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A coupled model for carbon and radiocarbon evolution during the last deglaciation
Author(s) -
Mariotti Véronique,
Paillard Didier,
Bopp Laurent,
Roche Didier M.,
Bouttes Nathaëlle
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2015gl067489
Subject(s) - radiocarbon dating , deglaciation , geology , oceanography , carbon cycle , carbon dioxide in earth's atmosphere , last glacial maximum , carbon flux , before present , climate change , climatology , holocene , paleontology , ecosystem , ecology , biology
Changes in the ventilation of the Southern Ocean are thought to play an important role on deglacial carbon and radiocarbon evolution but have not been tested within a coupled climate‐carbon model. Here we present such a simulation based on a simple scenario of transient deglacial sinking of brines—sea ice salt rejections—around Antarctica, which modulates Southern Ocean ventilation. This experiment is able to reproduce deglacial atmospheric changes in carbon and radiocarbon and also ocean radiocarbon records measured in the Atlantic, Southern, and Pacific Oceans. Simulated for the first time in a fully coupled climate‐carbon model of intermediate complexity including radiocarbon, our modeling results suggest that the deglacial changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide and radiocarbon were achieved by means of a breakdown in the glacial brine‐induced stratification of the Southern Ocean.