The Influence of Urban Surface Expansion in China on Regional Climate

Deming Zhao Key Laboratory of Regional Climate-Environment for East Asia, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

Search for other papers by Deming Zhao in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
and
Jian Wu Department of Atmospheric Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China

Search for other papers by Jian Wu in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
Restricted access

Abstract

Incorporating satellite-based urban surface data for the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s in China, contributions to regional warming, and changes in the precipitation due to urban surface expansion were explored using the nested Fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–NCAR Mesoscale Model version 3.7 (MM5V3.7) with urban effects considered. The impact on surface air temperature at 2 m (SAT) due to urban surface expansion between the 1980s and the 2010s revealed that annual urban-related warming was lower over East Asia (0.031°C) and China (0.075°C) but higher in eastern China (0.14°C), which experienced dramatic urbanization. Greater warming could be detected over urban surface areas in the three city clusters [Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) and the Yangtze and Pearl River deltas (YRD and PRD, respectively)], which reached 1.06°, 0.84°, and 0.92°C, respectively. Urban-related warming was not limited to a single city or city clusters but extended over a SAT-increased belt that covered the eastern coast of China. Further analysis showed that urban-surface-expansion-induced changes in albedo and the total cloud amount contributed to the changes in the radiation budget, which resulted in strong surface radiative forcings in the urban surface (14.5, 11.2, and 11.7 W m−2 for BTH, YRD, and PRD, respectively). However, significant differences could be detected for the transition from nonurban to urban land use compared to those that were classified as urban in both time periods because of the varied albedo changes. The urbanization-related warming, especially in the city cluster areas, also had a further effect on the large-scale circulation and precipitation. The precipitation was weakened in northeastern and northern China but intensified in eastern and southern China, which resulted in the strengthened precipitation over China (0.016 mm day−1, 0.65%) and East Asia (0.011 mm day−1, 0.28%). Therefore, subregional characteristics with marked seasonal, interannual, and decadal variations were detected for the influence of the urban surface expansion.

Corresponding author e-mail: Deming Zhao, zhaodm@tea.ac.cn

Abstract

Incorporating satellite-based urban surface data for the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s in China, contributions to regional warming, and changes in the precipitation due to urban surface expansion were explored using the nested Fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–NCAR Mesoscale Model version 3.7 (MM5V3.7) with urban effects considered. The impact on surface air temperature at 2 m (SAT) due to urban surface expansion between the 1980s and the 2010s revealed that annual urban-related warming was lower over East Asia (0.031°C) and China (0.075°C) but higher in eastern China (0.14°C), which experienced dramatic urbanization. Greater warming could be detected over urban surface areas in the three city clusters [Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) and the Yangtze and Pearl River deltas (YRD and PRD, respectively)], which reached 1.06°, 0.84°, and 0.92°C, respectively. Urban-related warming was not limited to a single city or city clusters but extended over a SAT-increased belt that covered the eastern coast of China. Further analysis showed that urban-surface-expansion-induced changes in albedo and the total cloud amount contributed to the changes in the radiation budget, which resulted in strong surface radiative forcings in the urban surface (14.5, 11.2, and 11.7 W m−2 for BTH, YRD, and PRD, respectively). However, significant differences could be detected for the transition from nonurban to urban land use compared to those that were classified as urban in both time periods because of the varied albedo changes. The urbanization-related warming, especially in the city cluster areas, also had a further effect on the large-scale circulation and precipitation. The precipitation was weakened in northeastern and northern China but intensified in eastern and southern China, which resulted in the strengthened precipitation over China (0.016 mm day−1, 0.65%) and East Asia (0.011 mm day−1, 0.28%). Therefore, subregional characteristics with marked seasonal, interannual, and decadal variations were detected for the influence of the urban surface expansion.

