Variations of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current intensity during the past 500 ka

• Published in: Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems
• Main Authors: Mazaud, A., Michel, Elisabeth, Dewilde, F., Turon, J.
• Other Authors: Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement Gif-sur-Yvette (LSCE), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Direction de Recherche Fondamentale (CEA) (DRF (CEA)), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), Climat et Magnétisme (CLIMAG), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Direction de Recherche Fondamentale (CEA) (DRF (CEA)), Paléocéanographie (PALEOCEAN), Environnements et Paléoenvironnements OCéaniques (EPOC), Observatoire aquitain des sciences de l'univers (OASU), Université Sciences et Technologies - Bordeaux 1 (UB)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Sciences et Technologies - Bordeaux 1 (UB)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2010
• Subjects: Components: 4200 words; 7 figures Keywords: Antarctic; current; past; cycles Index Terms: 1512 Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism: Environmental magnetism; 1635 Global Change: Oceans (1616; 3305; 4215; 4513); [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean; Atmosphere; [SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces; environment; Antarc*; Antarctic; Antarctica; EPICA; ice core
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-02913796; https://hal.science/hal-02913796/document; https://hal.science/hal-02913796/file/2010GC003033.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1029/2010GC003033

International audience [1] We examine the past variations of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) by using variations in size and abundance of the magnetic grains deposited by this current at a site east the Kerguelen-Crozet plateau. Core MD00-2375G was taken at a midlatitude site during the ANTAUS cruise conducted in 2000 by the French R/V Marion Dufresne. Marine isotope stages (MIS) down to MIS 13 are identified, and an age model is derived from a correlation to the ice core isotopic record obtained from EPICA in Antarctica. Continuous records of abundance and size of the magnetic grains were obtained using environmental magnetism methods. Results show a strong modulation of the ACC flow intensity in response to glacial and interglacial cycles. The low abundance and the small size of magnetic grains indicate that the ACC was weak during warm stages and strong during glacial epochs. A large modulation is also observed at the sub-stage scale during the interglacials. A minimum in concentration and grain size occurs at the onset of MIS 11. At the MIS 6-5, 10-9, and possibly 12-11 transitions, observed variations suggest a mechanism involving both rapid and progressive variations of the ACC flow at deglaciations.