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Atmospheric Circulation During the Last Glacial Maximum

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Encyclopedia of Paleoclimatology and Ancient Environments

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

Introduction

The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) offers us an opportunity to assess how the atmospheric circulation changes when in a different climate regime, one characterized by much colder temperatures (∼5 °C, globally), and different effective topography (i.e., the presence of large ice sheets on land at upper mid-latitudes). Yet, there are many aspects of the circulation that are known imperfectly. The evidence, to the extent that it exists, is generally indirect, especially for wind changes. Moisture and temperature changes are generally better known, and from these we have an indication of how the circulation may have been altered. Even with these parameters, however, there are major uncertainties, in particular associated with temperature changes in the tropics and subtropics.

An alternate line of evidence comes from General Circulation Model (GCM) studies of this time period. Here too, however, there is uncertainty, associated both with the LGM boundary conditions (e.g., sea...

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Authors
  1. David Rind
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Columbia University, New York, USA

    Vivien Gornitz

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Rind, D. (2009). Atmospheric Circulation During the Last Glacial Maximum. In: Gornitz, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Paleoclimatology and Ancient Environments. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4411-3_15

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