Attributing and Projecting Heatwaves Is Hard: We Can Do Better

• Published in: Earth's future Vol. 10; no. 6
• Main Authors: Van Oldenborgh, Geert Jan, Wehner, Michael F., Vautard, Robert, Otto, Friederike E. L., Seneviratne, Sonia I., Stott, Peter A., Hegerl, Gabriele C., Philip, Sjoukje Y., Kew, Sarah F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bognor Regis John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.06.2022; American Geophysical Union
• Subjects: Acoustics; Air pollution; Analysis; Atmospheric circulation; Atmospheric models; attribution; Climate change; Climate effects; Climate models; climate projections; Climatic changes; Continental interfaces, environment; Daily temperatures; Extreme heat; Extreme high temperatures; extreme weather; Global temperatures; Global warming; Greenhouse effect; Greenhouse gases; Heat; Heat waves; Hot weather; Human influences; Land use; Maximum temperatures; Moisture budget; Moisture effects; Natural variability; Ocean, Atmosphere; Regions; Sciences of the Universe; Soil moisture; Temperature variability; Trends; Vegetation; Netherlands; India; United States > US; North America; Europe
• ISSN: 2328-4277; 2328-4277
• DOI: 10.1029/2021EF002271

It sounds straightforward. As the Earth warms due to the increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, global temperatures rise and so heatwaves become warmer as well. This means that a fixed temperature threshold is passed more often: the probability of extreme heat increases. However, land use changes, vegetation change, irrigation, air pollution, and other changes also drive local and regional trends in heatwaves. Sometimes they enhance heatwave intensity, but they can also counteract the effects of climate change, and in some regions, the mechanisms that impact on trends in heatwaves have not yet been fully identified. Climate models simulate heatwaves and the increased intensity and probability of extreme heat reasonably well on large scales. However, changes in annual daily maximum temperatures do not follow global warming over some regions, including the Eastern United States and parts of Asia, reflecting the influence of local drivers as well as natural variability. Also, temperature variability is unrealistic in many models, and can fail standard quality checks. Therefore, reliable attribution and projection of change in heatwaves remain a major scientific challenge in many regions, particularly where the moisture budget is not well simulated, and where land surface changes, changes in short‐lived forcers, and soil moisture interactions are important. Plain Language Summary Heatwaves are arguably the most deadly weather phenomena. As the Earth warms due to higher concentrations of greenhouse gases, one would expect heatwaves to become worse as well, killing even more people unless they are better protected against the heat. However, it turns out that the world is not so simple and that many other factors also influence heatwaves. Land use changes, irrigation, air pollution, and other changes also drive trends in heatwaves. Some of these cause much larger trends while some have counteracted the climate change‐driven trends up to now. In some regions, the causes of high trends have not yet been identified. Current generation climate models often do not simulate all these mechanisms correctly so will have to be improved before we can more confidently trust their description of past trends and projections of future trends in heatwaves. Key Points The IPCC AR6 WG1 states the “frequency and intensity of hot extremes have increased” The IPCC notes that the effect of increased greenhouse gas on high temperatures is moderated or amplified at local scales by other factors Confident quantitative attribution statements of the human influence on heatwaves are limited by our understanding of these local processes