Competing Topographic Mechanisms

<p>The Indo-Asian Monsoon (IAM) circulation is an exemplar for how tectonic processes interact with regional climate systems. However, topography-atmosphere interaction is complex, challenging to model, and understanding the IAM at a specific period in Earth’s history involves the consideration of multiple topographically induced circulations. To better capture such processes, we simulate the global climate using high-resolution (~25 km) simulations with alternative Asian topographic boundary conditions.</p> <p>The paleoenthalpy paleoaltimetry method is predicated upon the moist static energy equation which has been used to estimate the paleoelevation of the Himalayan-Tibetan complex. However, the viability of such a method in the past is contingent upon its consistency as Tibet changes height and morphology, and external forcings such as climate and paleogeography evolve across the Cenozoic. The method has provided a wide range of estimates for the Tibetan Plateau, however, a full assessment of this method for the region has yet to be presented. Here we provide a suite of model configuration, topography, climate, and paleogeography sensitivity studies on the Tibetan Plateau using the global climate model CCSM4.</p> <p>Our findings have implications for tropical monsoon theories, evolution of the Tibetan Plateau, and the paleoclimatology of Asia.</p> <p>The datasets found in Competing Topographic Mechanisms were generated using the Purdue Supercomputing systems and are simulations from the NCAR Community Climate System Model version 4 (CCSM4). Descriptions of the individual cases are found in the README document. </p>