Destabilization of glacial climate by the radiative impact of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation disruptions
During each of the dramatic global warmings that ended the Pleistocene ice ages, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) was disrupted. It is not clear whether this was a contributing cause or simply an effect of deglaciation. Here we show that in an ensemble of simulations with a glo...
Published in: | Geophysical Research Letters |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , |
Format: | Text |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
DigitalCommons@URI
2016
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/gsofacpubs/2047 https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069846 |
id |
ftunivrhodeislan:oai:digitalcommons.uri.edu:gsofacpubs-3016 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftunivrhodeislan:oai:digitalcommons.uri.edu:gsofacpubs-3016 2024-02-04T10:01:17+01:00 Destabilization of glacial climate by the radiative impact of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation disruptions Galbraith, Eric D. Merlis, Timothy M. Palter, Jaime B. 2016-08-16T07:00:00Z https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/gsofacpubs/2047 https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069846 unknown DigitalCommons@URI https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/gsofacpubs/2047 doi:10.1002/2016GL069846 https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069846 Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications bipolar seesaw climate model deglaciation ice ages ocean circulation radiative balance text 2016 ftunivrhodeislan https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069846 2024-01-08T19:10:01Z During each of the dramatic global warmings that ended the Pleistocene ice ages, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) was disrupted. It is not clear whether this was a contributing cause or simply an effect of deglaciation. Here we show that in an ensemble of simulations with a global climate model, AMOC disruption causes a consistent and sustained positive radiative imbalance of ~0.4 W m−2. The imbalance is accommodated by heat accumulation in the ocean interior, representing an overall planetary warming, subsequently released by deep convection in the North Atlantic when the AMOC resumes. The results suggest a means by which AMOC disruptions could have helped to tip the planet out of stable glaciated states. However, the fact that AMOC disruptions occurred during prior Heinrich Stadials without causing deglaciation shows that other factors, such as ice sheet dynamics, or controls on CO2, were also key for deglaciation. Text Ice Sheet North Atlantic University of Rhode Island: DigitalCommons@URI Geophysical Research Letters 43 15 8214 8221 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Rhode Island: DigitalCommons@URI |
op_collection_id |
ftunivrhodeislan |
language |
unknown |
topic |
bipolar seesaw climate model deglaciation ice ages ocean circulation radiative balance |
spellingShingle |
bipolar seesaw climate model deglaciation ice ages ocean circulation radiative balance Galbraith, Eric D. Merlis, Timothy M. Palter, Jaime B. Destabilization of glacial climate by the radiative impact of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation disruptions |
topic_facet |
bipolar seesaw climate model deglaciation ice ages ocean circulation radiative balance |
description |
During each of the dramatic global warmings that ended the Pleistocene ice ages, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) was disrupted. It is not clear whether this was a contributing cause or simply an effect of deglaciation. Here we show that in an ensemble of simulations with a global climate model, AMOC disruption causes a consistent and sustained positive radiative imbalance of ~0.4 W m−2. The imbalance is accommodated by heat accumulation in the ocean interior, representing an overall planetary warming, subsequently released by deep convection in the North Atlantic when the AMOC resumes. The results suggest a means by which AMOC disruptions could have helped to tip the planet out of stable glaciated states. However, the fact that AMOC disruptions occurred during prior Heinrich Stadials without causing deglaciation shows that other factors, such as ice sheet dynamics, or controls on CO2, were also key for deglaciation. |
format |
Text |
author |
Galbraith, Eric D. Merlis, Timothy M. Palter, Jaime B. |
author_facet |
Galbraith, Eric D. Merlis, Timothy M. Palter, Jaime B. |
author_sort |
Galbraith, Eric D. |
title |
Destabilization of glacial climate by the radiative impact of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation disruptions |
title_short |
Destabilization of glacial climate by the radiative impact of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation disruptions |
title_full |
Destabilization of glacial climate by the radiative impact of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation disruptions |
title_fullStr |
Destabilization of glacial climate by the radiative impact of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation disruptions |
title_full_unstemmed |
Destabilization of glacial climate by the radiative impact of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation disruptions |
title_sort |
destabilization of glacial climate by the radiative impact of atlantic meridional overturning circulation disruptions |
publisher |
DigitalCommons@URI |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/gsofacpubs/2047 https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069846 |
genre |
Ice Sheet North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
Ice Sheet North Atlantic |
op_source |
Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications |
op_relation |
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/gsofacpubs/2047 doi:10.1002/2016GL069846 https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069846 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069846 |
container_title |
Geophysical Research Letters |
container_volume |
43 |
container_issue |
15 |
container_start_page |
8214 |
op_container_end_page |
8221 |
_version_ |
1789967034814038016 |