Modeling of water stable isotopes in the ECHAM6 atmospheric general circulation model: current status and perspectives

We present here the first results for present-day conditions of the ongoing implementation of water stables isotopes in the latest version of the ECHAM atmospheric general circulation model, ECHAM6, enhanced by the JSBACH interactive land surface scheme (ECHAM6-wiso). Major changes with respect to its predecessor ECHAM5 have to do with the treatment of shortwave radiative transfer, the development of a new surface albedo representation, a new aerosol climatology, the height of the model top, and a more complex representation of the land surface [1]. Besides, a new five-layer soil hydrology scheme can be used instead of the single soil moisture reservoir in ECHAM5/JSBACH [2]. Our first analyses of the ECHAM6-wiso results concentrate on a detailed comparison to the previous model release, ECHAM5-wiso, and potential improvements in simulating the water stable isotopes signal due to overall model enhancements. This study represents the first step of the incorporation of water stable isotope tracers in all components of the fully coupled Earth system model MPI-ESM. The project is part of the PalMod initiative ("Paleo Modelling: A national paleo climate modelling initiative"), funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Science (BMBF). [1] Stevens et al., 2013, JAMES, 5, 146–172. [2] Hagemann and Stacke, 2015, Clim. Dyn., 44, 1731–1750

Modeling of water stable isotopes in the fully coupled Earth system model MPI-ESM: current status and perspectives

The hydrological cycle is a fundamental component of the Earth’s climate system. Modeling the time response of this cycle and the implied physical processes challenges the general circulation models (GCM) used to study the climate system and to project future climate. Water stable isotopes (H216O, H218O and HD16O) are integrated tracers of climate processes occurring in various branches of the hydrological cycle. Changes of the isotopic com- position, which can be measured in various natural climate archives, have been used, for example, to reconstruct past temperatures changes at high resolution or to study the past dynamics of the monsoon. The explicit modeling of these isotopes in GCMs allows to evaluate their performance and to study the past and present-day hydrological cycle evolutions. We present here the first results, under present-day and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) conditions, of the on- going implementation of water stable isotopes in the fully coupled Earth system model MPI-ESM, called here- after MPI-ESM-wiso. It includes the atmospheric model ECHAM6, the dynamic vegetation module JSBACH and the ocean/sea-ice module MPIOM. In addition to classical variables (temperatures, precipitation amount...), we evaluate the isotopic composition of precipitation, water vapor, ocean, etc. simulated by MPI-ESM-wiso against available observations. Our analyses concentrate also on a detailed comparison to the previous model release, COSMOS-wiso [1], and potential improvements in simulating the water stable isotopes signal (spatial variability, link with the local temperature...) due to overall model enhancements. This work will be an important contribution to the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project. Indeed, the models with an explicit water stable isotope diagnostics make it possible to perform direct comparisons, at different time periods, with environmental records and to reduce the uncertainties resulting from the interpretation of these records in terms of climate signals in model-data comparisons. The project is part of the PalMod initiative (“Paleo Modelling: A national paleo climate modelling initiative”), funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Science (BMBF). [1] Werner et al., 2016, Geosci. Model Dev., 9, 647-670

Water isotopes – climate relationships for the mid-Holocene and preindustrial period simulated with an isotope-enabled version of MPI-ESM

