Potential causes of abrupt climate events: A numerical study with a three-dimensional climate model

A multi‐millennia simulation performed with a three‐dimensional climate model under constant forcing shows abrupt climate events lasting for several centuries caused by a spontaneous transition to an infrequently visited state of the oceanic thermohaline circulation. This state is characterized by a...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inGeophysical research letters Vol. 29; no. 18; pp. 7-1 - 7-4
Main Authors Goosse, H., Renssen, H., Selten, F. M., Haarsma, R. J., Opsteegh, J. D.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published American Geophysical Union 01.09.2002
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Subjects
Climatology
General circulation
Global Change
Meteorology and Atmospheric Dynamics
Oceanography
Paleoclimatology
Physical
Solar variability
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:A multi‐millennia simulation performed with a three‐dimensional climate model under constant forcing shows abrupt climate events lasting for several centuries caused by a spontaneous transition to an infrequently visited state of the oceanic thermohaline circulation. This state is characterized by a more southern location of the main area of deep ocean convection in the North Atlantic and implies a large cooling in the mid and high latitudes of the northern hemisphere. This transition of the thermohaline circulation occurs spontaneously less than once in 5000 years in the model, but such transitions can also be triggered by a reduction of the solar irradiance.
Bibliography:ArticleID:2002GL014993
ark:/67375/WNG-QC96MZCN-F
istex:A6EFF45E32F39AC00E8F40012B39E66A1A44D885
ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-1
content type line 23
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007
DOI:10.1029/2002GL014993