scholarly journals Iterative land proxy based reconstruction of SST for the simulation of terrestrial Holocene climate

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-200
Author(s):  
K. Haberkorn ◽  
C. Lemmen ◽  
R. Blender ◽  
K. Fraedrich

Abstract. Sea surface temperature (SST) is the main driver of simulated climate in coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation models. A reliable reconstruction of past SST is necessary to simulate past climate realistically. We here present a novel method for reconstructing SST on the basis of terrestrial Holocene palaeothermometer data such that a climate model is able to represent the climate mean state in the land temperature time series. For our study, we use the Earth system model of intermediate complexity Planet Simulator (PlaSim). The land climate is represented by the high-resolution and long-term palaeothermometer time series from Lake Ammersee (Southern Germany), where the temperature is derived from the stable δ18O isotope in ostracod valves. To provide a climate simulation which reflects the proxy-derived climate during the Holocene, we (i) determine the sensitivities of the terrestrial PlaSim climate with respect to SST anomalies for present day conditions; (ii) define the inverse of these sensitivities to find the SST conditions necessary for representing past land proxy climate; and (iii) reapply the climate model to this newly reconstructed SST. We iterate over steps (ii) and (iii) until the mean model and proxy climate converge. We demonstrate the applicability of this new method to reconstruct past climate by comparing the simulated land temperatures to an independent (pollen derived) proxy data set of land temperatures for Europe. The implementation of a wider range of terrestrial palaeotemperature information from proxy archives analogous to our method will foreseeably yield better reconstructions of past SST. These can, for example, be used to overcome many models' difficulties with simulations extending to the time before 8500 yr before present, when the North American (Laurentide) ice sheet caused a no-analogue climate.

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 793-808 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Kamae ◽  
H. Ueda

Abstract. The mid-Pliocene (3.3 to 3.0 million yr ago), a globally warm period before the Quaternary, is recently attracting attention as a new target for paleoclimate modelling and data-model synthesis. This paper reports set-ups and results of experiments proposed in Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project (PlioMIP) using a global climate model, MRI-CGCM2.3. We conducted pre-industrial and mid-Pliocene runs by using the coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model (AOGCM) and its atmospheric component (AGCM) for the PlioMIP Experiments 2 and 1, respectively. In addition, we conducted two types of integrations in AOGCM simulation, with and without flux adjustments on sea surface. General characteristics of differences in the simulated mid-Pliocene climate relative to the pre-industrial in the three integrations are compared. In addition, patterns of predicted mid-Pliocene biomes resulting from the three climate simulations are compared in this study. Generally, difference of simulated surface climate between AGCM and AOGCM is larger than that between the two AOGCM runs, with and without flux adjustments. The simulated climate shows different pattern between AGCM and AOGCM particularly over low latitude oceans, subtropical land regions and high latitude oceans. The AOGCM simulations do not reproduce wetter environment in the subtropics relative to the present-day, which is suggested by terrestrial proxy data. The differences between the two types of AOGCM runs are small over the land, but evident over the ocean particularly in the North Atlantic and polar regions.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Merkenschlager ◽  
Christoph Beck ◽  
Elke Hertig

<p>Under enhanced anthropogenic greenhouse gas forcing heat waves are only one example of climatic risks mankind has to deal with. Especially in urban areas where most of the people will live until the end of the 21<sup>st</sup> century heat waves are a serious risk factor since the urban heat island will reinforce such events. For the city of Augsburg, new analog methods are utilized for assessing the development and impacts of heat waves taking into account the varying urban structure.</p><p>For model calibration the temperature data from the Augsburg-Mühlhausen weather station operated by the German Weather Service (DWD) and atmospheric circulation variables of the ERA5 reanalysis data set were used to analyze the recent temperature development. For this purpose, the least deviation of the normal vector was used to determine a subsample of analogs corresponding to the day of interest. The normal vector was derived from the regression plane of the prevailing circulation on the respective day. Subsequently, the temperature patterns were used to define the analog day from the subsample. For future periods, the same method was applied to model data for two representative concentration pathways (RCP4.5, RCP8.5) of different general circulation models (GCM: ACCESS1-0, CNRM-CM5, MPI-ESM-LR). Thus, we derive future time series of analogs corresponding to events prevailing in the observational period. To account for projected trends of the GCMs, the trends of all time-series were first removed and, after the analog selection process, added again according to the trends of the GCMs.</p><p>Temperature extremes are defined as days with temperatures exceeding the 90<sup>th</sup> quantile (Q90) and heat days are defined as days where at least two temperature indices (TMIN, TMEAN, TMAX) exceed Q90. When at least three consecutive days are defined as heat day a heat wave is proclaimed. Analysis have shown that under consideration of RCP8.5 (RCP4.5) and all model runs the number of heat days in the end of the 21<sup>st</sup> century will be nine (five) times higher than within the reference period 1970-2000. Furthermore, the mean duration of heatwaves will extend by factor four (two), whereby heat waves of more than 30 (15) consecutive days are possible.</p>


