Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/C509558/1
Impact of changing freshwater flows on the thermohaline circulation and European climate - analysis and modelling of the last deglaciation.
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Prof. S Harrison, University of Bristol, Geographical Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr J Svendsen, University of Bergen, Earth Science
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor P Valdes, University of Bristol, Geographical Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr N Weber, Royal Netherlands Meteorology Institute, Climate Variability Research
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr T Dokken, University of Bergen, Earth Science
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor J Vandenberghe, Free (VU) University of Amsterdam, Faculity of Earth and Life Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor H Renssen, Free (VU) University of Amsterdam, Faculity of Earth and Life Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor J Mangerud, University of Bergen, Earth Science
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor E Jansen, University of Bergen, Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research
- Grant held at:
- University of Bristol, Geographical Sciences
- Science Area:
- Marine
- Overall Classification:
- Marine
- ENRIs:
- Global Change
- Science Topics:
- Ocean Circulation
- Ocean - Atmosphere Interact.
- Climate & Climate Change
- Abstract:
- Changes in the amount and location of river and meltwater discharge to the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans could profoundly affect the thermohaline circulation and thus the climate of Europe. Abrupt changes in ocean circulation, and the location of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) formation, have been recorded during the last 21,000 years. Palaeodata and modelling suggest these changes may have been caused by ice-sheet dynamics (changing meltwater inputs, blocking/unblocking of river channels) and by climate change affecting continental runoff and river discharge. A concerted effort is planned to understand past changes in NADW formation and to explore the risk of comparable changes taking place in the future. Our approach involves using two efficient coupled ocean-atmosphere-vegetation models to explore the impacts of a range of possible freshwater-flux scenarios representing different intervals during the last deglaciation. New reconstructions of Eurasian ice-sheet deglaciation history will be used to inform the choice of scenarios. The plausibility of the simulations will be evaluated using a 4D reconstruction of the ocean during the deglaciation and palaeoenvironmental records of regional climates over the northern continents, prior to using the models to examine the consequences of potential future changes in freshwater fluxes on ocean circulation and climate.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/C509558/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Directed Pre FEC
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Rapid Climate Change
This grant award has a total value of £334,201
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - T&S | Total - Staff | Total - Other Costs | Total - Indirect Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| £9,400 | £207,181 | £22,316 | £95,304 |
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