Investigating the spatial heterogeneity of abrupt cooling events during the Lateglacial Interstadial in Britain and Ireland using chironomids and oxygen-isotopes. 

Author(s):  
Christopher Francis ◽  
Ian Candy ◽  
Stefan engels ◽  
Ian Matthews ◽  
Adrian Palmer

<p>The Windermere Interstadial (GI-1; c. 14.7-12.9 kyr ago), a relatively warm period at the end of the last glaciation, provides an excellent opportunity to study past abrupt cooling events (ACEs). These events, commonly known as GI-1d and GI-1b, are clearly expressed in the Greenland ice cores and offer some of our best analogues for future events caused by anthropogenic warming. Such ACEs have variable expression in terms of their magnitude across Europe and the North Atlantic region which is likely to reflect the forcing factors which drive them. However, relatively few, spatially uneven, quantitative temperature reconstructions of ACEs exist for NW Europe. Between-site differences in sampling resolution applied and calibration datasets used makes inter-comparisons problematic.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>We applied chironomid and oxygen-isotope analysis at a high temporal resolution (~decadal) to a number of Windermere Interstadial lake sequences from spatially diverse locations across the British Isles. This dual proxy approach allows for quantitative reconstructions of past climate change and provides insight into seasonal temperature change as well as hydrological regime shifts. Several chironomid calibration datasets were tested to ascertain which provided the most reliable reconstruction. Even across a relatively restricted area such as the British Isles, clear spatial patterns can be observed in ACE strength. GI-1d exhibits greatest magnitude in the North of the region whilst GI-1b is most strongly expressed in the South. The results highlight the pivotal location of the British Isles in further refining our understanding of the forcing mechanism driving ACEs.</p>

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 294
Author(s):  
Norel Rimbu ◽  
Monica Ionita ◽  
Gerrit Lohmann

The variability of stable oxygen isotope ratios (δ18O) from Greenland ice cores is commonly linked to changes in local climate and associated teleconnection patterns. In this respect, in this study we investigate ice core δ18O variability from a synoptic scale perspective to assess the potential of such records as proxies for extreme climate variability and associated weather patterns. We show that positive (negative) δ18O anomalies in three southern and central Greenland ice cores are associated with relatively high (low) Rossby Wave Breaking (RWB) activity in the North Atlantic region. Both cyclonic and anticyclonic RWB patterns associated with high δ18O show filaments of strong moisture transport from the Atlantic Ocean towards Greenland. During such events, warm and wet conditions are recorded over southern, western and central part of Greenland. In the same time the cyclonic and anticyclonic RWB patterns show enhanced southward advection of cold polar air masses on their eastern side, leading to extreme cold conditions over Europe. The association between high δ18O winters in Greenland ice cores and extremely cold winters over Europe is partly explained by the modulation of the RWB frequency by the tropical Atlantic sea surface temperature forcing, as shown in recent modeling studies. We argue that δ18O from Greenland ice cores can be used as a proxy for RWB activity in the Atlantic European region and associated extreme weather and climate anomalies.


1998 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helge W. Arz ◽  
Jürgen Pätzold ◽  
Gerold Wefer

The stable isotope composition of planktonic foraminifera correlates with evidence for pulses of terrigenous sediment in a sediment core from the upper continental slope off northeastern Brazil. Stable oxygen isotope records of the planktonic foraminiferal species Globigerinoides sacculiferand Globigerinoides ruber(pink) reveal sub-Milankovitch changes in sea-surface hydrography during the last 85,000 yr. Warming of the surface water coincided with terrigenous sedimentation pulses that are inferred from high XRF intensities of Ti and Fe, and which suggest humid conditions in northeast Brazil. These tropical signals correlate with climatic oscillations recorded in Greenland ice cores (Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles) and in sediment cores from the North Atlantic (Heinrich events). Trade winds may have caused changes in the North Brazil Current that altered heat and salt flux into the North Atlantic, thus affecting the growth and decay of the large glacial ice sheets.


2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (38) ◽  
pp. e2104105118
Author(s):  
Matthew B. Osman ◽  
Sloan Coats ◽  
Sarah B. Das ◽  
Joseph R. McConnell ◽  
Nathan Chellman

Reconstruction of the North Atlantic jet stream (NAJ) presents a critical, albeit largely unconstrained, paleoclimatic target. Models suggest northward migration and changing variance of the NAJ under 21st-century warming scenarios, but assessing the significance of such projections is hindered by a lack of long-term observations. Here, we incorporate insights from an ensemble of last-millennium water isotope–enabled climate model simulations and a wide array of mean annual water isotope (δ18O) and annually accumulated snowfall records from Greenland ice cores to reconstruct North Atlantic zonal-mean zonal winds back to the 8th century CE. Using this reconstruction we provide preobservational constraints on both annual mean NAJ position and intensity to show that late 20th- and early 21st-century NAJ variations were likely not unique relative to natural variability. Rather, insights from our 1,250 year reconstruction highlight the overwhelming role of natural variability in thus far masking the response of midlatitude atmospheric dynamics to anthropogenic forcing, consistent with recent large-ensemble transient modeling experiments. This masking is not projected to persist under high greenhouse gas emissions scenarios, however, with model projected annual mean NAJ position emerging as distinct from the range of reconstructed natural variability by as early as 2060 CE.