Corresponding author e-mail: Deming Zhao, zhaodm@tea.ac.cn
Save
  • Barth, A., A. Alvera-Azcarate, M. Rixen, and J. M. Beckers, 2005: Two-way nested model of mesoscale circulation features in the Ligurian Sea. Prog. Oceanogr., 66, 171189, doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2004.07.017.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Bukovsky, M. S., and D. J. Karoly, 2009: Precipitation simulations using WRF as a nested regional climate model. J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol., 48, 21522159, doi:10.1175/2009JAMC2186.1.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Changnon, S. A., R. T. Shealy, and R. W. Scott, 1991: Precipitation changes in fall, winter, and spring caused by St. Louis. J. Appl. Meteor., 30, 126134, doi:10.1175/1520-0450(1991)030<0126:PCIFWA>2.0.CO;2.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Chen, F., and J. Dudhia, 2001a: Coupling an advanced land-surface/hydrology model with the Penn State/NCAR MM5 modeling system. Part I: Model implementation and sensitivity. Mon. Wea. Rev., 129, 569585, doi:10.1175/1520-0493(2001)129<0569:CAALSH>2.0.CO;2.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Chen, F., and J. Dudhia, 2001b: Coupling an advanced land-surface/hydrology model with the Penn State/NCAR MM5 modeling system. Part II: Preliminary model validation. Mon. Wea. Rev., 129, 587604, doi:10.1175/1520-0493(2001)129<0587:CAALSH>2.0.CO;2.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Chen, H., and Y. Zhang, 2013: Sensitivity experiments of impacts of large-scale urbanization in East China on East Asian winter monsoon. Chin. Sci. Bull., 58, 809815, doi:10.1007/s11434-012-5579-z.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Dong, X. C., J. P. Tang, Y. Wang, and J. W. Yu, 2008: Numerical simulation of the climate effect of the urbanzation course along the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River (in Chinese). Sci. Meteor. Sin., 28, 147154.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Dudhia, J., 2005: MM5 version 3.7 (the final version). Sixth WRF/15th MM5 Users’ Workshop, Boulder, CO, NCAR, 1.1. [Available online at http://www2.mmm.ucar.edu/wrf/users/workshops/WS2005/abstracts/Session1/1-Dudhia.pdf.]

  • Fang, C. L., 2009: The urbanization and urban development in China after the reform and opening-up (in Chinese). Econ. Geogr., 29, 1925.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Findell, K. L., E. Shevliakova, and P. C. D. Milly, 2007: Modeled impact of anthropogenic land cover change on climate. J. Climate, 20, 36213634, doi:10.1175/JCLI4185.1.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Fu, C. B., H. L. Wei, Y. Qian, and M. Chen, 2000: Documentation on regional integrated environmental model system (RIEMS version 1). TEACOM Science Rep. 1, START Regional Committee for Temperate East Asia, 26 pp.

  • Gallo, K., T. Owen, D. Easterling, and P. F. Jamason, 1999: Temperature trends of the U.S. Historical Climatology Network based on satellite-designated land use/land cover. J. Climate, 12, 13441348, doi:10.1175/1520-0442(1999)012<1344:TTOTUS>2.0.CO;2.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Gibbard, S., K. Caldeira, G. Bala, T. J. Philips, and M. Wickett, 2005: Climate effects of global land cover change. Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L23705, doi:10.1029/2005GL024550.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Grell, G. A., J. Dudhia, and D. R. Stauffer, 1994: A description of the fifth generation Penn State/NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM5). NCAR Tech. Note NCAR/TN-398+STR, 121 pp., doi:10.5065/D60Z716B.

  • Guo, Y.-R., and S. Chen, 1994: Terrain and land use for the fifth-generation Penn State/NCAR Mesoscale Modeling System (MM5): Program TERRAIN. NCAR Tech. Note NCAR/TN-397+IA, 114 pp., doi:10.5065/D68C9T67.

  • Han, Z. Q., Z. W. Yan, Z. Li, W. D. Liu, and Y. C. Wang, 2014: Impact of urbanization on low-temperature precipitation in Beijing during 1960–2008. Adv. Atmos. Sci., 31, 4856, doi:10.1007/s00376-013-2211-3.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Hansen, J., R. Ruedy, M. Sato, and K. Lo, 2010: Global surface temperature change. Rev. Geophys., 48, RG4004, doi:10.1029/2010RG000345.

