How does Eocene warming affected elevation-dependent warming?

Elevation-dependent temperature change is a phenomenon found in mountain regions with complex terrain, mostly in the Himalayas and the high terrain of the Tibetan Plateau, where regions in high elevation feature high rates of warming than the region in lower elevation. This pattern referred to as elevation-dependent warming. However, does elevation-dependent warming exist in Eocene hothouse without Tibetan Plateau as well and lower altitude mountain ranges?

The Eocene era is considered a replication of the future climate with high atmospheric carbon dioxide. We utilized CESM1.2 as part of the DeepMIP simulations to analyze elevation-dependent temperature change in different mountain ranges in the Eocene and explained the findings using a linear surface energy balance decomposition. The results feature a land-sea contrast with amplification over land and elevation-dependent temperature changes in all mountain ranges with distinct seasonality and pattern. The results suggest that radiative feedback processes have a strong contribution to elevation-dependent warming in the warming climate. Our modeling results provide relevant information for mountain climate change in a past hot climate. Further, the analysis opens new mystery and perspectives related to elevation-dependent warming.

 

Keywords: Eocene, paleoclimate modeling, elevation-dependent warming, CO2

 

Related Publication:

Kad P, Blau M T, Ha K-J, and Zhu J (2022) Elevation-dependent temperature response in early Eocene using paleoclimate model experiment. Environmental Research Letters, 17(11), 114038. (https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac9c74)