Description: During the past two decades, several atmospheric and oceanic general circulation models (GCMs) have been enhanced by the capability to explicitly simulate the hydrological cycle of the two stable water isotopes H218O and HDO. They have provided a wealth of understanding regarding changes of the water isotope signals in various archives under different past climate conditions. However, so far the number of fully coupled atmosphere-ocean GCMs with explicit water isotope diagnostics is very limited. Such coupled models are required for a more comprehensive simulation of both past climates as well as related isotope changes in the Earth’s hydrological cycle. Here, we report first results of a newly developed isotope diagnostics within the Earth system model ECHAM5-JSBACH/MPIMOM. Both H218O and HDO and their relevant fractionation processes are included in all compartments and branches of the water cycle within this model. First equilibrium simulations have been performed for both pre-industrial (PI) and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) boundary conditions. Evaluation of the PI simulation reveals a good overall model performance in accordance with available modern isotope data from vapour measurements, precipitation samples as well as marine records. The LGM experiment results in spatially varying isotope depletion in precipitation between -20‰ and 0‰ in agreement with data from various isotope records. The simulated isotopic compoisiton of ccean surface waters shows a strong glacial enrichment in the Arctic. In further model analyses we investigate how the relation between water isotopes and key climate variables, e.g. land and surface temperatures, precipitation amounts, oceanic salinity, might has changed for different regions on a glacial-interglacial time scale. Moreover, the influence of glacial climates changes on second-order isotope signals, e.g. the Deuterium excess, is examined.

Description: In this study we present first results of a new model development, ECHAM5-JSBACH-wiso, where we have incorporated the stable water isotopes H218O and HDO as tracers in the hydrological cycle of the coupled atmosphere–land surface model ECHAM5-JSBACH. The ECHAM5-JSBACH-wiso model was run under present-day climate conditions at two different resolutions (T31L19, T63L31). A comparison between ECHAM5-JSBACH-wiso and ECHAM5-wiso shows that the coupling has a strong impact on the simulated temperature and soil wetness. Caused by these changes of temperature and the hydrological cycle, the δ18O in precipitation also shows variations from −4‰ up to 4‰. One of the strongest anomalies is shown over northeast Asia where, due to an increase of temperature, the δ18O in precipitation increases as well. In order to analyze the sensitivity of the fractionation processes over land, we compare a set of simulations with various implementations of these processes over the land surface. The simulations allow us to distinguish between no fractionation, fractionation included in the evaporation flux (from bare soil) and also fractionation included in both evaporation and transpiration (from water transport through plants) fluxes. While the isotopic composition of the soil water may change for δ18O by up to +8‰:, the simulated δ18O in precipitation shows only slight differences on the order of ±1‰. The simulated isotopic composition of precipitation fits well with the available observations from the GNIP (Global Network of Isotopes in Precipitation) database.

Description: During the past two decades, several atmospheric and oceanic general circulation models (GCMs) have been enhanced by the capability to explicitly simulate the hydrological cycle of the two stable water isotopes H218O and HDO. They have provided a wealth of understanding regarding changes of the water isotope signals in various archives under different past climate conditions. However, so far the number of fully coupled atmosphere-ocean GCMs with explicit water isotope diagnostics is very limited. Such coupled models are required for a more comprehensive simulation of both past climates as well as related isotope changes in the Earth’s hydrological cycle. Here, we report first results of a newly developed isotope diagnostics within the Earth system model ECHAM5-JSBACH/MPIMOM. Both H218O and HDO and their relevant fractionation processes are included in all compartments and branches of the water cycle within this model. First equilibrium simulations have been performed for both pre-industrial (PI) and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) boundary conditions. Evaluation of the PI simulation reveals a good overall model performance in accordance with available modern isotope data from vapor measurements, precipitation samples as well as marine records. For precipitation, root-mean-square error (RMSE) between model results and GNIP δ18O data is approx. 3‰. For ocean surface water, model results and GISS δ18O observational data deviate by 1‰ RMSE or less, with strongest differences in the Arctic Ocean. The LGM experiment results in spatially varying isotope depletion in precipitation between -20‰ and 0‰ in agreement with data from various isotope records. The isotope data clearly mirrors a temperature change of similar range. For the ocean surface waters, the simulated isotopic composition shows a strong glacial enrichment in the North Atlantic of more than +0.5‰. In combination with glacial SST changes a LGM calcite δ18O enrichment of +2.5‰ is simulated. Analyses of the simulated Deuterium excess changes with Antarctic ice core data reveal a good model-data agreement and support the hypothesis of rather cool tropical SST during the last glacial maximum.

