Modeling Mediterranean ocean climate of the LGM

Introduction Conclusions References Tables Figures Back Close Full Screen / Esc This discussion paper is/has been under review for the journal Climate of the Past (CP). Please refer to the corresponding final paper in CP if available. Abstract Introduction Conclusions References Tables Figures Back Close Full Screen / Esc Abstract A regional ocean general circulation model of the Mediterranean is used to study the climate of the last glacial maximum. The atmospheric forcing for these simulations has been derived from simulations with an atmospheric general circulation model, which in turn was forced with surface conditions from a coarse resolution earth system model. 5 The model is successful in reproducing the general patterns of reconstructed sea surface temperature anomalies with the strongest cooling in summer in the northwestern Mediterranean and weak cooling in the Levantine, although the model underestimates the extent of the summer cooling in the western Mediterranean. However, there is a strong vertical gradient associated with this pattern of summer cooling, which makes 10 the comparison with reconstructions nontrivial. The exchange with the Atlantic is decreased to roughly one half of its present value, which can be explained by the shallower Strait of Gibraltar as a consequence of lower global sea level. This reduced exchange causes a strong increase of the salinity in the Mediterranean in spite of reduced net evaporation.