Last Interglacial climate and sea-level evolution from a coupled ice sheet–climate model
As the most recent warm period in Earth's history with a sea-level stand higher than present, the Last Interglacial (LIG, ∼ 130 to 115 kyr BP) is often considered a prime example to study the impact of a warmer climate on the two polar ice sheets remaining today. Here we simulate the Last Inter...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:e3c6c70ce68f480ca0c55ca2493afff8 2023-05-15T13:37:20+02:00 Last Interglacial climate and sea-level evolution from a coupled ice sheet–climate model H. Goelzer P. Huybrechts M.-F. Loutre T. Fichefet 2016-12-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-2195-2016 https://doaj.org/article/e3c6c70ce68f480ca0c55ca2493afff8 EN eng Copernicus Publications http://www.clim-past.net/12/2195/2016/cp-12-2195-2016.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1814-9324 https://doaj.org/toc/1814-9332 1814-9324 1814-9332 doi:10.5194/cp-12-2195-2016 https://doaj.org/article/e3c6c70ce68f480ca0c55ca2493afff8 Climate of the Past, Vol 12, Iss 12, Pp 2195-2213 (2016) Environmental pollution TD172-193.5 Environmental protection TD169-171.8 Environmental sciences GE1-350 article 2016 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-2195-2016 2022-12-30T23:08:57Z As the most recent warm period in Earth's history with a sea-level stand higher than present, the Last Interglacial (LIG, ∼ 130 to 115 kyr BP) is often considered a prime example to study the impact of a warmer climate on the two polar ice sheets remaining today. Here we simulate the Last Interglacial climate, ice sheet, and sea-level evolution with the Earth system model of intermediate complexity LOVECLIM v.1.3, which includes dynamic and fully coupled components representing the atmosphere, the ocean and sea ice, the terrestrial biosphere, and the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. In this setup, sea-level evolution and climate–ice sheet interactions are modelled in a consistent framework. Surface mass balance change governed by changes in surface meltwater runoff is the dominant forcing for the Greenland ice sheet, which shows a peak sea-level contribution of 1.4 m at 123 kyr BP in the reference experiment. Our results indicate that ice sheet–climate feedbacks play an important role to amplify climate and sea-level changes in the Northern Hemisphere. The sensitivity of the Greenland ice sheet to surface temperature changes considerably increases when interactive albedo changes are considered. Southern Hemisphere polar and sub-polar ocean warming is limited throughout the Last Interglacial, and surface and sub-shelf melting exerts only a minor control on the Antarctic sea-level contribution with a peak of 4.4 m at 125 kyr BP. Retreat of the Antarctic ice sheet at the onset of the LIG is mainly forced by rising sea level and to a lesser extent by reduced ice shelf viscosity as the surface temperature increases. Global sea level shows a peak of 5.3 m at 124.5 kyr BP, which includes a minor contribution of 0.35 m from oceanic thermal expansion. Neither the individual contributions nor the total modelled sea-level stand show fast multi-millennial timescale variations as indicated by some reconstructions. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Greenland Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Sea ice Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Antarctic Greenland The Antarctic Climate of the Past 12 12 2195 2213 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Environmental pollution TD172-193.5 Environmental protection TD169-171.8 Environmental sciences GE1-350 |
spellingShingle |
Environmental pollution TD172-193.5 Environmental protection TD169-171.8 Environmental sciences GE1-350 H. Goelzer P. Huybrechts M.-F. Loutre T. Fichefet Last Interglacial climate and sea-level evolution from a coupled ice sheet–climate model |
topic_facet |
Environmental pollution TD172-193.5 Environmental protection TD169-171.8 Environmental sciences GE1-350 |
description |
As the most recent warm period in Earth's history with a sea-level stand higher than present, the Last Interglacial (LIG, ∼ 130 to 115 kyr BP) is often considered a prime example to study the impact of a warmer climate on the two polar ice sheets remaining today. Here we simulate the Last Interglacial climate, ice sheet, and sea-level evolution with the Earth system model of intermediate complexity LOVECLIM v.1.3, which includes dynamic and fully coupled components representing the atmosphere, the ocean and sea ice, the terrestrial biosphere, and the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. In this setup, sea-level evolution and climate–ice sheet interactions are modelled in a consistent framework. Surface mass balance change governed by changes in surface meltwater runoff is the dominant forcing for the Greenland ice sheet, which shows a peak sea-level contribution of 1.4 m at 123 kyr BP in the reference experiment. Our results indicate that ice sheet–climate feedbacks play an important role to amplify climate and sea-level changes in the Northern Hemisphere. The sensitivity of the Greenland ice sheet to surface temperature changes considerably increases when interactive albedo changes are considered. Southern Hemisphere polar and sub-polar ocean warming is limited throughout the Last Interglacial, and surface and sub-shelf melting exerts only a minor control on the Antarctic sea-level contribution with a peak of 4.4 m at 125 kyr BP. Retreat of the Antarctic ice sheet at the onset of the LIG is mainly forced by rising sea level and to a lesser extent by reduced ice shelf viscosity as the surface temperature increases. Global sea level shows a peak of 5.3 m at 124.5 kyr BP, which includes a minor contribution of 0.35 m from oceanic thermal expansion. Neither the individual contributions nor the total modelled sea-level stand show fast multi-millennial timescale variations as indicated by some reconstructions. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
H. Goelzer P. Huybrechts M.-F. Loutre T. Fichefet |
author_facet |
H. Goelzer P. Huybrechts M.-F. Loutre T. Fichefet |
author_sort |
H. Goelzer |
title |
Last Interglacial climate and sea-level evolution from a coupled ice sheet–climate model |
title_short |
Last Interglacial climate and sea-level evolution from a coupled ice sheet–climate model |
title_full |
Last Interglacial climate and sea-level evolution from a coupled ice sheet–climate model |
title_fullStr |
Last Interglacial climate and sea-level evolution from a coupled ice sheet–climate model |
title_full_unstemmed |
Last Interglacial climate and sea-level evolution from a coupled ice sheet–climate model |
title_sort |
last interglacial climate and sea-level evolution from a coupled ice sheet–climate model |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-2195-2016 https://doaj.org/article/e3c6c70ce68f480ca0c55ca2493afff8 |
geographic |
Antarctic Greenland The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Greenland The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Greenland Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Sea ice |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Greenland Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Sea ice |
op_source |
Climate of the Past, Vol 12, Iss 12, Pp 2195-2213 (2016) |
op_relation |
http://www.clim-past.net/12/2195/2016/cp-12-2195-2016.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1814-9324 https://doaj.org/toc/1814-9332 1814-9324 1814-9332 doi:10.5194/cp-12-2195-2016 https://doaj.org/article/e3c6c70ce68f480ca0c55ca2493afff8 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-2195-2016 |
container_title |
Climate of the Past |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
2195 |
op_container_end_page |
2213 |
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1766090503271481344 |