scholarly journals Simulating last interglacial climate with NorESM: role of insolation and greenhouse gases in the timing of peak warmth

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1305-1318 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.M. Langebroek ◽  
K. H. Nisancioglu
Keyword(s):  
Southern Ocean ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Austral Summer ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Last Interglacial ◽  
The North ◽  
Surface Temperatures ◽  
Summer Temperatures ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
Insolation Forcing

Abstract. The last interglacial (LIG, ~130–116 ka, ka = 1000 yr ago) is characterized by high-latitude warming and is therefore often considered as a possible analogue for future warming. However, in contrast to predicted future greenhouse warming, the LIG climate is largely governed by variations in insolation. Greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations were relatively stable and similar to pre-industrial values, with the exception of the early LIG when, on average, GHGs were slightly lower. We performed six time-slice simulations with the low-resolution version of the Norwegian Earth System Model covering the LIG. In four simulations only the orbital forcing was changed. In two other simulations, representing the early LIG, additionally the GHG forcing was reduced. With these simulations we investigate (1) the different effects of GHG versus insolation forcing on the temperatures during the LIG; (2) whether reduced GHGs can explain the low temperatures reconstructed for the North Atlantic; and (3) the timing of the observed LIG peak warmth. Our simulations show that the insolation forcing results in seasonal and hemispheric differences in temperature. In contrast, a reduction in the GHG forcing causes a global and seasonal-independent cooling. Furthermore, we compare modelled temperatures with proxy-based LIG sea-surface temperatures along a transect in the North Atlantic. The modelled North Atlantic summer sea-surface temperatures capture the general trend of the reconstructed summer temperatures, with low values in the early LIG, a peak around 125 ka, and a steady decrease towards the end of the LIG. Simulations with reduced GHG forcing improve the model–data fit as they show lower temperatures in the early LIG. Furthermore we show that the timing of maximum summer and winter surface temperatures is in line with the local summer and winter insolation maximum at most latitudes. Two regions where the maximum local insolation and temperature do not occur at the same time are Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. The austral summer insolation has a late maximum at ~115 ka. In contrast the austral summer temperatures in Antarctica show maxima at both ~130 ka and ~115 ka, and the Southern Ocean temperatures peak only at ~130 ka. This is probably due to the integrating effect of the ocean, storing heat from other seasons and resulting in relatively warm austral summer temperatures. Reducing the GHG concentrations in the early LIG (125 and 130 ka) results in a similar timing of peak warmth, except over Antarctica. There, the lower austral summer temperatures at 130 ka shift the maximum warmth to a single peak at 115 ka.

scholarly journals Simulating last interglacial climate with NorESM: role of insolation and greenhouse gases in the timing of peak warmth

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 4449-4473 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. Langebroek ◽  
K. H. Nisancioglu
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Sediment Cores ◽  
Austral Summer ◽  
Hemispheric Differences ◽  
Last Interglacial ◽  
The North ◽  
Surface Temperatures ◽  
Summer Temperatures ◽  
Insolation Maximum

Abstract. The last interglacial (LIG) is characterized by high latitude warming and is therefore often considered as a possible analogue for future warming. However, in contrast to predicted future greenhouse warming, the last interglacial climate is largely governed by variations in insolation. Greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations were relatively stable and similar to pre-industrial values, with the exception of the early last interglacial where GHGs were slightly lower. We performed six time-slice simulations with the low resolution version of the Norwegian Earth System Model covering the last interglacial. In four simulations only orbital forcing was changed, and in two simulations additionally GHG forcing was reduced to values appropriate for the early last interglacial. Our simulations show that insolation forcing results in seasonal and hemispheric differences in temperature. In contrast, a reduction in greenhouse gas forcing causes a global and seasonal-independent cooling. We also compare our modelled results to proxy data extracted from four marine sediment cores covering the entire last interglacial along a northeast-southwest transect in the North Atlantic. Our modelled North Atlantic summer sea surface temperatures capture the general trend of the proxy summer temperatures, with low values in the early last interglacial, a peak around 125 ka, and a steady decrease towards the end of the last interglacial. Temperatures computed by the simulations with reduced GHG forcing improve the fit as they show lower temperatures in the early last interglacial. Furthermore we show that the timing of maximum surface temperatures follows the local insolation maximum. Two exceptions are the temperatures on Antarctica that show maxima at both ~ 130 ka and ~ 115 ka, and the Southern Ocean austral summer temperatures that peak early at ~ 130 ka. This is probably due to the integrating effect of the ocean, storing summer heat and resulting in relatively warm winter temperatures.

