The 1600 Huaynaputina Eruption as Possible Trigger for Persistent Cooling in the North Atlantic Region
Abstract. Paleoclimate reconstructions identify a period of exceptional summer and winter cooling in the North Atlantic region following the eruption of the tropical volcano Huaynaputina (Peru) in 1600 CE. Numerical climate simulations indicate a possible eruption-induced mechanism for the persistent cooling in a slowdown of the North Atlantic subpolar gyre (SPG) and consequent ocean-atmosphere feedbacks. To examine the possibility of such an eruption-induced cooling mechanism, this study compares simulations with and without volcanic forcing and an SPG shift to reconstructions from annual proxies in natural archives and historical written records as well as contemporary historical observations of relevant climate and environmental conditions. These reconstructions and observations demonstrate patterns of cooling and sea ice expansion consistent with, but not necessarily indicative of, an eruption trigger for the proposed SPG slowdown mechanism. The results point to possible improvements in future model-data comparison studies utilizing historical written records. Moreover, we consider historical societal impacts and adaptations associated with the reconstructed climatic and environmental anomalies.
