Coralline algal Barium as indicator for 20th century northwestern North Atlantic surface ocean freshwater variability
During the past decades climate and freshwater dynamics in the northwestern North Atlantic have undergone major changes. Large-scale freshening episodes, related to polar freshwater pulses, have had a strong influence on ocean variability in this climatically important region. However, little is kno...
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ftsouthampton:oai:eprints.soton.ac.uk:378190 2023-07-30T04:05:03+02:00 Coralline algal Barium as indicator for 20th century northwestern North Atlantic surface ocean freshwater variability Hetzinger, S. Halfar, J. Zack, T. Mecking, J.V. Kunz, B.E. Jacob, D.E. Adey, W.H. 2013-05-02 text https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/378190/ https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/378190/1/srep01761.pdf en English eng https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/378190/1/srep01761.pdf Hetzinger, S., Halfar, J., Zack, T., Mecking, J.V., Kunz, B.E., Jacob, D.E. and Adey, W.H. (2013) Coralline algal Barium as indicator for 20th century northwestern North Atlantic surface ocean freshwater variability. Scientific Reports, 3, 1761. (doi:10.1038/srep01761 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep01761>). Article PeerReviewed 2013 ftsouthampton https://doi.org/10.1038/srep01761 2023-07-09T21:59:41Z During the past decades climate and freshwater dynamics in the northwestern North Atlantic have undergone major changes. Large-scale freshening episodes, related to polar freshwater pulses, have had a strong influence on ocean variability in this climatically important region. However, little is known about variability before 1950, mainly due to the lack of long-term high-resolution marine proxy archives. Here we present the first multidecadal-length records of annually resolved Ba/Ca variations from Northwest Atlantic coralline algae. We observe positive relationships between algal Ba/Ca ratios from two Newfoundland sites and salinity observations back to 1950. Both records capture episodical multi-year freshening events during the 20th century. Variability in algal Ba/Ca is sensitive to freshwater-induced changes in upper ocean stratification, which affect the transport of cold, Ba-enriched deep waters onto the shelf (highly stratified equals less Ba/Ca). Algal Ba/Ca ratios therefore may serve as a new resource for reconstructing past surface ocean freshwater changes. Article in Journal/Newspaper Newfoundland North Atlantic Northwest Atlantic University of Southampton: e-Prints Soton Scientific Reports 3 1 |
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University of Southampton: e-Prints Soton |
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ftsouthampton |
language |
English |
description |
During the past decades climate and freshwater dynamics in the northwestern North Atlantic have undergone major changes. Large-scale freshening episodes, related to polar freshwater pulses, have had a strong influence on ocean variability in this climatically important region. However, little is known about variability before 1950, mainly due to the lack of long-term high-resolution marine proxy archives. Here we present the first multidecadal-length records of annually resolved Ba/Ca variations from Northwest Atlantic coralline algae. We observe positive relationships between algal Ba/Ca ratios from two Newfoundland sites and salinity observations back to 1950. Both records capture episodical multi-year freshening events during the 20th century. Variability in algal Ba/Ca is sensitive to freshwater-induced changes in upper ocean stratification, which affect the transport of cold, Ba-enriched deep waters onto the shelf (highly stratified equals less Ba/Ca). Algal Ba/Ca ratios therefore may serve as a new resource for reconstructing past surface ocean freshwater changes. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hetzinger, S. Halfar, J. Zack, T. Mecking, J.V. Kunz, B.E. Jacob, D.E. Adey, W.H. |
spellingShingle |
Hetzinger, S. Halfar, J. Zack, T. Mecking, J.V. Kunz, B.E. Jacob, D.E. Adey, W.H. Coralline algal Barium as indicator for 20th century northwestern North Atlantic surface ocean freshwater variability |
author_facet |
Hetzinger, S. Halfar, J. Zack, T. Mecking, J.V. Kunz, B.E. Jacob, D.E. Adey, W.H. |
author_sort |
Hetzinger, S. |
title |
Coralline algal Barium as indicator for 20th century northwestern North Atlantic surface ocean freshwater variability |
title_short |
Coralline algal Barium as indicator for 20th century northwestern North Atlantic surface ocean freshwater variability |
title_full |
Coralline algal Barium as indicator for 20th century northwestern North Atlantic surface ocean freshwater variability |
title_fullStr |
Coralline algal Barium as indicator for 20th century northwestern North Atlantic surface ocean freshwater variability |
title_full_unstemmed |
Coralline algal Barium as indicator for 20th century northwestern North Atlantic surface ocean freshwater variability |
title_sort |
coralline algal barium as indicator for 20th century northwestern north atlantic surface ocean freshwater variability |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/378190/ https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/378190/1/srep01761.pdf |
genre |
Newfoundland North Atlantic Northwest Atlantic |
genre_facet |
Newfoundland North Atlantic Northwest Atlantic |
op_relation |
https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/378190/1/srep01761.pdf Hetzinger, S., Halfar, J., Zack, T., Mecking, J.V., Kunz, B.E., Jacob, D.E. and Adey, W.H. (2013) Coralline algal Barium as indicator for 20th century northwestern North Atlantic surface ocean freshwater variability. Scientific Reports, 3, 1761. (doi:10.1038/srep01761 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep01761>). |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/srep01761 |
container_title |
Scientific Reports |
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3 |
container_issue |
1 |
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1772816742685343744 |