scholarly journals Greenland warming during the last interglacial: the relative importance of insolation and oceanic changes

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasmus A. Pedersen ◽  
Peter L. Langen ◽  
Bo M. Vinther
Keyword(s):  
General Circulation ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Interglacial Period ◽  
Last Interglacial ◽  
Ice Core Record ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Insolation changes during the Eemian (the last interglacial period, 129–116 000 years before present) resulted in warmer than present conditions in the Arctic region. The NEEM ice core record suggests warming of 8±4 K in northwestern Greenland based on water stable isotopes. Here we use general circulation model experiments to investigate the causes of the Eemian warming in Greenland. Simulations of the atmospheric response to combinations of Eemian insolation and pre-industrial oceanic conditions and vice versa, are used to disentangle the impacts of the insolation change and the related changes in sea surface temperatures and sea ice conditions. The changed oceanic conditions cause warming throughout the year, prolonging the impact of the summertime insolation increase. Consequently, the oceanic conditions cause annual mean warming of 2 K at the NEEM site, whereas the insolation alone causes an insignificant change. Taking the precipitation changes into account, however, the insolation and oceanic changes cause more comparable increases in the precipitation-weighted temperature, implying that both contributions are important for the ice core record at the NEEM site. The simulated Eemian precipitation-weighted warming of 2.4 K at the NEEM site is low compared to the ice core reconstruction, partially due to missing feedbacks related to ice sheet changes. Surface mass balance calculations with an energy balance model indicate potential mass loss in the north and southwestern parts of the ice sheet. The oceanic conditions favor increased accumulation in the southeast, while the insolation appears to be the dominant cause of the expected ice sheet reduction.

scholarly journals Greenland during the last interglacial: the relative importance of insolation and oceanic changes

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1907-1918 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasmus A. Pedersen ◽  
Peter L. Langen ◽  
Bo M. Vinther
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Interglacial Period ◽  
Last Interglacial ◽  
Ice Core Record ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Insolation changes during the Eemian (the last interglacial period, 129 000–116 000 years before present) resulted in warmer than present conditions in the Arctic region. The NEEM ice core record suggests warming of 8 ± 4 K in northwestern Greenland based on stable water isotopes. Here we use general circulation model experiments to investigate the causes of the Eemian warming in Greenland. Simulations of the atmospheric response to combinations of Eemian insolation and preindustrial oceanic conditions and vice versa are used to disentangle the impacts of the insolation change and the related changes in sea surface temperatures and sea ice conditions. The changed oceanic conditions cause warming throughout the year, prolonging the impact of the summertime insolation increase. Consequently, the oceanic conditions cause an annual mean warming of 2 K at the NEEM site, whereas the insolation alone causes an insignificant change. Taking the precipitation changes into account, however, the insolation and oceanic changes cause more comparable increases in the precipitation-weighted temperature, implying that both contributions are important for the ice core record at the NEEM site. The simulated Eemian precipitation-weighted warming of 2.4 K at the NEEM site is low compared to the ice core reconstruction, partially due to missing feedbacks related to ice sheet changes and an extensive sea ice cover. Surface mass balance calculations with an energy balance model further indicate that the combination of temperature and precipitation anomalies leads to potential mass loss in the north and southwestern parts of the ice sheet. The oceanic conditions favor increased accumulation in the southeast, while the insolation appears to be the dominant cause of the expected ice sheet reduction. Consequently, the Eemian is not a suitable analogue for future ice sheet changes.

Inferring the Last Interglacial West Antarctic Ice Sheet from the coupling of an ice core water stable isotope record and an atmospheric general circulation model

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sentia Goursaud ◽  
Louise Sime ◽  
Eric Wolff
Keyword(s):  
General Circulation ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Last Interglacial ◽  
Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
West Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
West Antarctic ◽  
Isotope Record ◽  
Water Stable Isotope

