Mid-Pliocene shifts in ocean overturning circulation and the onset of Quaternary-style climates

A major tipping point of Earth's history occurred during the mid-Pliocene: the onset of major Northern-Hemisphere Glaciation (NHG) and of pronounced, Quaternary-style cycles of glacial-to-interglacial climates, that contrast with more uniform climates over most of the preceding Cenozoic and con...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: M. Sarnthein, G. Bartoli, M. Prange, A. Schmittner, B. Schneider, M. Weinelt, N. Andersen, D. Garbe-Schönberg
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2009
Subjects:
geo
Online Access:http://www.clim-past.net/5/269/2009/cp-5-269-2009.pdf
https://doaj.org/article/2437882897484155899267ee2589ae4b
id fttriple:oai:gotriple.eu:oai:doaj.org/article:2437882897484155899267ee2589ae4b
record_format openpolar
spelling fttriple:oai:gotriple.eu:oai:doaj.org/article:2437882897484155899267ee2589ae4b 2023-05-15T13:11:45+02:00 Mid-Pliocene shifts in ocean overturning circulation and the onset of Quaternary-style climates M. Sarnthein G. Bartoli M. Prange A. Schmittner B. Schneider M. Weinelt N. Andersen D. Garbe-Schönberg 2009-06-01 http://www.clim-past.net/5/269/2009/cp-5-269-2009.pdf https://doaj.org/article/2437882897484155899267ee2589ae4b en eng Copernicus Publications 1814-9324 1814-9332 http://www.clim-past.net/5/269/2009/cp-5-269-2009.pdf https://doaj.org/article/2437882897484155899267ee2589ae4b undefined Climate of the Past, Vol 5, Iss 2, Pp 269-283 (2009) geo envir Journal Article https://vocabularies.coar-repositories.org/resource_types/c_6501/ 2009 fttriple 2023-01-22T18:59:42Z A major tipping point of Earth's history occurred during the mid-Pliocene: the onset of major Northern-Hemisphere Glaciation (NHG) and of pronounced, Quaternary-style cycles of glacial-to-interglacial climates, that contrast with more uniform climates over most of the preceding Cenozoic and continue until today (Zachos et al., 2001). The severe deterioration of climate occurred in three steps between 3.2 Ma (warm MIS K3) and 2.7 Ma (glacial MIS G6/4) (Lisiecki and Raymo, 2005). Various models (sensu Driscoll and Haug, 1998) and paleoceanographic records (intercalibrated using orbital age control) suggest clear linkages between the onset of NHG and the three steps in the final closure of the Central American Seaways (CAS), deduced from rising salinity differences between Caribbean and the East Pacific. Each closing event led to an enhanced North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and this strengthened the poleward transport of salt and heat (warmings of +2–3°C) (Bartoli et al., 2005). Also, the closing resulted in a slight rise in the poleward atmospheric moisture transport to northwestern Eurasia (Lunt et al., 2007), which probably led to an enhanced precipitation and fluvial run-off, lower sea surface salinity (SSS), and an increased sea-ice cover in the Arctic Ocean, hence promoting albedo and the build-up of continental ice sheets. Most important, new evidence shows that the closing of the CAS led to greater steric height of the North Pacific and thus doubled the low-saline Arctic Throughflow from the Bering Strait to the East Greenland Current (EGC). Accordingly, Labrador Sea IODP Site 1307 displays an abrupt but irreversible EGC cooling of 6°C and freshening by ~2 psu from 3.25/3.16–3.00 Ma, right after the first but still reversible attempt of closing the CAS. Article in Journal/Newspaper albedo Arctic Arctic Ocean Bering Strait East Greenland east greenland current Greenland Labrador Sea North Atlantic Sea ice Unknown Arctic Arctic Ocean Bering Strait Greenland Haug ENVELOPE(15.188,15.188,67.918,67.918) Pacific
institution Open Polar
collection Unknown
op_collection_id fttriple
language English
topic geo
envir
spellingShingle geo
envir
M. Sarnthein
