Is It Time for a Rebirth in The Geologic Application of Climate Models?

Barron, Eric J.¹ (1) University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX

Fully-resolved climate models have been applied to geologic problems in two different tracks. The first emphasizes explanations of the climate changes. These investigations seek an understanding of periods of warmth or an explanation of past glaciation. Much of the research emphasis is therefore on correct specification of the forcing factors that govern past climates, incorporation of key climate feedbacks, and on matching the suite of recorded thermal indicators. This approach has contributed to a greater understanding of climate sensitivity and even a critique of elements that may be incorrectly incorporated into climate models. The second emphasizes reconstruction of the environmental conditions during a specific interval of time. It considers the geologic record as an excellent recorder of environmental conditions, albeit with limited spatial and temporal resolution. Rather than use sparse geologic data to build a comprehensive picture of past conditions, a climate model is used to simulate the physical characteristics of a specific time period. The objective is a more comprehensive, physically-based characterization, and in many cases, much greater insight into the nature of the geologic record. Much of the research over the last two decades has focused on understanding climate sensitivity and support of earth history modeling has tended to focus on more recent climates. Climate models have become increasingly sophisticated, adding interactions with vegetation, ice, and the oceans in greater detail and incorporating much higher spatial resolution. These advances suggest that there is substantial opportunity to utilize climate models to further our understanding of the full geologic record.