<p><span><span>The Last Interglacial period (</span></span><span><span>130-115 ka BP, </span></span><span><span>hereafter LIG</span></span><span><span>) </span></span><span><span>is often considered as a</span></span> <span><span>prime example to study the effect of </span></span><span><span>warmer-than-present </span></span><span><span>temperatures on polar ice sheets evolution. As the debate mainly focuses on the causes and tip</span></span><span><span>ping</span></span><span><span> point of a potential collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet </span></span><span><span>(hereafter </span></span><span><span>WAIS</span></span><span><span>), </span></span><span><span>few investigations examine the consequences of a wais collapse in terms of atmospheric circulation. </span></span><span><span>However, a knowledge of </span></span><span><span>the state of the atmosphere is necessary to use proxy data recorded in ice cores. </span></span><span><span>By analysing a new ice core drilled in Skytrain ice rise and using climate modeling, t</span></span><span><span>he WACSWAIN (WArm Climate Stability of West Antarctic ice sheet in the last Interglacial) </span></span><span><span>aims to </span></span><span><span>reconstruct WAIS extent during the LIG. Here, we use simulations from the atmospheric general circulation model HadCM3 </span></span> <span><span>with </span></span><span><span>different </span></span><span><span>WAIS configurations. We show that changes in temperature are directly linked to changes in orography through thermodynamic effects, as well as a linear sea ice extent rise over the Pacific Ocean with the WAIS reduction explained by a reversal of meridional winds turning southwards as the WAIS disappears.</span></span> <span><span>At the Skytrain ice rise, we show that not only the isotopic thermometer can be applied, but we also suggest that the water stable isotope record imprinted in the ice core will allow us to quantify the wais reduction.</span></span></p>

scholarly journals Sensitivity of interglacial Greenland temperature and δ<sup>18</sup>O: ice core data, orbital and increased CO<sub>2</sub> climate simulations

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 1041-1059 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Masson-Delmotte ◽  
P. Braconnot ◽  
G. Hoffmann ◽  
J. Jouzel ◽  
M. Kageyama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Interglacial Period ◽  
Orbital Forcing ◽  
Last Interglacial ◽  
Core Data ◽  
Climate Simulations ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The sensitivity of interglacial Greenland temperature to orbital and CO2 forcing is investigated using the NorthGRIP ice core data and coupled ocean-atmosphere IPSL-CM4 model simulations. These simulations were conducted in response to different interglacial orbital configurations, and to increased CO2 concentrations. These different forcings cause very distinct simulated seasonal and latitudinal temperature and water cycle changes, limiting the analogies between the last interglacial and future climate. However, the IPSL-CM4 model shows similar magnitudes of Arctic summer warming and climate feedbacks in response to 2 × CO2 and orbital forcing of the last interglacial period (126 000 years ago). The IPSL-CM4 model produces a remarkably linear relationship between TOA incoming summer solar radiation and simulated changes in summer and annual mean central Greenland temperature. This contrasts with the stable isotope record from the Greenland ice cores, showing a multi-millennial lagged response to summer insolation. During the early part of interglacials, the observed lags may be explained by ice sheet-ocean feedbacks linked with changes in ice sheet elevation and the impact of meltwater on ocean circulation, as investigated with sensitivity studies. A quantitative comparison between ice core data and climate simulations requires stability of the stable isotope – temperature relationship to be explored. Atmospheric simulations including water stable isotopes have been conducted with the LMDZiso model under different boundary conditions. This set of simulations allows calculation of a temporal Greenland isotope-temperature slope (0.3–0.4‰ per °C) during warmer-than-present Arctic climates, in response to increased CO2, increased ocean temperature and orbital forcing. This temporal slope appears half as large as the modern spatial gradient and is consistent with other ice core estimates. It may, however, be model-dependent, as indicated by preliminary comparison with other models. This suggests that further simulations and detailed inter-model comparisons are also likely to be of benefit. Comparisons with Greenland ice core stable isotope data reveals that IPSL-CM4/LMDZiso simulations strongly underestimate the amplitude of the ice core signal during the last interglacial, which could reach +8–10 °C at fixed-elevation. While the model-data mismatch may result from missing positive feedbacks (e.g. vegetation), it could also be explained by a reduced elevation of the central Greenland ice sheet surface by 300–400 m.

scholarly journals Greenland Ice Sheet influence on Last Interglacial climate: global sensitivity studies performed with an atmosphere–ocean general circulation model

