Past terrestrial hydroclimate sensitivity controlled by Earth system feedbacks

Despite tectonic conditions and atmospheric CO 2 levels (pCO 2 ) similar to those of present-day, geological reconstructions from the mid-Pliocene (3.3-3.0 Ma) document high lake levels in the Sahel and mesic conditions in subtropical Eurasia, suggesting drastic reorganizations of subtropical terres...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature Communications
Main Authors: Feng, Ran, Bhattacharya, Tripti, Otto-Bliesner, Bette L., Brady, Esther C., Haywood, Alan M., Tindall, Julia C., Hunter, Stephen J., Abe-Ouchi, Ayako, Chan, Wing Le, Kageyama, Masa, Contoux, Camille, Guo, Chuncheng, Li, Xiangyu, Lohmann, Gerrit, Stepanek, Christian, Tan, Ning, Zhang, Qiong, Zhang, Zhongshi, Han, Zixuan, Williams, Charles J.R., Lunt, Daniel J., Dowsett, Harry J., Chandan, Deepak, Peltier, W. Richard
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2022
Subjects:
Ice Sheet
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/1983/be965df8-770c-4242-ae2d-4ffb989e187b
https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/be965df8-770c-4242-ae2d-4ffb989e187b
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28814-7
https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/ws/files/321460800/Full_text_PDF_final_published_version_.pdf
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85126671955&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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Summary:Despite tectonic conditions and atmospheric CO 2 levels (pCO 2 ) similar to those of present-day, geological reconstructions from the mid-Pliocene (3.3-3.0 Ma) document high lake levels in the Sahel and mesic conditions in subtropical Eurasia, suggesting drastic reorganizations of subtropical terrestrial hydroclimate during this interval. Here, using a compilation of proxy data and multi-model paleoclimate simulations, we show that the mid-Pliocene hydroclimate state is not driven by direct CO 2 radiative forcing but by a loss of northern high-latitude ice sheets and continental greening. These ice sheet and vegetation changes are long-term Earth system feedbacks to elevated pCO 2 . Further, the moist conditions in the Sahel and subtropical Eurasia during the mid-Pliocene are a product of enhanced tropospheric humidity and a stationary wave response to the surface warming pattern, which varies strongly with land cover changes. These findings highlight the potential for amplified terrestrial hydroclimate responses over long timescales to a sustained CO 2 forcing.

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