Climate Response to External Sources of Freshwater: North Atlantic versus the Southern Ocean

2007 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 436-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald J. Stouffer ◽  
Dan Seidov ◽  
Bernd J. Haupt
Keyword(s):  
Southern Ocean ◽  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Real World ◽  
The Other ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
The Antarctic

Abstract The response of an atmosphere–ocean general circulation model (AOGCM) to perturbations of freshwater fluxes across the sea surface in the North Atlantic and Southern Ocean is investigated. The purpose of this study is to investigate aspects of the so-called bipolar seesaw where one hemisphere warms and the other cools and vice versa due to changes in the ocean meridional overturning. The experimental design is idealized where 1 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1) of freshwater is added to the ocean surface for 100 model years and then removed. In one case, the freshwater perturbation is located in the Atlantic Ocean from 50° to 70°N. In the second case, it is located south of 60°S in the Southern Ocean. In the case where the North Atlantic surface waters are freshened, the Atlantic thermohaline circulation (THC) and associated northward oceanic heat transport weaken. In the Antarctic surface freshening case, the Atlantic THC is mainly unchanged with a slight weakening toward the end of the integration. This weakening is associated with the spreading of the fresh sea surface anomaly from the Southern Ocean into the rest of the World Ocean. There are two mechanisms that may be responsible for such weakening of the Atlantic THC. First is that the sea surface salinity (SSS) contrast between the North Atlantic and North Pacific is reduced. And, second, when freshwater from the Southern Ocean reaches the high latitudes of the North Atlantic Ocean, it hinders the sinking of the surface waters, leading to the weakening of the THC. The spreading of the fresh SSS anomaly from the Southern Ocean into the surface waters worldwide was not seen in earlier experiments. Given the geography and climatology of the Southern Hemisphere where the climatological surface winds push the surface waters northward away from the Antarctic continent, it seems likely that the spreading of the fresh surface water anomaly could occur in the real world. A remarkable symmetry between the two freshwater perturbation experiments in the surface air temperature (SAT) response can be seen. In both cases, the hemisphere with the freshwater perturbation cools, while the opposite hemisphere warms slightly. In the zonally averaged SAT figures, both the magnitude and the pattern of the anomalies look similar between the two cases. The oceanic response, on the other hand, is very different for the two freshwater cases, as noted above for the spreading of the SSS anomaly and the associated THC response. If the differences between the atmospheric and oceanic responses apply to the real world, then the interpretation of paleodata may need to be revisited. To arrive at a correct interpretation, it matters whether or not the evidence is mainly of atmospheric or oceanic origin. Also, given the sensitivity of the results to the exact details of the freshwater perturbation locations, especially in the Southern Hemisphere, a more realistic scenario must be constructed to explore these questions.

scholarly journals Modeled and Observed Multidecadal Variability in the North Atlantic Jet Stream and Its Connection to Sea Surface Temperatures

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (20) ◽  
pp. 8313-8338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isla R. Simpson ◽  
Clara Deser ◽  
Karen A. McKinnon ◽  
Elizabeth A. Barnes
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Jet Stream ◽  
Sea Surface Temperatures ◽  
Multidecadal Variability ◽  
The North ◽  
Surface Temperatures ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
North Atlantic Jet

