Effect of vegetation on the Late Miocene ocean circulation

International audience A weak and shallow thermohaline circulation in the North Atlantic Ocean is related to an open Central American gateway and exchange with fresh Pacific waters. We estimate the effect of vegetation on the ocean general circulation using the atmospheric circulation model simulati...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lohmann, G., Butzin, M., Micheels, A., Bickert, T., Mosbrugger, V.
Other Authors: Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung = Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research = Institut Alfred-Wegener pour la recherche polaire et marine (AWI), Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft = Helmholtz Association, University of Bremen, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: HAL CCSD 2006
Subjects:
[SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces
environment
[SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences
Pacific
North Atlantic
Online Access:https://hal.science/hal-00298144
https://hal.science/hal-00298144/document
https://hal.science/hal-00298144/file/cpd-2-605-2006.pdf
Description
Summary:International audience A weak and shallow thermohaline circulation in the North Atlantic Ocean is related to an open Central American gateway and exchange with fresh Pacific waters. We estimate the effect of vegetation on the ocean general circulation using the atmospheric circulation model simulations for the Late Miocene climate. Caused by an increase in net evaporation in the Miocene North Atlantic, the North Atlantic water becomes more saline which enhances the overturning circulation and thus the northward heat transport. This effect reveals a potentially important feedback between the ocean circulation, the hydrological cycle and the land surface cover for Cenozoic climate evolution.

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