Acceleration of the Last Glacial Termination Due to Climate-Carbon Cycle Feedbacks

University Of Hawaii, Honolulu

Investigators

Abstract

This rescoped project aims to contribute to understanding of glacial-interglacial variations via the response of the climate system to atmospheric pCO2 variations on millennial time scales, the response of the global carbon cycle to climate change, and the sensitivity of the coupled climate-carbon system to orbital variations. The coupling between sea ice, atmospheric water vapor and the carbon cycles over land and in ocean will be studied for the termination of glacial epochs. Focus will be on the period 21-10 ka BP using a low-resolution global atmosphere-ocean-sea ice-vegetation-marine carbon model (LOVECLIM). Several transient simulations covering this time period will be conducted. Support for a graduate student is the main element of this project.