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Recent decrease of the impact of tropical temperature on the carbon cycle linked to increased precipitation

Zhang, Wenmin ; Schurgers, Guy LU ; Peñuelas, Josep ; Fensholt, Rasmus ; Yang, Hui ; Tang, Jing LU orcid ; Tong, Xiaowei ; Ciais, Philippe and Brandt, Martin (2023) In Nature Communications 14.
Abstract

The atmospheric CO2 growth rate (CGR) variability is largely controlled by tropical temperature fluctuations. The sensitivity of CGR to tropical temperature (γCGRT) has strongly increased since 1960, but here we show that this trend has ceased. Here, we use the long-term CO2 records from Mauna Loa and the South Pole to compute CGR, and show that γCGRT increased by 200% from 1960–1979 to 1979–2000 but then decreased by 117% from 1980–2001 to 2001–2020, almost returning back to the level of the 1960s. Variations in γCGRT are significantly correlated with changes in precipitation at a bi-decadal scale. These findings are further corroborated by results from a dynamic vegetation model, collectively suggesting that... (More)

The atmospheric CO2 growth rate (CGR) variability is largely controlled by tropical temperature fluctuations. The sensitivity of CGR to tropical temperature (γCGRT) has strongly increased since 1960, but here we show that this trend has ceased. Here, we use the long-term CO2 records from Mauna Loa and the South Pole to compute CGR, and show that γCGRT increased by 200% from 1960–1979 to 1979–2000 but then decreased by 117% from 1980–2001 to 2001–2020, almost returning back to the level of the 1960s. Variations in γCGRT are significantly correlated with changes in precipitation at a bi-decadal scale. These findings are further corroborated by results from a dynamic vegetation model, collectively suggesting that increases in precipitation control the decreased γCGRT during recent decades. Our results indicate that wetter conditions have led to a decoupling of the impact of the tropical temperature variation on the carbon cycle.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Nature Communications
volume
14
article number
965
pages
9 pages
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • pmid:36810352
  • scopus:85148548244
ISSN
2041-1723
DOI
10.1038/s41467-023-36727-2
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
91db500d-655e-41d1-bdad-3cf120741b1e
date added to LUP
2023-03-13 13:19:18
date last changed
2024-04-18 20:12:48
@article{91db500d-655e-41d1-bdad-3cf120741b1e,
  abstract     = {{<p>The atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> growth rate (CGR) variability is largely controlled by tropical temperature fluctuations. The sensitivity of CGR to tropical temperature (γCGRT) has strongly increased since 1960, but here we show that this trend has ceased. Here, we use the long-term CO<sub>2</sub> records from Mauna Loa and the South Pole to compute CGR, and show that γCGRT increased by 200% from 1960–1979 to 1979–2000 but then decreased by 117% from 1980–2001 to 2001–2020, almost returning back to the level of the 1960s. Variations in γCGRT are significantly correlated with changes in precipitation at a bi-decadal scale. These findings are further corroborated by results from a dynamic vegetation model, collectively suggesting that increases in precipitation control the decreased γCGRT during recent decades. Our results indicate that wetter conditions have led to a decoupling of the impact of the tropical temperature variation on the carbon cycle.</p>}},
  author       = {{Zhang, Wenmin and Schurgers, Guy and Peñuelas, Josep and Fensholt, Rasmus and Yang, Hui and Tang, Jing and Tong, Xiaowei and Ciais, Philippe and Brandt, Martin}},
  issn         = {{2041-1723}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Nature Communications}},
  title        = {{Recent decrease of the impact of tropical temperature on the carbon cycle linked to increased precipitation}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36727-2}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/s41467-023-36727-2}},
  volume       = {{14}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}