Synchronous centennial abrupt events in the ocean and atmosphere during the last deglaciation

• Published in: Science
• Main Authors: Chen, Tianyu, Robinson, Laura F., Burke, Andrea, Southon, John, Spooner, Peter, Morris, Paul J., Ng, Hong Chin
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: Antarc*; Antarctic; Drake Passage; ice core
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/1983/cb666275-dab2-48e7-aa25-14ad080c1031; https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/cb666275-dab2-48e7-aa25-14ad080c1031; https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aac6159; http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84942317766&partnerID=8YFLogxK

Antarctic ice-core data reveal that the atmosphere experienced abrupt centennial increases in CO 2 concentration during the last deglaciation (∼18 thousand to 11 thousand years ago). Establishing the role of ocean circulation in these changes requires highresolution, accurately dated marine records. Here, we report radiocarbon data from uranium-thorium-dated deep-sea corals in the Equatorial Atlantic and Drake Passage over the past 25,000 years. Two major deglacial radiocarbon shifts occurred in phase with centennial atmospheric CO 2 rises at 14.8 thousand and 11.7 thousand years ago. We interpret these radiocarbon-enriched signals to represent two short-lived (less than 500 years) "overshoot" events, with Atlantic meridional overturning stronger than that of the modern era. These results provide compelling evidence for a close coupling of ocean circulation and centennial climate events during the last deglaciation.