Abrupt wind regime changes in the North Atlantic Ocean during the past 30,000—60,000 years

• Published in: Paleoceanography
• Main Authors: López-Martínez, Constancia, Grimalt, Joan O., Hoogakker, Babette, Gruetzner, Jens, Vautravers, Maryline J., McCave, I. Nicholas
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: American Geophysical Union 2006
• Subjects: Wind regime; Biomarkers; Atlantic Ocean; Greenland; Greenland ice cores; ice core; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/11898; https://doi.org/10.1029/2006PA001275

12 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables. The inputs of higher plants in Blake Outer Ridge (subtropical western North Atlantic) during marine isotope stage 3 (MIS3) have been recorded at high resolution by quantification of C-23 – C-33 odd carbon numbered n-alkanes and C-20 – C-30 even carbon numbered n-alkan-1-ols in sediment sections of Ocean Drilling Program Site 1060. The changes of these proxies at this open marine site are mainly related to eolian inputs. Their concentrations and fluxes exhibit major abrupt variations that are correlated with Dansgaard/Oeschger (D/O) patterns in Greenland ice cores. The ratios between interstadials and stadials range between 2 and 9 times. The intense flux increases in the D/O stadials are linked to strong enhancements of the westerly wind regime at these subtropical latitudes during stadials. The observed variation was paralleled by changes in wind-blown dust and the polar circulation index in Greenland ice, which is in agreement with previously hypothesized atmospheric teleconnections between northern and middle-low latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The close correspondence between sedimentary and ice core proxies is evidence that crossings of the glacial climate thresholds involved major reorganizations of the troposphere. The observed large rise in higher plant biomarkers indicates that climate stabilization in the D/O stadial conditions led to main increases in wind intensity. This work was supported by the Pole-Ocean-Pole (EVK2-2000-00089) and Coordinated European Surface Ocean Paleoestimation (EVRII-2001-00009) projects funded by the European Union. Peer reviewed