NUMERICAL-SIMULATION OF THE CRETACEOUS TETHYS CIRCUMGLOBAL CURRENT

Certain paleobiogeographical reconstructions of ocean currents during the Cretaceous (about 144 to 65 million years ago) suggest that a circ umglobal tropical current flowed westward through the continental conf iguration of that time. Although some numerical climate models failed in initial attempts to simulate this current, simulations with a coupl ed atmosphere-ocean model with relatively high spatial resolution and a late Cretaceous continental distribution show that a circumglobal cu rrent is a robust feature even though local surface currents in the Te thys Seaway reverse during the south Eurasian monsoon months.