Intensification of extreme cold events in East Asia in response to global mean sea-level rise

Today, the global mean sea level(GMSL) stands ~20cm higher than at the beginning of the last century, and the rate of sea-level rise has been accelerating in recent decades. Even a slight, globally uniform sea-level rise can notably impact atmospheric and oceanic circulations at climatic and potentially synoptic scales. However, the extent to which sea-level rise will influence extreme weather remains largely unknown. Here, we specifically focused on East Asia and conducted experiments to investigate the effects of GMSL rise. Our experiments demonstrate that GMSL rise, even in tens of centimeters, promotes stronger and more frequent extreme cold events. This effect is attributed to weakened mid-latitude westerly winds and increased occurrence of blocking events over Eurasia. Our study presents the first evidence that GMSL rise will modify synoptic systems and intensify extreme events. Both coastal and inland countries are exposed to threats arising from GMSL rise.