2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 871-886 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Casado ◽  
P. Ortega ◽  
V. Masson-Delmotte ◽  
C. Risi ◽  
D. Swingedouw ◽  
...  

Abstract. In mid and high latitudes, the stable isotope ratio in precipitation is driven by changes in temperature, which control atmospheric distillation. This relationship forms the basis for many continental paleoclimatic reconstructions using direct (e.g. ice cores) or indirect (e.g. tree ring cellulose, speleothem calcite) archives of past precipitation. However, the archiving process is inherently biased by intermittency of precipitation. Here, we use two sets of atmospheric reanalyses (NCEP (National Centers for Environmental Prediction) and ERA-interim) to quantify this precipitation intermittency bias, by comparing seasonal (winter and summer) temperatures estimated with and without precipitation weighting. We show that this bias reaches up to 10 °C and has large interannual variability. We then assess the impact of precipitation intermittency on the strength and stability of temporal correlations between seasonal temperatures and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Precipitation weighting reduces the correlation between winter NAO and temperature in some areas (e.g. Québec, South-East USA, East Greenland, East Siberia, Mediterranean sector) but does not alter the main patterns of correlation. The correlations between NAO, δ18O in precipitation, temperature and precipitation weighted temperature are investigated using outputs of an atmospheric general circulation model enabled with stable isotopes and nudged using reanalyses (LMDZiso (Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique Zoom)). In winter, LMDZiso shows similar correlation values between the NAO and both the precipitation weighted temperature and δ18O in precipitation, thus suggesting limited impacts of moisture origin. Correlations of comparable magnitude are obtained for the available observational evidence (GNIP (Global Network of Isotopes in Precipitation) and Greenland ice core data). Our findings support the use of archives of past δ18O for NAO reconstructions.


2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Svensson ◽  
K. K. Andersen ◽  
M. Bigler ◽  
H. B. Clausen ◽  
D. Dahl-Jensen ◽  
...  

Abstract. The Greenland Ice Core Chronology 2005 (GICC05) is a time scale based on annual layer counting of high-resolution records from Greenland ice cores. Whereas the Holocene part of the time scale is based on various records from the DYE-3, the GRIP, and the NorthGRIP ice cores, the glacial part is solely based on NorthGRIP records. Here we present an 18 ka extension of the time scale such that GICC05 continuously covers the past 60 ka. The new section of the time scale places the onset of Greenland Interstadial 12 (GI-12) at 46.9±1.0 ka b2k (before year AD 2000), the North Atlantic Ash Zone II layer in GI-15 at 55.4±1.2 ka b2k, and the onset of GI-17 at 59.4±1.3 ka b2k. The error estimates are derived from the accumulated number of uncertain annual layers. In the 40–60 ka interval, the new time scale has a discrepancy with the Meese-Sowers GISP2 time scale of up to 2.4 ka. Assuming that the Greenland climatic events are synchronous with those seen in the Chinese Hulu Cave speleothem record, GICC05 compares well to the time scale of that record with absolute age differences of less than 800 years throughout the 60 ka period. The new time scale is generally in close agreement with other independently dated records and reference horizons, such as the Laschamp geomagnetic excursion, the French Villars Cave and the Austrian Kleegruben Cave speleothem records, suggesting high accuracy of both event durations and absolute age estimates.