Description: During the past two decades, several atmospheric and oceanic general circulation models (GCMs) have been enhanced by the capability to explicitly simulate the hydrological cycle of the two stable water isotopes H218O and HDO. A number of previous studies have demonstrated the possibility of an improved interpretation of observed isotope variability in terms of climate change by such isotope GCM simulations. Here, we report new results of the ECHAM5 atmosphere GCM enhanced by explicit water isotope diagnosis (named ECHAM5-wiso hereafter). Several simulations covering climate changes in the range of the last decades up to glacial-interglacial cycles have been performed to evaluate the overall capability of the ECHAM5-wiso model and to enable a more quantitative interpretation of various isotope paleoarchives. All simulations have been performed with a high spatial model resolution of approx. 1° (T106 spectral mode) or finer. It is shown that the refinement of the spatial resolution leads to a substantially better agreement with available present-day observations and isotopic paleorecords, e.g. Antarctic ice core data. Using this new set of paleoclimate simulations, we investigate if and how climate variability is imprinted in the isotopic composition of precipitation on different time scales. Special focus is given to the question how the temperature-isotope relation might has changed in different regions of the Earth on the various time scale. The atmospheric isotope GCM results are complemented by first oceanic isotope GCM simulation results with the MPI-OM model as well as investigations of the influence of paleovegetation changes on the hydrological cycle and its isotopic composition, as simulated by an isotope-enhanced ECHAM5/JSBACH model setup.

Description: The aim of this thesis is to improve the understanding of the hydrological evolution of the North-West African monsoon system during the Holocene period. In particular the focus is placed on the drastic regime shift from humid and vegetated conditions of the mid-Holocene to the arid present-day conditions in North-West Africa. The timing of this regime shift is investigated in order to determine if the transition from the African Humid Period (approx. from 16,000 – 6,000 years ago) to dry present-day conditions occurred gradually or rapidly. In order to achieve this objective, variations in the isotopic composition of precipitation in relation to rainfall amount are scrutinized. To reach this goal the coupled atmosphere-land surface model ECHAM5-JSBACH is enhanced by the inclusion of a stable water isotope diagnostic module which traces beside the “normal water” H16O the heavier water isotopes H18O and HDO. The ECHAM5-JSBACH-wiso model is able to simulate the isotopic composition of precipitation (δ18OP and δDP) comparably well as the stand-alone ECHAM5-wiso model. In order to analyze the sensitivity of fractionation processes over land, a set of simulations with various implementations of these processes over the land surface are compared. The simulations distinguish between no fractionation, fractionation included in the evaporation flux (from bare soil), and fractionation included in both evaporation and transpiration (from water transport through plants) fluxes. While the isotopic composition of the soil water may change for δ18O by up to +8‰, the simulated δ18O in precipitation shows only slight differences in the order of ±1‰. For evaluation of the simulated isotope composition over the 20th century in North Africa, a nudged ECHAM5-JSBACH-wiso experiment is performed over the period 1958 to 2002. It is shown that the model simulates the climatology as well as interannual variability of precipitation and its isotopic composition in good agreement with observations. Furthermore, it is illustrated that the amount of Sahelian precipitation and δDP are correlated, with a Pearson correlation coefficient r = 0.71. Based on these model results the observed isotope variations are quantitatively calibrated with respect to changes of the precipitation amount. According to the model results, changes of -5‰ in δDP can be related to an increase of approximately 100 mm in rainfall amount under present-day conditions. In order to further investigate the evolution of the North-West African hydrological cycle during the Holocene, the precipitation and the vegetation cover simulated by the fully coupled Earth System model COSMOS are analyzed. Both variables indicate a gradual transition from the African Humid Period into the dry present-day conditions. Based on this transient experiment, time-slice simulations, performed with the ECHAM5-JSBACH-wiso model, are carried out. These time-slice simulations reveal an amplification as well as a southwards shift of the North African rain belt from mid-Holocene to present day. Due to the negative relation between the amount of precipitation and its isotopic composition, the simulated δD in precipitation is about -18‰ more depleted in the mid-Holocene experiment, compared to the present-day one, in the West Sahel region. The findings of the model studies are supported by novel proxy data derived from δD measurements on leaf waxes in the marine sediment core GeoB7920 from the North-West African coast. In summary, all results of these studies indicate that the drastic regime shift of vegetation and rainfall amount in North-West Africa during mid-Holocene was gradual.

Description: In this study we present first results of a new model development, ECHAM5-JSBACH-wiso, where we have incorporated the stable water isotopes H218O and HDO as tracers in the hydrological cycle of the coupled atmosphere-land surface model ECHAM5-JSBACH. The ECHAM5-JSBACH-wiso model was run under present-day climate conditions at two different resolutions (T31L19, T63L31). A comparison between ECHAM5-JSBACH-wiso and ECHAM5-wiso shows that the coupling has a strong impact on the simulated temperature and soil wetness. Caused by these changes of temperature and the hydrological cycle, the d18O in precipitation also shows variations from -4 permil up to 4 permil. One of the strongest anomalies is shown over northeast Asia where, due to an increase of temperature, the d18O in precipitation increases as well. In order to analyze the sensitivity of the fractionation processes over land, we compare a set of simulations with various implementations of these processes over the land surface. The simulations allow us to distinguish between no fractionation, fractionation included in the evaporation flux (from bare soil) and also fractionation included in both evaporation and transpiration (from water transport through plants) fluxes. While the isotopic composition of the soil water may change for d18O by up to +8 permil:, the simulated d18O in precipitation shows only slight differences on the order of ±1 permil. The simulated isotopic composition of precipitation fits well with the available observations from the GNIP (Global Network of Isotopes in Precipitation) database.