Drake Passage and palaeoclimate

The effect of Drake Passage on the Earth's climate is examined using an ide alised coupled model. It is found that the opening of Drake Passage cools t he high latitudes of the southern hemisphere by about 3 degrees C and warms the high latitudes of the northern hemisphere by nearly the same amount. T his study also attempts to determine whether the width and depth of the Dra ke Passage channel is likely to be an important factor in the thermal respo nse. A deeper channel is shown to produce more southern cooling but the mag nitude of the effect is not large. Channel geometry is relatively unimporta nt in the model because of a haline response that develops when the channel is first opened up. Published in 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.