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Abstract El Niño/Southern Oscillation variability has conspicuous impacts on ecosystems and severe weather. Here, we probe the effects of anthropogenic aerosols and greenhouse gases on El Niño/Southern Oscillation variability during the historical period using a broad set of climate models. Increased aerosols significantly amplify El Niño/Southern Oscillation variability primarily through weakening the mean advection feedback and strengthening the zonal advection and thermocline feedbacks, as linked to a weaker annual cycle of sea surface temperature in the eastern equatorial Pacific. They prevent extreme El Niño events, reduce interannual sea surface temperature skewness in the tropical Pacific, influence the likelihood of El Niño/Southern Oscillation events in April and June and allow for more El Niño transitions to Central Pacific events. While rising greenhouse gases significantly reduce El Niño/Southern Oscillation variability via a stronger sea surface temperature annual cycle and attenuated thermocline feedback. They promote extreme El Niño events, increase SST skewness, and enlarge the likelihood of El Niño/Southern Oscillation peaking in November while inhibiting Central Pacific El Niño/Southern Oscillation events. 

Abstract Although tree restoration, including reforestation and afforestation, can enhance carbon sequestration and help mitigate climate change, this negative forcing can be strengthened or weakened through non-carbon cycle biogeophysical factors, including atmospheric chemistry. Here, we conduct climate modeling experiments with and without atmospheric chemistry driven by a high-end tree restoration scenario. Under both frameworks, the biogeophysical effects drive global mean warming due to surface darkening. This warming is muted in the Southern Hemisphere due to enhanced evapotranspiration. Furthermore, there is less warming—especially in the Southern Hemisphere—under interactive atmospheric chemistry, largely due to enhanced organic aerosol and cloud effects. Biogeophysical effects mute 45% of the biogeochemical cooling associated with enhanced land carbon storage, which decreases to 24% with atmospheric chemistry (including methane). Thus, higher climate change mitigation potential of tree restoration results from atmospheric chemistry effects, which are not usually considered. 

Abstract Forestation may reduce temperatures by lowering atmospheric CO₂. However, biogeophysical changes from forestation may weaken this cooling. We use twelve Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) models to quantify the biogeochemical (carbon cycle) and biogeophysical (non-carbon cycle) effects of net forestation, as quantified as the difference between the end of two future scenarios: ssp370-ssp126Lu and ssp370. Biogeochemical effects have an inferred global multi-model mean cooling (−0.08 ± 0.02 K). Changes in fires have no significant effect on land carbon storage globally. In contrast with studies indicating biogeophysical impacts counteract biogeochemical impacts by up to 50%, we find that biogeophysical effects lead to insignificant global mean cooling (−0.002 ± 0.041 K). Tropical land shows cooling (−0.058 ± 0.058 K) with eight of twelve models indicating cooling, consistent with prior studies. Using the Surface Energy Balance Decomposition, we find cooling is primarily from increased evapotranspiration and decreased downwelling solar radiation related to clouds and aerosols. 

Abstract Arctic sea ice has undergone non-monotonic changes since the middle of the last century. Here, we investigate the cause of this behavior by isolating and quantifying the effects of anthropogenic aerosols, well-mixed greenhouse gases, and biomass burning on sea ice dynamics through climate model simulations. We find minimal changes in Arctic sea ice from 1956 to 1980, which largely reflect a balance between the warming effect of greenhouse gases and the cooling effect of aerosols. This balance, however, is disrupted in subsequent decades. Both sea ice area and volume exhibit marked declines between 1981 and 2005, owing primarily to intensified warming by greenhouse gases and a shift in aerosols’ role from mitigating to exacerbating sea ice loss. Our sea ice volume budget analysis demonstrates that sea ice changes since 1956 are mostly driven by thermodynamic processes: greenhouse gases significantly promote surface melting, whereas aerosols and biomass burning diminish surface melting by reducing surface shortwave radiation during boreal summer. From 1956–1980 to 1981–2005, the transitional effects of aerosols are associated with increased bottom ice melting and decreased bottom ice formation, which are primarily driven by changes in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. 

Abstract Global surface warming has accelerated since around 2010, relative to the preceding half century^1–3. This has coincided with East Asian efforts to reduce air pollution through restricted atmospheric aerosol and precursor emissions^4,5. A direct link between the two has, however, not yet been established. Here we show, using a large set of simulations from eight Earth System Models, how a time-evolving 75% reduction in East Asian sulfate emissions partially unmasks greenhouse gas-driven warming and influences the spatial pattern of surface temperature change. We find a rapidly evolving global, annual mean warming of 0.07 ± 0.05 °C, sufficient to be a main driver of the uptick in global warming rate since 2010. We also find North-Pacific warming and a top-of-atmosphere radiative imbalance that are qualitatively consistent with recent observations. East Asian aerosol cleanup is thus likely a key contributor to recent global warming acceleration and to Pacific warming trends. 

