Towards an improved understanding of the Arctic climate and Greenland ice sheet evolutions during the last interglacial period – a modelling study

• Main Author: Sicard, Marie
• Other Authors: Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement Gif-sur-Yvette (LSCE), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Direction de Recherche Fondamentale (CEA) (DRF (CEA)), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), Université Paris-Saclay, Masa Kageyama, Sylvie Charbit
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: French
• Published: HAL CCSD 2021
• Subjects: Paleoclimates; Ice sheets; Modelling; Last interglacial; Greenland; Paléoclimats; Calottes glaciaires; Modélisation; Dernier interglaciaire; Groenland; [SDU.OTHER]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Other; Arctic; Climate change; groenlandaise; Ice Sheet; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://theses.hal.science/tel-03531249; https://theses.hal.science/tel-03531249/document; https://theses.hal.science/tel-03531249/file/103442_SICARD_2021_archivage.pdf

The Last Interglacial (129 -116 ka BP) is one of the warmest periods in the last 800 ka at many locations. This period is characterized by a strong orbital forcing leading to a different seasonal and latitudinal distribution of insolation compared to today. These changes in insolation result in a temperature increase in the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere and a rise in sea level of 6 to 9 m above present. Therefore, the Last Interglacial represents a good case study given the risks of melting ice sheets under the influence of current and future warming. It is also an opportunity to identify and quantify the mechanisms causing polar amplification in a warmer climate than today.Within the framework of the CMIP6-PMIP4 model intercomparison project, I analyzed the lig127k snapshot run with the IPSL-CM6A-LR climate model. In the Arctic region (60-90°N), the insolation variations induce an annual warming of 0.9°C compared to the pre-industrial period (1850) reaching up to 4.0°C in autumn. Investigate changes in the Arctic energy budget relative to the pre-industrial period highlights the crucial roles of changes in the sea ice cover, ocean heat storage and clouds optical properties in the Last Interglacial Arctic warming.As a result of climate change over the Last Interglacial, the GRISLI ice sheet model simulates a Greenland ice loss of 10.7-57.1%, corresponding to a sea level rise of 0.83-4.35 m and a 0.2°C additional warming in the Arctic region. These estimates illustrate the crucial role of polar ice sheets in the climate system. To better assess ice sheet-climate feedbacks in the Arctic, I have therefore carried out a preliminary study using the ICOLMDZOR model that includes the new dynamical core DYNAMICO developed at the IPSL. This study shows that the use of high-resolution atmospheric fields improves the calculation of the surface mass balance in Greenland.Finally, the comparison between past and future Arctic energy budget reveals that the processes causing Arctic warming during the Last ...