Spontaneous abrupt climate change due to an atmospheric blocking–sea-ice–ocean feedback in an unforced climate model simulation
Abrupt climate change is abundant in geological records, but climate models rarely have been able to simulate such events in response to realistic forcing. Here we report on a spontaneous abrupt cooling event, lasting for more than a century, with a temperature anomaly similar to that of the Little...
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ftunivutrecht:oai:dspace.library.uu.nl:1874/290612 2023-07-23T04:19:31+02:00 Spontaneous abrupt climate change due to an atmospheric blocking–sea-ice–ocean feedback in an unforced climate model simulation Drijfhout, S.S. Gleeson, E. Dijkstra, H.A. Livina, V. Marine and Atmospheric Research Sub Physical Oceanography 2013 application/pdf https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/290612 en eng 0027-8424 https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/290612 info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess Climate modeling Great Salinity Anomaly Thermohaline circulation Taverne Article 2013 ftunivutrecht 2023-07-02T00:51:54Z Abrupt climate change is abundant in geological records, but climate models rarely have been able to simulate such events in response to realistic forcing. Here we report on a spontaneous abrupt cooling event, lasting for more than a century, with a temperature anomaly similar to that of the Little Ice Age. The event was simulated in the preindustrial control run of a highresolution climate model, without imposing external perturbations. Initial cooling started with a period of enhanced atmospheric blocking over the eastern subpolar gyre. In response, a southward progression of the sea-ice margin occurred, and the sea-level pressure anomaly was locked to the sea-ice margin through thermal forcing. The cold-core high steered more cold air to the area, reinforcing the sea-ice concentration anomaly east of Greenland. The sea-ice surplus was carried southward by ocean currents around the tip of Greenland. South of 70°N, sea ice already started melting and the associated freshwater anomaly was carried to the Labrador Sea, shutting off deep convection. There, surface waters were exposed longer to atmospheric cooling and sea surface temperature dropped, causing an even larger thermally forced high above the Labrador Sea. In consequence, east of Greenland, anomalous winds changed from north to south, terminating the event with similar abruptness to its onset. Our results imply that only climate models that possess sufficient resolution to correctly represent atmospheric blocking, in combination with a sensitive sea-ice model, are able to simulate this kind of abrupt climate change. Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland Labrador Sea Sea ice Utrecht University Repository Greenland |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Utrecht University Repository |
op_collection_id |
ftunivutrecht |
language |
English |
topic |
Climate modeling Great Salinity Anomaly Thermohaline circulation Taverne |
spellingShingle |
Climate modeling Great Salinity Anomaly Thermohaline circulation Taverne Drijfhout, S.S. Gleeson, E. Dijkstra, H.A. Livina, V. Spontaneous abrupt climate change due to an atmospheric blocking–sea-ice–ocean feedback in an unforced climate model simulation |
topic_facet |
Climate modeling Great Salinity Anomaly Thermohaline circulation Taverne |
description |
Abrupt climate change is abundant in geological records, but climate models rarely have been able to simulate such events in response to realistic forcing. Here we report on a spontaneous abrupt cooling event, lasting for more than a century, with a temperature anomaly similar to that of the Little Ice Age. The event was simulated in the preindustrial control run of a highresolution climate model, without imposing external perturbations. Initial cooling started with a period of enhanced atmospheric blocking over the eastern subpolar gyre. In response, a southward progression of the sea-ice margin occurred, and the sea-level pressure anomaly was locked to the sea-ice margin through thermal forcing. The cold-core high steered more cold air to the area, reinforcing the sea-ice concentration anomaly east of Greenland. The sea-ice surplus was carried southward by ocean currents around the tip of Greenland. South of 70°N, sea ice already started melting and the associated freshwater anomaly was carried to the Labrador Sea, shutting off deep convection. There, surface waters were exposed longer to atmospheric cooling and sea surface temperature dropped, causing an even larger thermally forced high above the Labrador Sea. In consequence, east of Greenland, anomalous winds changed from north to south, terminating the event with similar abruptness to its onset. Our results imply that only climate models that possess sufficient resolution to correctly represent atmospheric blocking, in combination with a sensitive sea-ice model, are able to simulate this kind of abrupt climate change. |
author2 |
Marine and Atmospheric Research Sub Physical Oceanography |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Drijfhout, S.S. Gleeson, E. Dijkstra, H.A. Livina, V. |
author_facet |
Drijfhout, S.S. Gleeson, E. Dijkstra, H.A. Livina, V. |
author_sort |
Drijfhout, S.S. |
title |
Spontaneous abrupt climate change due to an atmospheric blocking–sea-ice–ocean feedback in an unforced climate model simulation |
title_short |
Spontaneous abrupt climate change due to an atmospheric blocking–sea-ice–ocean feedback in an unforced climate model simulation |
title_full |
Spontaneous abrupt climate change due to an atmospheric blocking–sea-ice–ocean feedback in an unforced climate model simulation |
title_fullStr |
Spontaneous abrupt climate change due to an atmospheric blocking–sea-ice–ocean feedback in an unforced climate model simulation |
title_full_unstemmed |
Spontaneous abrupt climate change due to an atmospheric blocking–sea-ice–ocean feedback in an unforced climate model simulation |
title_sort |
spontaneous abrupt climate change due to an atmospheric blocking–sea-ice–ocean feedback in an unforced climate model simulation |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/290612 |
geographic |
Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Greenland |
genre |
Greenland Labrador Sea Sea ice |
genre_facet |
Greenland Labrador Sea Sea ice |
op_relation |
0027-8424 https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/290612 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
_version_ |
1772182691000614912 |