Fast and slow components of interstadial warming in the North Atlantic during the last glacial
The abrupt nature of warming events recorded in Greenland ice-cores during the last glacial has generated much debate over their underlying mechanisms. Here, we present joint marine and terrestrial analyses from the Portuguese Margin, showing a succession of cold stadials and warm interstadials over...
Published in: | Communications Earth & Environment |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Springer Nature
2020
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/4864/ http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/4864/2/s43247-020-0006-x.pdf http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/4864/1/43247_2020_6_MOESM1_ESM.pdf http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/4864/3/43247_2020_6_MOESM2_ESM.pdf http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/4864/4/43247_2020_6_MOESM3_ESM.xlsx http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/4864/5/43247_2020_6_MOESM4_ESM.pdf https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-020-0006-x |
Summary: | The abrupt nature of warming events recorded in Greenland ice-cores during the last glacial has generated much debate over their underlying mechanisms. Here, we present joint marine and terrestrial analyses from the Portuguese Margin, showing a succession of cold stadials and warm interstadials over the interval 35–57 ka. Heinrich stadials 4 and 5 contain considerable structure, with a short transitional phase leading to an interval of maximum cooling and aridity, followed by slowly increasing sea-surface temperatures and moisture availability. A climate model experiment reproduces the changes in western Iberia during the final part of Heinrich stadial 4 as a result of the gradual recovery of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. What emerges is that Greenland ice-core records do not provide a unique template for warming events, which involved the operation of both fast and slow components of the coupled atmosphere–ocean–sea-ice system, producing adjustments over a range of timescales. |
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