2004 ◽  
Vol 148 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianping Zheng ◽  
W. L. Griffin ◽  
Suzanne Y. O’Reilly ◽  
Fengxiang Lu ◽  
Chunmei Yu ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Martha Ingrid Trodahl

<p>Lake Wairarapa is a highly modified lacustrine system at the southern end of the North Island, New Zealand. Not only is it situated in a region that is affected by catchment altering natural phenomena such as earthquakes, storms and fire, but both the catchment and hydrology of the lake have also been significantly altered by humans. Polynesian settlers arrived in the area approximately 700BP and proceeded to deforest the lowlands. European settlers began arriving from 1844AD onwards, completing deforestation of the lowlands and Eastern Uplands. In 1964 the Lower Wairarapa Valley Development Scheme was commissioned in an effort to alleviate flooding. This scheme significantly altered the hydrological regime of the lake. Interest in the condition of the lake and associated wetlands, and the realization that it has important recreational, cultural and ecological value, began to develop in the 1990's. This has led to a desire to see the lake restored to a more natural condition while still maintaining its flood protection capabilities. However, the lake has only been monitored over the last several decades. Any evidence of the lakes condition prior to this time is anecdotal and little is known of its natural tendencies and functions. This research has investigated and quantified morphological changes to Lake Wairarapa at the decadal and millenial scale using a combination of aerial photograph analysis, bathymetric survey comparison and lakebed core analysis. Study at these diverse scales has allowed the observed changes to be related to human environmental modification, while also being juxtaposed against natural trajectories of change. It is hoped that this can inform lake management and restoration efforts and provide a benchmark for measuring future changes to the lake, while also addressing wider issues concerning natural versus anthropogenic landscape change at the local and regional scale. The results of this project suggest that the lake has been steadily infilling over the last 6000BP – particularly along the eastern shore. For the two decades after significant hydrological changes to the lake associated with the Lower Wairarapa Valley Development Scheme, the rate of infilling on the eastern shore increased more than tenfold. However, this was accompanied by deepening in other parts of the lake. Today infilling along the eastern shore appears to have returned to natural rates and overall the lake in 2010 is only slightly smaller in volume than in 1975. Longer term anthropogenic influence on the lake and catchment was also evident. In particular Polynesian settlement and subsequent deforestation by fire was apparent in the lakebed cores. This result not only addresses the immediate issue of anthropogenic influence on this particular lacustrine system, but also informs the debate surrounding the dating of Polynesian arrival in New Zealand.</p>


<em>Abstract</em>.—The biology and fisheries of macrourid species in the NE Atlantic are reviewed. Of about 30 species that occur within that area, the roundnose grenadier <em>Coryphaenoides rupestris </em>is one of the main target species of deep-water fisheries. Roughhead grenadier <em>Macrourus berglax </em>is a minor bycatch of other deep-water fisheries and an occasional target of some small fisheries. Other macrourid species are not commercially exploited because they are too small and/or in too deep waters, but some are also taken as accidental bycatch. There are three main fisheries for roundnose grenadier: north and west of the British Isles, Skagerrak, and Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The Skagerrak fishery is mainly for fish meal while the others are for human consumption. Due to data availability, a range of assessment methods has been trialled primarily for stocks to the north and west of the British Isles. Although uncertain, these assessments provide evidence that the stock has been severely depleted. Fisheries were largely unregulated until the early 2000s, but following repeated International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) advice, total allowable catches were introduced in 2003 together with effort and capacity regulations. Roundnose grenadier is the most studied species. It lives more than 50 years, compared to 30 years or more for roughhead grenadier. The limited knowledge of other species suggests a contrasting picture of maximum age ranging from 10 to 40 years. Taking into account the limited biological knowledge for these species, the pros and cons of the current management regime are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 221 (2) ◽  
pp. 1384-1401
Author(s):  
A Licciardi ◽  
R W England ◽  
N Piana Agostinetti ◽  
K Gallagher

SUMMARY We present a new Moho depth model of the British Isles and surrounding areas from the most up-to-date compilation of Moho depth estimates obtained from refraction, reflection and receiver function data. We use a probabilistic, trans-dimensional and hierarchical approach for the surface reconstruction of Moho topography. This fully data-driven approach allows for adaptive parametrization, assessment of relative importance between different data-types and uncertainties quantification on the reconstructed surface. Our results confirm the first order features of the Moho topography obtained in previous work such as deeper Moho (29–36 km) in continental areas (e.g. Ireland and Great Britain) and shallower Moho (12–22 km) offshore (e.g. in the Atlantic Ocean, west of Ireland). Resolution is improved by including recent available data, especially around the Porcupine Basin, onshore Ireland and Great Britain. NE trending features in Moho topography are highlighted above the Rockall High (about 28 km) and the Rockall Trough (with a NE directed deepening from 12 to about 20 km). A perpendicular SE oriented feature (Moho depth 26–28 km) is located between the Orkney and the Shetland, extending further SW in the North Sea. Onshore, our results highlight the crustal thinning towards the N in Ireland and an E–W oriented transition between deep (34 km) and shallow (about 28 km) Moho in Scotland. Our probabilistic results are compared with previous models showing overall differences around ±2 km, within the posterior uncertainties calculated with our approach. Bigger differences are located where different data are used between models or in less constrained areas where posterior uncertainties are high.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document