Model evidence for climatic impact of thermohaline circulation on China at the century scale

Based on transient simulation of the last deglaciation (significant global warming period) using a fully coupled model and sensitivity experiment, we show explicitly how the thermohaline circulation (THC) affects the climate of China, especially during periods of abrupt climate change. The simulated evolution of the Chinese climate was consistent with the paleoclimate record during the last deglaciation. For example, the whole Chinese region warmed significantly during the Bølling-Allerød warming event (BA). When the magnitude of the THC was reduced in the sensitivity experiment during BA, warming of the Chinese region was greatly affected. Our work shows that in addition to orbital forcing and greenhouse gases, the THC is an important factor influencing climate change in China at the century scale.