Modes of response of the subsurface western South Atlantic to the last glacial Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thiago Santos ◽  
João Ballalai ◽  
Daniel Franco ◽  
Rômulo Oliveira ◽  
Douglas Lessa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ice Cores ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Meridional Overturning Circulation ◽  
Last Glacial ◽  
Mis 3 ◽  
Subsurface Layers ◽  
Basal Melting ◽  
Mis 5 ◽  
The Last Glacial ◽  
Millennial Scale

<p>The last glacial was an interval characterized by a sequence of abrupt millennial-scale events well documented mainly from the Greenland and Antarctica ice-cores. Although the triggers are not fully understood, most of the works agree that they occurred in consonance with oscillations in the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Paleoceanographic reconstructions have shown that cold millennial-scale stadials were accompanied by high temperatures in the subsurface to intermediate waters of the Atlantic Ocean that may have acted in both the basal melting of ice-sheets and in the rapid atmospheric warming during the onset of warm interstadials. Assuming that recent transient models indicated an accentuated response of the subsurface western South Atlantic to the millennial-scale disturbances, here we present a paleoceanographic reconstruction in this area based on the deep-dwelling planktic foraminifer Globorotalia inflata. Our high-resolution oxygen isotope (d<sup>18</sup>O) presents a sequence of millennial-scale variability that strongly resembles the structure of the Greenland Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles, mainly during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5. On the other hand, during MIS 3, this millennial-scale feature is absent or weakly represented. Cross-spectral analyzes indicate a meaningful north-to-south forcing over the western South Atlantic subsurface during early-glacial. Mg/Ca-derived temperature and ice-volume free seawater d<sup>18</sup>O (d<sup>18</sup>O<sub>IVF-SW</sub>) executed for the MIS 5 interval demonstrated that the subsurface western South Atlantic was warmer and saltier (colder and fresher) during early glacial stadial (interstadials). We hypothesized that a wide reorganization of the northward heat transport throughout the last glacial occurred, in which regions so far south as 24 ºS worked as prominent heat reservoirs in periods of weakened AMOC during MIS 5 but not necessarily during MIS 3. Our data suggest that future impacts over the AMOC along the Brazilian margin will likely be recognized in the subsurface layers of the western South Atlantic.</p>

scholarly journals <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C decreases in the upper western South Atlantic during Heinrich Stadials 3 and 2

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 345-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marília C. Campos ◽  
Cristiano M. Chiessi ◽  
Ines Voigt ◽  
Alberto R. Piola ◽  
Henning Kuhnert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Meridional Overturning Circulation ◽  
Glacial Period ◽  
Last Deglaciation ◽  
Last Glacial Period ◽  
Last Glacial ◽  
Change Events ◽  
The Last Glacial ◽  
Millennial Scale

Abstract. Abrupt millennial-scale climate change events of the last deglaciation (i.e. Heinrich Stadial 1 and the Younger Dryas) were accompanied by marked increases in atmospheric CO2 (CO2atm) and decreases in its stable carbon isotopic ratios (δ13C), i.e. δ13CO2atm, presumably due to outgassing from the ocean. However, information on the preceding Heinrich Stadials during the last glacial period is scarce. Here we present δ13C records from two species of planktonic foraminifera from the western South Atlantic that reveal major decreases (up to 1 ‰) during Heinrich Stadials 3 and 2. These δ13C decreases are most likely related to millennial-scale periods of weakening of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and the consequent increase (decrease) in CO2atm (δ13CO2atm). We hypothesise two mechanisms that could account for the decreases observed in our records, namely strengthening of Southern Ocean deep-water ventilation and weakening of the biological pump. Additionally, we suggest that air–sea gas exchange could have contributed to the observed δ13C decreases. Together with other lines of evidence, our data are consistent with the hypothesis that the CO2 added to the atmosphere during abrupt millennial-scale climate change events of the last glacial period also originated in the ocean and reached the atmosphere by outgassing. The temporal evolution of δ13C during Heinrich Stadials 3 and 2 in our records is characterized by two relative minima separated by a relative maximum. This w structure is also found in North Atlantic and South American records, further suggesting that such a structure is a pervasive feature of Heinrich Stadial 2 and, possibly, also Heinrich Stadial 3.

scholarly journals Millennial and sub-millennial scale climatic variations recorded in polar ice cores over the last glacial period

