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...
Published in: | Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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2011
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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 |
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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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1789327696064413696 |