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Climate change penalty and benefit on surface ozone: a global perspective based on CMIP6 earth system models

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Change log

Authors

Zanis, Prodromos 
Akritidis, Dimitris 
Turnock, Steven 
Naik, Vaishali 
Szopa, Sophie 

Abstract

Abstract: This work presents an analysis of the effect of climate change on surface ozone discussing the related penalties and benefits around the globe from the global modelling perspective based on simulations with five CMIP6 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6) Earth System Models. As part of AerChemMIP (Aerosol Chemistry Model Intercomparison Project) all models conducted simulation experiments considering future climate (ssp370SST) and present-day climate (ssp370pdSST) under the same future emissions trajectory (SSP3-7.0). A multi-model global average climate change benefit on surface ozone of −0.96 ± 0.07 ppbv °C−1 is calculated which is mainly linked to the dominating role of enhanced ozone destruction with higher water vapour abundances under a warmer climate. Over regions remote from pollution sources, there is a robust decline in mean surface ozone concentration on an annual basis as well as for boreal winter and summer varying spatially from −0.2 to −2 ppbv °C−1, with strongest decline over tropical oceanic regions. The implication is that over regions remote from pollution sources (except over the Arctic) there is a consistent climate change benefit for baseline ozone due to global warming. However, ozone increases over regions close to anthropogenic pollution sources or close to enhanced natural biogenic volatile organic compounds emission sources with a rate ranging regionally from 0.2 to 2 ppbv C−1, implying a regional surface ozone penalty due to global warming. Overall, the future climate change enhances the efficiency of precursor emissions to generate surface ozone in polluted regions and thus the magnitude of this effect depends on the regional emission changes considered in this study within the SSP3_7.0 scenario. The comparison of the climate change impact effect on surface ozone versus the combined effect of climate and emission changes indicates the dominant role of precursor emission changes in projecting surface ozone concentrations under future climate change scenarios.

Description

Funder: Hadley Centre


Funder: BEIS


Funder: NERC


Funder: Met Office; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000847


Funder: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001691


Funder: Public Investment Program of the Ministry of Development and Investments of Greece

Keywords

Letter, climate change, surface ozone, benefit, penalty, CMIP6, ESMs

Is Part Of

Publisher

IOP Publishing
Sponsorship
Defra (GA01101)
EU (641816)
NCAS (R8/H12/83/003)
Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency of Japan (JPMXD1420318865)
Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MLIT1753)
KAKENHI (JP18H03363, JP18H05292, JP19K12312, JP20K04070)
Technology Development (JPMEERF20202003, JPMEERF20205001)