Two climatic states and feedbacks on thermohaline circulation in an Earth system model of intermediate complexity |
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Authors: | Zhaomin Wang |
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Institution: | (1) Earth System Modelling Group, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A2K6, Canada |
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Abstract: | The McGill Paleoclimate Model-2 (MPM-2) is employed to study climate–thermohaline circulation (THC) interactions in a pre
-industrial climate, with a special focus on the feedbacks on the THC from other climate system components. The MPM-2, a new
version of the MPM, has an extended model domain from 90S to 90N, active winds and no oceanic heat and freshwater flux adjustments.
In the MPM-2, there are mainly two stable modes for the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (MOC) under the ‘present-day’
forcing (present-day solar forcing and the pre-industrial atmospheric CO2 level of 280 ppm). The ‘on’ mode has an active North Atlantic deep water formation, while the ‘off’ mode has no such deep
water formation. By comparing the ‘off’ mode climate state with its ‘on’ mode analogue, we find that there exist many large
differences between the two climate states, which originate from large changes in the oceanic meridional heat transports.
By suppressing or isolating each process associated with a continental ice sheet over North America, sea ice, the atmospheric
hydrological cycle and vegetation, feedbacks from these components on the Atlantic MOC are investigated. Sensitivity studies
investigating the role of varying continental ice growth and sea ice meridional transport in the resumption of the Atlantic
MOC are also carried out. The results show that a fast ice sheet growth and an enhanced southward sea ice transport significantly
favor the resumption of the Atlantic MOC in the MPM-2. In contrast to this, the feedback from the atmospheric hydrological
cycle is a weak positive one. The vegetation-albedo feedback could enhance continental ice sheet growth and thus could also
favor the resumption of the Atlantic MOC. However, before the shut-down of the Atlantic MOC, feedbacks from these components
on the Atlantic MOC are very weak. |
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