Modeling Obliquity and CO2 Effects on Southern Hemisphere Climate during the Past 408 ka*

Abstract

Abstract The effect of obliquity and CO2 changes on Southern Hemispheric climate is studied with a series of numerical modeling experiments. Using the Earth system model of intermediate complexity Loch–VECODE–ECBilt–CLIO–Agism Model (LOVECLIM) and a coupled general circulation model [Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate (MIROC)], it is shown in time-slice simulations that phases of low obliquity enhance the meridional extratropical temperature gradient, increase the atmospheric baroclinicity, and intensify the lower and middle troposphere Southern Hemisphere westerlies and storm tracks. Furthermore, a transient model simulation is conducted with LOVECLIM that covers the greenhouse gas, ice sheet, and orbital forcing history of the past 408 ka. This simulation reproduces reconstructed glacial–interglacial variations in temperature and sea ice qualitatively well and shows that the meridional heat transport associated with the orbitally paced modulation of middle troposphere westerlies and storm tracks partly offsets the effects of the direct shortwave obliquity forcing over Antarctica, thereby reinforcing the high correlation between CO2 radiative forcing and Antarctic temperature. The overall timing of temperature changes in Antarctica is hence determined by a balance of shortwave obliquity forcing, atmospheric heat transport changes, and greenhouse gas forcing. A shorter 130-ka transient model experiment with constant CO2 concentrations further demonstrates that surface Southern Hemisphere westerlies are primarily modulated by the obliquity cycle rather than by the CO2 radiative forcing.