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Century-scale effects of increased atmospheric CO2 on the ocean-atmosphere system.

Author(s) : MANABE S., STOUFFER R. J.

Type of article: Article

Summary

The authors used a coupled ocean-atmosphere climate model to study the evolution of the world's climate over the next few centuries, driven by doubling and quadrupling of the concentration of atmospheric CO2. They found that the global mean surface air temperature increased by about 3.5 and 7 deg C, respectively, over 500 years, and that sea-level rise owing to thermal expansion alone was about 1 and 2 m respectively (ice-sheet melting could make these values much larger). The thermal and dynamical structure of the oceans changes markedly in the quadrupled-CO2 climate: in particular, the ocean settles into a new stable state in which the thermohaline circulation has ceased entirely and the thermocline deepens substantially. These changes prevent the ventilation of the deep ocean and could have a profound impact on the carbon cycle and biogeochemistry of the coupled system.

Details

  • Original title: Century-scale effects of increased atmospheric CO2 on the ocean-atmosphere system.
  • Record ID : 1994-2568
  • Languages: English
  • Subject: Environment, General information
  • Source: Nature - vol. 364 - n. 6434
  • Publication date: 1993/07/15
  • Document available for consultation in the library of the IIR headquarters only.

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