scholarly journals The 21st-century fate of the Mocho-Choshuenco ice cap in southern Chile

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 3637-3654
Author(s):  
Matthias Scheiter ◽  
Marius Schaefer ◽  
Eduardo Flández ◽  
Deniz Bozkurt ◽  
Ralf Greve
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Global Climate Models ◽  
Lake District ◽  
Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽  
Simulation Code ◽  
Ice Dynamics ◽  
Ice Volume ◽  
Ice Cap

Abstract. Glaciers and ice caps are thinning and retreating along the entire Andes ridge, and drivers of this mass loss vary between the different climate zones. The southern part of the Andes (Wet Andes) has the highest abundance of glaciers in number and size, and a proper understanding of ice dynamics is important to assess their evolution. In this contribution, we apply the ice-sheet model SICOPOLIS (SImulation COde for POLythermal Ice Sheets) to the Mocho-Choshuenco ice cap in the Chilean Lake District (40∘ S, 72∘ W; Wet Andes) to reproduce its current state and to project its evolution until the end of the 21st century under different global warming scenarios. First, we create a model spin-up using observed surface mass balance data on the south-eastern catchment, extrapolating them to the whole ice cap using an aspect-dependent parameterization. This spin-up is able to reproduce the most important present-day glacier features. Based on the spin-up, we then run the model 80 years into the future, forced by projected surface temperature anomalies from different global climate models under different radiative pathway scenarios to obtain estimates of the ice cap's state by the end of the 21st century. The mean projected ice volume losses are 56±16 % (RCP2.6), 81±6 % (RCP4.5), and 97±2 % (RCP8.5) with respect to the ice volume estimated by radio-echo sounding data from 2013. We estimate the uncertainty of our projections based on the spread of the results when forcing with different global climate models and on the uncertainty associated with the variation of the equilibrium line altitude with temperature change. Considering our results, we project a considerable deglaciation of the Chilean Lake District by the end of the 21st century.

scholarly journals 21st century fate of the Mocho-Choshuenco ice cap in southern Chile

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Scheiter ◽  
Marius Schaefer ◽  
Eduardo Flández ◽  
Deniz Bozkurt ◽  
Ralf Greve
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Global Climate Models ◽  
Lake District ◽  
Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽  
Ice Dynamics ◽  
Ice Volume ◽  
Ice Cap ◽  
Global Circulation Models

Abstract. Glaciers and ice caps are thinning and retreating along the entire Andes ridge, and drivers of this mass loss vary between the different climate zones. The southern part of the Andes (Wet Andes) has the highest abundance of glaciers in number and size, and a proper understanding of ice dynamics is important to assess their evolution. In this contribution, we apply the ice sheet model SICOPOLIS to the Mocho-Choshuenco ice cap in the Chilean Lake District (40° S, 72° W, Wet Andes) to reproduce its current state and to project its evolution until the end of the 21st century under different global warming scenarios. First, we create a model spin-up using surface mass balance data observed on the south-eastern catchment, extrapolating them to the whole ice cap using an exposition-dependent parameterization. This spin-up is able to reproduce the most important present-day glacier features. Based on the spin-up, we then run the model 80 years into the future, forced by projected surface temperature anomalies from different global circulation models under different radiative pathway scenarios to obtain estimates of the ice cap's state by the end of the 21st century. The mean projected ice volume losses are 25 ± 19 % (RCP2.6), 64 ± 14 % (RCP4.5) and 94 ± 3 % (RCP8.5) with respect to the ice volume estimated by radio-echo sounding data from 2013. We estimate the uncertainty of our projections based on the spread of the results when forcing with different global climate models and on the uncertainty associated with the variation of the equilibrium line altitude with temperature change. Considering our results, we project an considerable deglaciation of the Chilean Lake District by the end of the 21st century.

scholarly journals Boundary conditions for the Middle Miocene Climate Transition (MMCT v1.0)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Frigola ◽  
Matthias Prange ◽  
Michael Schulz
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Middle Miocene ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Co2 Concentration ◽  
General Circulation Models ◽  
Global Climate Models ◽  
Ice Volume ◽  
Climate Transition

Abstract. The Middle Miocene Climate Transition was characterized by major Antarctic ice-sheet expansion and global cooling during the interval ~ 15–13 Ma. Here we present two sets of boundary conditions for global general circulation models characterizing the periods before (Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum; MMCO) and after (Middle Miocene Glaciation; MMG) the transition. These boundary conditions include Middle Miocene global topography, bathymetry and vegetation. Additionally, Antarctic ice volume and geometry, sea-level and atmospheric CO2 concentration estimates for the MMCO and the MMG are reviewed. The boundary-condition files are available for use as input in a wide variety of global climate models and constitute a valuable tool for modeling studies with a focus on the Middle Miocene.

