Photo by jannerboy62 from unsplash
SignificanceUnderstanding Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) responses to external forcing is critical for predicting climate change in a warming world. We analyzed paleoclimate records of precipitation change in the neotropics and… Click to show full abstract
SignificanceUnderstanding Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) responses to external forcing is critical for predicting climate change in a warming world. We analyzed paleoclimate records of precipitation change in the neotropics and climate model simulations that span the preindustrial last millennium to assess ITCZ behavior on multicentury timescales. Our results demonstrate that the ITCZ shifted southward during the Little Ice Age in the Atlantic basin in response to relative cooling of the Northern Hemisphere driven by volcanic forcing. This finding contrasts with studies suggesting that changes in ITCZ width and/or strength, rather than a change in mean position, occurred during the Little Ice Age. This reinforces the idea that ITCZ responses to external forcing are region specific.
Journal Title: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Year Published: 2022
Link to full text (if available)
Share on Social Media: Sign Up to like & get
recommendations!