Bathymetric controls on Pliocene North Atlantic and Arctic sea surface temperature and deepwater production

The mid-Pliocene warm period (MPWP; ~. 3.3 to 3.0. Ma) is the most recent interval in Earth's history in which global temperatures reached and remained at levels similar to those projected for the near future. The distribution of global warmth, however, was different than today in that the high...

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Published in:Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
Main Authors: Robinson, Marci M., Valdes, Paul J., Haywood, Alan M., Dowsett, Harry J., Hill, Daniel J., Jones, Stephen M.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2011
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/1983/20255652-e1b5-421b-8766-2d0f80fc9486
https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/20255652-e1b5-421b-8766-2d0f80fc9486
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2011.01.004
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79957466662&partnerID=8YFLogxK
id ftubristolcris:oai:research-information.bris.ac.uk:publications/20255652-e1b5-421b-8766-2d0f80fc9486
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spelling ftubristolcris:oai:research-information.bris.ac.uk:publications/20255652-e1b5-421b-8766-2d0f80fc9486 2024-01-28T10:02:14+01:00 Bathymetric controls on Pliocene North Atlantic and Arctic sea surface temperature and deepwater production Robinson, Marci M. Valdes, Paul J. Haywood, Alan M. Dowsett, Harry J. Hill, Daniel J. Jones, Stephen M. 2011-08-15 https://hdl.handle.net/1983/20255652-e1b5-421b-8766-2d0f80fc9486 https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/20255652-e1b5-421b-8766-2d0f80fc9486 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2011.01.004 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79957466662&partnerID=8YFLogxK eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Robinson , M M , Valdes , P J , Haywood , A M , Dowsett , H J , Hill , D J & Jones , S M 2011 , ' Bathymetric controls on Pliocene North Atlantic and Arctic sea surface temperature and deepwater production ' , Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology , vol. 309 , no. 1-2 , pp. 92-97 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2011.01.004 Arctic Ocean Deepwater production Greenland-Scotland Ridge Mid-Pliocene warm period Ocean-atmosphere general circulation model Sea-surface temperature article 2011 ftubristolcris https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2011.01.004 2024-01-04T23:44:15Z The mid-Pliocene warm period (MPWP; ~. 3.3 to 3.0. Ma) is the most recent interval in Earth's history in which global temperatures reached and remained at levels similar to those projected for the near future. The distribution of global warmth, however, was different than today in that the high latitudes warmed more than the tropics. Multiple temperature proxies indicate significant sea surface warming in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans during the MPWP, but predictions from a fully coupled ocean-atmosphere model (HadCM3) have so far been unable to fully predict the large scale of sea surface warming in the high latitudes. If climate proxies accurately represent Pliocene conditions, and if no weakness exists in the physics of the model, then model boundary conditions may be in error. Here we alter a single boundary condition (bathymetry) to examine if Pliocene high latitude warming was aided by an increase in poleward heat transport due to changes in the subsidence of North Atlantic Ocean ridges. We find an increase in both Arctic sea surface temperature and deepwater production in model experiments that incorporate a deepened Greenland-Scotland Ridge. These results offer both a mechanism for the warming in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans indicated by numerous proxies and an explanation for the apparent disparity between proxy data and model simulations of Pliocene northern North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean conditions. Determining the causes of Pliocene warmth remains critical to fully understanding comparisons of the Pliocene warm period to possible future climate change scenarios. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Arctic Ocean Climate change Greenland Greenland-Scotland Ridge North Atlantic University of Bristol: Bristol Research Arctic Arctic Ocean Greenland Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 309 1-2 92 97
institution Open Polar
collection University of Bristol: Bristol Research
op_collection_id ftubristolcris
language English
topic Arctic Ocean
Deepwater production
Greenland-Scotland Ridge
Mid-Pliocene warm period
Ocean-atmosphere general circulation model
Sea-surface temperature
spellingShingle Arctic Ocean
Deepwater production
Greenland-Scotland Ridge
Mid-Pliocene warm period
Ocean-atmosphere general circulation model
Sea-surface temperature
Robinson, Marci M.
