On the Origin of the Surface Air Temperature Difference between the Hemispheres in Earth’s Present-Day Climate
In today’s climate, the annually averaged surface air temperature in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) is 18–28C higher than in the Southern Hemisphere (SH). Historically, this interhemispheric temperature dif-ference has been attributed to a number of factors, including seasonal differences in insolatio...
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ftciteseerx:oai:CiteSeerX.psu:10.1.1.693.1436 2023-05-15T13:11:42+02:00 On the Origin of the Surface Air Temperature Difference between the Hemispheres in Earth’s Present-Day Climate Georg Feulner Stefan Rahmstorf Anders Levermann Silvia Volkwardt The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives 2012 application/pdf http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.693.1436 http://www.pik-potsdam.de/%7Estefan/Publications/Journals/feulner+hemispheres_jclim_2013.pdf en eng http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.693.1436 http://www.pik-potsdam.de/%7Estefan/Publications/Journals/feulner+hemispheres_jclim_2013.pdf Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. http://www.pik-potsdam.de/%7Estefan/Publications/Journals/feulner+hemispheres_jclim_2013.pdf text 2012 ftciteseerx 2016-01-08T18:29:45Z In today’s climate, the annually averaged surface air temperature in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) is 18–28C higher than in the Southern Hemisphere (SH). Historically, this interhemispheric temperature dif-ference has been attributed to a number of factors, including seasonal differences in insolation, the larger area of (tropical) land in the NH, the particularities of the Antarctic in terms of albedo and temperature, and northward heat transport by ocean circulation. A detailed investigation of these factors and their contribution to the temperature difference, however, has to the authors ’ knowledge not been performed so far. Here the origin of the interhemispheric temperature difference is traced using an assessment of climatological data and the observed energy budget of Earth as well as model simulations. It is found that for the preindustrial climate the temperature difference is predominantly due to meridional heat transport in the oceans, with an addi-tional contribution from the albedo differences between the polar regions. The combination of these factors (that are to some extent coupled) governs the evolution of the temperature difference over the past mil-lennium. Since the beginning of industrialization the interhemispheric temperature difference has increased due to melting of sea ice and snow in the NH. Furthermore, the predicted higher rate of warming over land as compared to the oceans contributes to this increase. Simulations for the twenty-first century show that the interhemispheric temperature difference continues to grow for the highest greenhouse gas emission scenarios due to the land–ocean warming contrast and the strong loss of Arctic sea ice, whereas the decrease in overturning strength dominates for the more moderate scenarios. 1. Text albedo Antarc* Antarctic Arctic Sea ice Unknown Antarctic Arctic The Antarctic |
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ftciteseerx |
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English |
description |
In today’s climate, the annually averaged surface air temperature in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) is 18–28C higher than in the Southern Hemisphere (SH). Historically, this interhemispheric temperature dif-ference has been attributed to a number of factors, including seasonal differences in insolation, the larger area of (tropical) land in the NH, the particularities of the Antarctic in terms of albedo and temperature, and northward heat transport by ocean circulation. A detailed investigation of these factors and their contribution to the temperature difference, however, has to the authors ’ knowledge not been performed so far. Here the origin of the interhemispheric temperature difference is traced using an assessment of climatological data and the observed energy budget of Earth as well as model simulations. It is found that for the preindustrial climate the temperature difference is predominantly due to meridional heat transport in the oceans, with an addi-tional contribution from the albedo differences between the polar regions. The combination of these factors (that are to some extent coupled) governs the evolution of the temperature difference over the past mil-lennium. Since the beginning of industrialization the interhemispheric temperature difference has increased due to melting of sea ice and snow in the NH. Furthermore, the predicted higher rate of warming over land as compared to the oceans contributes to this increase. Simulations for the twenty-first century show that the interhemispheric temperature difference continues to grow for the highest greenhouse gas emission scenarios due to the land–ocean warming contrast and the strong loss of Arctic sea ice, whereas the decrease in overturning strength dominates for the more moderate scenarios. 1. |
author2 |
The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives |
format |
Text |
author |
Georg Feulner Stefan Rahmstorf Anders Levermann Silvia Volkwardt |
spellingShingle |
Georg Feulner Stefan Rahmstorf Anders Levermann Silvia Volkwardt On the Origin of the Surface Air Temperature Difference between the Hemispheres in Earth’s Present-Day Climate |
author_facet |
Georg Feulner Stefan Rahmstorf Anders Levermann Silvia Volkwardt |
author_sort |
Georg Feulner |
title |
On the Origin of the Surface Air Temperature Difference between the Hemispheres in Earth’s Present-Day Climate |
title_short |
On the Origin of the Surface Air Temperature Difference between the Hemispheres in Earth’s Present-Day Climate |
title_full |
On the Origin of the Surface Air Temperature Difference between the Hemispheres in Earth’s Present-Day Climate |
title_fullStr |
On the Origin of the Surface Air Temperature Difference between the Hemispheres in Earth’s Present-Day Climate |
title_full_unstemmed |
On the Origin of the Surface Air Temperature Difference between the Hemispheres in Earth’s Present-Day Climate |
title_sort |
on the origin of the surface air temperature difference between the hemispheres in earth’s present-day climate |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.693.1436 http://www.pik-potsdam.de/%7Estefan/Publications/Journals/feulner+hemispheres_jclim_2013.pdf |
geographic |
Antarctic Arctic The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Arctic The Antarctic |
genre |
albedo Antarc* Antarctic Arctic Sea ice |
genre_facet |
albedo Antarc* Antarctic Arctic Sea ice |
op_source |
http://www.pik-potsdam.de/%7Estefan/Publications/Journals/feulner+hemispheres_jclim_2013.pdf |
op_relation |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.693.1436 http://www.pik-potsdam.de/%7Estefan/Publications/Journals/feulner+hemispheres_jclim_2013.pdf |
op_rights |
Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. |
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1766248593025400832 |