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 933-995 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Pfeiffer ◽  
G. Lohmann
Keyword(s):  
General Circulation ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Ocean General Circulation Model ◽  
High Latitudes ◽  
Last Interglacial ◽  
Proxy Records ◽  
Sensitivity Studies ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. During the Last Interglacial (LIG, 130–115 kiloyear before present), the northern high latitudes experienced higher temperatures than those of the late Holocene with a notably lower Greenland Ice Sheet (GIS). However, the impact of a reduced GIS on the global climate has not yet been well constrained. In this study, we quantify the contribution of the GIS to LIG warmth by performing various sensitivity studies, employing the Community Earth System Models (COSMOS), with a focus on height and extent of the GIS. In order to asses the effects of insolation changes over time and for a comparison of LIG climate with the current interglacial, we perform transient simulations covering the whole LIG and Holocene. We analyze surface air temperature (SAT) and separate the contribution of different forcings to LIG warmth. The strong Northern Hemisphere warming is mainly caused by increased summer insolation. Reducing the height and extent of the GIS leads to a warming of several degrees Celcius in the northern and southern high latitudes during local winter. In order to evaluate the performance of our LIG simulations, we additionally compare the simulated SAT anomalies with marine and terrestrial proxy-based LIG temperature anomalies. Our model results are in good agreement with proxy records with respect to the pattern, but underestimate the reconstructed temperatures. We are able to reduce the mismatch between model and data by taking into account the potential seasonal bias of the proxy record and the uncertainties in the dating of the proxy records for the LIG thermal maximum. The seasonal bias and the uncertainty of the timing are estimated from our own transient model simulations. We note however that our LIG simulations are not able to reproduce the full magnitude of temperature changes indicated by the proxies, suggesting a potential misinterpretation of the proxy records or deficits of our model.

scholarly journals Short-term impacts of enhanced Greenland freshwater fluxes in an eddy-permitting ocean model

Ocean Science ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 749-760 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Marsh ◽  
D. Desbruyères ◽  
J. L. Bamber ◽  
B. A. de Cuevas ◽  
A. C. Coward ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Circulation ◽  
Mixed Layer Depth ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Freshwater Flux ◽  
Sensitivity Experiment ◽  
Freshwater Fluxes ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. In a sensitivity experiment, an eddy-permitting ocean general circulation model is forced with realistic freshwater fluxes from the Greenland Ice Sheet, averaged for the period 1991–2000. The fluxes are obtained with a mass balance model for the ice sheet, forced with the ERA-40 reanalysis dataset. The freshwater flux is distributed around Greenland as an additional term in prescribed runoff, representing seasonal melting of the ice sheet and a fixed year-round iceberg calving flux, for 8.5 model years. By adding Greenland freshwater fluxes with realistic geographical distribution and seasonality, the experiment is designed to investigate the oceanic response to a sudden and spatially/temporally uniform amplification of ice sheet melting and discharge, rather than localized or gradual changes in freshwater flux. The impacts on regional hydrography and circulation are investigated by comparing the sensitivity experiment to a control experiment, without additional fluxes. By the end of the sensitivity experiment, the majority of additional fresh water has accumulated in Baffin Bay, and only a small fraction has reached the interior of the Labrador Sea, where winter mixed layer depth is sensitive to small changes in salinity. As a consequence, the impact on large-scale circulation is very slight. An indirect impact of strong freshening off the west coast of Greenland is a small anti-cyclonic component to the circulation around Greenland, which opposes the wind-driven cyclonic circulation and reduces net southward flow through the Canadian Archipelago by ~10%. Implications for the post-2000 acceleration of Greenland mass loss are discussed.

scholarly journals Sensitivity of interglacial Greenland temperature and δ<sup>18</sup>O to orbital and CO<sub>2</sub> forcing: climate simulations and ice core data