  • Hong, S.-Y., and H.-L. Pan, 1996: Nonlocal boundary layer vertical diffusion in a medium-range forecast model. Mon. Wea. Rev., 124, 23222339, doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1996)124<2322:NBLVDI>2.0.CO;2.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Hu, Y. C., W. J. Dong, and Y. He, 2010: Impact of land surface forcings on mean and extreme temperature in eastern China. J. Geophys. Res., 115, D19117, doi:10.1029/2009JD013368.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Hu, Y. H., and Coauthors, 2015: Improved monitoring of urbanization processes in China for regional climate impact assessment. Environ. Earth Sci., 73, 8387, doi:10.1007/s12665-014-4000-4.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Huang, R. H., Z. Z. Zhang, G. Huang, and B. H. Ren, 1998: Characteristics of the water vapor transport in East Asian monsoon region and its differences from that in South Asian monsoon regions in summer (in Chinese). Sci. Atmos. Sin., 22, 460469.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Ichinose, T., K. Shimodozonob, and K. Hanakib, 1999: Impact of anthropogenic heat on urban climate in Tokyo. Atmos. Environ., 33, 38973909, doi:10.1016/S1352-2310(99)00132-6.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • IPCC, 2013: Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Cambridge University Press, 1535 pp., doi:10.1017/CBO9781107415324.

  • Jia, G. S., R. H. Xu, Y. H. Hu, and Y. T. He, 2014: Multi-scale remote sensing estimates of urban fractions and road widths for regional models. Climatic Change, 129, 543554, doi:10.1007/s10584-014-1114-3.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Jiang, X. Y., C. L. Zhang, H. Gao, and S. G. Miao, 2007: Impacts of urban albedo change on urban heat island in Beiing—A case study (in Chinese). Acta Meteor. Sin., 65, 301307.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Jones, P. D., D. H. Lister, and Q. Li, 2008: Urbanization effects in large-scale temperature records, with an emphasis on China. J. Geophys. Res., 113, D16122, doi:10.1029/2008JD009916.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Kain, J. S., and J. M. Fritsch, 1993: Convective parameterization for mesoscale models: The Kain-Fritsch scheme. The Representation of Cumulus Convection in Numerical Models, Meteor. Monogr., No. 46, Amer. Meteor. Soc., 165–170.

  • Kalnay, E., and M. Cai, 2003: Impact of urbanization and land-use change on climate. Nature, 423, 528531, doi:10.1038/nature01675.

