Anthropogenic heat release, a non-negligible climatic factor for Eastern China in boreal summer

In this study, high-resolution anthropogenic heat release (AHR) due to energy consumption is considered in Community Earth System Model version 1 (CESM1) to explore possible climatic effects and physical mechanisms due to AHR in eastern China (EC) in boreal summer. The results show that the heating effect of AHR on the lower atmosphere leads to an increase in the temperature difference between land and ocean, causing changes in atmospheric circulation and water vapor transport in EC in boreal summer. AHR affects the lower-troposphere stability and low clouds, impacting the surface energy balance. This will affect the surface temperature and further increase the occurrence of extreme high temperatures. The modeling results show that in the central part of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Inner Mongolia regions, the relative humidity increases by more than 1% due to AHR, leading to a decrease in low cloud cover. In the Middle-Lower Yangtze region, low clouds decrease by 2–3%, while the net shortwave radiation flux at the surface increases by approximately 5%. AHR leads to an increase of 0.19 K in the 2 m air temperature in the 25°N-35°N regions of EC on average in boreal summer, which will further impact the summer extreme high temperature in the Middle-Lower Yangtze Region. AHR acts as a non-negligible factor for the extreme high temperature in EC in boreal summer.