Greenland accumulation and its connection to the large-scale atmospheric circulation in ERA-Interim and paleoclimate simulations
Changes in Greenland accumulation and the stability in the relationship between accumulation variability and large-scale circulation are assessed by performing time-slice simulations for the present day, the preindustrial era, the early Holocene, and the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) with a comprehensi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2013-11-01
|
| Series: | Climate of the Past |
| Online Access: | http://www.clim-past.net/9/2433/2013/cp-9-2433-2013.pdf |
| _version_ | 1811338529129627648 |
|---|---|
| author | N. Merz C. C. Raible H. Fischer V. Varma M. Prange T. F. Stocker |
| author_facet | N. Merz C. C. Raible H. Fischer V. Varma M. Prange T. F. Stocker |
| author_sort | N. Merz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Changes in Greenland accumulation and the stability in the relationship
between accumulation variability and large-scale circulation are assessed by
performing time-slice simulations for the present day, the preindustrial era, the
early Holocene, and the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) with a comprehensive
climate model. The stability issue is an important prerequisite for
reconstructions of Northern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation variability
based on accumulation or precipitation proxy records from Greenland ice
cores. The analysis reveals that the relationship between accumulation
variability and large-scale circulation undergoes a significant seasonal
cycle. As the contributions of the individual seasons to the annual signal
change, annual mean accumulation variability is not necessarily related to
the same atmospheric circulation patterns during the different climate
states. Interestingly, within a season, local Greenland accumulation
variability is indeed linked to a consistent circulation pattern, which is
observed for all studied climate periods, even for the LGM. Hence, it would
be possible to deduce a reliable reconstruction of seasonal atmospheric
variability (e.g., for North Atlantic winters) if an accumulation or
precipitation proxy were available that resolves single seasons. We further
show that the simulated impacts of orbital forcing and changes in the
ice sheet topography on Greenland accumulation exhibit strong spatial
differences, emphasizing that accumulation records from different ice core
sites regarding both interannual and long-term (centennial to millennial)
variability cannot be expected to look alike since they include a distinct
local signature. The only uniform signal to external forcing is the strong
decrease in Greenland accumulation during glacial (LGM) conditions and an
increase associated with the recent rise in greenhouse gas concentrations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:12:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6c6326196b0e4225bde094a24da1236a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1814-9324 1814-9332 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:12:16Z |
| publishDate | 2013-11-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Climate of the Past |
| spelling | doaj.art-6c6326196b0e4225bde094a24da1236a2022-12-22T02:35:51ZengCopernicus PublicationsClimate of the Past1814-93241814-93322013-11-01962433245010.5194/cp-9-2433-2013Greenland accumulation and its connection to the large-scale atmospheric circulation in ERA-Interim and paleoclimate simulationsN. Merz0C. C. Raible1H. Fischer2V. Varma3M. Prange4T. F. Stocker5Climate and Environmental Physics, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandClimate and Environmental Physics, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandClimate and Environmental Physics, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandMARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences and Faculty of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, GermanyMARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences and Faculty of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, GermanyClimate and Environmental Physics, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandChanges in Greenland accumulation and the stability in the relationship between accumulation variability and large-scale circulation are assessed by performing time-slice simulations for the present day, the preindustrial era, the early Holocene, and the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) with a comprehensive climate model. The stability issue is an important prerequisite for reconstructions of Northern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation variability based on accumulation or precipitation proxy records from Greenland ice cores. The analysis reveals that the relationship between accumulation variability and large-scale circulation undergoes a significant seasonal cycle. As the contributions of the individual seasons to the annual signal change, annual mean accumulation variability is not necessarily related to the same atmospheric circulation patterns during the different climate states. Interestingly, within a season, local Greenland accumulation variability is indeed linked to a consistent circulation pattern, which is observed for all studied climate periods, even for the LGM. Hence, it would be possible to deduce a reliable reconstruction of seasonal atmospheric variability (e.g., for North Atlantic winters) if an accumulation or precipitation proxy were available that resolves single seasons. We further show that the simulated impacts of orbital forcing and changes in the ice sheet topography on Greenland accumulation exhibit strong spatial differences, emphasizing that accumulation records from different ice core sites regarding both interannual and long-term (centennial to millennial) variability cannot be expected to look alike since they include a distinct local signature. The only uniform signal to external forcing is the strong decrease in Greenland accumulation during glacial (LGM) conditions and an increase associated with the recent rise in greenhouse gas concentrations.http://www.clim-past.net/9/2433/2013/cp-9-2433-2013.pdf |
| spellingShingle | N. Merz C. C. Raible H. Fischer V. Varma M. Prange T. F. Stocker Greenland accumulation and its connection to the large-scale atmospheric circulation in ERA-Interim and paleoclimate simulations Climate of the Past |
| title | Greenland accumulation and its connection to the large-scale atmospheric circulation in ERA-Interim and paleoclimate simulations |
| title_full | Greenland accumulation and its connection to the large-scale atmospheric circulation in ERA-Interim and paleoclimate simulations |
| title_fullStr | Greenland accumulation and its connection to the large-scale atmospheric circulation in ERA-Interim and paleoclimate simulations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Greenland accumulation and its connection to the large-scale atmospheric circulation in ERA-Interim and paleoclimate simulations |
| title_short | Greenland accumulation and its connection to the large-scale atmospheric circulation in ERA-Interim and paleoclimate simulations |
| title_sort | greenland accumulation and its connection to the large scale atmospheric circulation in era interim and paleoclimate simulations |
| url | http://www.clim-past.net/9/2433/2013/cp-9-2433-2013.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nmerz greenlandaccumulationanditsconnectiontothelargescaleatmosphericcirculationinerainterimandpaleoclimatesimulations AT ccraible greenlandaccumulationanditsconnectiontothelargescaleatmosphericcirculationinerainterimandpaleoclimatesimulations AT hfischer greenlandaccumulationanditsconnectiontothelargescaleatmosphericcirculationinerainterimandpaleoclimatesimulations AT vvarma greenlandaccumulationanditsconnectiontothelargescaleatmosphericcirculationinerainterimandpaleoclimatesimulations AT mprange greenlandaccumulationanditsconnectiontothelargescaleatmosphericcirculationinerainterimandpaleoclimatesimulations AT tfstocker greenlandaccumulationanditsconnectiontothelargescaleatmosphericcirculationinerainterimandpaleoclimatesimulations |