Rapid subtropical North Atlantic salinity oscillations across Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles
Geochemical and sedimentological evidence suggest that the rapid climate warming oscillations of the last ice age, the Dansgaard–Oeschger cycles1, were coupled to fluctuations in North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation through its regulation of poleward heat flux2. The balance between cold...
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ftucambridgeesc:oai:eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk:661 2023-05-15T17:25:33+02:00 Rapid subtropical North Atlantic salinity oscillations across Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles Schmidt, M. W. Vautravers, M. J. Spero, H. J. 2006-10 application/pdf http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/661/ http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/661/1/Schmidt_et_al._-_2006_-_Rapid_subtropical_North_Atlantic_salinity_oscillat.pdf https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05121 en eng http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/661/1/Schmidt_et_al._-_2006_-_Rapid_subtropical_North_Atlantic_salinity_oscillat.pdf Schmidt, M. W. and Vautravers, M. J. and Spero, H. J. (2006) Rapid subtropical North Atlantic salinity oscillations across Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles. Nature, 443. 561-564; doi:10.1038/nature05121. DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05121 <https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05121> 01 - Climate Change and Earth-Ocean Atmosphere Systems Article PeerReviewed 2006 ftucambridgeesc https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05121 2020-08-27T18:08:37Z Geochemical and sedimentological evidence suggest that the rapid climate warming oscillations of the last ice age, the Dansgaard–Oeschger cycles1, were coupled to fluctuations in North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation through its regulation of poleward heat flux2. The balance between cold meltwater from the north and warm, salty subtropical gyre waters from the south influenced the strength and location of North Atlantic overturning circulation during this period of highly variable climate3, 4, 5. Here we investigate how rapid reorganizations of the ocean–atmosphere system across these cycles are linked to salinity changes in the subtropical North Atlantic gyre. We combine Mg/Ca palaeothermometry and oxygen isotope ratio measurements on planktonic foraminifera across four Dansgaard–Oeschger cycles (spanning 45.9–59.2 kyr ago) to generate a seawater salinity proxy record from a subtropical gyre deep-sea sediment core. We show that North Atlantic gyre surface salinities oscillated rapidly between saltier stadial conditions and fresher interstadials, covarying with inferred shifts in the Tropical Atlantic hydrologic cycle6 and North Atlantic overturning circulation. These salinity oscillations suggest a reduction in precipitation into the North Atlantic and/or reduced export of deep salty thermohaline waters during stadials. We hypothesize that increased stadial salinities preconditioned the North Atlantic Ocean for a rapid return to deep overturning circulation and high-latitude warming by contributing to increased North Atlantic surface-water density on interstadial transitions. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic Planktonic foraminifera University of Cambridge, Department of Earth Sciences: ESC Publications Nature 443 7111 561 564 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Cambridge, Department of Earth Sciences: ESC Publications |
op_collection_id |
ftucambridgeesc |
language |
English |
topic |
01 - Climate Change and Earth-Ocean Atmosphere Systems |
spellingShingle |
01 - Climate Change and Earth-Ocean Atmosphere Systems Schmidt, M. W. Vautravers, M. J. Spero, H. J. Rapid subtropical North Atlantic salinity oscillations across Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles |
topic_facet |
01 - Climate Change and Earth-Ocean Atmosphere Systems |
description |
Geochemical and sedimentological evidence suggest that the rapid climate warming oscillations of the last ice age, the Dansgaard–Oeschger cycles1, were coupled to fluctuations in North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation through its regulation of poleward heat flux2. The balance between cold meltwater from the north and warm, salty subtropical gyre waters from the south influenced the strength and location of North Atlantic overturning circulation during this period of highly variable climate3, 4, 5. Here we investigate how rapid reorganizations of the ocean–atmosphere system across these cycles are linked to salinity changes in the subtropical North Atlantic gyre. We combine Mg/Ca palaeothermometry and oxygen isotope ratio measurements on planktonic foraminifera across four Dansgaard–Oeschger cycles (spanning 45.9–59.2 kyr ago) to generate a seawater salinity proxy record from a subtropical gyre deep-sea sediment core. We show that North Atlantic gyre surface salinities oscillated rapidly between saltier stadial conditions and fresher interstadials, covarying with inferred shifts in the Tropical Atlantic hydrologic cycle6 and North Atlantic overturning circulation. These salinity oscillations suggest a reduction in precipitation into the North Atlantic and/or reduced export of deep salty thermohaline waters during stadials. We hypothesize that increased stadial salinities preconditioned the North Atlantic Ocean for a rapid return to deep overturning circulation and high-latitude warming by contributing to increased North Atlantic surface-water density on interstadial transitions. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Schmidt, M. W. Vautravers, M. J. Spero, H. J. |
author_facet |
Schmidt, M. W. Vautravers, M. J. Spero, H. J. |
author_sort |
Schmidt, M. W. |
title |
Rapid subtropical North Atlantic salinity oscillations across Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles |
title_short |
Rapid subtropical North Atlantic salinity oscillations across Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles |
title_full |
Rapid subtropical North Atlantic salinity oscillations across Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles |
title_fullStr |
Rapid subtropical North Atlantic salinity oscillations across Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles |
title_full_unstemmed |
Rapid subtropical North Atlantic salinity oscillations across Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles |
title_sort |
rapid subtropical north atlantic salinity oscillations across dansgaard-oeschger cycles |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/661/ http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/661/1/Schmidt_et_al._-_2006_-_Rapid_subtropical_North_Atlantic_salinity_oscillat.pdf https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05121 |
genre |
North Atlantic Planktonic foraminifera |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic Planktonic foraminifera |
op_relation |
http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/661/1/Schmidt_et_al._-_2006_-_Rapid_subtropical_North_Atlantic_salinity_oscillat.pdf Schmidt, M. W. and Vautravers, M. J. and Spero, H. J. (2006) Rapid subtropical North Atlantic salinity oscillations across Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles. Nature, 443. 561-564; doi:10.1038/nature05121. DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05121 <https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05121> |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05121 |
container_title |
Nature |
container_volume |
443 |
container_issue |
7111 |
container_start_page |
561 |
op_container_end_page |
564 |
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1766117023303073792 |