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 1585-1630 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Masson-Delmotte ◽  
P. Braconnot ◽  
G. Hoffmann ◽  
J. Jouzel ◽  
M. Kageyama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Interglacial Period ◽  
Orbital Forcing ◽  
Last Interglacial ◽  
Core Data ◽  
Climate Simulations ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The sensitivity of interglacial Greenland temperature to orbital and CO2 forcing is investigated using the NorthGRIP ice core data and coupled ocean-atmosphere IPSL-CM4 model simulations. These simulations were conducted in response to different interglacial orbital configurations, and to increased CO2 concentrations. These different forcings cause very distinct simulated seasonal and latitudinal temperature and water cycle changes, limiting the analogies between the last interglacial and future climate. However, the IPSL-CM4 model shows similar magnitudes of Arctic summer warming and climate feedbacks in response to 2 × CO2 and orbital forcing of the last interglacial period (126 000 yr ago). The IPSL model produces a remarkably linear relationship between top of atmosphere incoming summer solar radiation and simulated changes in summer and annual mean central Greenland temperature. This contrasts with the stable isotope record from the Greenland ice cores, showing a multi-millennial lagged response to summer insolation. During the early part of interglacials, the observed lags may be explained by ice sheet-ocean feedbacks linked with changes in ice sheet elevation and the impact of meltwater on ocean circulation, as investigated with sensitivity studies. A quantitative comparison between ice core data and climate simulations requires to explore the stability of the stable isotope – temperature relationship. Atmospheric simulations including water stable isotopes have been conducted with the LMDZiso model under different boundary conditions. This set of simulations allows to calculate a temporal Greenland isotope-temperature slope (0.3–0.4 ‰ per °C) during warmer than present Arctic climates, in response to increased CO2, increased ocean temperature and orbital forcing. This temporal slope appears twice as small as the modern spatial gradient and is consistent with other ice core estimates. A preliminary comparison with other model results implies that other mechanisms could also play a role. This suggests that further simulations and detailed inter-model comparisons are also likely to be of benefit. Comparisons with Greenland ice core stable isotope data reveals that IPSL/LMDZiso simulations strongly underestimate the amplitude of the ice core signal during the last interglacial, which could reach +8–10 °C at fixed-elevation. While the model-data mismatch may result from missing positive feedbacks (e.g. vegetation), it could also be explained by a reduced elevation of the central Greenland ice sheet surface by 300–400 m.

scholarly journals The Rossby radius in the Arctic Ocean

Ocean Science ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 967-975 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. G. Nurser ◽  
S. Bacon
Keyword(s):  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Ocean General Circulation Model ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Ocean Eddies ◽  
Shelf Seas ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The first (and second) baroclinic deformation (or Rossby) radii are presented north of ~60° N, focusing on deep basins and shelf seas in the high Arctic Ocean, the Nordic seas, Baffin Bay, Hudson Bay and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, derived from climatological ocean data. In the high Arctic Ocean, the first Rossby radius increases from ~5 km in the Nansen Basin to ~15 km in the central Canadian Basin. In the shelf seas and elsewhere, values are low (1–7 km), reflecting weak density stratification, shallow water, or both. Seasonality strongly impacts the Rossby radius only in shallow seas, where winter homogenization of the water column can reduce it to below 1 km. Greater detail is seen in the output from an ice–ocean general circulation model, of higher resolution than the climatology. To assess the impact of secular variability, 10 years (2003–2012) of hydrographic stations along 150° W in the Beaufort Gyre are also analysed. The first-mode Rossby radius increases over this period by ~20%. Finally, we review the observed scales of Arctic Ocean eddies.

scholarly journals Impact of precipitation intermittency on NAO-temperature signals in proxy records

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 871-886 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Casado ◽  
P. Ortega ◽  
V. Masson-Delmotte ◽  
C. Risi ◽  
D. Swingedouw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Circulation ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Stable Isotope Ratio ◽  
Global Network ◽  
Temporal Correlations ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Atlantic Oscillation ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. In mid and high latitudes, the stable isotope ratio in precipitation is driven by changes in temperature, which control atmospheric distillation. This relationship forms the basis for many continental paleoclimatic reconstructions using direct (e.g. ice cores) or indirect (e.g. tree ring cellulose, speleothem calcite) archives of past precipitation. However, the archiving process is inherently biased by intermittency of precipitation. Here, we use two sets of atmospheric reanalyses (NCEP (National Centers for Environmental Prediction) and ERA-interim) to quantify this precipitation intermittency bias, by comparing seasonal (winter and summer) temperatures estimated with and without precipitation weighting. We show that this bias reaches up to 10 °C and has large interannual variability. We then assess the impact of precipitation intermittency on the strength and stability of temporal correlations between seasonal temperatures and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Precipitation weighting reduces the correlation between winter NAO and temperature in some areas (e.g. Québec, South-East USA, East Greenland, East Siberia, Mediterranean sector) but does not alter the main patterns of correlation. The correlations between NAO, δ18O in precipitation, temperature and precipitation weighted temperature are investigated using outputs of an atmospheric general circulation model enabled with stable isotopes and nudged using reanalyses (LMDZiso (Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique Zoom)). In winter, LMDZiso shows similar correlation values between the NAO and both the precipitation weighted temperature and δ18O in precipitation, thus suggesting limited impacts of moisture origin. Correlations of comparable magnitude are obtained for the available observational evidence (GNIP (Global Network of Isotopes in Precipitation) and Greenland ice core data). Our findings support the use of archives of past δ18O for NAO reconstructions.