Multidecadal variability in the North Atlantic jet stream in general circulation models (GCMs) is compared with that in reanalysis products of the twentieth century. It is found that almost all models exhibit multidecadal jet stream variability that is entirely consistent with the sampling of white noise year-to-year atmospheric fluctuations. In the observed record, the variability displays a pronounced seasonality within the winter months, with greatly enhanced variability toward the late winter. This late winter variability exceeds that found in any GCM and greatly exceeds expectations from the sampling of atmospheric noise, motivating the need for an underlying explanation. The potential roles of both external forcings and internal coupled ocean–atmosphere processes are considered. While the late winter variability is not found to be closely connected with external forcing, it is found to be strongly related to the internally generated component of Atlantic multidecadal variability (AMV) in sea surface temperatures (SSTs). In fact, consideration of the seasonality of the jet stream variability within the winter months reveals that the AMV is far more strongly connected to jet stream variability during March than the early winter months or the winter season as a whole. Reasoning is put forward for why this connection likely represents a driving of the jet stream variability by the SSTs, although the dynamics involved remain to be understood. This analysis reveals a fundamental mismatch between late winter jet stream variability in observations and GCMs and a potential source of long-term predictability of the late winter Atlantic atmospheric circulation.

scholarly journals Persistent influence of ice sheet melting on high northern latitude climate during the early Last Interglacial

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 483-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Govin ◽  
P. Braconnot ◽  
E. Capron ◽  
E. Cortijo ◽  
J.-C. Duplessy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Southern Ocean ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Boreal Summer ◽  
Last Interglacial ◽  
High Northern Latitude ◽  
The North ◽  
Northern Latitudes ◽  
The North Atlantic

Abstract. Although the Last Interglacial (LIG) is often considered as a possible analogue for future climate in high latitudes, its precise climate evolution and associated causes remain uncertain. Here we compile high-resolution marine sediment records from the North Atlantic, Labrador Sea, Norwegian Sea and the Southern Ocean. We document a delay in the establishment of peak interglacial conditions in the North Atlantic, Labrador and Norwegian Seas as compared to the Southern Ocean. In particular, we observe a persistent iceberg melting at high northern latitudes at the beginning of the LIG. It is associated with (1) colder and fresher surface-water conditions in the North Atlantic, Labrador and Norwegian Seas, and (2) a weaker ventilation of North Atlantic deep waters during the early LIG (129–125 ka) compared to the late LIG. Results from an ocean-atmosphere coupled model with insolation as a sole forcing for three key periods of the LIG show warmer North Atlantic surface waters and stronger Atlantic overturning during the early LIG (126 ka) than the late LIG (122 ka). Hence, insolation variations alone do not explain the delay in peak interglacial conditions observed at high northern latitudes. Additionally, we consider an idealized meltwater scenario at 126 ka where the freshwater input is interactively computed in response to the high boreal summer insolation. The model simulates colder, fresher North Atlantic surface waters and weaker Atlantic overturning during the early LIG (126 ka) compared to the late LIG (122 ka). This result suggests that both insolation and ice sheet melting have to be considered to reproduce the climatic pattern that we identify during the early LIG. Our model-data comparison also reveals a number of limitations and reinforces the need for further detailed investigations using coupled climate-ice sheet models and transient simulations.

scholarly journals Impact of meltwater on high-latitude early Last Interglacial climate

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1919-1932 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma J. Stone ◽  
Emilie Capron ◽  
Daniel J. Lunt ◽  
Antony J. Payne ◽  
Joy S. Singarayer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Southern Ocean ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Model Data ◽  
Last Interglacial ◽  
Model Simulations ◽  
The North ◽  
Freshwater Forcing ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
Climate Model Simulations

Abstract. Recent data compilations of the early Last Interglacial period have indicated a bipolar temperature response at 130 ka, with colder-than-present temperatures in the North Atlantic and warmer-than-present temperatures in the Southern Ocean and over Antarctica. However, climate model simulations of this period have been unable to reproduce this response, when only orbital and greenhouse gas forcings are considered in a climate model framework. Using a full-complexity general circulation model we perform climate model simulations representative of 130 ka conditions which include a magnitude of freshwater forcing derived from data at this time. We show that this meltwater from the remnant Northern Hemisphere ice sheets during the glacial–interglacial transition produces a modelled climate response similar to the observed colder-than-present temperatures in the North Atlantic at 130 ka and also results in warmer-than-present temperatures in the Southern Ocean via the bipolar seesaw mechanism. Further simulations in which the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is also removed lead to warming in East Antarctica and the Southern Ocean but do not appreciably improve the model–data comparison. This integrated model–data approach provides evidence that Northern Hemisphere freshwater forcing is an important player in the evolution of early Last Interglacial climate.

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