2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 1589-1605 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Gebre ◽  
T. Boissy ◽  
K. Alfredsen

Abstract. A one-dimensional process-based multi-year lake ice model, MyLake, was used to simulate lake ice phenology and annual maximum lake ice thickness for the Nordic region comprising Fennoscandia and the Baltic countries. The model was first tested and validated using observational meteorological forcing on a candidate lake (Lake Atnsjøen) and using downscaled ERA-40 reanalysis data set. To simulate ice conditions for the contemporary period of 1961–2000, the model was driven by gridded meteorological forcings from ERA-40 global reanalysis data downscaled to a 25 km resolution using the Rossby Centre Regional Climate Model (RCA). The model was then forced with two future climate scenarios from the RCA driven by two different general circulation models (GCMs) based on the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) A1B. The two climate scenarios correspond to two future time periods namely the 2050s (2041–2070) and the 2080s (2071–2100). To take into account the influence of lake morphometry, simulations were carried out for four different hypothetical lake depths (5 m, 10 m, 20 m, 40 m) placed at each of the 3708 grid cells. Based on a comparison of the mean predictions in the future 30-year periods with the control (1961–1990) period, ice cover durations in the region will be shortened by 1 to 11 weeks in 2041–2070, and 3 to 14 weeks in 2071–2100. Annual maximum lake ice thickness, on the other hand, will be reduced by a margin of up to 60 cm by 2041–2070 and up to 70 cm by 2071–2100. The simulated changes in lake ice characteristics revealed that the changes are less dependent on lake depths though there are slight differences. The results of this study provide a regional perspective of anticipated changes in lake ice regimes due to climate warming across the study area by the middle and end of this century.


1991 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Short ◽  
John G. Mengel ◽  
Thomas J. Crowley ◽  
William T. Hyde ◽  
Gerald R. North

AbstractEarth's land-sea distribution modifies the temperature response to orbitally induced perturbations of the seasonal insolation. We examine this modification in the frequency domain by generating 800,000-yr time series of maximum summer temperature in selected regions with a linear, two-dimensional, seasonal energy balance climate model. Previous studies have demonstrated that this model has a sensitivity comparable to general circulation models for the seasonal temperature response to orbital forcing on land. Although the observed response in the geologic record is sometimes significantly different than modeled here (differences attributable to model limitations and feedbacks involving the ocean-atmosphere-cryosphere system), there are several results of significance: (1) in mid-latitude land areas the orbital signal is translated linearly into a large (>10°C) seasonal temperature response; (2) although the modeled seasonal response to orbital forcing on Antarctica is 6°C, the annual mean temperature effect (<2°C) is only about one-fifth that inferred from the Vostok ice core, and primarily restricted to periods near 41,000 yr; (3) equatorial regions have the richest spectrum of temperature response, with a 3000-yr phase shift in the precession response, plus some power near periods of 10,000–12,000 yr, 41,000 yr, 100,000 yr, and 400,000 yr. Peaks at 10,000–12,000 yr and 100,000 and 400,000 yr result from the twice-yearly passage of the sun across the equator. The complex model response in equatorial regions has some resemblance to geologic time series from this region. The amplification of model response over equatorial land masses at the 100,000-yr period may explain some of the observed large variance in this band in geologic records, especially in pre-Pleistocene records from times of little or no global ice volume.


