and the last glacial inception

Abstract. Climate simulations of the Eemian interglacial and the last glacial inception have been performed by forc-ing a coupled ocean-atmosphere general circulation model with insolation patterns of these periods. The parameters of the Earth’s orbit have been set to conditions of 125 000 and 115 000 years before present (yr BP). Compared to to-day, these dates represent periods with enhanced and weak-ened seasonality of insolation in the northern hemisphere. Here we analyse the simulated change in northern hemi-sphere winter storm tracks. The change in the orbital con-figuration has a strong impact on the meridional tempera-ture gradients and therefore on strength and location of the storm tracks. The North Atlantic storm track is strengthened, shifted northward and extends further to the east in the sim-ulation for the Eemian at 125 kyr BP. As one consequence, the northern parts of Europe experience an increase in winter precipitation. The frequency of winter storm days increases over large parts of the North Atlantic including the British Isles and the coastal zones of north-western Europe. Oppo-site but weaker changes in storm track activity are simulated for 115 kyr BP.