Middle Miocene Climate and Stable Oxygen Isotopes in Europe Based on Numerical Modeling
The Middle Miocene (15.99–11.65 Ma) of Europe witnessed major climatic, environmental, and vegetational change, yet we are lacking detailed reconstructions of Middle Miocene temperature and precipitation patterns over Europe. Here, we use a high-resolution (∼0.75°) isotope-enabled general circulatio...
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ftfuberlin:oai:refubium.fu-berlin.de:fub188/37774 2023-05-15T17:35:11+02:00 Middle Miocene Climate and Stable Oxygen Isotopes in Europe Based on Numerical Modeling Botsyun, Svetlana Ehlers, Todd A. Koptev, Alexander Böhme, Madelaine Methner, Katharina Risi, Camille Stepanek, Christian Mutz, Sebastian G. Werner, Martin Boateng, Daniel 2022 30 Seiten application/pdf https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/37774 https://doi.org/10.17169/refubium-37487 https://doi.org/10.1029/2022PA004442 eng eng https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/37774 http://dx.doi.org/10.17169/refubium-37487 doi:10.1029/2022PA004442 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ CC-BY-NC Europe Middle Miocene climate modeling stable water isotopes temperature precipitation paleoclimate paleoelevation Alps ddc:551 doc-type:article 2022 ftfuberlin https://doi.org/10.17169/refubium-37487 https://doi.org/10.1029/2022PA004442 2023-02-12T23:24:07Z The Middle Miocene (15.99–11.65 Ma) of Europe witnessed major climatic, environmental, and vegetational change, yet we are lacking detailed reconstructions of Middle Miocene temperature and precipitation patterns over Europe. Here, we use a high-resolution (∼0.75°) isotope-enabled general circulation model (ECHAM5-wiso) with time-specific boundary conditions to investigate changes in temperature, precipitation, and δ18O in precipitation (δ18Op). Experiments were designed with variable elevation configurations of the European Alps and different atmospheric CO2 levels to examine the influence of Alpine elevation and global climate forcing on regional climate and δ18Op patterns. Modeling results are in agreement with available paleobotanical temperature data and with low-resolution Middle Miocene experiments of the Miocene Model Intercomparison Project (MioMIP1). However, simulated precipitation rates are 300–500 mm/yr lower in the Middle Miocene than for pre-industrial times for central Europe. This result is consistent with precipitation estimates from herpetological fossil assemblages, but contradicts precipitation estimates from paleobotanical data. We attribute the Middle Miocene precipitation change in Europe to shifts in large-scale pressure patterns in the North Atlantic and over Europe and associated changes in wind direction and humidity. We suggest that global climate forcing contributed to a maximum δ18Op change of ∼2‰ over high elevation (Alps) and ∼1‰ over low elevation regions. In contrast, we observe a maximum modeled δ18Op decrease of 8‰ across the Alpine orogen due to Alpine topography. However, the elevation-δ18Op lapse rate shallows in the Middle Miocene, leading to a possible underestimation of paleotopography when using present-day δ18Op—elevation relationships data for stable isotope paleoaltimetry studies. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic Freie Universität Berlin: Refubium (FU Berlin) |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Freie Universität Berlin: Refubium (FU Berlin) |
op_collection_id |
ftfuberlin |
language |
English |
topic |
Europe Middle Miocene climate modeling stable water isotopes temperature precipitation paleoclimate paleoelevation Alps ddc:551 |
spellingShingle |
Europe Middle Miocene climate modeling stable water isotopes temperature precipitation paleoclimate paleoelevation Alps ddc:551 Botsyun, Svetlana Ehlers, Todd A. Koptev, Alexander Böhme, Madelaine Methner, Katharina Risi, Camille Stepanek, Christian Mutz, Sebastian G. Werner, Martin Boateng, Daniel Middle Miocene Climate and Stable Oxygen Isotopes in Europe Based on Numerical Modeling |
topic_facet |
Europe Middle Miocene climate modeling stable water isotopes temperature precipitation paleoclimate paleoelevation Alps ddc:551 |
description |
The Middle Miocene (15.99–11.65 Ma) of Europe witnessed major climatic, environmental, and vegetational change, yet we are lacking detailed reconstructions of Middle Miocene temperature and precipitation patterns over Europe. Here, we use a high-resolution (∼0.75°) isotope-enabled general circulation model (ECHAM5-wiso) with time-specific boundary conditions to investigate changes in temperature, precipitation, and δ18O in precipitation (δ18Op). Experiments were designed with variable elevation configurations of the European Alps and different atmospheric CO2 levels to examine the influence of Alpine elevation and global climate forcing on regional climate and δ18Op patterns. Modeling results are in agreement with available paleobotanical temperature data and with low-resolution Middle Miocene experiments of the Miocene Model Intercomparison Project (MioMIP1). However, simulated precipitation rates are 300–500 mm/yr lower in the Middle Miocene than for pre-industrial times for central Europe. This result is consistent with precipitation estimates from herpetological fossil assemblages, but contradicts precipitation estimates from paleobotanical data. We attribute the Middle Miocene precipitation change in Europe to shifts in large-scale pressure patterns in the North Atlantic and over Europe and associated changes in wind direction and humidity. We suggest that global climate forcing contributed to a maximum δ18Op change of ∼2‰ over high elevation (Alps) and ∼1‰ over low elevation regions. In contrast, we observe a maximum modeled δ18Op decrease of 8‰ across the Alpine orogen due to Alpine topography. However, the elevation-δ18Op lapse rate shallows in the Middle Miocene, leading to a possible underestimation of paleotopography when using present-day δ18Op—elevation relationships data for stable isotope paleoaltimetry studies. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Botsyun, Svetlana Ehlers, Todd A. Koptev, Alexander Böhme, Madelaine Methner, Katharina Risi, Camille Stepanek, Christian Mutz, Sebastian G. Werner, Martin Boateng, Daniel |
author_facet |
Botsyun, Svetlana Ehlers, Todd A. Koptev, Alexander Böhme, Madelaine Methner, Katharina Risi, Camille Stepanek, Christian Mutz, Sebastian G. Werner, Martin Boateng, Daniel |
author_sort |
Botsyun, Svetlana |
title |
Middle Miocene Climate and Stable Oxygen Isotopes in Europe Based on Numerical Modeling |
title_short |
Middle Miocene Climate and Stable Oxygen Isotopes in Europe Based on Numerical Modeling |
title_full |
Middle Miocene Climate and Stable Oxygen Isotopes in Europe Based on Numerical Modeling |
title_fullStr |
Middle Miocene Climate and Stable Oxygen Isotopes in Europe Based on Numerical Modeling |
title_full_unstemmed |
Middle Miocene Climate and Stable Oxygen Isotopes in Europe Based on Numerical Modeling |
title_sort |
middle miocene climate and stable oxygen isotopes in europe based on numerical modeling |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/37774 https://doi.org/10.17169/refubium-37487 https://doi.org/10.1029/2022PA004442 |
genre |
North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic |
op_relation |
https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/37774 http://dx.doi.org/10.17169/refubium-37487 doi:10.1029/2022PA004442 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY-NC |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.17169/refubium-37487 https://doi.org/10.1029/2022PA004442 |
_version_ |
1766134268219621376 |