Dynamics of the West African Monsoon under Mid-Holocene Precessional Forcing: Regional Climate Model Simulations

Abstract

Abstract The African Humid Period (AHP), about 14 800 yr ago [14.8–5.5 ka (ka ≡ 1000 yr ago)], was a time of increased humidity over Africa. Paleoclimate evidence suggests that the West African summer monsoon was stronger and more extensive 6 ka than today, and that the Saharan Desert was green. Here, a regional climate model that produces an excellent simulation of today’s climate over northern Africa is used to study the dynamics of the monsoon 6 ka. Changes in insolation, atmospheric CO2, and vegetation are used to impose 6-ka conditions, and the role of each forcing is isolated. Vegetation is not interactive, and the large-scale circulation and SSTs are fixed at present-day values for the 6-ka simulations. The regional model produces precipitation increases across the Sahel and Sahara that are in good agreement with the paleodata. However, unobserved drying is simulated over the Guinean coast region where paleodata are sparse. Precipitation increases in the Sahel are related to a northward shift of the monsoon, the elimination of the African easterly jet, and an intensification and deepening of the low-level westerly jet on the west coast. The thermal low–Saharan high system of the present-day climate is replaced by a deep thermal low. When this system becomes fully developed in midsummer, cyclonic circulations transport moisture north into the Sahara, and rainfall increases there. Surface temperatures decrease despite the increased solar forcing 6 ka because of an increase in cloudiness. A moist static energy budget analysis shows that increased low-level moisture dominates the cooling to destabilize the vertical column and enhance convection. Even though solar forcing is the ultimate cause of the AHP, the model responds more strongly to the vegetation forcing, especially early in the summer season, emphasizing the importance of vegetation in maintaining the intensified monsoon system.