We present here the first results, for the preindustrial and mid-Holocene climatological periods, of the newly developed isotope-enhanced version of the fully coupled Earth system model MPI-ESM, called hereafter MPI-ESM-wiso. The water stable isotopes H162O, H182O and HDO have been implemented into all components of the coupled model setup. The mid-Holocene provides the opportunity to evaluate the model response to changes in the seasonal and latitudinal distribution of insolation induced by different orbital forcing conditions. The results of our equilibrium simulations allow us to evaluate the performance of the isotopic model in simulating the spatial and temporal variations of water isotopes in the different compartments of the hydrological system for warm climates. For the preindustrial climate, MPI-ESM-wiso reproduces very well the observed spatial distribution of the isotopic content in precipitation linked to the spatial variations in temperature and precipitation rate. We also find a good model–data agreement with the observed distribution of isotopic composition in surface seawater but a bias with the presence of surface seawater that is too 18O-depleted in the Arctic Ocean. All these results are improved compared to the previous model version ECHAM5/MPIOM. The spatial relationships of water isotopic composition with temperature, precipitation rate and salinity are consistent with observational data. For the preindustrial climate, the interannual relationships of water isotopes with temperature and salinity are globally lower than the spatial ones, consistent with previous studies. Simulated results under mid-Holocene conditions are in fair agreement with the isotopic measurements from ice cores and continental speleothems. MPI-ESM-wiso simulates a decrease in the isotopic composition of precipitation from North Africa to the Tibetan Plateau via India due to the enhanced monsoons during the mid-Holocene. Over Greenland, our simulation indicates a higher isotopic composition of precipitation linked to higher summer temperature and a reduction in sea ice, shown by positive isotope–temperature gradient. For the Antarctic continent, the model simulates lower isotopic values over the East Antarctic plateau, linked to the lower temperatures during the mid-Holocene period, while similar or higher isotopic values are modeled over the rest of the continent. While variations of isotopic contents in precipitation over West Antarctica between mid-Holocene and preindustrial periods are partly controlled by changes in temperature, the transport of relatively 18O-rich water vapor near the coast to the western ice core sites could play a role in the final isotopic composition. So, more caution has to be taken about the reconstruction of past temperature variations during warm periods over this area. The coupling of such a model with an ice sheet model or the use of a zoomed grid centered on this region could help to better describe the role of the water vapor transport and sea ice around West Antarctica. The reconstruction of past salinity through isotopic content in sea surface waters can be complicated for regions with strong ocean dynamics, variations in sea ice regimes or significant changes in freshwater budget, giving an extremely variable relationship between the isotopic content and salinity of ocean surface waters over small spatial scales. These complicating factors demonstrate the complexity of interpreting water isotopes as past climate signals of warm periods like the mid-Holocene. A systematic isotope model intercomparison study for further insights on the model dependency of these results would be beneficial

Applying an isotope-enabled regional climate model over the Greenland ice sheet: effect of spatial resolution on model bias

In order to investigate the impact of spatial resolution on the discrepancy between simulated δ18O and observed δ18O in Greenland ice cores, regional climate simulations are performed with the isotope-enabled regional climate model (RCM) COSMO_iso. For this purpose, isotope-enabled general circulation model (GCM) simulations with the ECHAM5-wiso general circulation model (GCM) under present-day conditions and the MPI-ESM-wiso GCM under mid-Holocene conditions are dynamically downscaled with COSMO_iso for the Arctic region. The capability of COSMO_iso to reproduce observed isotopic ratios in Greenland ice cores for these two periods is investigated by comparing the simulation results to measured δ18O ratios from snow pit samples, Global Network of Isotopes in Precipitation (GNIP) stations and ice cores. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a mid-Holocene isotope-enabled RCM simulation is performed for the Arctic region. Under present-day conditions, a dynamical downscaling of ECHAM5-wiso (1.1∘×1.1∘ ) with COSMO_iso to a spatial resolution of 50 km improves the agreement with the measured δ18O ratios for 14 of 19 observational data sets. A further increase in the spatial resolution to 7 km does not yield substantial improvements except for the coastal areas with its complex terrain. For the mid-Holocene, a fully coupled MPI-ESM-wiso time slice simulation is downscaled with COSMO_iso to a spatial resolution of 50 km. In the mid-Holocene, MPI-ESM-wiso already agrees well with observations in Greenland and a downscaling with COSMO_iso does not further improve the model–data agreement. Despite this lack of improvement in model biases, the study shows that in both periods, observed δ18O values at measurement sites constitute isotope ratios which are mainly within the subgrid-scale variability of the global ECHAM5-wiso and MPI-ESM-wiso simulation results. The correct δ18O ratios are consequently not resolved in the GCM simulation results and need to be extracted by a refinement with an RCM. In this context, the RCM simulations provide a spatial δ18O distribution by which the effects of local uncertainties can be taken into account in the comparison between point measurements and model outputs. Thus, an isotope-enabled GCM–RCM model chain with realistically implemented fractionating processes constitutes a useful supplement to reconstruct regional paleo-climate conditions during the mid-Holocene in Greenland. Such model chains might also be applied to reveal the full potential of GCMs in other regions and climate periods, in which large deviations relative to observed isotope ratios are simulated