2011 ◽  
Vol 24 (11) ◽  
pp. 2771-2783 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Cerezo-Mota ◽  
Myles Allen ◽  
Richard Jones

Abstract Key mechanisms important for the simulation and better understanding of the precipitation of the North American monsoon (NAM) were analyzed in this paper. Three experiments with the Providing Regional Climates for Impacts Studies (PRECIS) regional climate model, the Hadley Centre Regional Model version 3P (HadRM3P), driven by different boundary conditions were carried out. After a detailed analysis of the moisture and low-level winds derived from the models, the authors conclude that the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) moisture and the Great Plains low-level jet (GPLLJ) play an important role in the northern portion of the NAM. Moreover, the realistic simulation of these features is necessary for a better simulation of precipitation in the NAM. Previous works suggest that the influence of moisture from the GoM in Arizona–New Mexico (AZNM) takes place primarily via the middle- and upper-tropospheric flow (above 700 mb). However, it is shown here that if the GoM does not supply enough moisture and the GPLLJ at lower levels (below 700 mb) does not reach the AZNM region, then a dry westerly flow dominates that area and the summer precipitation is below normal. The implications of these findings for studies of climate change are demonstrated with the analysis of two general circulation models (GCMs) commonly used for climate change prediction, which are shown not to reproduce correctly the GPLLJ intensity nor the moisture in the GoM. This implies that the precipitation in AZNM would not be correctly represented by a regional model driven by these GCMs.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justus Contzen ◽  
Thorsten Dickhaus ◽  
Gerrit Lohmann

Abstract. Coupled general circulation models are of paramount importance to assess quantitatively the magnitude of future climate change. Usual methods for validating climate models include the evaluation of mean values and covariances, but less attention is directed to the evaluation of extremal behaviour. This is a problem because many severe consequences of climate changes are due to climate extremes. We present a method for model validation in terms of extreme values based on classical extreme value theory. We further discuss a clustering algorithm to detect spacial dependencies and tendencies for concurrent extremes. To illustrate these methods, we analyse precipitation extremes of the AWI-ESM global climate model compared to the reanalysis data set CRU TS4.04. The methods presented here can also be used for the comparison of model ensembles, and there may be further applications in palaeoclimatology.


2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 383-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Kamae ◽  
H. Ueda

Abstract. The mid-Pliocene (3.3 to 3.0 million yr ago), a globally warm period before the Quaternary, is recently attracting attention as a new target for paleoclimate modelling and data-model synthesis. This paper reports set-ups and results of experiments proposed in Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project (PlioMIP) using with a global climate model, MRI-CGCM2.3. We conducted pre-industrial and mid-Pliocene runs by using of the coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model (AOGCM) and its atmospheric component (AGCM) for the PlioMIP Experiments 2 and 1, respectively. In addition, we conducted two types of integrations in AOGCM simulation, with and without flux adjustments on sea surface. General characteristics of differences in the simulated mid-Pliocene climate relative to the pre-industrial in the three integrations are compared in this study. Generally, difference of simulated surface climate between AGCM and AOGCM is larger than that between the two AOGCM runs, with and without flux adjustments. The simulated climate shows different pattern between AGCM and AOGCM particularly over low latitude oceans, subtropical land regions, and high latitude oceans. The AOGCM simulations do not reproduce wetter environment in the subtropics relative to the present-day, which is suggested by terrestrial proxy data. The differences between the two types of AOGCM runs are little over the land but evident over the ocean particularly in the North Atlantic and polar regions.