Abstract The Regional Aerosol Model Intercomparison Project (RAMIP) is designed to quantify the forcing and climate impacts of mid-21st century anthropogenic aerosol and precursor gas (AA) emissions reductions (both industrial and biomass burning), by comparing a weak (SSP3-7.0) versus strong (SSP1-2.6) level of air quality control aerosol emissions pathway. AA emissions reductions experiments include global (GLO), East Asia (EAS), South Asia, Africa and the Middle East (AFR), and North America and Europe (NAE). Here, we use RAMIP time-slice simulations with fixed sea surface temperatures and sea-ice distributions from nine models to quantify the aerosol effective radiative forcing (ERF), including aerosol radiation (ERF_ari) and aerosol cloud interactions (ERF_aci). The multi-model global mean net ERF_ari+aciis $0.77\pm 0.25$ W m⁻²for GLO, and three of the four regional perturbations yield a significant positive net ERF_ari+aci(up to $0.15\pm 0.07$ W m⁻²for EAS). In all cases, net ERF_ari+aciis dominated by aerosol-cloud interactions, which are largely due to reduced cloud scattering. Of the four regions, NAE yields the largest forcing efficiency whereas AFR yields the weakest. Although the areas outside our four target regions contribute 25% to the GLO aerosol optical depth reduction, they disproportionately contribute 44% to the GLO net ERF_ari+aci. The multimodel regional mean net ERF_ari+acifor three regional perturbations is much larger (up to $1.64\pm 1.36$ W m⁻²for EAS) than the corresponding global mean value. However, these regional values are even larger (up to $2.69\pm 1.72$ W m⁻²for EAS) under global aerosol reductions, implying remote emission reductions represent a sizable contribution (up to $1.05\pm 0.56$ W m⁻²for EAS). These large regional ERFs will in turn drive relatively large regional climate impacts, which continue to be underappreciated in most policy discussions. 

Abstract Many regions of the planet have experienced an increase in fire activity in recent decades. Although such increases are consistent with warming and drying under continued climate change, the driving mechanisms remain uncertain. Here, we investigate the effects of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations on future fire activity using seven Earth system models. Centered on the time of carbon dioxide doubling, the multi-model mean percent change in fire carbon emissions is 66.4 ± 38.8% (versus 1850 carbon dioxide concentrations, under fixed 1850 land-use conditions). A substantial increase is associated with enhanced vegetation growth due to carbon dioxide biogeochemical impacts at 60.1 ± 46.9%. In contrast, carbon dioxide radiative impacts, including warming and drying, yield a negligible response of fire carbon emissions at 1.7 ± 9.4%. Although model representation of fire processes remains uncertain, our results show the importance of vegetation dynamics to future increases in fire activity under increasing carbon dioxide, with potentially important policy implications. 

Abstract The ocean’s major circulation system, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), is slowing down. Such weakening is consistent with warming associated with increasing greenhouse gases, as well as with recent decreases in industrial aerosol pollution. The impact of biomass burning aerosols on the AMOC, however, remains unexplored. Here, we use the Community Earth System Model version 1 Large Ensemble to quantify the impact of both aerosol types on the AMOC. Despite relatively small changes in North Atlantic biomass burning aerosols, significant AMOC evolution occurs, including weakening from 1920 to ~1970 followed by AMOC strengthening. These changes are largely out of phase relative to the corresponding AMOC evolution under industrial aerosols. AMOC responses are initiated by thermal changes in sea surface density flux due to altered shortwave radiation. An additional dynamical mechanism involving the North Atlantic sea-level pressure gradient is important under biomass-burning aerosols. AMOC-induced ocean salinity flux convergence acts as a positive feedback. Our results show that biomass-burning aerosols reinforce early 20th-century AMOC weakening associated with greenhouse gases and also partially mute industrial aerosol impacts on the AMOC. Recent increases in wildfires suggest biomass-burning aerosols may be an important driver of future AMOC variability. 

Abstract In the era of escalating climate change, understanding human impacts on marine heatwaves (MHWs) becomes essential. This study harnesses climate model historical and single forcing simulations to delve into the individual roles of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs) and aerosols in shaping the characteristics of global MHWs over the past several decades. The results suggest that GHG variations lead to longer-lasting, more frequent, and intense MHWs. In contrast, anthropogenic aerosols markedly curb the intensity and growth of MHWs. Further analysis of the sea surface temperature (SST) probability distribution reveals that anthropogenic GHGs and aerosols have opposing effects on the tails of the SST probability distribution, causing the tails to expand and contract, respectively. Climate extremes such as MHWs are accordingly promoted and reduced. Our study underscores the significant impacts of anthropogenic GHGs and aerosols on MHWs, which go far beyond the customary concept that these anthropogenic forcings modulate climate extremes by shifting global SST probabilities via modifying the mean-state SST. 

Abstract. In 2020 the International Maritime Organization (IMO) implemented strict new regulations on the emissions of sulphate aerosol from the world's shipping fleet. This can be expected to lead to a reduction in aerosol-driven cooling, unmasking a portion of greenhouse gas warming. The magnitude of the effect is uncertain, however, due to the large remaining uncertainties in the climate response to aerosols. Here, we investigate this question using an 18-member ensemble of fully coupled climate simulations evenly sampling key modes of climate variability with the NCAR CESM2 model. We show that while there is a clear physical response of the climate system to the IMO regulations, including a surface temperature increase, we do not find global mean temperature influence that is significantly different from zero. The 20-year average global mean warming for 2020–2040 is +0.03 °C, with a 5–95 % confidence range of [-0.09, 0.19], reflecting the weakness of the perturbation relative to internal variability. We do, however, find a robust, non-zero regional temperature response in part of the North Atlantic. We also find that the maximum annual-mean ensemble-mean warming occurs around a decade after the perturbation in 2029, which means that the IMO regulations have likely had very limited influence on observed global warming to date. We further discuss our results in light of other, recent publications that have reached different conclusions. Overall, while the IMO regulations may contribute up to at 0.16 °C [-0.17, 0.52] to the global mean surface temperature in individual years during this decade, consistent with some early studies, such a response is unlikely to have been discernible above internal variability by the end of 2023 and is in fact consistent with zero throughout the 2020–2040 period.