Applying an isotope-enabled regional climate model over the Greenland ice sheet: effect of spatial resolution on model bias

In order to investigate the impact of spatial resolution on the discrepancy between simulated δ$^{18}$O and observed δ$^{18}$O in Greenland ice cores, regional climate simulations are performed with the isotope-enabled regional climate model (RCM) COSMO_iso. For this purpose, isotope-enabled general circulation model (GCM) simulations with the ECHAM5-wiso general circulation model (GCM) under present-day conditions and the MPI-ESM-wiso GCM under mid-Holocene conditions are dynamically downscaled with COSMO_iso for the Arctic region. The capability of COSMO_iso to reproduce observed isotopic ratios in Greenland ice cores for these two periods is investigated by comparing the simulation results to measured δ$^{18}$O ratios from snow pit samples, Global Network of Isotopes in Precipitation (GNIP) stations and ice cores. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a mid-Holocene isotope-enabled RCM simulation is performed for the Arctic region. Under present-day conditions, a dynamical downscaling of ECHAM5-wiso (1.1∘×1.1∘) with COSMO_iso to a spatial resolution of 50 km improves the agreement with the measured δ$^{18}$O ratios for 14 of 19 observational data sets. A further increase in the spatial resolution to 7 km does not yield substantial improvements except for the coastal areas with its complex terrain. For the mid-Holocene, a fully coupled MPI-ESM-wiso time slice simulation is downscaled with COSMO_iso to a spatial resolution of 50 km. In the mid-Holocene, MPI-ESM-wiso already agrees well with observations in Greenland and a downscaling with COSMO_iso does not further improve the model–data agreement. Despite this lack of improvement in model biases, the study shows that in both periods, observed δ$^{18}$O values at measurement sites constitute isotope ratios which are mainly within the subgrid-scale variability of the global ECHAM5-wiso and MPI-ESM-wiso simulation results. The correct δ$^{18}$O ratios are consequently not resolved in the GCM simulation results and need to be extracted by a refinement with an RCM. In this context, the RCM simulations provide a spatial δ$^{18}$O distribution by which the effects of local uncertainties can be taken into account in the comparison between point measurements and model outputs. Thus, an isotope-enabled GCM–RCM model chain with realistically implemented fractionating processes constitutes a useful supplement to reconstruct regional paleo-climate conditions during the mid-Holocene in Greenland. Such model chains might also be applied to reveal the full potential of GCMs in other regions and climate periods, in which large deviations relative to observed isotope ratios are simulated

Modeling of stable water isotopes in Central Europe with COSMOiso

Atmospheric water in form of vapor or clouds is responsible for ∼75 % of the natural greenhouse effect and carries huge amounts of latent heat. For this reason, a best possible description of the hydrological cycle is a prerequisite for reliable climate modelling. As the stable isotopes H216O, H218O and HDO differ in vapor pressure, they are fractionated during phase changes and contain information about the formation of precipitation, evaporation from the ground, etc. Therefore, the isotopic composition of atmospheric water is an useful tracer to test and improve our understanding of the extremely complex and variable hydrological cycle in Earth’s atmosphere. Within the project PalMod the isotope-enabled limited-area model COSMOiso will be used for high-resolution isotope simulations of paleo-climates. For validation with modern observations we compare 12 years of modelled isotope ratios from Central Europe to observations of the Global Network of Isotopes in Precipitation (GNIP) and to observations of isotope ratios of water vapor at different locations in Germany. We find a good agreement of modelled and observed isotope ratios in summer. In winter, we observe a systematic overestimation of modeled isotope ratios in precipitation and low-level water vapor. We relate those differences to specific circulation regimes with predominantly easterly moisture transport and the corresponding strong depen- dence of modelled isotope ratios on lateral boundary data. Furthermore, we investigate the dependence of modelled isotope ratios in winter on the type of isotope fractionation during surface evaporation at skin temperatures close to the freezing point

