Interactions climat-calotte durant la greenhouse Crétacé-Paléogène (120-34 Ma) : influence de la paléogéographie et du CO2 atmosphérique

On geological timescales, global climate proxies indicate that variations of large magnitude occur between the Cretaceous and the Cenozoic. On the long term, these variations are mostly determined by the equilibrium between the greenhouse gases composition of the atmosphere, primarily the CO2, and continental weathering set up by the spatial location of Earth’s landmasses. Here, the links between paleogeography and CO2 are looked upon in a climate-ice sheet interactions framework during a greenhouse period of Earth history (120 – 34 Ma). A suite of models involving both coupled and ice sheet models have been used to demonstrate that paleogeographic reorganizations have regulated the presence of ice over Antarctica during the Cretaceous. In a second time and using a similar setup, a new method for climate-ice sheet coupling have been developed and applied to the Eocene-Oligocene (EO) glaciation to yield a new scenario of ice evolution, in good agreement with data. Two feedbacks related to this glaciation and the coeval atmospheric CO2 fall are investigated. First, it is shown that the EO glaciation generates an intensification of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Second, within a data-model study demonstrating active Asian monsoons as old as the mid-Eocene, it is shown that the climatic change at the end of the Eocene is responsible for a reduction in the intensity of the Asian monsoon. Finally, with the aim of analysing the effect of paleogeographic changes on marine biogeochemistry during the Cenozoic, sensitivity tests to Drake Passage and Panama Seaway have been carried out.Les enregistrements climatiques globaux à l’échelle géologique entre le Crétacé et le début du Cénozoïque indiquent des variations de grande amplitude. Sur le long terme, celles-ci sont déterminées par l’équilibre entre la composition atmosphérique en gaz à effet de serre, principalement le CO2, issus du dégazage volcanique et l’altération continentale, modulée par les mouvements tectoniques des continents. Dans cette thèse, les liens entre paléogéographie et CO2 ont été étudiés dans le contexte des interactions entre climat et calottes de glace au cours d’un intervalle de temps dit de « greenhouse », entre 120 et 34 Ma. L’utilisation d’une suite de modèles impliquant un modèle couplé moyenne résolution, un modèle atmosphérique haute résolution et un modèle de calotte de glace, a permis de montrer que les changements paléogéographiques survenant au Crétacé ont régulé la présence de glace en Antarctique. Dans un second temps, une nouvelle méthode de couplage climat-calotte a été développée pour étudier la glaciation Eocène-Oligocène. Ces développements ont permis de reconstruire une évolution fidèle de celle-ci, en bon accord avec les données. Deux rétroactions liées à cette glaciation et à la chute concomitante du CO2 atmosphérique sont étudiées. En premier lieu, l’impact de la glaciation sur le Courant Circumpolaire Antarctique est abordé, montrant que celle-ci génère une intensification de ce courant. Ensuite, au sein d’une étude mêlant données et modèles pour documenter la présence de moussons en Asie dès l’Eocène moyen, il est montré que le changement climatique de la fin de l’Eocène induit une baisse d’intensité de la mousson asiatique. Enfin, dans la perspective d’analyser les conséquences des changements paléogéographiques du Cénozoïque sur la biogéochimie marine, des tests de sensibilité aux passages océaniques de Panama et de Drake ont été réalisés

Changes in the high latitude Southern Hemisphere through the Eocene-Oligocene Transition:a model-data comparison

International audienceAbstract. The global and regional climate changed dramatically with the expansion of the Antarctic Ice Sheet at the Eocene–Oligocene transition (EOT). These large-scale changes are generally linked to declining atmospheric pCO2 levels and/or changes in Southern Ocean gateways such as the Drake Passage around this time. To better understand the Southern Hemisphere regional climatic changes and the impact of glaciation on the Earth's oceans and atmosphere at the EOT, we compiled a database of 10 ocean and 4 land-surface temperature reconstructions from a range of proxy records and compared this with a series of fully coupled, low-resolution climate model simulations from two models (HadCM3BL and FOAM). Regional patterns in the proxy records of temperature show that cooling across the EOT was less at high latitudes and greater at mid-latitudes. While certain climate model simulations show moderate–good performance at recreating the temperature patterns shown in the data before and after the EOT, in general the model simulations do not capture the absolute latitudinal temperature gradient shown by the data, being too cold, particularly at high latitudes. When taking into account the absolute temperature before and after the EOT, as well as the change in temperature across it, simulations with a closed Drake Passage before and after the EOT or with an opening of the Drake Passage across the EOT perform poorly, whereas simulations with a drop in atmospheric pCO2 in combination with ice growth generally perform better. This provides further support for previous research that changes in atmospheric pCO2 are more likely to have been the driver of the EOT climatic changes, as opposed to the opening of the Drake Passage