Simulations of 20th and 21st century Arctic cloud amount in the global climate models assessed in the IPCC AR4

2008 ◽  
Vol 33 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 1099-1115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Vavrus ◽  
Duane Waliser ◽  
Axel Schweiger ◽  
Jennifer Francis
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Cloud Amount ◽  
Global Climate Models ◽  
Ipcc Ar4

Predicting 21st-century polar bear habitat distribution from global climate models

2009 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
George M. Durner ◽  
David C. Douglas ◽  
Ryan M. Nielson ◽  
Steven C. Amstrup ◽  
Trent L. McDonald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Polar Bear ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Global Climate Models ◽  
Habitat Distribution

Climate engineering to mitigate the projected 21st-century terrestrial drying of the Americas: a direct comparison of carbon capture and sulfur injection

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yangyang Xu ◽  
Lei Lin ◽  
Simone Tilmes ◽  
Katherine Dagon ◽  
Lili Xia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
South America ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Carbon Capture ◽  
Model Comparison ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Amazon Region ◽  
Global Climate Models

<p>To mitigate the projected global warming in the 21st century, it is well-recognized that society needs to cut CO2 emissions and other short-lived warming agents aggressively. However, to stabilize the climate at a warming level closer to the present day, such as the “well below 2 ◦C” aspiration in the Paris Agreement, a net-zero carbon emission by 2050 is still insufficient. The recent IPCC special report calls for a massive scheme to extract CO2 directly from the atmosphere, in addition to decarbonization, to reach negative net emissions at the mid-century mark. Another ambitious proposal is solar-radiation-based geoengineering schemes, including injecting sulfur gas into the stratosphere. Despite being in public debate for years, these two leading geoengineering schemes have not been directly compared under a consistent analytical framework using global climate models.</p><p>Here we present the first explicit analysis of the hydroclimate impacts of these two geoengineering approaches using two recently available large-ensemble model experiments conducted by a family of state-of-the-art Earth system models. Our analysis focuses on the projected aridity conditions over the Americas in the 21st century in detailed terms of the potential mitigation benefits, the temporal evolution, the spatial distribution (within North and South America), the relative efficiency, and the physical mechanisms. We show that sulfur injection, in contrast to previous notions of leading to excessive terrestrial drying (in terms of precipitation reduction) while offsetting the global mean greenhouse gas (GHG) warming, will instead mitigate the projected drying tendency under RCP8.5. The surface energy balance change induced by sulfur injection, in addition to the well-known response in temperature and precipitation, plays a crucial role in determining the overall terrestrial hydroclimate response. However, when normalized by the same amount of avoided global warming in these simulations, sulfur injection is less effective in curbing the worsening trend of regional land aridity in the Americas under RCP8.5 when compared with carbon capture. Temporally, the climate benefit of sulfur injection will emerge more quickly, even when both schemes are hypothetically started in the same year of 2020. Spatially, both schemes are effective in curbing the drying trend over North America. However, for South America, the sulfur injection scheme is particularly more effective for the sub-Amazon region (southern Brazil), while the carbon capture scheme is more effective for the Amazon region. We conclude that despite the apparent limitations (such as an inability to address ocean acidification) and potential side effects (such as changes to the ozone layer), innovative means of sulfur injection should continue to be explored as a potential low-cost option in the climate solution toolbox, complementing other mitigation approaches such as emission cuts and carbon capture (Cao et al., 2017). Our results demonstrate the urgent need for multi-model comparison studies and detailed regional assessments in other parts of the world.</p>

scholarly journals A simple tool for refining GCM water availability projections, applied to Chinese catchments

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. 6043-6057
Author(s):  
Joe M. Osborne ◽  
F. Hugo Lambert
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
River Runoff ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Yellow River ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Global Climate Models

Abstract. There is a growing desire for reliable 21st-century projections of water availability at the regional scale. Global climate models (GCMs) are typically used together with global hydrological models (GHMs) to generate such projections. GCMs alone are unsuitable, especially if they have biased representations of aridity. The Budyko framework represents how water availability varies as a non-linear function of aridity and is used here to constrain projections of runoff from GCMs, without the need for computationally expensive GHMs. Considering a Chinese case study, we first apply the framework to observations to show that the contribution of direct human impacts (water consumption) to the significant decline in Yellow River runoff was greater than the contribution of aridity change by a factor of approximately 2, although we are unable to rule out a significant contribution from the net effect of all other factors. We then show that the Budyko framework can be used to narrow the range of Yellow River runoff projections by 34 %, using a multi-model ensemble and the high-end Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP8.5) emissions scenario. This increases confidence that the Yellow River will see an increase in runoff due to aridity change by the end of the 21st century. Yangtze River runoff projections change little, since aridity biases in GCMs are less substantial. Our approach serves as a quick and inexpensive tool to rapidly update and correct projections from GCMs alone. This could serve as a valuable resource when determining the water management policies required to alleviate water stress for future generations.

