Climate Outcomes of Earth-similar Worlds as a Function of Obliquity and Rotation Rate

Abstract

A set of simulations with a 3D global climate model are performed to investigate the roles of obliquity and rotation period in the habitability of Earthlike exoplanets. The simulations cover the obliquity–rotation parameter space, from 0° to 90° in obliquity and 1–128 days in rotation period. The simulated global mean temperatures are warmest at 45° obliquity with fast rotations, due to the modification of the greenhouse effect from the spatial redistribution of clouds and water vapor. The slow-moving insolation–cloud mechanism, previously found in simulations with slow rotations and zero obliquity, also produces a cooling trend from intermediate obliquity to high obliquity, with the coldest climate occurring at 90° obliquity for all rotation periods. At low obliquities and fast rotation, persistent snow and sea ice can form, producing cooler temperatures. A Climate Habitability metric is defined, based on temperature and precipitation, which compares well with observations when applied to a simulation using Earth’s obliquity and rotation. Over a wider range of obliquity and rotation period, the Climate Habitability ranges from 10% to 70% of the terrestrial area. Overall, the simulated global mean surface temperature shows a much larger spread across the range of simulated rotation periods at 45° obliquity compared to 0° obliquity. Therefore, we conclude that 3D exoplanet simulations using intermediate obliquities (e.g., 45°) instead of 0° will reveal a wider range of possible climate conditions for specific orbital configurations. In addition, Earth’s climate habitability can increase by 25% if the obliquity increases from 23.°5 to 45°.