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A comparison of precession and obliquity effects in a Cretaceous paleocllmate simulation
Author(s) -
Park Jeffrey,
Oglesby Robert J.
Publication year - 1990
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 - 10.1029/gl017i011p01929
Subject(s) - precession , cretaceous , geology , latitude , gcm transcription factors , climatology , atmospheric sciences , climate change , paleontology , general circulation model , physics , geodesy , oceanography , astronomy
A set of 36 perpetual‐season simulations with an atmospheric GCM are used to investigate the effects of precession and obliquity variations on mid‐Cretaceous climate. Climatic variables such as surface temperature, pressure and moisture transport suggest that the mid‐Cretaceous climate system is more sensitive to precession than to obliquity in most regions, even at high latitudes. Obliquity variations affect our simulations primarily by modulating the western extent of the precession‐enhanced continental monsoons. As a result, sensitivity to obliquity can be important at low, as well as high, latitudes.