Using ocean surface paleo-density to evaluate PMIP3 and PMIP4 Last Glacial Maximum climate simulations

Barathieu, Héloïse; Caley, Thibaut; Kageyama, Masa; Swingedouw, Didier; Braconnot, Pascale

doi:10.5194/cp-22-1803-2026

Articles | Volume 22, issue 10

https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-22-1803-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-22-1803-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 22, issue 10

Research article

|

06 Oct 2026

Research article |

| 06 Oct 2026

Using ocean surface paleo-density to evaluate PMIP3 and PMIP4 Last Glacial Maximum climate simulations

Héloïse Barathieu, Thibaut Caley, Masa Kageyama, Didier Swingedouw, and Pascale Braconnot

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-22-1803-2026-supplement

Data sets

Predicting surface density sigma T from d18Oc N. Rieger and T. Caley https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18313774

LGM and LH δ18Oc dataset T. Caley and C. Waelbroeck https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18162496

Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) climate forcing and ocean dynamical feedback and their implications for estimating climate sensitivity J. Zhu https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14957995

Gridded ocean surface density results for LGM and LH T. Caley and H. Barathieu https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22111270

Model code and software

Predicting surface density sigma T from d18Oc N. Rieger and T. Caley https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18313774

Short summary

This study evaluates climate model simulations of the Last Glacial Maximum using ocean surface density reconstructions from foraminiferal shells δ¹⁸O. Models capture global patterns but regional climate changes are less well simulated, especially in the North Indian Ocean. Tropical differences between reconstructions and model simulations are mainly driven by changes in ocean salinity linked to precipitation.