Controls on Stable Water Isotopes in Monsoonal Precipitation Across the Bay of Bengal: Atmosphere and Surface Analysis

Stable hydrogen isotopes in monsoonal precipitation (δDp) at three sites (Port Blair, Barisal and Darjeeling) reveal the factors governing δDp variations over a south-north gradient across the Bay of Bengal. We found that the δDp at each site continuously decreases from May to September and these trends become more pronounced from south to north. The decreasing trends of downstream δDp closely follow the decreasing trends of upstream stable hydrogen isotopes in water vapor (δDv), which indicates that upstream δDv properties shape initial spatiotemporal patterns of the downstream δDp (“shaping effect”). Additionally, our results demonstrate that, during moisture transport, upstream vertical air motions (convection and downward motion) and topographic relief magnify the amplitude of the decreasing trends of downstream δD (“magnifying effect”). Our findings imply that upstream δD properties and relevant atmospheric and pv topographical conditions along the moisture transport pathway need to be considered collectively to better interpret paleoclimate records

10Be flux in Antarctica during the last 800 000 years and interpretation

Les glaces polaires, en plus d'améliorer notre compréhension du climat, donnent accès aux retombées de béryllium-10 (10Be), isotope d'origine cosmogénique formé par l'interaction du rayonnement cosmique et des hautes couches de l'atmosphère. Son taux de production dépend de l'intensité du rayonnement cosmique primaire, qui est modulé par l'activité solaire et le champ magnétique terrestre. Le 10Be contient donc des informations sur ces deux paramètres. Il a permis, entre autres, l'amélioration des chronologies des carottes de glace grâce à des marqueurs stratigraphiques absolus liés à des évènements remarquables du champ géomagnétique comme l'excursion de Laschamp ou l'inversion de Brunhes-Matuyama.EPICA Dome C (75° 06' S, 123° 21' E) est une carotte de glace de 3270 m de long forée en Antarctique Est. Elle offre un enregistrement climatique complet durant les 800 000 dernières années (kyr BP). Dans le cadre de cette thèse, 2200 échantillons de 10Be ont été mesurés entre 2384 m (269 kyr BP) et 2627 m (355 kyr BP) de profondeur. Cette séquence continue offre, d'une part, la possibilité d'étudier l'activité solaire durant la période interglaciaire du Stade Isotopique Marin (MIS) 9.3, où la résolution atteint ~20 ans. Nos résultats contrastent avec ceux durant l'Holocène, avec l'absence remarquée du cycle de de Vries (210 ans) dans notre profil de 10Be. D'autre part, cette séquence nous a permis de vérifier que l'estimation classique de l'accumulation de neige obtenue par les modèles de datation de carottes de glace est correcte à 20% près lors de la succession des cycles glaciaires – interglaciaires.Ces mesures ont été combinées avec celles précédemment effectuées sous la responsabilité de Grant Raisbeck (publication en préparation). Ceci permet de disposer d'un profil continu et détaillé (résolution de 20 à 250 ans) entre 200 et 800 kyr BP sur la carotte de glace EPICA Dome C. Les variations de flux de 10Be observées se comparent bien aux changements d'intensité du champ géomagnétique enregistrés dans les sédiments marins. À partir de cette observation, il est possible de proposer une synchronisation de ces profils afin de les placer sur une échelle d'âge commune. Les