Ocean Sensitivity to Periodic and Constant Volcanism
Muhammad Mubashar Dogar1,2, Tomonori Sato3, Fei Liu4
1Global Change Impact Studies Centre, Ministry of Climate Change, Islamabad, Pakistan. mubashardogar@yahoo.com.
Scientific Reports
|January 17, 2020
Summary
Volcanic eruptions cause ocean cooling. Our study shows that both constant and sporadic volcanic forcing lead to similar long-term ocean heat content changes and sea-level rise.
Area of Science:
- Climate Science
- Oceanography
- Atmospheric Science
Background:
- Explosive volcanic eruptions inject aerosols into the stratosphere, causing negative radiative forcing and global cooling.
- It is hypothesized that sporadic cooling events may enhance ocean mixing more effectively than uniform cooling.
- Understanding the ocean's response to volcanic forcing is crucial for climate modeling and geoengineering.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the ocean's response to volcanic forcing, comparing constant versus periodic forcing scenarios.
- To quantify the impact of volcanic eruptions on ocean heat content (OHC) and sea-level rise (SLR).
- To determine the role of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) in ocean heat uptake.
Main Methods:
- Conducted parallel climate simulations using the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory's coupled model, CM2.1.
- Applied both uniform/constant and periodic volcanic forcing, scaled to multiples of the Pinatubo eruption.
- Systematically compared the oceanic responses to different forcing types and magnitudes.
Main Results:
- Ocean heat content (OHC) and sea-level rise (SLR) perturbations were nearly identical for both uniform and periodic volcanic forcing.
- The magnitude of ocean heat uptake at various depths was primarily influenced by the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC).
- The ocean's response to volcanic forcing is comparable on average, regardless of whether the forcing is constant or sporadic.
Conclusions:
- The timing and pattern of volcanic forcing have minimal impact on the long-term ocean heat content and sea-level rise.
- The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) plays a critical role in regulating ocean heat uptake and redistribution following volcanic events.
- These findings aid in refining ocean initialization for climate studies and geoengineering applications, reducing uncertainties in ocean relaxation, heat storage, and redistribution.
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