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Capron ◽  
A. Landais ◽  
J. Chappellaz ◽  
A. Schilt ◽  
D. Buiron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Ice Sheets ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Glacial Period ◽  
Last Glacial Period ◽  
Last Glacial ◽  
Dronning Maud Land ◽  
Mis 5 ◽  
The Last Glacial ◽  
Millennial Scale

Abstract. Since its discovery in Greenland ice cores, the millennial scale climatic variability of the last glacial period has been increasingly documented at all latitudes with studies focusing mainly on Marine Isotopic Stage 3 (MIS 3; 28–60 thousand of years before present, hereafter ka) and characterized by short Dansgaard-Oeschger (DO) events. Recent and new results obtained on the EPICA and NorthGRIP ice cores now precisely describe the rapid variations of Antarctic and Greenland temperature during MIS 5 (73.5–123 ka), a time period corresponding to relatively high sea level. The results display a succession of long DO events enabling us to highlight a sub-millennial scale climatic variability depicted by i) short-lived and abrupt warming events preceding some Greenland InterStadial (GIS) (precursor-type events) and ii) abrupt warming events at the end of some GIS (rebound-type events). The occurrence of these secondary events is suggested to be driven by the Northern Hemisphere summertime insolation at 65° N together with the internal forcing of ice sheets. Thanks to a recent NorthGRIP-EPICA Dronning Maud Land (EDML) common timescale over MIS 5, the bipolar sequence of climatic events can be established at millennial to sub-millennial timescale. This provides evidence that a linear relationship is not satisfactory in explaining the link between Antarctic warming amplitudes and the duration of their concurrent Greenland Stadial (GS) for the entire glacial period. The conceptual model for a thermal bipolar seesaw permits a reconstruction of the Antarctic response to the northern millennial and sub-millennial scale variability over MIS 5. However, we show that when ice sheets are extensive, Antarctica does not necessarily warm during the whole GS as the thermal bipolar seesaw model would predict.

scholarly journals Millennial and sub-millennial scale climatic variations recorded in polar ice cores over the last glacial period

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Capron ◽  
A. Landais ◽  
J. Chappellaz ◽  
A. Schilt ◽  
D. Buiron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Sheets ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Glacial Period ◽  
Last Glacial Period ◽  
Last Glacial ◽  
Mis 5 ◽  
The Last Glacial ◽  
Millennial Scale

Abstract. Since its discovery in Greenland ice cores, the millennial scale climatic variability of the last glacial period has been increasingly documented at all latitudes with studies focusing mainly on Marine Isotopic Stage 3 (MIS 3; 28–60 thousand of years before present, hereafter ka) and characterized by short Dansgaard-Oeschger (DO) events. Recent and new results obtained on the EPICA and NorthGRIP ice cores now precisely describe the rapid variations of Antarctic and Greenland temperature during MIS 5 (73.5–123 ka), a time period corresponding to relatively high sea level. The results display a succession of abrupt events associated with long Greenland InterStadial phases (GIS) enabling us to highlight a sub-millennial scale climatic variability depicted by (i) short-lived and abrupt warming events preceding some GIS (precursor-type events) and (ii) abrupt warming events at the end of some GIS (rebound-type events). The occurrence of these sub-millennial scale events is suggested to be driven by the insolation at high northern latitudes together with the internal forcing of ice sheets. Thanks to a recent NorthGRIP-EPICA Dronning Maud Land (EDML) common timescale over MIS 5, the bipolar sequence of climatic events can be established at millennial to sub-millennial timescale. This shows that for extraordinary long stadial durations the accompanying Antarctic warming amplitude cannot be described by a simple linear relationship between the two as expected from the bipolar seesaw concept. We also show that when ice sheets are extensive, Antarctica does not necessarily warm during the whole GS as the thermal bipolar seesaw model would predict, questioning the Greenland ice core temperature records as a proxy for AMOC changes throughout the glacial period.

scholarly journals A South Atlantic island record uncovers shifts in westerlies and hydroclimate during the last glacial

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 1939-1958
Author(s):  
Svante Björck ◽  
Jesper Sjolte ◽  
Karl Ljung ◽  
Florian Adolphi ◽  
Roger Flower ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Oceanic Islands ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Heat Fluxes ◽  
Meridional Overturning Circulation ◽  
Driving Mechanism ◽  
Last Glacial ◽  
The Last Glacial