déphasages observés entre l'augmentation de température en Antarctique (augmentation du D à EDC) et la hausse du niveau marin global (baisse du 18O marin des archives sédimentaires) n'excèdent pas 3200 ans excepté à la Terminaison VII. La faible résolution des enregistrements de 18O dans les sédiments marins rend l'analyse des déphasages délicate. Les résultats obtenus encouragent à analyser des périodes plus récentes autour de la Terminaison II, incluant les excursions géomagnétiques de Blake et d'Iceland Basin. Ceci permettrait en effet de contraindre plus fortement la synchronisation entre le signal paléomagnétique dans les sédiments marins et le flux de 10Be à EDC.The polar ice cores, in addition to improving our understanding of the climate, give access to beryllium-10 (10Be) fallout, an isotope of cosmogenic origin created by the interaction of Galactic Cosmic Rays with the upper atmosphere. Its production rate depends on the intensity of the primary cosmic rays, which are modulated by solar activity and the Earth's magnetic field. 10Be therefore provides information on these two parameters. It has allowed, among others, the improvement of ice cores chronologies thanks to absolute stratigraphic markers linked to remarkable events of the geomagnetic field as the Laschamp excursion or the Brunhes-Matuyama reversal.EPICA Dome C (75° 06' S, 123° 21' E) is a 3270~m ice core drilled in East Antarctica. It offers a complete climate record over the last 800 000 years (kyr BP). In the framework of the PhD, 2200 10Be samples were measured between 2384 m (269 kyr BP) and 2627 m (355 kyr BP) deep. This continuous sequence provides, on the one hand, the opportunity to study the solar activity during the interglacial period of the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 9.3, where the resolution reaches ~20 years. Our results contrast with those during the Holocene, with the noted absence of the de Vries cycle (210 years) in our 10Be profile. On the other hand, this sequence allowed us to verify that the classical estimate of snow accumulation obtained by the dating models of ice cores is correct to within 20% during the succession of glacial – interglacial cycles.These measurements were combined with those previously performed under the responsibility of Grant Raisbeck (publication in preparation). This allows to dispose of a continuous and detailed profile (resolution: 20 to 250 years) between 200 and 800 kyr BP on the EPICA Dome C ice core. The observed 10Be flux variations compare well with changes in the intensity of the geomagnetic field recorded in marine sediments. From this observation, it is possible to propose a synchronization of these profiles in order to place them on a common age scale. The observed phase shifts between the rise of temperature in Antarctica (increase of D at EDC) and the rise of global sea level (decrease of marine 18O from marine sediments) do not exceed 3200, except at the Termination VII. The low resolution of the 18O records from marine sediments makes it difficult to analyze the phase shifts. The obtained results encourage to analyze more recent periods around Termination II, including the Blake and Iceland Basin geomagnetic excursions. Indeed, this would allow to constrain more strongly the synchronization between the paleomagnetic signal in marine sediments and the 10Be flux at EDC

Flux de 10Be en Antarctique durant les 800 000 dernières années et interprétation

