Response of precipitation over Greenland and the adjacent ocean to North Pacific warm spells during Dansgaard-Oeschger stadials


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lohmann [ at ] awi-bremerhaven.de

Abstract

Paleoceanographic reconstructions from the North Atlantic indicate massive ice breakouts from East Greenland near the onset of cold Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) stadials. In contrast to these coolings in the North Atlantic area, a new sea-surface temperature record reveals concomitant warm spells in the northern North Pacific. A sensitivity experiment with an atmospheric general circulation model is used to test the potential impact of sea-surface warmings by 3.5C in the North Pacific, on top of otherwise cold stadial climate conditions, on the precipitation regime over the Northern Hemisphere ice sheets. The model predicts a maximum response over East Greenland and the Greenland Sea, where a 40% increase in net annual snow accumulation occurs. This remote effect of North Pacific warm spells on the East Greenland snow-accumulation rate may play an important role in generating D-O cycles by rebuilding the ice lost during ice breakouts. In addition, the increased precipitation over the Greenland Sea may help to sustain the D-O stadial climate state.



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Eprint ID
11053
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Kiefer, T. , Lorenz, S. , Schulz, M. , Lohmann, G. , Sarnthein, M. and Elderfield, H. (2002): Response of precipitation over Greenland and the adjacent ocean to North Pacific warm spells during Dansgaard-Oeschger stadials , Terra Nova,14, 4 , pp. 295-300 .


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