Abstract. Changes in the latitudinal position and strength of the Southern Hemisphere westerlies (SHW) are thought to be tightly coupled to important climate processes, such as cross-equatorial heat fluxes, Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), the bipolar seesaw, Southern Ocean ventilation and atmospheric CO2 levels. However, many uncertainties regarding magnitude, direction, and causes and effects of past SHW shifts still exist due to lack of suitable sites and scarcity of information on SHW dynamics, especially from the last glacial. Here we present a detailed hydroclimate multiproxy record from a 36.4–18.6 kyr old lake sediment sequence on Nightingale Island (NI). It is strategically located at 37∘ S in the central South Atlantic (SA) within the SHW belt and situated just north of the marine Subtropical Front (SF). This has enabled us to assess hydroclimate changes and their link to the regional climate development as well as to large-scale climate events in polar ice cores. The NI record exhibits a continuous impact of the SHW, recording shifts in both position and strength, and between 36 and 31 ka the westerlies show high latitudinal and strength-wise variability possibly linked to the bipolar seesaw. This was followed by 4 kyr of slightly falling temperatures, decreasing humidity and fairly southerly westerlies. After 27 ka temperatures decreased 3–4 ∘C, marking the largest hydroclimate change with drier conditions and a variable SHW position. We note that periods with more intense and southerly-positioned SHW seem to be related to periods of increased CO2 outgassing from the ocean, while changes in the cross-equatorial gradient during large northern temperature changes appear as the driving mechanism for the SHW shifts. Together with coeval shifts of the South Pacific westerlies, our results show that most of the Southern Hemisphere experienced simultaneous atmospheric circulation changes during the latter part of the last glacial. Finally we can conclude that multiproxy lake records from oceanic islands have the potential to record atmospheric variability coupled to large-scale climate shifts over vast oceanic areas.

scholarly journals Glacial δ<sup>13</sup>C decreases in the western South Atlantic forced by millennial changes in Southern Ocean ventilation

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marília C. Campos ◽  
Cristiano M. Chiessi ◽  
Ines Voigt ◽  
Alberto R. Piola ◽  
Henning Kuhnert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Southern Ocean ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Meridional Overturning Circulation ◽  
Glacial Period ◽  
Last Glacial Period ◽  
Last Glacial ◽  
Change Events ◽  
The Last Glacial ◽  
Millennial Scale

Abstract. Abrupt millennial–scale climate change events of the last deglaciation (i.e., Heinrich Stadial 1 and the Younger Dryas) were accompanied by marked increases in atmospheric CO2 presumably originated by outgassing from the Southern Ocean. However, information on the preceding Heinrich Stadials during the last glacial period is scarce. Here we present stable carbon isotopic data (δ13C) from two species of planktonic foraminifera from the western South Atlantic that reveal major decreases (up to 1 ‰) during Heinrich Stadials 3 and 2. These δ13C decreases are most likely related to millennial–scale periods of intensification in Southern Ocean deep water ventilation presumably associated with a weak Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. After reaching the upper water column of the Southern Ocean, the δ13C depletion would be transferred equatorward via central and thermocline waters. Together with other lines of evidence, our data are consistent with the hypothesis that the CO2 added to the atmosphere during abrupt millennial–scale climate change events during the last glacial period also originated in the ocean and reached the atmosphere by outgassing from the Southern Ocean. The temporal evolution of δ13C during Heinrich Stadials in our records is characterized by two relative minima separated by a relative maximum. This “w–structure” is also found in North Atlantic and South American records, giving us confidence that such structure is a pervasive feature of Heinrich Stadial 2 and, possibly, also Heinrich Stadial 3.

scholarly journals A south Atlantic island record uncovers shifts in westerlies and hydroclimate during the last glacial

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svante Björck ◽  
Jesper Sjolte ◽  
Karl Ljung ◽  
Florian Adolphi ◽  
Roger Flower ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Circulation ◽  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Meridional Overturning Circulation ◽  
Driving Mechanism ◽  
Last Glacial ◽  
Climate Shifts ◽  
The Last Glacial

