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Sensitivity of Southern Hemisphere circulation to LGM and 4 × CO2 climates
Author(s) -
Rojas M.
Publication year - 2013
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/grl.50195
Subject(s) - southern hemisphere , climatology , last glacial maximum , hadley cell , northern hemisphere , geology , zonal and meridional , westerlies , general circulation model , atmospheric sciences , atmospheric circulation , climate change , environmental science , oceanography , holocene
This paper investigates the effect of Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) versus high CO 2 world boundary condition on the Southern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation, in particular on the strength and latitudinal position of the near surface Southern Westerly Winds (SWW). PMIP2 and PMIP3 experiments, as well as the “abrupt 4 × CO2” simulations from CMIP5, were analyzed. Robust findings include poleward expansion of the Mean Meridional Circulation (MMC) and intensified and poleward‐shifted SWW in the 4 × CO2 simulations (consistent with recent observations and 21st century climate change projections); and for the LGM, stronger and southward shifted northern hemisphere MMC, and weakened southern Hadley cell. However, six of the eight LGM simulations show a decrease in the SWW, the other two models simulate the opposite. A critical difference between the models is strong coupling between sea‐ice extent, surface temperature gradients, SWW, and Ferrel cell in the two models with stronger and poleward‐shifted SWW.