Revisiting last glacial maximum climate over China and East Asian monsoon using PMIP3 simulations

•We revisited the LGM climate over East Asia using the PMIP3 model results.•LGM East Asian climate was colder and drier than the pre-industrial period.•PMIP3 models underestimated the annual cooling in China as evidenced by proxy data.•PMIP3 simulations agreed better with reconstructed humidity than PMIP1/2 ones.•LGM EAM change differed somewhat between PMIP3 and PMIP1/2 simulations.

Using simulations performed by all available climate models participating in the latest Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project (PMIP) phase 3 (PMIP3), we revisited the climate over China and the East Asian monsoon during the last glacial maximum (LGM; 21,000 years ago). Similar to previous results obtained from the PMIP phases 1 and 2 (PMIP1/2) models, all nine models reproduced colder than the pre-industrial annual and seasonal temperatures over China during the LGM and underestimated the annual cooling as evidenced by proxy data. The LGM annual and seasonal precipitation and evaporation over China consistently decreased in the models, whereas the very small LGM change in net precipitation (precipitation minus evaporation) differed among models. The annual net precipitation change during the LGM was broadly consistent with reconstructed moisture conditions over most parts of China, especially over the western Tibetan Plateau where the PMIP1/2 models disagreed with the proxy data. Moreover, the LGM winter monsoon circulation weakened (strengthened) over the East Asian continent in four (one) of five models; the summer monsoon circulation generally weakened in two models, whereas it weakened north and strengthened south of about 30°N over East Asia in three models. The spatial patterns of the LGM change in East Asian winter and summer monsoons in the PMIP3 models differed somewhat from those in the PMIP1/2 simulations.