Climate-Vegetation-Feedbacks as a Mechanism for Accelerated Climate Change: The onset of the African Humid Period

• Main Authors: Timm, O., Köhler, Peter, Timmermann, A., Menviel, L.
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: Ice Sheet
• Online Access: https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/18480/; https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/18480/1/Tim2008b.pdf; https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.30137; https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.30137.d001

Paleo-environmental records and models indicate that the African Humid Period (AHPabruptly ended about 5000-4000 years before present (BP). Some proxies indicate alsan abrupt onset of the AHP between 14,000 and 11,000 BP. How important are local orbitaforcing, ice-sheet forcing, greenhouse gas forcing, and the reorganization of the AtlantiMeridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) for changes in the African Monsoon/vegetatiosystem? Here we use transient simulations with climate-vegetation models of differencomplexity to identify the factors that control the onset of the African Monsoon/VegetationWe test the following hypothesis:(1) There is no indication for insolation-thresholds for the onset/break of the AHP.(2) Forcing from CO2/ice-sheets significantly controls the climate of North Africa.(3) CO2 fertilization contributes to the vegetation changes over North Africa.(4) A shutdown of the AMOC is as important as orbital insolation for the African Monsoon.