2005 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Forrest M. Hoffman ◽  
William W. Hargrove ◽  
David J. Erickson ◽  
Robert J. Oglesby

Abstract Changes in Earth’s climate in response to atmospheric greenhouse gas buildup impact the health of terrestrial ecosystems and the hydrologic cycle. The environmental conditions influential to plant and animal life are often mapped as ecoregions, which are land areas having similar combinations of environmental characteristics. This idea is extended to establish regions of similarity with respect to climatic characteristics that evolve through time using a quantitative statistical clustering technique called Multivariate Spatio-Temporal Clustering (MSTC). MSTC was applied to the monthly time series output from a fully coupled general circulation model (GCM) called the Parallel Climate Model (PCM). Results from an ensemble of five 99-yr Business-As-Usual (BAU) transient simulations from 2000 to 2098 were analyzed. MSTC establishes an exhaustive set of recurring climate regimes that form a “skeleton” through the “observations” (model output) throughout the occupied portion of the climate phase space formed by the characteristics being considered. MSTC facilitates direct comparison of ensemble members and ensemble and temporal averages since the derived climate regimes provide a basis for comparison. Moreover, by mapping all land cells to discrete climate states, the dynamic behavior of any part of the system can be studied by its time-varying sequence of climate state occupancy. MSTC is a powerful tool for model developers and environmental decision makers who wish to understand long, complex time series predictions of models. Strong predicted interannual trends were revealed in this analysis, including an increase in global desertification; a decrease in the cold, dry high-latitude conditions typical of North American and Asian winters; and significant warming in Antarctica and western Greenland.


Hydrology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Attogouinon ◽  
Agnidé E. Lawin ◽  
Jean-François Deliège

This study assessed the performance of eight general circulation models (GCMs) implemented in the upper Ouémé River basin in Benin Republic (West Africa) during the Fifth Assessment Report on Climate Change. Historical rainfall simulations of the climate model of Rossby Regional Centre (RCA4) driven by eight Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) GCMs over a 55-year period (1951 to 2005) are evaluated using the observational data set. Apart from daily rainfall, other rainfall parameters calculated from observed and simulated rainfall were compared. U-test and other statistical criteria (R2, MBE, MAE, RMSE and standard of standard deviations) were used. According to the results, the simulations correctly reproduce the interannual variability of precipitation in the upper Ouémé River basin. However, the models tend to produce drizzle. Especially, the overestimation of April, May and November rains not only explains the overestimation of seasonal and annual cumulative rainfall but also the early onset of the rainy season and its late withdrawal. However, we noted that this overestimation magnitude varies from one model to another. As for extreme rainfall indices, the models reproduced them poorly. The CanESM2, CNRM-CM5 and EC-EARTH models perform well for daily rainfall. A trade-off is formulated to select the common MPI-ESM-LR, GFDL-ESM2M, NorESM1-M and CanESM2 models for different rainfall parameters for the reliable projection of rainfall in the area. However, the MPI-ESM-LR model is a valuable tool for studying future climate change.


Radiocarbon ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 43 (2B) ◽  
pp. 843-855 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M Kalish ◽  
Reidar Nydal ◽  
Kjell H Nedreaas ◽  
George S Burr ◽  
Gro L Eine

Radiocarbon measured in seawater dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) can be used to investigate ocean circulation, atmosphere/ocean carbon flux, and provide powerful constraints for the fine-tuning of general circulation models (GCMs). Time series of 14C in seawater are derived most frequently from annual bands of hermatypic corals. However, this proxy is unavailable in temperate and polar oceans. Fish otoliths, calcium carbonate auditory, and gravity receptors in the membranous labyrinths of teleost fishes, can act as proxies for 14C in most oceans and at most depths. Arcto-Norwegian cod otoliths are suited to this application due to the well-defined distribution of this species in the Barents Sea, the ability to determine ages of individual Arcto-Norwegian cod with a high level of accuracy, and the availability of archived otoliths collected for fisheries research over the past 60 years. Using measurements of 14C derived from Arcto-Norwegian cod otoliths, we present the first pre- and post-bomb time series (1919–1992) of 14C from polar seas and consider the significance of these data in relation to ocean circulation and atmosphere/ocean flux of 14C. The data provide evidence for a minor Suess effect of only 0.2‰ per year between 1919 and 1950. Bomb 14C was evident in the Barents Sea as early as 1957 and the highest 14C value was measured in an otolith core from a cod with a birth date of 1967. The otolith 14C data display key features common to records of 14C obtained from a Georges Bank mollusc and corals from the tropical and subtropical North Atlantic.


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