The freshwater balance of polar regions in transient simulations from 1500 to 2100 AD using a comprehensive coupled climate model
The ocean and sea ice in both polar regions are important reservoirs of freshwater within the climate system. While the response of these reservoirs to future climate change has been studied intensively, the sensitivity of the polar freshwater balance to natural forcing variations during preindustri...
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ftreroch:oai:doc.rero.ch:321228 2023-05-15T13:54:45+02:00 The freshwater balance of polar regions in transient simulations from 1500 to 2100 AD using a comprehensive coupled climate model Lehner, Flavio Raible, Christoph Hofer, Dominik Stocker, Thomas 2018-06-18T17:58:31Z http://doc.rero.ch/record/321228/files/382_2011_Article_1199.pdf eng eng http://doc.rero.ch/record/321228/files/382_2011_Article_1199.pdf 2018 ftreroch 2023-02-16T17:32:34Z The ocean and sea ice in both polar regions are important reservoirs of freshwater within the climate system. While the response of these reservoirs to future climate change has been studied intensively, the sensitivity of the polar freshwater balance to natural forcing variations during preindustrial times has received less attention. Using an ensemble of transient simulations from 1500 to 2100 AD we put present-day and future states of the polar freshwater balance in the context of low frequency variability of the past five centuries. This is done by focusing on different multi-decadal periods of characteristic external forcing. In the Arctic, freshwater is shifted from the ocean to sea ice during the Maunder Minimum while the total amount of freshwater within the Arctic domain remains unchanged. In contrast, the subsequent Dalton Minimum does not leave an imprint on the slow-reacting reservoirs of the ocean and sea ice, but triggers a drop in the import of freshwater through the atmosphere. During the twentieth and twenty-first century the build-up of freshwater in the Arctic Ocean leads to a strengthening of the liquid export. The Arctic freshwater balance is shifted towards being a large source of freshwater to the North Atlantic ocean. The Antarctic freshwater cycle, on the other hand, appears to be insensitive to preindustrial variations in external forcing. In line with the rising temperature during the industrial era the freshwater budget becomes increasingly unbalanced and strengthens the high latitude's Southern Ocean as a source of liquid freshwater to lower latitude oceans Other/Unknown Material Antarc* Antarctic Arctic Arctic Ocean Climate change North Atlantic Sea ice Southern Ocean RERO DOC Digital Library Arctic Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic Arctic Ocean |
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Open Polar |
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RERO DOC Digital Library |
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ftreroch |
language |
English |
description |
The ocean and sea ice in both polar regions are important reservoirs of freshwater within the climate system. While the response of these reservoirs to future climate change has been studied intensively, the sensitivity of the polar freshwater balance to natural forcing variations during preindustrial times has received less attention. Using an ensemble of transient simulations from 1500 to 2100 AD we put present-day and future states of the polar freshwater balance in the context of low frequency variability of the past five centuries. This is done by focusing on different multi-decadal periods of characteristic external forcing. In the Arctic, freshwater is shifted from the ocean to sea ice during the Maunder Minimum while the total amount of freshwater within the Arctic domain remains unchanged. In contrast, the subsequent Dalton Minimum does not leave an imprint on the slow-reacting reservoirs of the ocean and sea ice, but triggers a drop in the import of freshwater through the atmosphere. During the twentieth and twenty-first century the build-up of freshwater in the Arctic Ocean leads to a strengthening of the liquid export. The Arctic freshwater balance is shifted towards being a large source of freshwater to the North Atlantic ocean. The Antarctic freshwater cycle, on the other hand, appears to be insensitive to preindustrial variations in external forcing. In line with the rising temperature during the industrial era the freshwater budget becomes increasingly unbalanced and strengthens the high latitude's Southern Ocean as a source of liquid freshwater to lower latitude oceans |
author |
Lehner, Flavio Raible, Christoph Hofer, Dominik Stocker, Thomas |
spellingShingle |
Lehner, Flavio Raible, Christoph Hofer, Dominik Stocker, Thomas The freshwater balance of polar regions in transient simulations from 1500 to 2100 AD using a comprehensive coupled climate model |
author_facet |
Lehner, Flavio Raible, Christoph Hofer, Dominik Stocker, Thomas |
author_sort |
Lehner, Flavio |
title |
The freshwater balance of polar regions in transient simulations from 1500 to 2100 AD using a comprehensive coupled climate model |
title_short |
The freshwater balance of polar regions in transient simulations from 1500 to 2100 AD using a comprehensive coupled climate model |
title_full |
The freshwater balance of polar regions in transient simulations from 1500 to 2100 AD using a comprehensive coupled climate model |
title_fullStr |
The freshwater balance of polar regions in transient simulations from 1500 to 2100 AD using a comprehensive coupled climate model |
title_full_unstemmed |
The freshwater balance of polar regions in transient simulations from 1500 to 2100 AD using a comprehensive coupled climate model |
title_sort |
freshwater balance of polar regions in transient simulations from 1500 to 2100 ad using a comprehensive coupled climate model |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
http://doc.rero.ch/record/321228/files/382_2011_Article_1199.pdf |
geographic |
Arctic Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic Arctic Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic Arctic Ocean |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Arctic Arctic Ocean Climate change North Atlantic Sea ice Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Arctic Arctic Ocean Climate change North Atlantic Sea ice Southern Ocean |
op_relation |
http://doc.rero.ch/record/321228/files/382_2011_Article_1199.pdf |
_version_ |
1766260840266203136 |