Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1842
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1842
25 Jun 2024
 | 25 Jun 2024

A simple physical model for glacial cycles

Sergio Pérez-Montero, Jorge Alvarez-Solas, Jan Swierczek-Jereczek, Daniel Moreno-Parada, Marisa Montoya, and Alexander Robinson

Abstract. Glacial cycles are the norm in Pleistocene climate variability. Models of varying degree of complexity have been used to answer the question of what causes the nonlinear response of the climate system to the periodic forcing from the Sun. At one end of the spectrum of complexity are comprehensive models which aim to represent all involved processes in a realistic manner. However, their high computational cost precludes their use in the ultra-long simulations needed. At the other end are conceptual models which are computationally less demanding but which generally lack a physical basis. Most of them yield good results in terms of capturing the shape and patterns of glacial cycles as indicated by the geological record, thus making it very difficult to identify the underlying mechanisms. Here we present a conceptual model that aims to physically represent the interaction between the climate and the Northern Hemisphere ice sheets while eliminating spatial dimensions in some of the fundamental ice-sheet thermodynamic and dynamic equations. To this end, we describe the Physical Adimensional Climate Cryosphere mOdel (PACCO) from its simplest to its most complex configuration. We discuss separately the implications of different fundamental mechanisms such as ice-sheet dynamics and thermodynamics, glacial isostatic adjustment and ice-sheet albedo aging for our model. We conclude that ice-sheet dynamics and a delayed isostatic response are sufficient to produce resonance around periodicities of 100 kyr, although the forcing has a spectrum concentrated around lower values. In addition, ice-sheet thermodynamics and ice aging separately enhance the model nonlinearities to provide 100 kyr periodicities in good agreement with reconstructions. However, we found that it is easier to reproduce the late Pleistocene glacial cycles using the simpler process of ice aging. Overall, PACCO is a valuable tool for analyzing the different hypotheses present in the literature.

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this preprint. The responsibility to include appropriate place names lies with the authors.
Sergio Pérez-Montero, Jorge Alvarez-Solas, Jan Swierczek-Jereczek, Daniel Moreno-Parada, Marisa Montoya, and Alexander Robinson

Status: final response (author comments only)

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • CC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1842', Mikhail Verbitsky, 02 Jul 2024
    • CC2: 'Additional considerations regarding ice-sheet thermodynamics', Mikhail Verbitsky, 05 Jul 2024
      • AC2: 'Reply on CC2', Sergio Pérez Montero, 19 Jul 2024
    • AC1: 'Reply on CC1', Sergio Pérez Montero, 19 Jul 2024
      • CC3: 'Reply on AC1', Mikhail Verbitsky, 20 Jul 2024
        • AC3: 'Reply on CC3', Sergio Pérez Montero, 31 Jul 2024
          • CC4: 'Reply on AC3', Mikhail Verbitsky, 01 Aug 2024
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1842', Michel Crucifix, 03 Aug 2024
    • AC4: 'Reply on RC1', Sergio Pérez Montero, 13 Nov 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1842', Anonymous Referee #2, 26 Aug 2024
    • AC5: 'Reply on RC2', Sergio Pérez Montero, 13 Nov 2024
      • EC1: 'Reply on AC5', Laurens Ganzeveld, 09 Dec 2024
        • AC6: 'Reply on EC1', Sergio Pérez Montero, 09 Dec 2024
Sergio Pérez-Montero, Jorge Alvarez-Solas, Jan Swierczek-Jereczek, Daniel Moreno-Parada, Marisa Montoya, and Alexander Robinson

Video supplement

Representation of the Late Pleistocene using the AGING experiment from PACCO. Sergio Pérez-Montero https://github.com/sperezmont/Perez-Montero-etal_YYYY_ESD/blob/a172bb2654cf525d4e5096365489514b0f62641f/figures/pacco_animation_s1_a1.gif

Sergio Pérez-Montero, Jorge Alvarez-Solas, Jan Swierczek-Jereczek, Daniel Moreno-Parada, Marisa Montoya, and Alexander Robinson

Viewed

Total article views: 831 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total BibTeX EndNote
574 214 43 831 16 18
  • HTML: 574
  • PDF: 214
  • XML: 43
  • Total: 831
  • BibTeX: 16
  • EndNote: 18
Views and downloads (calculated since 25 Jun 2024)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 25 Jun 2024)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 820 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 820 with geography defined and 0 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 
Latest update: 13 Dec 2024
Download
Short summary
The climate of the last 3 Myr varies between cold and warm periods. Numerous independent mechanisms have been proposed to explain this, however no effort has been made to study their competing effects. Here we present a simple but physically motivated model that includes these mechanisms in a modular way. We find that the main trigger is the displacement of the lithosphere due to the ice thickness evolution, but reproducing the climate records additionally requires the natural darkening of ice.