Two Global Warming Events in the 20th Century
20世纪两次全球增暖事件的比较

In the last century, two rapid warmingevents of the globe occurred around the 1920s and the 1970s, respectively. This paper analysis their geographic origins, spatial distribution character, areas of influence and possible relations between the temperature changes in the typical regions and the related changes in the atmospheric circulation. Results show that (1) the first rapid warming was originated from northern high-latitudes, especially the zone from Novaya Zemlya Archipelago to Iceland; and warming mainly occurred in the North Atlantic and northern continents; and (2) the second warming developed from southern high\|latitudes, especially the southern Indian Ocean and Antarctic; and tended to propagate northwards to the subtropics and tropics. Analyses also show that in the 20th century the prominent warming in East Asia and western North America and the cooling in the northern North Atlantic and northern central Pacific are closely related to the changes in atmospheric circulation systems.