HR: 1340h
AN: PP23B-1332    [Abstracts]
TI: The mid Pliocene Warm Period: A Test-bed for Integrating Data and Models
AU: * Haywood, A M
EM: a.haywood@see.leeds.ac.uk
AF: University of Leeds, School of Earth and Environment, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
AU: Salzmann, U
EM: usa@bas.ac.uk
AF: British Antarctic Survey, Geological Sciences Division, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB30ET, United Kingdom
AU: Hill, D J
EM: dahi@bas.ac.uk
AF: British Antarctic Survey, Geological Sciences Division, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB30ET, United Kingdom
AU: Dowsett, H J
EM: hdowsett@usgs.gov
AF: U.S. Geological Survey, 970 National Center, Reston, VA 22092, United States
AU: Chandler, M A
EM: mac59@columbia.edu
AF: Columbia University - CCSR/GISS, 2880 Broadway, New York, NY 10025, United States
AU: Valdes, P J
EM: p.j.valdes@bris.ac.uk
AF: University of Bristol, School of Geographical Sciences, University Road, Bristol, BS81SS, United Kingdom
AB: The most recent interval of greater global warmth is the mid Pliocene warm period (3.3 to 3.0 million years ago), characterized by global surface temperatures around 3 degrees celcius higher than today. Although not a direct analogue of future global warming, this interval is a relevant natural experiment that can be used to understand processes contributing to long-term global warmth as many boundary conditions were similar to today (e.g. ocean circulation patterns, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations). Here we present a summary of the palaeoclimate modelling activities carried out thus far for the mid Pliocene and demonstrate how a combined data and modelling approach has led to significant advances in our understanding and ‘retrodiction' of the last great warm period of the Cenozoic Era. The development and refinement of mid Pliocene palaeoenvironmental data sets is discussed, as are the steps that have been taken to increase the sophistication of the overall modelling effort. Initially, the talk focuses on the use of atmosphere-only General Circulation Models (AGCMs) and summarises the results produced by such models. We then consider the importance of incorporating slab-ocean, dynamic ocean, mechanistic and dynamic vegetation models with AGCMs to studying the causes mid Pliocene warmth. Finally recent developments are considered and a strategy for further combined data and model investigations is presented.
DE: 1616 Climate variability (1635, 3305, 3309, 4215, 4513)
DE: 1620 Climate dynamics (0429, 3309)
DE: 1621 Cryospheric change (0776)
DE: 1626 Global climate models (3337, 4928)
DE: 4954 Sea surface temperature
SC: Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology [PP]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting