%0 Journal Article %T Arctic sea ice simulation in the PlioMIP ensemble %A Abe-Ouchi %A Ayako %A Bragg %A Fran %A Chan %A Wing-Le %A Chandler %A Mark A. %A Contoux %A Camille %A Haywood %A Alan M. %A Howell %A Fergus W. %A Kamae %A Youichi %A Otto-Bliesner %A Bette L. %A Rosenbloom %A Nan A. %A Stepanek %A Christian %A Zhang %A Zhongshi %J - %D 2016 %R https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-749-2016 %X

Abstract. Eight general circulation models have simulated the mid-Pliocene warm period (mid-Pliocene, 3.264 to 3.025£żMa) as part of the Pliocene Modelling Intercomparison Project (PlioMIP). Here, we analyse and compare their simulation of Arctic sea ice for both the pre-industrial period and the mid-Pliocene. Mid-Pliocene sea ice thickness and extent is reduced, and the model spread of extent is more than twice the pre-industrial spread in some summer months. Half of the PlioMIP models simulate ice-free conditions in the mid-Pliocene. This spread amongst the ensemble is in line with the uncertainties amongst proxy reconstructions for mid-Pliocene sea ice extent. Correlations between mid-Pliocene Arctic temperatures and sea ice extents are almost twice as strong as the equivalent correlations for the pre-industrial simulations. The need for more comprehensive sea ice proxy data is highlighted, in order to better compare model performances.