Valdes, Paul J.
Haywood, Alan M.
Dowsett, Harry J.
Hill, Daniel J.
Jones, Stephen M.
Bathymetric controls on Pliocene North Atlantic and Arctic sea surface temperature and deepwater production
topic_facet Arctic Ocean
Deepwater production
Greenland-Scotland Ridge
Mid-Pliocene warm period
Ocean-atmosphere general circulation model
Sea-surface temperature
description The mid-Pliocene warm period (MPWP; ~. 3.3 to 3.0. Ma) is the most recent interval in Earth's history in which global temperatures reached and remained at levels similar to those projected for the near future. The distribution of global warmth, however, was different than today in that the high latitudes warmed more than the tropics. Multiple temperature proxies indicate significant sea surface warming in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans during the MPWP, but predictions from a fully coupled ocean-atmosphere model (HadCM3) have so far been unable to fully predict the large scale of sea surface warming in the high latitudes. If climate proxies accurately represent Pliocene conditions, and if no weakness exists in the physics of the model, then model boundary conditions may be in error. Here we alter a single boundary condition (bathymetry) to examine if Pliocene high latitude warming was aided by an increase in poleward heat transport due to changes in the subsidence of North Atlantic Ocean ridges. We find an increase in both Arctic sea surface temperature and deepwater production in model experiments that incorporate a deepened Greenland-Scotland Ridge. These results offer both a mechanism for the warming in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans indicated by numerous proxies and an explanation for the apparent disparity between proxy data and model simulations of Pliocene northern North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean conditions. Determining the causes of Pliocene warmth remains critical to fully understanding comparisons of the Pliocene warm period to possible future climate change scenarios.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Robinson, Marci M.
Valdes, Paul J.
Haywood, Alan M.
Dowsett, Harry J.
Hill, Daniel J.
Jones, Stephen M.
author_facet Robinson, Marci M.
Valdes, Paul J.
Haywood, Alan M.
Dowsett, Harry J.
Hill, Daniel J.
Jones, Stephen M.
author_sort Robinson, Marci M.
title Bathymetric controls on Pliocene North Atlantic and Arctic sea surface temperature and deepwater production
title_short Bathymetric controls on Pliocene North Atlantic and Arctic sea surface temperature and deepwater production
title_full Bathymetric controls on Pliocene North Atlantic and Arctic sea surface temperature and deepwater production
title_fullStr Bathymetric controls on Pliocene North Atlantic and Arctic sea surface temperature and deepwater production
title_full_unstemmed Bathymetric controls on Pliocene North Atlantic and Arctic sea surface temperature and deepwater production
title_sort bathymetric controls on pliocene north atlantic and arctic sea surface temperature and deepwater production
publishDate 2011
url https://hdl.handle.net/1983/20255652-e1b5-421b-8766-2d0f80fc9486
https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/20255652-e1b5-421b-8766-2d0f80fc9486
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2011.01.004
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79957466662&partnerID=8YFLogxK
geographic Arctic
Arctic Ocean
Greenland
geographic_facet Arctic
Arctic Ocean
Greenland
genre Arctic
Arctic
Arctic Ocean
Climate change
Greenland
Greenland-Scotland Ridge
North Atlantic
genre_facet Arctic
Arctic
Arctic Ocean
Climate change
Greenland
Greenland-Scotland Ridge
North Atlantic
op_source Robinson , M M , Valdes , P J , Haywood , A M , Dowsett , H J , Hill , D J & Jones , S M 2011 , ' Bathymetric controls on Pliocene North Atlantic and Arctic sea surface temperature and deepwater production ' , Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology , vol. 309 , no. 1-2 , pp. 92-97 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2011.01.004
op_rights info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2011.01.004
container_title Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
container_volume 309
container_issue 1-2
container_start_page 92
op_container_end_page 97
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