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| PMIP | |
|---|---|
| Name | PMIP |
| Established | 1990s |
| Discipline | Paleoclimate modeling |
| Scope | Global paleoclimate simulations |
PMIP
The Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project coordinates international climate model intercomparison efforts to simulate past states of the Earth system. It brings together researchers from institutions such as National Center for Atmospheric Research, Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Met Office Hadley Centre, Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, and NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies to compare general circulation model outputs against proxy records from sites like Greenland Ice Sheet Project, EPICA, Vostok, Lake Baikal, and Sahara. PMIP links modeling efforts with observational programs including PAGES and GEOTRACES, engaging large-scale assessments such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and synthesizing results used by agencies like the European Space Agency and NOAA.
PMIP organizes coordinated experiments to evaluate atmosphere-ocean general circulation models and coupled components against paleo-proxy constraints. Participants include centers such as Godard Institute for Space Studies, Princeton University, University of Cambridge, Columbia University, ETH Zurich, University of Oxford, University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of California, Berkeley, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and University of Tokyo. The project compares simulations of intervals like the Last Glacial Maximum, Mid-Holocene, Last Millennium, and Pliocene with proxy datasets from projects like Neotoma Paleoecology Database, IODP, OSL dating programs, and Dendrochronology consortia to assess model performance.
PMIP was initiated in the 1990s following workshops at institutions such as WCRP meetings and collaborations with WGNE and CLIVAR. Early phases coordinated by groups at UK Met Office and NCAR established protocols influenced by earlier intercomparison projects such as the Model Intercomparison Project series. Successive phases expanded experiment suites in coordination with CMIP cycles and engagements with stakeholders including IPCC Working Group I, European Research Council projects, and national agencies like NSF and ANR.
Primary objectives include benchmarking coupled climate models across paleoclimatic intervals to constrain feedbacks involving ice sheets (e.g., Laurentide Ice Sheet, Fennoscandian Ice Sheet), vegetation dynamics (via comparisons to reconstructions from Pollen Analysis Center datasets), and ocean circulation changes such as shifts in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and responses linked to events like the Younger Dryas. The scope covers atmospheric chemistry modules developed at MPI Mainz, land surface schemes from NCAR CLM teams, and ocean biogeochemistry linked with Plymouth Marine Laboratory datasets.
PMIP prescribes standardized boundary conditions, forcings, and spin-up procedures drawing from paleogeographic reconstructions by groups like Paleomap Project and ice-sheet reconstructions from ICE-5G and GLAC-1D. Protocols align with CMIP6 frameworks including shared concentration pathways for greenhouse gases derived from IPCC AR5 datasets and volcanic forcing compilations linked to GISP2 and SIPRE chronologies. Experiments specify output frequency, variable lists, and evaluation metrics coordinated with data synthesis centers such as NOAA Paleoclimatology, PANGAEA, and BCCR.
Participating models include coupled systems produced by teams at MPI-M, Hadley Centre, GISS, CNRM, GFDL, CESM, EC-Earth, NorESM, CanESM, and MIROC. Components tested encompass atmospheric general circulation modules like ECHAM and IFS, ocean models such as NEMO and MOM, sea-ice representations from CICE and LIM, land surface schemes like CLM and JULES, and dynamic vegetation modules developed by LPJ-GUESS and ORCHIDEE. Ice-sheet coupling efforts draw on codes from PISM and GRISLI teams.
PMIP experiments have clarified the magnitude of climate sensitivity in paleoconditions, constrained regional responses during the Last Glacial Maximum and Mid-Holocene, and highlighted model divergences in simulating monsoon systems tied to the Asian Monsoon and African Humid Period. Results informed IPCC assessments and motivated improvements in aerosol modules from LSCE and cloud schemes used by NOAA GFDL. PMIP work enhanced understanding of ocean circulation shifts involving the AMOC and contributions to sea-level change linked to Greenland Ice Sheet dynamics. Cross-comparisons revealed biases traceable to parametrizations pioneered at Princeton, UCL, and NCAR.
Challenges include reconciling model–proxy mismatches arising from uncertainties in chronologies developed by radiocarbon dating labs, sparse proxy coverage in regions such as the Southern Ocean and Antarctic Peninsula, and representation of processes like ice-sheet collapse studied by groups at LASG and Bjerknes Centre. Future directions emphasize integration with CMIP7-era experiments, coupling with Earth system components from PaleoReconstruction initiatives, leveraging high-resolution runs on supercomputers at NERSC and Jülich Supercomputing Centre, and expanding collaborations with observational consortia such as PAGES and IODP to refine forcings and improve model fidelity.
Category:Paleoclimate modeling projects