Tropical paleoclimates at the Last Glacial Maximum: comparison of Paleoclimate Modeling Intercomparison Project (PMIP) simulations and paleodata |
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Authors: | S Pinot G Ramstein S P Harrison I C Prentice J Guiot M Stute S Joussaume |
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Institution: | Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, UMR CEA-CNRS, Saclay, Bat 709, Orme des Merisiers, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France E-mail: pinot@esce.saclay.cea.fr, FR Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Postfach 10?01?64, D-07701 Jena, Germany, DE Laboratoire de Botanique Historique et Palynologie, Faculté de St Jér?me, Marseille, France, FR Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, USA, US
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Abstract: | Seventeen simulations of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) climate have been performed using atmospheric general circulation
models (AGCM) in the framework of the Paleoclimate Modeling Intercomparison Project (PMIP). These simulations use the boundary
conditions for CO2, insolation and ice-sheets; surface temperatures (SSTs) are either (a) prescribed using CLIMAP data set (eight models) or
(b) computed by coupling the AGCM with a slab ocean (nine models). The present-day (PD) tropical climate is correctly depicted
by all the models, except the coarser resolution models, and the simulated geographical distribution of annual mean temperature
is in good agreement with climatology. Tropical cooling at the LGM is less than at middle and high latitudes, but greatly
exceeds the PD temperature variability. The LGM simulations with prescribed SSTs underestimate the observed temperature changes
except over equatorial Africa where the models produce a temperature decrease consistent with the data. Our results confirm
previous analyses showing that CLIMAP (1981) SSTs only produce a weak terrestrial cooling. When SSTs are computed, the models
depict a cooling over the Pacific and Indian oceans in contrast with CLIMAP and most models produce cooler temperatures over
land. Moreover four of the nine simulations, produce a cooling in good agreement with terrestrial data. Two of these model
results over ocean are consistent with new SST reconstructions whereas two models simulate a homogeneous cooling. Finally,
the LGM aridity inferred for most of the tropics from the data, is globally reproduced by the models with a strong underestimation
for models using computed SSTs.
Received: 9 September 1998 / Accepted: 18 March 1999 |
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