NEW YORK, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- NASA and Columbia University scientists have used computer modeling to reproduce an abrupt climate change that occurred 8,200 years ago.
The climate change was caused by a flood of freshwater into the North Atlantic and the current study is the first to consistently recreate that event by computer modeling.
"We only have one example of how the climate reacts to changes -- the past," said Gavin Schmidt, a NASA researcher and co-author of the study. "If we're going to accurately simulate the Earth's future, we need to be able to replicate past events. This was a real test of the model's skill."
Retreating glaciers opened a route for two ancient meltwater lakes, known as Agassiz and Ojibway, to suddenly and catastrophically drain from the middle of the North American continent.
At approximately the same time, climate records show the Earth experienced its last abrupt climate shift -- a drop of average air temperature by several degrees. Scientists believe the massive freshwater pulse interfered with the ocean's overturning circulation, which distributes heat around the globe.
The study appeared in the January issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