scholarly journals Modeling of Future Sea Level Rise Through Melting Glaciers

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manoj Kumar Singh ◽  
Bharat Raj Singh
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Global Climate Models ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Ice Caps ◽  
Mountain Glaciers

The aim of this paper is to project 21st century volume changes of all mountain glacier and ice caps and to provide systematic analysis of uncertainties originating from different sources in the and their contribution to sea level rise and the assessment of uncertainties. Trends in global climate warming and sea level rise are observed during the last 100-years which both, according to global climate models, will continue in the future Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) State-of-threat knowledge on climate, ocean and land processes identifies melting mountain glaciers and ice caps, after ocean thermal expansion, as the currently second major contributor to sea level rise. However, both the observations and models on sea level changes carry a variety of uncertainties. In this section, by following the question-answer concept, I will briefly present the importance of global sea level change for society, the current state of knowledge of sea level changes in response to climate change and the attempts to project future sea level changes until 2100 including discussion on related uncertainties. Melting mountain glaciers and ice caps (MG&IC) are the second largest contributor to rising sea level after thermal expansion of the oceans and are likely to remain the dominant glaciological contributor to rising sea level in the 21st century. The aim of this work is to project 21st century volume changes of all MG&IC and to provide systematic analysis of uncertainties originating from different sources in the calculation. I provide an ensemble of 21st century volume rojections for all MG&IC from the World Glacier Inventory by modeling the surface mass balance coupled with volume-area-length scaling and forced with temperature and precipitation scenarios from four Global Climate Models (GCMs). By upscaling the volume projections through a regionally differentiated approach to all MG&IC outside Greenland and Antarctica (514,380 km2) I stimated total volume loss for the time period 2001-2100 to range from 0.039 to 0.150 m sea level equivalent. While three GCMs agree that Alaskan glaciers are the main contributors to the projected sea level rise, one GCM projected the largest total volume loss mainly due to Arctic MG&IC.

scholarly journals Glacial runoff buffers droughts through the 21st century

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lizz Ultee ◽  
Sloan Coats ◽  
Jonathan Mackay
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Global Climate Model ◽  
Global Climate Models ◽  
Comprehensive Picture ◽  
Glacial Runoff ◽  
Glacier Ice ◽  
Glacier Modeling

Abstract. Global climate model projections suggest that 21st century climate change will bring significant drying in the terrestrial midlatitudes. Recent glacier modeling suggests that runoff from glaciers will continue to provide substantial freshwater in many drainage basins, though the supply will generally diminish throughout the century. In the absence of dynamic glacier ice within global climate models (GCMs), a comprehensive picture of future drought conditions in glaciated regions has been elusive. Here, we leverage the results of existing GCM simulations and a global glacier model to evaluate glacial buffering of droughts in the Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). We find that accounting for glacial runoff tends to increase multi-model ensemble mean SPEI and reduce drought frequency and severity, even in basins with relatively little glacier cover. Glacial drought buffering persists even as glacial runoff is projected to decline through the 21st century.

scholarly journals Projected 21st century changes in snow water equivalent over Northern Hemisphere landmasses from the CMIP5 model ensemble

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1943-1953 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. X. Shi ◽  
C. H. Wang
Keyword(s):  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Snow Water Equivalent ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Coupled Model ◽  
Global Climate Models ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Model Ensemble ◽  
Snow Water

Abstract. Changes in snow water equivalent (SWE) over Northern Hemisphere (NH) landmasses are investigated for the early (2016–2035), middle (2046–2065) and late (2080–2099) 21st century using a multi-model ensemble from 20 global climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5). The multi-model ensemble was found to provide a realistic estimate of observed NH mean winter SWE compared to the GlobSnow product. The multi-model ensemble projects significant decreases in SWE over the 21st century for most regions of the NH for representative concentration pathways (RCPs) 2.6, 4.5 and 8.5. This decrease is particularly evident over the Tibetan Plateau and North America. The only region with projected increases is eastern Siberia. Projected reductions in mean annual SWE exhibit a latitudinal gradient with the largest relative changes over lower latitudes. SWE is projected to undergo the largest decreases in the spring period where it is most strongly negatively correlated with air temperature. The reduction in snowfall amount from warming is shown to be the main contributor to projected changes in SWE during September to May over the NH.

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