Global and Zonal-Mean Hydrological Response to Early Eocene Warmth

Earth's hydrological cycle is expected to intensify in response to global warming, with a “wet-gets-wetter, dry-gets-drier” response anticipated over the ocean. Subtropical regions (∼15°–30°N/S) are predicted to become drier, yet proxy evidence from past warm climates suggests these regions may be characterized by wetter conditions. Here we use an integrated data-modeling approach to reconstruct global and zonal-mean rainfall patterns during the early Eocene (∼56–48 million years ago). The Deep-Time Model Intercomparison Project (DeepMIP) model ensemble indicates that the mid- (30°–60°N/S) and high-latitudes (>60°N/S) are characterized by a thermodynamically dominated hydrological response to warming and overall wetter conditions. The tropical band (0°–15°N/S) is also characterized by wetter conditions, with several DeepMIP models simulating narrowing of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone. However, the latter is not evident from the proxy data. The subtropics are characterized by negative precipitation-evaporation anomalies (i.e., drier conditions) in the DeepMIP models, but there is surprisingly large inter-model variability in mean annual precipitation (MAP). Intriguingly, we find that models with weaker meridional temperature gradients (e.g., CESM, GFDL) are characterized by a reduction in subtropical moisture divergence, leading to an increase in MAP. These model simulations agree more closely with our new proxy-derived precipitation reconstructions and other key climate metrics and imply that the early Eocene was characterized by reduced subtropical moisture divergence. If the meridional temperature gradient was even weaker than suggested by those DeepMIP models, circulation-induced changes may have outcompeted thermodynamic changes, leading to wetter subtropics. This highlights the importance of accurately reconstructing zonal temperature gradients when reconstructing past rainfall patterns

Climate-ice sheets interaction during the Cretaceous-Paleogene greenhouse (120-34 Ma) : impact of paleogeography and atmospheric CO2

Les enregistrements climatiques globaux à l’échelle géologique entre le Crétacé et le début du Cénozoïque indiquent des variations de grande amplitude. Sur le long terme, celles-ci sont déterminées par l’équilibre entre la composition atmosphérique en gaz à effet de serre, principalement le CO2, issus du dégazage volcanique et l’altération continentale, modulée par les mouvements tectoniques des continents. Dans cette thèse, les liens entre paléogéographie et CO2 ont été étudiés dans le contexte des interactions entre climat et calottes de glace au cours d’un intervalle de temps dit de « greenhouse », entre 120 et 34 Ma. L’utilisation d’une suite de modèles impliquant un modèle couplé moyenne résolution, un modèle atmosphérique haute résolution et un modèle de calotte de glace, a permis de montrer que les changements paléogéographiques survenant au Crétacé ont régulé la présence de glace en Antarctique. Dans un second temps, une nouvelle méthode de couplage climat-calotte a été développée pour étudier la glaciation Eocène-Oligocène. Ces développements ont permis de reconstruire une évolution fidèle de celle-ci, en bon accord avec les données. Deux rétroactions liées à cette glaciation et à la chute concomitante du CO2 atmosphérique sont étudiées. En premier lieu, l’impact de la glaciation sur le Courant Circumpolaire Antarctique est abordé, montrant que celle-ci génère une intensification de ce courant. Ensuite, au sein d’une étude mêlant données et modèles pour documenter la présence de moussons en Asie dès l’Eocène moyen, il est montré que le changement climatique de la fin de l’Eocène induit une baisse d’intensité de la mousson asiatique. Enfin, dans la perspective d’analyser les conséquences des changements paléogéographiques du Cénozoïque sur la biogéochimie marine, des tests de sensibilité aux passages océaniques de Panama et de Drake ont été réalisés.On geological timescales, global climate proxies indicate that variations of large magnitude occur between the Cretaceous and the Cenozoic. On the long term, these variations are mostly determined by the equilibrium between the greenhouse gases composition of the atmosphere, primarily the CO2, and continental weathering set up by the spatial location of Earth’s landmasses. Here, the links between paleogeography and CO2 are looked upon in a climate-ice sheet interactions framework during a greenhouse period of Earth history (120 – 34 Ma). A suite of models involving both coupled and ice sheet models have been used to demonstrate that paleogeographic reorganizations have regulated the presence of ice over Antarctica during the Cretaceous. In a second time and using a similar setup, a new method for climate-ice sheet coupling have been developed and applied to the Eocene-Oligocene (EO) glaciation to yield a new scenario of ice evolution, in good agreement with data. Two feedbacks related to this glaciation and the coeval atmospheric CO2 fall are investigated. First, it is shown that the EO glaciation generates an intensification of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Second, within a data-model study demonstrating active Asian monsoons as old as the mid-Eocene, it is shown that the climatic change at the end of the Eocene is responsible for a reduction in the intensity of the Asian monsoon. Finally, with the aim of analysing the effect of paleogeographic changes on marine biogeochemistry during the Cenozoic, sensitivity tests to Drake Passage and Panama Seaway have been carried out

