenzian: New insights into data-model integration

The mid-Piacenzian warm period (MPWP, similar to 3.264-3.025 Ma) has gained widespread interest due to its partial analogy with future climate. However, quantitative data-model comparison of East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) precipitation during the MPWP is relatively rare, especially due to problems in decoding the imprint of physical processes to climate signals in the records. In this study, pollen-based precipitation records are reconstructed and compared to the multi-model ensemble mean of the Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project Phase 2 (PlioMIP2). We find spatially consistent precipitation increase in most simulations but a spatially divergent change in MPWP records. We reconcile proxy data and simulation by decomposing physical processes that control precipitation. Our results 1) reveal thermodynamic control of an overall enhancement of EASM precipitation and 2) highlight a distinct control of thermodynamic and dynamical processes on increases of tropical and subtropical EASM precipitation, reflecting the two pathways of water vapor supply that enhance EASM precipitation, respectively.

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Author Sun, Y.
Wu, H.
Ding, L.
Chen, L.
Stepanek, C.
Zhao, Y.
Tan, N.
Su, B.
Yuan, X.
Zhang, W.
Liu, B.
Hunter, S.
Haywood, A.
Abe-Ouchi, A.
Otto-Bliesner, Bette
Contoux, C.
Lunt, D. J.
Dolan, A.
Chandan, D.
Lohmann, G.
Dowsett, H.
Tindall, J.
Baatsen, M.
Peltier, W. R.
Li, Q.
Feng, R.
Salzmann, U.
Chan, W.
Zhang, Z.
Williams, C. J. R.
Ramstein, G.
Publisher UCAR/NCAR - Library
Publication Date 2024-06-05T00:00:00
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) Not Assigned
Alternate Identifier N/A
Resource Version N/A
Topic Category geoscientificInformation
Progress N/A
Metadata Date 2025-07-10T20:01:24.511809
Metadata Record Identifier edu.ucar.opensky::articles:27369
Metadata Language eng; USA
Suggested Citation Sun, Y., Wu, H., Ding, L., Chen, L., Stepanek, C., Zhao, Y., Tan, N., Su, B., Yuan, X., Zhang, W., Liu, B., Hunter, S., Haywood, A., Abe-Ouchi, A., Otto-Bliesner, Bette, Contoux, C., Lunt, D. J., Dolan, A., Chandan, D., Lohmann, G., Dowsett, H., Tindall, J., Baatsen, M., Peltier, W. R., Li, Q., Feng, R., Salzmann, U., Chan, W., Zhang, Z., Williams, C. J. R., Ramstein, G.. (2024). Decomposition of physical processes controlling EASM precipitation changes during the mid-Piacenzian: New insights into data-model integration. UCAR/NCAR - Library. https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7dr30rf. Accessed 07 November 2025.

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