Irreversible ocean thermal expansion under carbon dioxide removal

Ehlert, Dana; Zickfeld, Kirsten

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-9-197-2018

Articles | Volume 9, issue 1

https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-9-197-2018

© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Special issue:

The Earth system at a global warming of 1.5°C and 2.0°C

https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-9-197-2018

© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 9, issue 1

Research article

|

05 Mar 2018

Research article |

| 05 Mar 2018

Irreversible ocean thermal expansion under carbon dioxide removal

Dana Ehlert and Kirsten Zickfeld

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-9-197-2018-supplement

Data sets

Model data "Irreversible ocean thermal expansion under carbon dioxide removal" D. Ehlert and K. Zickfeld https://doi.org/10.20383/101.021

Model code and software

UVic ESCM 2.9 M. Eby http://climate.uvic.ca/model/2.9/

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Short summary

This study uses a global climate model to explore the extent to which sea level rise due to thermal expansion of the ocean is reversible if the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO₂) declines. It is found that sea level continues to rise for several decades after atmospheric CO₂ starts to decline and does not return to the pre-industrial level for over thousand years after atmospheric CO₂ is restored to the pre-industrial concentration.