Holocene oscillations in temperature and salinity of the surface subpolar North Atlantic
The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) transports warm salty surface waters to high latitudes, where they cool, sink and return southwards at depth. Through its attendant meridional heat transport, the AMOC helps maintain a warm northwestern European climate, and acts as a control on...
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ftucambridgeesc:oai:eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk:847 2023-05-15T15:08:06+02:00 Holocene oscillations in temperature and salinity of the surface subpolar North Atlantic Thornalley, D. J. R. Elderfield, H. McCave, I. N. 2009-02-05 application/pdf http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/847/ http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/847/1/Thornalley_Elderfield_McCave_Nature_457_2009.pdf https://doi.org/10.1038/nature07717 en eng http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/847/1/Thornalley_Elderfield_McCave_Nature_457_2009.pdf Thornalley, D. J. R. and Elderfield, H. and McCave, I. N. (2009) Holocene oscillations in temperature and salinity of the surface subpolar North Atlantic. Nature, 457 (7230). p. 711. ISSN 00280836 DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/nature07717 <https://doi.org/10.1038/nature07717> 01 - Climate Change and Earth-Ocean Atmosphere Systems Article NonPeerReviewed 2009 ftucambridgeesc https://doi.org/10.1038/nature07717 2020-08-27T18:08:43Z The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) transports warm salty surface waters to high latitudes, where they cool, sink and return southwards at depth. Through its attendant meridional heat transport, the AMOC helps maintain a warm northwestern European climate, and acts as a control on the global climate. Past climate fluctuations during the Holocene epoch (approx11,700 years ago to the present) have been linked with changes in North Atlantic Ocean circulation1, 2. The behaviour of the surface flowing salty water that helped drive overturning during past climatic changes is, however, not well known. Here we investigate the temperature and salinity changes of a substantial surface inflow to a region of deep-water formation throughout the Holocene. We find that the inflow has undergone millennial-scale variations in temperature and salinity (approx3.5 °C and approx1.5 practical salinity units, respectively) most probably controlled by subpolar gyre dynamics. The temperature and salinity variations correlate with previously reported periods of rapid climate change3. The inflow becomes more saline during enhanced freshwater flux to the subpolar North Atlantic. Model studies predict a weakening of AMOC in response to enhanced Arctic freshwater fluxes4, although the inflow can compensate on decadal timescales by becoming more saline5. Our data suggest that such a negative feedback mechanism may have operated during past intervals of climate change. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Climate change North Atlantic University of Cambridge, Department of Earth Sciences: ESC Publications Arctic Nature 457 7230 711 714 |
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Open Polar |
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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 Thornalley, D. J. R. Elderfield, H. McCave, I. N. Holocene oscillations in temperature and salinity of the surface subpolar North Atlantic |
topic_facet |
01 - Climate Change and Earth-Ocean Atmosphere Systems |
description |
The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) transports warm salty surface waters to high latitudes, where they cool, sink and return southwards at depth. Through its attendant meridional heat transport, the AMOC helps maintain a warm northwestern European climate, and acts as a control on the global climate. Past climate fluctuations during the Holocene epoch (approx11,700 years ago to the present) have been linked with changes in North Atlantic Ocean circulation1, 2. The behaviour of the surface flowing salty water that helped drive overturning during past climatic changes is, however, not well known. Here we investigate the temperature and salinity changes of a substantial surface inflow to a region of deep-water formation throughout the Holocene. We find that the inflow has undergone millennial-scale variations in temperature and salinity (approx3.5 °C and approx1.5 practical salinity units, respectively) most probably controlled by subpolar gyre dynamics. The temperature and salinity variations correlate with previously reported periods of rapid climate change3. The inflow becomes more saline during enhanced freshwater flux to the subpolar North Atlantic. Model studies predict a weakening of AMOC in response to enhanced Arctic freshwater fluxes4, although the inflow can compensate on decadal timescales by becoming more saline5. Our data suggest that such a negative feedback mechanism may have operated during past intervals of climate change. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Thornalley, D. J. R. Elderfield, H. McCave, I. N. |
author_facet |
Thornalley, D. J. R. Elderfield, H. McCave, I. N. |
author_sort |
Thornalley, D. J. R. |
title |
Holocene oscillations in temperature and salinity of the surface subpolar North Atlantic |
title_short |
Holocene oscillations in temperature and salinity of the surface subpolar North Atlantic |
title_full |
Holocene oscillations in temperature and salinity of the surface subpolar North Atlantic |
title_fullStr |
Holocene oscillations in temperature and salinity of the surface subpolar North Atlantic |
title_full_unstemmed |
Holocene oscillations in temperature and salinity of the surface subpolar North Atlantic |
title_sort |
holocene oscillations in temperature and salinity of the surface subpolar north atlantic |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/847/ http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/847/1/Thornalley_Elderfield_McCave_Nature_457_2009.pdf https://doi.org/10.1038/nature07717 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Climate change North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
Arctic Climate change North Atlantic |
op_relation |
http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/847/1/Thornalley_Elderfield_McCave_Nature_457_2009.pdf Thornalley, D. J. R. and Elderfield, H. and McCave, I. N. (2009) Holocene oscillations in temperature and salinity of the surface subpolar North Atlantic. Nature, 457 (7230). p. 711. ISSN 00280836 DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/nature07717 <https://doi.org/10.1038/nature07717> |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/nature07717 |
container_title |
Nature |
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457 |
container_issue |
7230 |
container_start_page |
711 |
op_container_end_page |
714 |
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1766339518236983296 |