Abstract. The period 36–18 ka was a dynamic phase of the last glacial, with large climate shifts in both hemispheres. Through the bipolar seesaw, the Antarctic Isotope Maxima and Greenland DO events were part of a global concert of large scale climate changes. The interaction between atmospheric processes and Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) is crucial for such shifts, controlling upwelling- and carbon cycle dynamics, and generating climate tipping points. Here we report the first temperature and humidity record for the glacial period from the central South Atlantic (SA). The presented data resolves ambiguities about atmospheric circulation shifts during bipolar climate events recorded in polar ice cores. A unique lake sediment sequence from Nightingale Island at 37° S in the SA, covering 36.4–18.6 ka, exhibits continuous impact of the Southern Hemisphere Westerlies (SHW), recording shifts in their position and strength. The SHW displayed high latitudinal and strength-wise variability 36–31 ka locked to the bipolar seesaw, followed by 4 ka of slightly falling temperatures, decreasing humidity and fairly southern westerlies. After 27.5 ka temperatures decreased 3–4 °C, marking the largest hydroclimate change with drier conditions and a variable SHW position. We note that periods with more intense and southerly positioned SHW are correlated with periods of increased CO2 outgassing from the ocean. Changes in the cross-equatorial gradient during large northern temperature changes appear as the driving mechanism for the SHW shifts. Together with coeval shifts of the South Pacific westerlies, it shows that most of the Southern Hemisphere experienced simultaneous atmospheric circulation changes during the latter part of the last glacial.

scholarly journals Contrasting late-glacial paleoceanographic evolution between the upper and lower continental slope of the western South Atlantic

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 1245-1261
Author(s):  
Leticia G. Luz ◽  
Thiago P. Santos ◽  
Timothy I. Eglinton ◽  
Daniel Montluçon ◽  
Blanca Ausin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
Planktonic Foraminifera ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Meridional Overturning Circulation ◽  
Coastal Current ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Last Deglaciation ◽  
Glacial Cycle ◽  
Last Glacial ◽  
The Last Glacial

Abstract. The number of sedimentary records collected along the Brazilian continental margin has increased significantly in recent years, but relatively few are located in shallow waters and register paleoceanographic processes in the outer shelf–middle slope prior to 10–15 ka. For instance, the northward flow up to 23–24∘ S of cold and fresh shelf waters sourced from the Subantarctic region is an important feature of current hydrodynamics in the subtropical western South Atlantic Ocean, and yet limited information is available for the long-term changes of this system. Herein, we considered a suite of organic and inorganic proxies – alkenones-derived sea surface temperature (SST), δD-alkenones, δ18O of planktonic foraminifera, and ice-volume free seawater δ18OIVF−SW – in sediment from two cores (RJ-1501 and RJ-1502) collected off the Rio de Janeiro Shelf (SE Brazilian continental shelf) to shed light on SST patterns and relative salinity variations since the end of the last glacial cycle in the region and the implications of these processes over a broader spatial scale. The data indicate that, despite the proximity (∼40 km apart) of both cores, apparently contradictory climatic evolution occurred at the two sites, with the shallower (deeper) core RJ-1501 (RJ-1502) showing consistently cold (warm) and fresh (salt) conditions toward the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and last deglaciation. This can be reconciled by considering that the RJ-1501 core registered a signal from mid- to high latitudes on the upper slope off Rio de Janeiro represented by the influence of the cold and fresh waters composed of Subantarctic Shelf Water and La Plata Plume Water transported northward by the Brazilian Coastal Current (BCC). The data from core RJ-1502 and previous information for deep-cores from the same region support this interpretation. In addition, alkenone-derived SST and δ18OIVF−SW suggest a steep thermal and density gradient formed between the BCC and Brazil Current (BC) during the last climate transition which, in turn, may have generated perturbations in the air–sea heat flux with consequences for the regional climate of SE South America. In a scenario of future weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, the reconstructed gradient may become a prominent feature of the region.

Orbital cycle-related benthic-pelagic fluctuations in Foraminifera during the last glacial-interglacial interval in the western South Atlantic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime Yesid Suarez Ibarra ◽  
Cristiane Fraga Frozza ◽  
Sandro Monticelli Petró ◽  
Pamela de Lara Palhano ◽  
Maria Alejandra Gómez Pivel
Keyword(s):  
Deep Water ◽  
Bottom Water ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Water Masses ◽  
Meridional Overturning Circulation ◽  
Biological Pump ◽  
Sea Floor ◽  
Last Glacial ◽  
Surface Productivity ◽  
The Last Glacial