Palaeogeographic regulation of glacial events during the Cretaceous supergreenhouse

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Modeling the Impact of Paleogeography on Cretaceous Ocean Deoxygenation

International audienceOceanic Anoxic Events (OAEs) were geologically short-lived events of widespread ocean deoxygenation and marine organic carbon burial and occurred mostly during the Cretaceous period. The development of OAEs is largely attributed to the impact of massive volcanism on climate and marine biogeochemistry; however, the lack of similar events during other carbon-cycle perturbations suggests additional mechanisms. We use the IPSL-CM5A2 Earth System Model to assess the role of changing paleogeography in priming the Cretaceous Ocean for large-scale decrease in intermediate and deep oxygen concentrations. We focus on three time-slices that present differences in potential gateway (e.g. the Central American Seaway) depth and basin configuration (e.g. the North Atlantic): the Aptian age (~120 Ma), the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary (~94 Ma) and the Maastrichtian age (~70 Ma). This set of simulations illustrates the impact of paleogeography on global circulation and its consequences for intermediate and deep water oxygenation. We also show results for two different atmospheric CO2 concentrations (2x and 4x pre-industrial) to study the additional influence of differing climatic states on oxygenation and primary productivity, and their importance relative to ocean dynamics

Evolution de la circulation océanique dans l'Atlantique Nord au Miocène : impact de la calotte glaciaire groenlandaise et du passage de la Tethys

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The respective role of atmospheric carbon dioxide and orbital parameters on ice sheet evolution at the Eocene-Oligocene transition

International audienceThe continental scale initiation of the Antarctic ice sheet at the Eocene-Oligocene boundary (Eocene-Oligocene transition (EOT), 34 Ma) is associated with a global reorganization of the climate. If data studies have assessed the precise timing and magnitudes of the ice steps, modeling studies have been unable to reproduce a transient ice evolution during the Eocene-Oligocene transition in agreement with the data. Here we simulate this transition using general circulation models coupled to an ice sheet model. Our simulations reveal a threshold for continental scale glaciation of 900 ppm, 100 to 150 ppm higher than previous studies. This result supports the existence of ephemeral ice sheets during the middle Eocene, as similar CO 2 levels (900-1000 ppm) have been reached episodically during this period. Transient runs show that the ice growth is accurately timed with EOT-1 and Oi-1, the two δ 18 O excursions occurring during the transition. We show that CO 2 and orbital variations are crucial in initiating these steps, with EOT-1 corresponding to the occurrence of low summer insolation, whereas Oi-1 is controlled by a major CO 2 drop. The two δ 18 O steps record both ice growth and temperature, representing some 10-30 m eustatic sea level fall and 2-4°C cooling at EOT-1 and 70 ± 20 m and 0-2°C for Oi-1. The simulated magnitude of the ice steps (10 m for EOT-1 and 63 m for Oi-1) and the overall cooling at various locations show a good agreement with the data, which supports our results concerning this critical transition

Evolution de la circulation océanique dans l'Atlantique Nord au Miocène : impact de la calotte glaciaire groenlandaise et du passage de la Tethys

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