Southern Hemisphere westerly wind influence on southern New Zealand hydrology during the Lateglacial and Holocene

ABSTRACT The strength and latitudinal position of the southern westerly winds (SWW) influence mid‐latitude precipitation and carbon cycling in the Southern Ocean. Despite the important role the westerlies play in the global climate system, past variability is poorly constrained. Here, we present a g...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Quaternary Science
Main Authors: Anderson, Harris J., Moy, Christopher M., Vandergoes, Marcus J., Nichols, Jonathan E., Riesselman, Christina R., Van Hale, Robert
Other Authors: Royal Society of New Zealand
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2018
Subjects:
Antarctic
Low Lake
New Zealand
Southern Ocean
The Antarctic
Antarc*
North Atlantic
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jqs.3045
https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fjqs.3045
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/jqs.3045
Description
Summary:ABSTRACT The strength and latitudinal position of the southern westerly winds (SWW) influence mid‐latitude precipitation and carbon cycling in the Southern Ocean. Despite the important role the westerlies play in the global climate system, past variability is poorly constrained. Here, we present a geochemical record of hydroclimate change from Lake Von in south‐west New Zealand that spans the last 16 000 years. During the Lateglacial and early Holocene, we find stratigraphic and geochemical evidence for three distinct periods of low lake levels that occur during North Atlantic cold events when the Intertropical Convergence Zone is displaced southwards, Southern Ocean upwelling is enhanced and the Antarctic is rapidly warming. We attribute these hydrological changes to southward shifts of the SWW and associated storm tracks that cause arid conditions in southern New Zealand. During the early Holocene, we find evidence for an extended period of low lake levels that are caused by a combination of diminished wind strength, higher air temperatures and reduced seasonality. Finally, we interpret an overall intensification of the SWW after 5500 cal a bp. Our results support the idea that climate mechanisms originating in the high latitudes and the tropics work together to influence the SWW on millennial timescales.

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