On the Role of Zonal Asymmetries in Climate Change

Abstract

The potential of zonal asymmetry as a sensitivity mechanism for the earth's climate is investigated through a simple extension of an energy balance climate model. The results of this model are compared with the reconstruction of climate during the last major glaciation. The comparison suggests that it is quite possible that the last glaciation was in near equilibrium with the present solar constant and that zonal asymmetry plays a very important role in the transitions between glacial and interglacial conditions. On the basis of these inferences, the planetary wave structure during summer and the transition seasons would appear to be very important for climatic change.