  • Li, Q. X., W. Li, P. Si, X. R. Gao, W. J. Dong, P. D. Jones, J. Y. Huang, and L. J. Cao, 2010: Assessment of surface air warming in northeast China, with emphasis on the impacts of urbanization. Theor. Appl. Climatol., 99, 469478, doi:10.1007/s00704-009-0155-4.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Li, Y., Y. H. Song, A. Mochida, and T. Okaze, 2014: WRF environment assessment in Guangzhou city with an extracted land-use map from the remote sensing data in 2000 as an example. J. Harbin Inst. Technol., 21, 2632.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Lin, C.-Y., W.-C. Chen, S. C. Liu, Y. A. Liou, G. R. Liu, and T. H. Lin, 2008: Numerical study of the impact of urbanization on the precipitation over Taiwan. Atmos. Environ., 42, 29342947, doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.12.054.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Liu, J. Y., M. L. Liu, H. Q. Tian, D. F. Zhuang, Z. X. Zhang, W. Zhang, X. M. Tang, and X. Z. Deng, 2005: Spatial and temporal patterns of China’s cropland during 1990–2000: An analysis based on Landsat TM data. Remote Sens. Environ., 98, 442456, doi:10.1016/j.rse.2005.08.012.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Liu, J. Y., and Coauthors, 2014: Spatiotemporal characteristics, patterns, and causes of land-use changes in China since the late 1980s. J. Geogr. Sci., 24, 195210, doi:10.1007/s11442-014-1082-6.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Liu, W. D., B. L. Zhang, H. L. You, and P. Yang, 2014: Preliminary analysis of urbanization effects on temperature change in Beijing during 1978–2008 (in Chinese). Meteor. Mon., 40, 94100.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Liu, Z. H., Y. Li, and J. Peng, 2011: Progress and perspective of the research on hydrological effects of urban impervious surface on water environment (in Chinese). Progress Geogr., 30, 275281.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Liu, Z. X., S. H. Liu, F. Hu, J. Li, Y. J. Ma, and H. P. Liu, 2011: A comparison study of the simulation accuracy between WRF and MM5 in simulating local atmospheric circulations over greater Beijing. Sci. China Earth Sci., 55, 418427, doi:10.1007/s11430-011-4310-2.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Loveland, T. R., B. C. Reed, J. F. Brown, D. O. Ohlen, Z. Zhu, L. Yang, and J. W. Merchant, 2000: Development of a global land cover characteristics database and IGBP-DISCover from 1 km AVHRR data. Int. J. Remote Sens., 21, 13031330, doi:10.1080/014311600210191.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Miao, S. G., F. Chen, Q. C. Li, and S. Y. Fan, 2010: Month-averaged impacts of urbanization on atmospheric boundary layer structure and precipitation in summer in Beijing area (in Chinese). Chin. J. Geophys., 53, 15801593.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Miao, S. G., F. Chen, Q. C. Li, and S. Y. Fan, 2011: Impacts of urban processes and urbanization on summer precipitation: A case study of heavy rainfall in Beijing on 1 August 2006. J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol., 50, 806825, doi:10.1175/2010JAMC2513.1.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Mlawer, E. J., S. J. Taubman, P. D. Brown, M. J. Iacono, and S. A. Clough, 1997: Radiative transfer for inhomogeneous atmosphere: RRTM, a validated correlated-k model for the longwave. J. Geophys. Res., 102, 16 66316 682, doi:10.1029/97JD00237.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Mote, T. L., M. C. Lacke, and J. M. Shepherd, 2007: Radar signatures of the urban effect on precipitation distribution: A case study for Atlanta, Georgia. Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L20710, doi:10.1029/2007GL031903.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Pielke, R. A., Sr., R. Avissar, M. Raupach, A. J. Dolman, X. Zeng, and A. S. Denning, 1998: Interactions between the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems: Influence on weather and climate. Global Change Biol., 4, 461475, doi:10.1046/j.1365-2486.1998.t01-1-00176.x.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Portman, D., 1993: Identifying and correcting urban bias in regional time series: Surface temperature in China’s northern plains. J. Climate, 6, 22982308, doi:10.1175/1520-0442(1993)006<2298:IACUBI>2.0.CO;2.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Ren, G. Y., Y. Zhou, Z. Chu, J. Zhou, A. Zhang, J. Guo, and X. Liu, 2008: Urbanization effects on observed surface air temperature trends in north China. J. Climate, 21, 13331348, doi:10.1175/2007JCLI1348.1.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Ren, K., J. He, and L. Qi, 2010: The establishment characteristics of the East Asian subtropical monsoon rain-belt and an analysis of its nature of precipitation (in Chinese). Acta Meteor. Sin., 68, 550558.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Ren, Y. Y., and G. Y. Ren, 2011: A remote-sensing method of selecting reference stations for evaluating urbanization effect on surface air temperature trends. J. Climate, 24, 31793189, doi:10.1175/2010JCLI3658.1.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Shao, H., J. Song, and H. Ma, 2013: Sensitivity of the East Asian summer monsoon circulation and precipitation to an idealized large-scale urban expansion. J. Meteor. Soc. Japan, 91, 163177, doi:10.2151/jmsj.2013-205.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Shem, W., and M. Shepherd, 2009: On the impact of urbanization on summertime thunderstorms in Atlanta: Two numerical model case studies. Atmos. Res., 92, 172189, doi:10.1016/j.atmosres.2008.09.013.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Shepherd, J. M., H. Pierce, and A. J. Negri, 2002: Rainfall modification by major urban areas: Observation from space borne rain radar on the TRMM satellite. J. Appl. Meteor., 41, 689701, doi:10.1175/1520-0450(2002)041<0689:RMBMUA>2.0.CO;2.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Skamarock, W. C., and Coauthors, 2008: A description of the Advanced Research WRF version 3. NCAR Tech. Note NCAR/TN-475+STR, 113 pp., doi:10.5065/D68S4MVH.

