Ocean–atmosphere interactions modulate irrigation's climate impacts

Krakauer, Nir Y.; Puma, Michael J.; Cook, Benjamin I.; Gentine, Pierre; Nazarenko, Larissa

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-7-863-2016

Articles | Volume 7, issue 4

https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-7-863-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-7-863-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 7, issue 4

Research article

|

10 Nov 2016

Research article |

| 10 Nov 2016

Ocean–atmosphere interactions modulate irrigation's climate impacts

Nir Y. Krakauer, Michael J. Puma, Benjamin I. Cook, Pierre Gentine, and Larissa Nazarenko

Data sets

GISS GCM source code NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies http://www.giss.nasa.gov/tools/modelE/

Short summary

We simulated effects of irrigation on climate with the NASA GISS global climate model. Present-day irrigation levels affected air pressures and temperatures even in non-irrigated land and ocean areas. The simulated effect was bigger and more widespread when ocean temperatures in the climate model could change, rather than being fixed. We suggest that expanding irrigation may affect global climate more than previously believed.