Can a global mean sea-level rise reduce the Last Interglacial model–data mismatch in East Asia?

The Last Interglacial (LIG), with its many reconstructions and simulations, provides an ideal analog for investigating the future warmer climate. However, there has been a persistent mismatch between simulated and reconstructed LIG climates in East Asia, with simulations generally indicating a colder and drier climate than reconstructions. In this study, utilizing the Norwegian Earth System Model (NorESM1-F), the authors investigated whether incorporating the global mean sea-level rise in LIG simulation experiments can reduce the model–data mismatch. The new experiments reveal a discernible, yet insufficient, warming and wetting effect in East Asia resulting from the sea-level rise. Therefore, the model–data mismatch remains unresolved. Based on these results, the authors explore alternative factors that may contribute to this mismatch, offering insights for future studies.