Hydrological changes in the Mediterranean Sea over the last 30,000 years

• Published in: Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems
• Main Authors: Essallami, L., Sicre, M., A, Kallel, N., Labeyrie, L., Siani, G.
• Other Authors: Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement Gif-sur-Yvette (LSCE), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Direction de Recherche Fondamentale (CEA) (DRF (CEA)), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2007
• Subjects: paleoclimate; glacial; Mediterranean; alkenones; foraminifera; marine core 4900 Paleoceanography (0473; 3344); 4926 Paleoceanography: Glacial; 4954 Paleoceanography: Sea surface temperature; [SDU.STU.CL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Climatology; [SDU.STU.GC]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Geochemistry; Planktonic foraminifera
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-03427327; https://hal.science/hal-03427327/document; https://hal.science/hal-03427327/file/Essallami,%20G%5E3,%202007.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GC001587

International audience Sea surface temperatures were reconstructed over the last 30,000 years from alkenone paleothermometry (SSTalk) and planktonic foraminifera assemblages using the Modern Analog Technique (MAT) (SSTforam) along two cores of the Mediterranean Sea: MD84-632 (Levantine basin) and MD04-2797 (Siculo-Tunisian Strait). Oxygen isotope of planktonic foraminifera G. bulloides for core MD04-2797 and G. ruber for core MD84-632 were also determined. SSTalk in the Levantine basin indicate colder values at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) ($14°C) than earlier established from MAT, and a cooling amplitude of 6°-7°C, comparable to the central Mediterranean Sea. Climatic events such as the Younger Dryas (YD) and Heinrich events 1 and 2 (H1 and H2) were times of significant cooling in the two cores. In the Eastern basin, values of local seawater oxygen isotope, dw, indicate relatively saltier waters during the LGM and deglaciation than today, with increasing dw values (higher salinity) in the Eastern basin and decreasing ones (lower salinity) in the central Mediterranean Sea, during cold stadials. The observed alterations of surface water properties (T and dw) in the central and eastern Mediterranean at the LGM are consistent with model experiments showing slightly lower evaporation in the Mediterranean than today, except for the Eastern basin.