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Improved Model-Data Agreement With Strongly Eddying Ocean Simulations in the Middle-Late Eocene
Peter D Nooteboom1,2, Michiel Baatsen1, Peter K Bijl3
1Department of Physics Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht (IMAU) Utrecht University Utrecht The Netherlands.
Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology
|October 17, 2022
Summary
High-resolution ocean models reveal crucial details about past climates. These advanced simulations better match climate proxy data, resolving long-standing discrepancies in equatorial and polar ocean temperatures.
Area of Science:
- Paleoclimatology
- Oceanography
- Climate Modeling
Background:
- Global climate models often show discrepancies with proxy data at regional scales.
- A key issue is the simulated temperature difference between equatorial and polar regions, which is larger than proxy data suggest, particularly in the Eocene.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate discrepancies between climate models and proxy data in the Eocene.
- To improve the accuracy of regional climate simulations by incorporating ocean eddies.
Main Methods:
- Global ocean model simulations at 0.1° horizontal resolution for the middle-late Eocene.
- Comparison of eddying high-resolution simulations with noneddying low-resolution simulations.
- Analysis of surface temperatures, heat transport, and biogeographic patterns.
Main Results:
- High-resolution simulations with eddies produced warmer surface temperatures near Antarctica and cooler temperatures near the equator.
- These results align better with Eocene proxy reconstructions and biogeographic data.
- The simulations resolved discrepancies in subpolar ocean temperatures and polar gyre circulation.
Conclusions:
- Strongly eddying ocean model simulations are necessary to reconcile regional paleoclimate proxy data with model outputs.
- Accurate regional paleobathymetry is vital for robust proxy-model comparisons.
- This study highlights the importance of model resolution for understanding past climate dynamics.
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