Earth system model simulations show different feedback strengths of the terrestrial carbon cycle under glacial and interglacial conditions
In simulations with the MPI Earth System Model, we study the feedback between the terrestrial carbon cycle and atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> concentrations under ice age and interglacial conditions. We find different sensitivities of terrestrial carbon storage to rising CO<sub>2<...
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doaj-2fc0ee74475f43b09bc5b4102a510b552020-11-25T01:12:47ZengCopernicus PublicationsEarth System Dynamics2190-49792190-49872018-04-01941342510.5194/esd-9-413-2018Earth system model simulations show different feedback strengths of the terrestrial carbon cycle under glacial and interglacial conditionsM. Adloff0M. Adloff1M. Adloff2C. H. Reick3M. Claussen4M. Claussen5Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Bundesstraße 53, 20146 Hamburg, GermanyMeteorological Institute, Centrum für Erdsystemforschung und Nachhaltigkeit (CEN), Universität Hamburg, Grindelberg 5, 20144 Hamburg, Germanynow at: School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, University Road, BS8 1SS, UKMax Planck Institute for Meteorology, Bundesstraße 53, 20146 Hamburg, GermanyMax Planck Institute for Meteorology, Bundesstraße 53, 20146 Hamburg, GermanyMeteorological Institute, Centrum für Erdsystemforschung und Nachhaltigkeit (CEN), Universität Hamburg, Grindelberg 5, 20144 Hamburg, GermanyIn simulations with the MPI Earth System Model, we study the feedback between the terrestrial carbon cycle and atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> concentrations under ice age and interglacial conditions. We find different sensitivities of terrestrial carbon storage to rising CO<sub>2</sub> concentrations in the two settings. This result is obtained by comparing the transient response of the terrestrial carbon cycle to a fast and strong atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> concentration increase (roughly 900 ppm) in Coupled Climate Carbon Cycle Model Intercomparison Project (C<sup>4</sup>MIP)-type simulations starting from climates representing the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and pre-industrial times (PI). In this set-up we disentangle terrestrial contributions to the feedback from the carbon-concentration effect, acting biogeochemically via enhanced photosynthetic productivity when CO<sub>2</sub> concentrations increase, and the carbon–climate effect, which affects the carbon cycle via greenhouse warming. We find that the carbon-concentration effect is larger under LGM than PI conditions because photosynthetic productivity is more sensitive when starting from the lower, glacial CO<sub>2</sub> concentration and CO<sub>2</sub> fertilization saturates later. This leads to a larger productivity increase in the LGM experiment. Concerning the carbon–climate effect, it is the PI experiment in which land carbon responds more sensitively to the warming under rising CO<sub>2</sub> because at the already initially higher temperatures, tropical plant productivity deteriorates more strongly and extratropical carbon is respired more effectively. Consequently, land carbon losses increase faster in the PI than in the LGM case. Separating the carbon–climate and carbon-concentration effects, we find that they are almost additive for our model set-up; i.e. their synergy is small in the global sum of carbon changes. Together, the two effects result in an overall strength of the terrestrial carbon cycle feedback that is almost twice as large in the LGM experiment as in the PI experiment. For PI, ocean and land contributions to the total feedback are of similar size, while in the LGM case the terrestrial feedback is dominant.https://www.earth-syst-dynam.net/9/413/2018/esd-9-413-2018.pdf |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
M. Adloff M. Adloff M. Adloff C. H. Reick M. Claussen M. Claussen |
spellingShingle |
M. Adloff M. Adloff M. Adloff C. H. Reick M. Claussen M. Claussen Earth system model simulations show different feedback strengths of the terrestrial carbon cycle under glacial and interglacial conditions Earth System Dynamics |
author_facet |
M. Adloff M. Adloff M. Adloff C. H. Reick M. Claussen M. Claussen |
author_sort |
M. Adloff |
title |
Earth system model simulations show different feedback strengths of the terrestrial carbon cycle under glacial and interglacial conditions |
title_short |
Earth system model simulations show different feedback strengths of the terrestrial carbon cycle under glacial and interglacial conditions |
title_full |
Earth system model simulations show different feedback strengths of the terrestrial carbon cycle under glacial and interglacial conditions |
title_fullStr |
Earth system model simulations show different feedback strengths of the terrestrial carbon cycle under glacial and interglacial conditions |
title_full_unstemmed |
Earth system model simulations show different feedback strengths of the terrestrial carbon cycle under glacial and interglacial conditions |
title_sort |
earth system model simulations show different feedback strengths of the terrestrial carbon cycle under glacial and interglacial conditions |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
series |
Earth System Dynamics |
issn |
2190-4979 2190-4987 |
publishDate |
2018-04-01 |
description |
In simulations with the MPI Earth System Model, we study the feedback between
the terrestrial carbon cycle and atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> concentrations under
ice age and interglacial conditions. We find different sensitivities of
terrestrial carbon storage to rising CO<sub>2</sub> concentrations in the two
settings. This result is obtained by comparing the transient response of the
terrestrial carbon cycle to a fast and strong atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub>
concentration increase (roughly 900 ppm) in Coupled Climate Carbon Cycle Model Intercomparison Project (C<sup>4</sup>MIP)-type simulations
starting from climates representing the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and
pre-industrial times (PI). In this set-up we disentangle terrestrial
contributions to the feedback from the carbon-concentration effect, acting
biogeochemically via enhanced photosynthetic productivity when CO<sub>2</sub>
concentrations increase, and the carbon–climate effect, which affects the
carbon cycle via greenhouse warming. We find that the carbon-concentration
effect is larger under LGM than PI conditions because photosynthetic
productivity is more sensitive when starting from the lower, glacial
CO<sub>2</sub> concentration and CO<sub>2</sub> fertilization saturates later. This leads to a larger productivity increase in the LGM experiment. Concerning the carbon–climate effect, it is the PI experiment in which land carbon responds
more sensitively to the warming under rising CO<sub>2</sub> because at the
already initially higher temperatures, tropical plant productivity
deteriorates more strongly and extratropical carbon is respired more
effectively. Consequently, land carbon losses increase faster in the PI than
in the LGM case. Separating the carbon–climate and carbon-concentration
effects, we find that they are almost additive for our model set-up; i.e. their synergy is small in the global sum of carbon changes. Together,
the two effects result in an overall strength of the terrestrial carbon cycle
feedback that is almost twice as large in the LGM experiment as in the PI
experiment. For PI, ocean and land contributions to the total feedback are of
similar size, while in the LGM case the terrestrial feedback is dominant. |
url |
https://www.earth-syst-dynam.net/9/413/2018/esd-9-413-2018.pdf |
work_keys_str_mv |
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