Miocene Ocean Gyre Circulation and Gateway Transports—MioMIP1 Ocean Intercomparison

Abstract The Miocene (∼23–5 Ma) experienced substantial paleogeographic changes, including the shoaling of the Panama Seaway and closure of the Tethys Seaway, which altered exchange pathways between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Changes in continental configuration and topography likely also influenced global wind patterns. Here, we investigate how these changes affected surface wind‐driven gyre circulation and interbasin volume transport using 14 fully coupled climate model simulations of the early and middle Miocene. The North and South Atlantic gyres, along with the South Pacific gyre, are weaker in the Miocene simulations compared to pre‐industrial (PI), while the North Pacific gyres are stronger. These changes largely follow the wind stress curl and basin width changes. Westward flow through the Panama Seaway occurs only in early Miocene simulations when the Tethys Seaway is open and transports are strongly westward. As the Tethys transport declines, flow across the Panama Seaway gradually reverses from westward (into the Pacific) to eastward (into the Atlantic). In simulations with a closed Tethys Seaway, the Panama transport is consistently eastward. The Southern Hemisphere westerlies are weaker than PI in all simulations, contributing to a reduced Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) in 11 of the 14 cases. In the remaining three, a stronger ACC is simulated, likely due to a combination of enhanced meridional density gradients and model‐dependent sensitivities. These findings highlight how changes in Miocene seaways and wind patterns reshaped ocean circulation, influencing interbasin exchange, thermohaline properties, and global climate.

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Publication Details

Journal
Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology
Published
2025-11-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1029/2025pa005194
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Processes
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.79
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Miocene Ocean Gyre Circulation and Gateway Transports—MioMIP1 Ocean Intercomparison

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Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology
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1.79
article

Miocene Ocean Gyre Circulation and Gateway Transports—MioMIP1 Ocean Intercomparison

T. N. Naik, Natalie Burls, Yannick Donnadieu, Helen K. Coxall, Mehdi Pasha Karami, Allegra N. LeGrande, Agatha M. de Boer, Matthew S. Huber, Yurui Zhang, Amanda Frigola, Catherine P. Bradshaw, Alex Farnsworth, Yousheng Li, Gerrit Lohmann, Gregor Knorr, Daniel John Lunt, Matthias Prange
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Abstract The Miocene (∼23–5 Ma) experienced substantial paleogeographic changes, including the shoaling of the Panama Seaway and closure of the Tethys Seaway, which altered exchange pathways between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Changes in continental configuration and topography likely also influenced global wind patterns. Here, we investigate how these changes affected surface wind‐driven gyre circulation and interbasin volume transport using 14 fully coupled climate model simulations of the early and middle Miocene. The North and South Atlantic gyres, along with the South Pacific gyre, are weaker in the Miocene simulations compared to pre‐industrial (PI), while the North Pacific gyres are stronger. These changes largely follow the wind stress curl and basin width changes. Westward flow through the Panama Seaway occurs only in early Miocene simulations when the Tethys Seaway is open and transports are strongly westward. As the Tethys transport declines, flow across the Panama Seaway gradually reverses from westward (into the Pacific) to eastward (into the Atlantic). In simulations with a closed Tethys Seaway, the Panama transport is consistently eastward. The Southern Hemisphere westerlies are weaker than PI in all simulations, contributing to a reduced Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) in 11 of the 14 cases. In the remaining three, a stronger ACC is simulated, likely due to a combination of enhanced meridional density gradients and model‐dependent sensitivities. These findings highlight how changes in Miocene seaways and wind patterns reshaped ocean circulation, influencing interbasin exchange, thermohaline properties, and global climate.

Paleoceanography and PaleoclimatologyVol. 40(12)
Goddard Institute for Space Studies (US), Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (DE), Met Office (GB), Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Stockholm University (SE), George Mason University (US), University of Bremen (DE), Xiamen University (CN), Aix-Marseille Université (FR), Purdue University West Lafayette (US), University of Exeter (GB), Barcelona Supercomputing Center (ES), NOAA Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (US), University of Bristol (GB), Centre de Recherche et d’Enseignement de Géosciences de l’Environnement (FR), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research (CN), Bolin Centre for Climate Research (SE), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (FR), Columbia University (US), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (ES)
Openalex Percentile: Top 12%
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Processes
1.79
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