The connection of east Asia and southwestern north America in climate change mode since the last glacial maximum at various timescales

Climate change modes between East Asia and southwestern North America are interlinked; however, little research has been done in comparing the underlying mechanisms between time scales. Here we present a comprehensive study using modern observations, paleoclimate records, and PMIP3/CMIP5 simulations to investigate the multi-timescale wet/dry changes in East Asia and southwestern North America and its relationship in climate change modes since the Last Glacial Maximum. Results show that wet/dry conditions in the monsoon and non-monsoon regions of East Asia and southwestern North America all have reverse changes at different timescales. On the millennial-scale the two continents are linked through the factors of insolation, greenhouse gas concentrations, El Nino-Southern Oscillation, and the northern hemisphere ice sheet. On the modern interannual and interdecadal scales the two climate systems are interlinked through the atmosphere-ocean interaction and precipitation and temperature patterns of both continents. This study provides a new perspective for the linkage study between different continents on a long-term scale, as well as a new recognition to global monsoon system. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.