scholarly journals How warm was Greenland during the last interglacial period?

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1933-1948 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amaelle Landais ◽  
Valérie Masson-Delmotte ◽  
Emilie Capron ◽  
Petra M. Langebroek ◽  
Pepijn Bakker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Water Isotopes ◽  
Interglacial Period ◽  
Last Interglacial ◽  
Last Interglacial Period ◽  
Ice Sheet Topography ◽  
North Greenland

Abstract. The last interglacial period (LIG, ∼ 129–116 thousand years ago) provides the most recent case study of multimillennial polar warming above the preindustrial level and a response of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets to this warming, as well as a test bed for climate and ice sheet models. Past changes in Greenland ice sheet thickness and surface temperature during this period were recently derived from the North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling (NEEM) ice core records, northwest Greenland. The NEEM paradox has emerged from an estimated large local warming above the preindustrial level (7.5 ± 1.8 °C at the deposition site 126 kyr ago without correction for any overall ice sheet altitude changes between the LIG and the preindustrial period) based on water isotopes, together with limited local ice thinning, suggesting more resilience of the real Greenland ice sheet than shown in some ice sheet models. Here, we provide an independent assessment of the average LIG Greenland surface warming using ice core air isotopic composition (δ15N) and relationships between accumulation rate and temperature. The LIG surface temperature at the upstream NEEM deposition site without ice sheet altitude correction is estimated to be warmer by +8.5 ± 2.5 °C compared to the preindustrial period. This temperature estimate is consistent with the 7.5 ± 1.8 °C warming initially determined from NEEM water isotopes but at the upper end of the preindustrial period to LIG temperature difference of +5.2 ± 2.3 °C obtained at the NGRIP (North Greenland Ice Core Project) site by the same method. Climate simulations performed with present-day ice sheet topography lead in general to a warming smaller than reconstructed, but sensitivity tests show that larger amplitudes (up to 5 °C) are produced in response to prescribed changes in sea ice extent and ice sheet topography.

scholarly journals Greenland ice sheet contribution to sea level rise during the last interglacial period: a modelling study driven and constrained by ice core data

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 353-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Quiquet ◽  
C. Ritz ◽  
H. J. Punge ◽  
D. Salas y Mélia
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Interglacial Period ◽  
Last Interglacial ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Orbital Configuration ◽  
Global Sea Level

Abstract. As pointed out by the forth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC-AR4 (Meehl et al., 2007), the contribution of the two major ice sheets, Antarctica and Greenland, to global sea level rise, is a subject of key importance for the scientific community. By the end of the next century, a 3–5 °C warming is expected in Greenland. Similar temperatures in this region were reached during the last interglacial (LIG) period, 130–115 ka BP, due to a change in orbital configuration rather than to an anthropogenic forcing. Ice core evidence suggests that the Greenland ice sheet (GIS) survived this warm period, but great uncertainties remain about the total Greenland ice reduction during the LIG. Here we perform long-term simulations of the GIS using an improved ice sheet model. Both the methodologies chosen to reconstruct palaeoclimate and to calibrate the model are strongly based on proxy data. We suggest a relatively low contribution to LIG sea level rise from Greenland melting, ranging from 0.7 to 1.5 m of sea level equivalent, contrasting with previous studies. Our results suggest an important contribution of the Antarctic ice sheet to the LIG highstand.

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