G. Bartoli
M. Prange
A. Schmittner
B. Schneider
M. Weinelt
N. Andersen
D. Garbe-Schönberg
Mid-Pliocene shifts in ocean overturning circulation and the onset of Quaternary-style climates
topic_facet geo
envir
description A major tipping point of Earth's history occurred during the mid-Pliocene: the onset of major Northern-Hemisphere Glaciation (NHG) and of pronounced, Quaternary-style cycles of glacial-to-interglacial climates, that contrast with more uniform climates over most of the preceding Cenozoic and continue until today (Zachos et al., 2001). The severe deterioration of climate occurred in three steps between 3.2 Ma (warm MIS K3) and 2.7 Ma (glacial MIS G6/4) (Lisiecki and Raymo, 2005). Various models (sensu Driscoll and Haug, 1998) and paleoceanographic records (intercalibrated using orbital age control) suggest clear linkages between the onset of NHG and the three steps in the final closure of the Central American Seaways (CAS), deduced from rising salinity differences between Caribbean and the East Pacific. Each closing event led to an enhanced North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and this strengthened the poleward transport of salt and heat (warmings of +2–3°C) (Bartoli et al., 2005). Also, the closing resulted in a slight rise in the poleward atmospheric moisture transport to northwestern Eurasia (Lunt et al., 2007), which probably led to an enhanced precipitation and fluvial run-off, lower sea surface salinity (SSS), and an increased sea-ice cover in the Arctic Ocean, hence promoting albedo and the build-up of continental ice sheets. Most important, new evidence shows that the closing of the CAS led to greater steric height of the North Pacific and thus doubled the low-saline Arctic Throughflow from the Bering Strait to the East Greenland Current (EGC). Accordingly, Labrador Sea IODP Site 1307 displays an abrupt but irreversible EGC cooling of 6°C and freshening by ~2 psu from 3.25/3.16–3.00 Ma, right after the first but still reversible attempt of closing the CAS.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author M. Sarnthein
G. Bartoli
M. Prange
A. Schmittner
B. Schneider
M. Weinelt
N. Andersen
D. Garbe-Schönberg
author_facet M. Sarnthein
G. Bartoli
M. Prange
A. Schmittner
B. Schneider
M. Weinelt
N. Andersen
D. Garbe-Schönberg
author_sort M. Sarnthein
title Mid-Pliocene shifts in ocean overturning circulation and the onset of Quaternary-style climates
title_short Mid-Pliocene shifts in ocean overturning circulation and the onset of Quaternary-style climates
title_full Mid-Pliocene shifts in ocean overturning circulation and the onset of Quaternary-style climates
title_fullStr Mid-Pliocene shifts in ocean overturning circulation and the onset of Quaternary-style climates
title_full_unstemmed Mid-Pliocene shifts in ocean overturning circulation and the onset of Quaternary-style climates
title_sort mid-pliocene shifts in ocean overturning circulation and the onset of quaternary-style climates
publisher Copernicus Publications
publishDate 2009
url http://www.clim-past.net/5/269/2009/cp-5-269-2009.pdf
https://doaj.org/article/2437882897484155899267ee2589ae4b
long_lat ENVELOPE(15.188,15.188,67.918,67.918)
geographic Arctic
Arctic Ocean
Bering Strait
Greenland
Haug
Pacific
geographic_facet Arctic
Arctic Ocean
Bering Strait
Greenland
Haug
Pacific
genre albedo
Arctic
Arctic Ocean
Bering Strait
East Greenland
east greenland current
Greenland
Labrador Sea
North Atlantic
Sea ice
genre_facet albedo
Arctic
Arctic Ocean
Bering Strait
East Greenland
east greenland current
Greenland
Labrador Sea
North Atlantic
Sea ice
op_source Climate of the Past, Vol 5, Iss 2, Pp 269-283 (2009)
op_relation 1814-9324
1814-9332
http://www.clim-past.net/5/269/2009/cp-5-269-2009.pdf
https://doaj.org/article/2437882897484155899267ee2589ae4b
op_rights undefined
_version_ 1766248815493382144