Uncertainty assessments of climate change projections over South America

Author(s)

Torres, Roger Rodrigues ^{[1, 2]} ; Marengo, Jose Antonio ^[3]

Affiliation

^[1] Natl Inst Space Res INPE, Ctr Weather Forecast & Climate Studies CPTEC, BR-12630000 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Fed Univ Itajuba UNIFEI, Nat Resources Inst IRN, BR-37500903 Itajuba, MG - Brazil

^[3] Natl Inst Space Res INPE, Earth Syst Sci Ctr CCST, BR-12630000 Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: THEORETICAL AND APPLIED CLIMATOLOGY; v. 112, n. 1-2, p. 253-272, APR 2013.
• Web of Science Citations: 23

Abstract

This paper assesses the uncertainties involved in the projections of seasonal temperature and precipitation changes over South America in the twenty-first century. Climate simulations generated by 24 general circulation models are weighted according to the reliability ensemble averaging (REA) approach. The results show that the REA mean temperature change is slightly smaller over South America compared to the simple ensemble mean. Higher reliability in the temperature projections is found over the La Plata basin, and a larger uncertainty range is located in the Amazon. A temperature increase exceeding 2 A degrees C is found to have a very likely (> 90 %) probability of occurrence for the entire South American continent in all seasons, and a more likely than not (> 50 %) probability of exceeding 4 A degrees C by the end of this century is found over northwest South America, the Amazon Basin, and Northeast Brazil. For precipitation, the projected changes have the same magnitude as the uncertainty range and are comparable to natural variability. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 08/58161-1 - Assessment of impacts and vulnerability to climate change in Brazil and strategies for adaptation option
• Grantee: Jose Antonio Marengo Orsini
• Support Opportunities: Research Program on Global Climate Change - Thematic Grants