Set-up and preliminary results of mid-Pliocene climate simulations with CAM3.1

Abstract

The mid-Pliocene warm period ∼3.264 to 3.025 Ma) is a potential analogue for future climate under global warming. In this study, we use an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) called CAM3.1 to simulate the mid-Pliocene climate with the PRISM3D boundary conditions. The simulations show that the global annual mean surface air temperature (SAT) increases by 2.0 C in the mid-Pliocene compared with the pre-industrial temperature. The greatest warming occurs at high latitudes of both hemispheres, with little change in SAT at low latitudes. The equator-to-pole SAT gradient is reduced in the mid-Pliocene simulation. The annual mean precipitation is enhanced by 3.6% of the pre-industrial value. However, the changes in precipitation are greater at low latitudes than at high latitudes. © Author(s) 2012.