Impact of iceberg melting on Mediterranean thermohalinecirculation during Heinrich events

• Published in: Paleoceanography
• Main Authors: Sierro, Francisco Javier, Hodell, David A., Curtis, Jason H., Flores, José Abel, Reguera García, M. Isabel, Colmenero-Hidalgo, Elena, Bárcena, María Ángeles, Grimalt, Joan O., Cacho, Isabel, Frigola, Jaime, Canals, Miquel
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: American Geophysical Union 2005
• Subjects: Paleoceanography; Climate change; Ocean circulation; Mediterranean Sea; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/36171; https://doi.org/10.1029/2004PA001051

13 pages, 7 figures, 1 table. Down-core samples of planktonic and benthic foraminifera were analyzed for oxygen and carbon isotopesin International Marine Past Global Changes Study (IMAGES) core MD99-2343 in order to study theinteractions between climate change in the Northern Hemisphere and the western Mediterranean thermohalinecirculation at times of Heinrich events (HE). Our results confirm the antiphase correlation between enhancedNorth Atlantic Deep Water formation and low ventilation in the Mediterranean. However, this study reveals thatthis antiphase relationship in deepwater formation between the North Atlantic and Mediterranean wasinterrupted during times of HE when the injection of large volumes of water from melting icebergs reached theentrance to the Mediterranean. These events, which lasted less than 1000 years, are represented by pronounceddecreases in both planktonic d18O and benthic d13C signals. Lower salinities of Mediterranean surface waterresulted in a slowdown of western Mediterranean deepwater overturn even though cold sea surface temperaturesand drier climate should have resulted in enhanced deepwater formation. This work was funded by MECD and MCYT grants BTE2002-04670, REN2003-08642-C02/CLI, European Project PROMESS1, and ABRUMED. Peer reviewed