Exoplanetology: Exoplanets & Exomoons

Exploring Climate With Obliquity In A Variable-eccentricity Earth-like World

By Keith Cowing
Status Report
astro-ph.EP
November 8, 2023
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Exploring Climate With Obliquity In A Variable-eccentricity Earth-like World
Comparable monthly insolation patterns for Cases 1–4 at given snapshots in their eccentricity evolution. We do not include snapshots of the higher eccentricity values attained in Case 4. Insolation bar in the lower right goes from zero to 341 W m−2 . Note that we plot Case 4 in the first column and Cases 1–3 in columns 2–4 to make comparisons between Cases 4 and 1 easier. — astro-ph.EP

Exploring planetary systems similar to our solar system can provide a means to explore a large range of possibly temperate climates on Earth-like worlds.

Rather than run hundreds of simulations with different eccentricities at fixed obliquities, our variable-eccentricity approach provides a means to cover an incredibly large parameter space. Herein Jupiter’s orbital radius is moved substantially inward in two different scenarios, causing a forcing on Earth’s eccentricity.

In one case, the eccentricity of Earth varies from 0 to 0.27 over ~7000 yr for three different fixed obliquities (0°, 23°, and 45°). In another case, the eccentricity varies from 0 to 0.53 over ~9400 yr in a single case with zero obliquity. In all cases, we find that the climate remains stable, but regional habitability changes through time in unique ways. At the same time, the moist greenhouse state is approached but only when at the highest eccentricities.

M.J. Way, Nikolaos Georgakarakos, Thomas L. Clune

Comments: 10 pages, 11 Figures. Data/scripts used to generate figures & ROCKE-3D boundary condition files can be downloaded from doi:https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8398270
Subjects: Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)
Cite as: arXiv:2311.04167 [astro-ph.EP] (or arXiv:2311.04167v1 [astro-ph.EP] for this version)
Journal reference: AJ, 166, 227 (2023)
Related DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ad0373
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Submission history
From: Michael Way
[v1] Tue, 7 Nov 2023 17:48:37 UTC (7,197 KB)
https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.04167
Astrobiology,

Keith Cowing

Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Station Payload manager/space biologist, Away Teams, Journalist, Lapsed climber, Synaesthete, Na’Vi-Jedi-Freman-Buddhist-mix, ASL, Devon Island and Everest Base Camp veteran, (he/him) 🖖🏻

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