  • Thielen, J., W. Wobrock, A. Gadian, P. G. Mestayer, and J.-D. Creutin, 2000: The possible influence of urban surfaces on rainfall development: A sensitivity study in 2D in the meso-gamma scale. Atmos. Res., 54, 1539, doi:10.1016/S0169-8095(00)00041-7.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Wang, B., and H. Lin, 2002: Rainy season of the Asian–Pacific summer monsoon. J. Climate, 15, 386398, doi:10.1175/1520-0442(2002)015<0386:RSOTAP>2.0.CO;2.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Wang, F., and Q. S. Ge, 2012: Estimation of urbanization bias in observed surface temperature change in China from 1980 to 2009 using satellite land-use data. Chin. Sci. Bull., 57, 17081715, doi:10.1007/s11434-012-4999-0.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Weaver, C. P., and R. Avissar, 2001: Atmospheric disturbances caused by human modification of the landscape. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 82, 2692281, doi:10.1175/1520-0477(2001)082<0269:ADCBHM>2.3.CO;2.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Yan, Z. W., Z. Li, Q. X. Li, and P. D. Jones, 2010: Effects of site change and urbanisation in the Beijing temperature series 1977–2006. Int. J. Climatol., 30, 12261234, doi:10.1002/joc.1971.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Yan, Z. W., J. Wang, Z. Li, and W. D. Liu, 2014: Effects of urbanization based on homogenized daily observations (in Chinese). Adv. Meteor. Sci. Tech., 4, 4148.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Yang, X. C., Y. L. Hou, and B. D. Chen, 2011: Observed surface warming induced by urbanization in east China. J. Geophys. Res., 116, D14113, doi:10.1029/2010JD015452.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Yang, Y. J., and Coauthors, 2013: Impacts of urbanization and station-relocation on surface air temperature series in Anhui Province, China. Pure Appl. Geophys., 170, 19691983, doi:10.1007/s00024-012-0619-9.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Ye, L. M., Z. H. Jiang, and F. Huo, 2014: Numerical simulation of the impact of land cover change on the urban heat island effect in Nanjing (in Chinese). Trans. Atmos. Sci., 37, 642652.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Zhang, A. Y., G. Y. Ren, J. X. Zhou, Z. Y. Chu, Y. Y. Ren, and G. L. Tang, 2010: Impacts of urbanization on trends of surface air temperature change in China (in Chinese). Acta Meteor. Sin., 68, 957966.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Zhang, N., Z. Gao, X. Wang, and Y. Chen, 2010: Modeling the impact of urbanization on the local and regional climate in Yangtze River Delta, China. Theor. Appl. Climatol., 102, 331342, doi:10.1007/s00704-010-0263-1.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Zhao, D. M., 2012: Performance of Regional Integrated Environment Modeling System (RIEMS) in the simulation of surface air temperature over East Asia. Atmos. Ocean. Sci. Lett., 5, 145150, doi:10.1080/16742834.2012.11446981.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Zhao, D. M., 2013: Performance of Regional Integrated Environment Modeling System (RIEMS) in precipitation simulations over East Asia. Climate Dyn., 40, 17671787, doi:10.1007/s00382-012-1660-1.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Zhao, D. M., B. K. Su, and J. P. Tang, 2007: Testing the ability of numerical model to simulate climate and its change with 4D-EOF. Acta Meteor. Sin., 21, 179191.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Zhao, D. M., C. B. Fu, and X. D. Yan, 2009: Testing the ability of RIEMS2.0 (Regional Integrated Environment Modeling System) to simulate multi-year precipitation and air temperature in China. Chin. Sci. Bull., 54, 31013111, doi:10.1007/s11434-009-0178-3.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Zhao, J., A. D. Gong, and J. Xu, 2008: Progress in study on urban heat island at home and abroad (in Chinese). J. Nat. Disasters, 17, 6467.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Zhou, J. P., Z. B. Sun, D. H. Ni, and Z. X. Li, 2013: Impact of meteorological station relocation on homogeneity of annual mean temperature in China (in Chinese). Trans. Atmos. Sci., 36, 139146.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Zhou, L., R. E. Dickinson, Y. Tian, J. Fang, Q. Li, R. K. Kaufmann, C. J. Tucker, and R. B. Myneli, 2004: Evidence for a significant urbanization effect on climate in China. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 101, 95409544, doi:10.1073/pnas.0400357101.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Zhuang, B., and Coauthors, 2014: Optical properties and radiative forcing of urban aerosols in Nanjing, China. Atmos. Environ., 83, 4352, doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2013.10.052.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 0 0 0
Full Text Views 1762 1355 413
PDF Downloads 343 87 14