The polar ice cores, in addition to improving our understanding of the climate, give access to beryllium-10 (10Be) fallout, an isotope of cosmogenic origin created by the interaction of Galactic Cosmic Rays with the upper atmosphere. Its production rate depends on the intensity of the primary cosmic rays, which are modulated by solar activity and the Earth's magnetic field. 10Be therefore provides information on these two parameters. It has allowed, among others, the improvement of ice cores chronologies thanks to absolute stratigraphic markers linked to remarkable events of the geomagnetic field as the Laschamp excursion or the Brunhes-Matuyama reversal.EPICA Dome C (75° 06' S, 123° 21' E) is a 3270~m ice core drilled in East Antarctica. It offers a complete climate record over the last 800 000 years (kyr BP). In the framework of the PhD, 2200 10Be samples were measured between 2384 m (269 kyr BP) and 2627 m (355 kyr BP) deep. This continuous sequence provides, on the one hand, the opportunity to study the solar activity during the interglacial period of the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 9.3, where the resolution reaches ~20 years. Our results contrast with those during the Holocene, with the noted absence of the de Vries cycle (210 years) in our 10Be profile. On the other hand, this sequence allowed us to verify that the classical estimate of snow accumulation obtained by the dating models of ice cores is correct to within 20% during the succession of glacial – interglacial cycles.These measurements were combined with those previously performed under the responsibility of Grant Raisbeck (publication in preparation). This allows to dispose of a continuous and detailed profile (resolution: 20 to 250 years) between 200 and 800 kyr BP on the EPICA Dome C ice core. The observed 10Be flux variations compare well with changes in the intensity of the geomagnetic field recorded in marine sediments. From this observation, it is possible to propose a synchronization of these profiles in order to place them on a common age scale. The observed phase shifts between the rise of temperature in Antarctica (increase of D at EDC) and the rise of global sea level (decrease of marine 18O from marine sediments) do not exceed 3200, except at the Termination VII. The low resolution of the 18O records from marine sediments makes it difficult to analyze the phase shifts. The obtained results encourage to analyze more recent periods around Termination II, including the Blake and Iceland Basin geomagnetic excursions. Indeed, this would allow to constrain more strongly the synchronization between the paleomagnetic signal in marine sediments and the 10Be flux at EDC.Les glaces polaires, en plus d'améliorer notre compréhension du climat, donnent accès aux retombées de béryllium-10 (10Be), isotope d'origine cosmogénique formé par l'interaction du rayonnement cosmique et des hautes couches de l'atmosphère. Son taux de production dépend de l'intensité du rayonnement cosmique primaire, qui est modulé par l'activité solaire et le champ magnétique terrestre. Le 10Be contient donc des informations sur ces deux paramètres. Il a permis, entre autres, l'amélioration des chronologies des carottes de glace grâce à des marqueurs stratigraphiques absolus liés à des évènements remarquables du champ géomagnétique comme l'excursion de Laschamp ou l'inversion de Brunhes-Matuyama.EPICA Dome C (75° 06' S, 123° 21' E) est une carotte de glace de 3270 m de long forée en Antarctique Est. Elle offre un enregistrement climatique complet durant les 800 000 dernières années (kyr BP). Dans le cadre de cette thèse, 2200 échantillons de 10Be ont été mesurés entre 2384 m (269 kyr BP) et 2627 m (355 kyr BP) de profondeur. Cette séquence continue offre, d'une part, la possibilité d'étudier l'activité solaire durant la période interglaciaire du Stade Isotopique Marin (MIS) 9.3, où la résolution atteint ~20 ans. Nos résultats contrastent avec ceux durant l'Holocène, avec l'absence remarquée du cycle de de Vries (210 ans) dans notre profil de 10Be. D'autre part, cette séquence nous a permis de vérifier que l'estimation classique de l'accumulation de neige obtenue par les modèles de datation de carottes de glace est correcte à 20% près lors de la succession des cycles glaciaires – interglaciaires.Ces mesures ont été combinées avec celles précédemment effectuées sous la responsabilité de Grant Raisbeck (publication en préparation). Ceci permet de disposer d'un profil continu et détaillé (résolution de 20 à 250 ans) entre 200 et 800 kyr BP sur la carotte de glace EPICA Dome C. Les variations de flux de 10Be observées se comparent bien aux changements d'intensité du champ géomagnétique enregistrés dans les sédiments marins. À partir de cette observation, il est possible de proposer une synchronisation de ces profils afin de les placer sur une échelle d'âge commune. Les déphasages observés entre l'augmentation de température en Antarctique (augmentation du D à EDC) et la hausse du niveau marin global (baisse du 18O marin des archives sédimentaires) n'excèdent pas 3200 ans excepté à la Terminaison VII. La faible résolution des enregistrements de 18O dans les sédiments marins rend l'analyse des déphasages délicate. Les résultats obtenus encouragent à analyser des périodes plus récentes autour de la Terminaison II, incluant les excursions géomagnétiques de Blake et d'Iceland Basin. Ceci permettrait en effet de contraindre plus fortement la synchronisation entre le signal paléomagnétique dans les sédiments marins et le flux de 10Be à EDC