&lt;p&gt;Paleoceanographic studies reconstructing surface paleoproductivity and benthic conditions allow us to measure the effectiveness of the biological pump, an important mechanism in the global climate system. In order to assess surface productivity changes and their effect on the sea-floor environment, a multiproxy paleoceanographic analysis was conducted on the core SAT-048A (1542 m.b.s.l.), recovered from the continental slope of the southernmost Brazilian continental margin, western South Atlantic. We assessed sea surface productivity using different planktonic foraminiferal proxies: (1) the relative abundances of the species &lt;em&gt;Globigerina bulloides&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Globigerinita glutinata&lt;/em&gt; and (2) the &amp;#948;&lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;C signal of shells of the species &lt;em&gt;Globigerinoides ruber ruber&lt;/em&gt;. To assess the organic matter (OM) flux to the seafloor, the foraminiferal planktonic:benthic ratio and the &amp;#948;&lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;C signal of shells of the benthic foraminifer &lt;em&gt;Uvigerina&lt;/em&gt; spp. were used. To study dissolution effects occurring at the sea-floor, the Fragmentation Intensity (i.e., the proportion of fragments and broken foraminiferal shells), the number of planktonic foraminiferal tests per gram of dry sediment, and the CaCO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; and Sand contents of the sediment were measured. Superimposed on the climate-induced changes related to the last glacial-interglacial transition, the reconstruction indicates paleoproductivity changes synchronized with the precessional cycle. From the reconstructed data, it was possible to identify the glacial and postglacial stages: surface productivity, flux to the seafloor, and dissolution rates of planktonic foraminiferal tests where high during the glacial and low during the postglacial. Furthermore, within the glacial, enhanced productivity was associated with higher insolation values, which can be explained by increased NE summer winds that strengthened the Brazil Current transport and, in turn, promoted meandering and upwelling of the nutrient rich South Atlantic Central Water. Changes in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and the reorganization of bottom water masses may change the CO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2-&lt;/sup&gt; saturation levels and, consequently, influence carbonate preservation. However, the &amp;#948;&lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;C values from shells of &lt;em&gt;Uvigerina&lt;/em&gt; spp. are different from present-day &amp;#948;&lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;C values from dissolved inorganic carbon for the Upper Circumpolar Deep Water and the North Atlantic Deep Water, which is likely linked to varying OM fluxes. Future studies (e.g., &amp;#949;Nd in benthic Foraminifera) must quantify the effect of the reorganization of the bottom water masses on the dissolution of the planktonic foraminiferal tests, to better understand the effect of the biological pump removing carbon from the seawater and its subsequent sequestration in the seafloor sediments.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Meridional overturning circulation in the South Atlantic at the last glacial maximum

2006 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. n/a-n/a ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Lynch-Stieglitz ◽  
William B. Curry ◽  
Delia W. Oppo ◽  
Ulysses S. Ninneman ◽  
Christopher D. Charles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Last Glacial Maximum ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Glacial Maximum ◽  
Meridional Overturning Circulation ◽  
The South ◽  
Overturning Circulation ◽  
Last Glacial ◽  
Meridional Overturning ◽  
The Last Glacial Maximum ◽  
The Last Glacial

scholarly journals The impacts of deglacial meltwater forcing on the South Atlantic Ocean deep circulation since the Last Glacial Maximum

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1723-1734 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Marson ◽  
I. Wainer ◽  
M. M. Mata ◽  
Z. Liu
Keyword(s):  
Last Glacial Maximum ◽  
Atlantic Water ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Glacial Maximum ◽  
Meridional Overturning Circulation ◽  
The South ◽  
Climate System Model ◽  
Last Glacial ◽  
The Last Glacial Maximum ◽  
The Last Glacial

Abstract. A NCAR-CCSM3 (National Center for Atmospheric Research – Community Climate System Model version 3) state-of-the-art transient paleoclimate simulation with prescribed freshwater inflows is used to investigate the changes and evolution of the South Atlantic water mass structure from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to the present day. Model results show that 21 000 yr ago the water column was substantially stratified due to the presence of a saltier-than-today Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW), forming a salinity barrier that prevented dense waters from the Northern Hemisphere from sinking. This salinity barrier started to erode after the termination of the Heinrich event 1, when its associated meltwater was transported southward, freshening the AABW. The removal of the barrier after 14 ka triggered the production of the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW), which spread into the deeper layers of the South Atlantic at the onset of the Holocene. At this point, the NADW acquired its modern-day structure, establishing a deeper Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC).

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document