Large-scale features of Last Interglacial climate: Results from evaluating the lig127k simulations for the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6)–Paleoclimate Modeling Intercomparison Project (PMIP4)

The modeling of paleoclimate, using physically based tools, is increasingly seen as a strong out-of-sample test of the models that are used for the projection of future climate changes. New to the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) is the Tier 1 Last Interglacial experiment for 127 000 years ago (lig127k), designed to address the climate responses to stronger orbital forcing than the mid-Holocene experiment, using the same state-of-the-art models as for the future and following a common experimental protocol. Here we present a first analysis of a multi-model ensemble of 17 climate models, all of which have completed the CMIP6 DECK (Diagnostic, Evaluation and Characterization of Klima) experiments. The equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) of these models varies from 1.8 to 5.6 degrees C. The seasonal character of the insolation anomalies results in strong summer warming over the Northern Hemisphere continents in the lig127k ensemble as compared to the CMIP6 piControl and much-reduced minimum sea ice in the Arctic. The multi-model results indicate enhanced summer monsoonal precipitation in the Northern Hemisphere and reductions in the Southern Hemisphere. These responses are greater in the lig127k than the CMIP6 midHolocene simulations as expected from the larger insolation anomalies at 127 than 6 ka.

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Author Otto-Bliesner, Bette L.
Brady, Esther C.
Zhao, Anni
Brierley, Chris M.
Axford, Yarrow
Capron, Emilie
Govin, Aline
Hoffman, Jeremy S.
Isaacs, Elizabeth
Kageyama, Masa
Scussolini, Paolo
Tzedakis, Polychronis C.
Williams, Charles J. R.
Wolff, Eric
Abe-Ouchi, Ayako
Braconnot, Pascale
Ramos Buarque, Silvana
Cao, Jian
de Vernal, Anne
Guarino, Maria Vittoria
Guo, Chuncheng
LeGrande, Allegra N.
Lohmann, Gerrit
Meissner, Katrin J.
Menviel, Laurie
Morozova, Polina A.
Nisancioglu, Kerim H.
O'ishi, Ryouta
Salas y Mélia, David
Shi, Xiaoxu
Sicard, Marie
Sime, Louise
Stepanek, Christian
Tomas, Robert
Volodin, Evgeny
Yeung, Nicholas K. H.
Zhang, Qiong
Zhang, Zhongshi
Zheng, Weipeng
Publisher UCAR/NCAR - Library
Publication Date 2021-01-11T00:00:00
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) Not Assigned
Alternate Identifier N/A
Resource Version N/A
Topic Category geoscientificInformation
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Metadata Date 2023-08-18T18:30:11.015005
Metadata Record Identifier edu.ucar.opensky::articles:24066
Metadata Language eng; USA
Suggested Citation Otto-Bliesner, Bette L., Brady, Esther C., Zhao, Anni, Brierley, Chris M., Axford, Yarrow, Capron, Emilie, Govin, Aline, Hoffman, Jeremy S., Isaacs, Elizabeth, Kageyama, Masa, Scussolini, Paolo, Tzedakis, Polychronis C., Williams, Charles J. R., Wolff, Eric, Abe-Ouchi, Ayako, Braconnot, Pascale, Ramos Buarque, Silvana, Cao, Jian, de Vernal, Anne, Guarino, Maria Vittoria, Guo, Chuncheng, LeGrande, Allegra N., Lohmann, Gerrit, Meissner, Katrin J., Menviel, Laurie, Morozova, Polina A., Nisancioglu, Kerim H., O'ishi, Ryouta, Salas y Mélia, David, Shi, Xiaoxu, Sicard, Marie, Sime, Louise, Stepanek, Christian, Tomas, Robert, Volodin, Evgeny, Yeung, Nicholas K. H., Zhang, Qiong, Zhang, Zhongshi, Zheng, Weipeng. (2021). Large-scale features of Last Interglacial climate: Results from evaluating the lig127k simulations for the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6)–Paleoclimate Modeling Intercomparison Project (PMIP4). UCAR/NCAR - Library. http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d7jw8j6d. Accessed 21 July 2025.

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