Antoni Rosell-Melé

Calibration of the alkenone paleotemperature index U37K′ based on core-tops from the eastern South Atlantic and the global ocean (60°N-60°S)

Abstract We have analysed alkenones in 149 surface sediments from the eastern South Atlantic in order to establish a sediment-based calibration of the U37K′ paleotemperature index. Our study covers the major tropical to subpolar production systems and sea-surface temperatures (SST’s) between 0° and 27°C. In order to define the most suitable calibration for this region, the U37K′ values were correlated to seasonal, annual, and production-weighted annual mean atlas temperatures and compared to previously published culture and core-top calibrations. The best linear correlation between U37K′ and SST was obtained using annual mean SST from 0 to 10 m water depth (U37K′ = 0.033 T + 0.069, r2 = 0.981). Data scattering increased significantly using temperatures of waters deeper than 20 m, suggesting that U37K′ reflects mixed-layer SST and that alkenone production at thermocline depths was not high enough to significantly bias the mixed-layer signal. Regressions based on both production-weighted and on actual annual mean atlas SST were virtually identical, indicating that regional variations in the seasonality of primary production have no discernible effect on the U37K′ vs. SST relationship. Comparison with published core-top calibrations from other oceanic regions revealed a high degree of accordance. We, therefore, established a global core-top calibration using U37K′ data from 370 sites between 60°S and 60°N in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans and annual mean atlas SST (0–29°C) from 0 m water depth. The resulting relationship (U37K′ = 0.033 T + 0.044, r2 = 958) is identical within error limits to the widely used E. huxleyi calibrations of Prahl and Wakeham (1987) and Prahl et al. (1988) attesting their general applicability. The observation that core-top calibrations extending over various biogeographical coccolithophorid zones are strongly linear and in better accordance than culture calibrations suggests that U37K′ is less species-dependent than is indicated by culture experiments. The results also suggest that variations in growth rate of algae and nutrient availability do not significantly affect the sedimentary record of U37K′ in open ocean environments.

North Pacific seasonality and the glaciation of North America 2.7 million years ago

In the context of gradual Cenozoic cooling, the timing of the onset of significant Northern Hemisphere glaciation 2.7 million years ago is consistent with Milankovitchs orbital theory, which posited that ice sheets grow when polar summertime insolation and temperature are low. However, the role of moisture supply in the initiation of large Northern Hemisphere ice sheets has remained unclear. The subarctic Pacific Ocean represents a significant source of water vapour to boreal North America, but it has been largely overlooked in efforts to explain Northern Hemisphere glaciation. Here we present alkenone unsaturation ratios and diatom oxygen isotope ratios from a sediment core in the western subarctic Pacific Ocean, indicating that 2.7 million years ago late-summer sea surface temperatures in this ocean region rose in response to an increase in stratification. At the same time, winter sea surface temperatures cooled, winter floating ice became more abundant and global climate descended into glacial conditions. We suggest that the observed summer warming extended into the autumn, providing water vapour to northern North America, where it precipitated and accumulated as snow, and thus allowed the initiation of Northern Hemisphere glaciation.

Links between iron supply, marine productivity, sea surface temperature, and CO2 over the last 1.1 Ma

Received 3 July 2008; revised 9 October 2008; accepted 27 October 2008; published 14 February 2009. [1] Paleoclimatic reconstructions have provided a unique data set to test the sensitivity of climate system to changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations. However, the mechanisms behind glacial/interglacial (G/IG) variations in atmospheric CO2 concentrations observed in the Antarctic ice cores are still not fully understood. Here we present a new multiproxy data set of sea surface temperatures (SST), dust and iron supply, and marine export productivity, from the marine sediment core PS2489-2/ODP Site 1090 located in the subantarctic Atlantic, that allow us to evaluate various hypotheses on the role of the Southern Ocean (SO) in modulating atmospheric CO2 concentrations back to 1.1 Ma. We show that Antarctic atmospheric temperatures are closely linked to changes in SO surface temperatures over the last 800 ka and use this to synchronize the timescales of our marine and the European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA) Dome C (EDC) records. The close correlation observed between iron inputs and marine export production over the entire interval implies that the process of iron fertilization of marine biota has been a recurrent process operating in the subantarctic region over the G/IG cycles of the last 1.1 Ma. However, our data suggest that marine productivity can only explain a fraction of atmospheric CO2 changes (up to around 40‐50 ppmv), occurring at glacial maxima in each glacial stage. In this sense, the good correlation of our SST record to the EDC temperature reconstruction suggests that the initial glacial CO2 decrease, as well as the change in the amplitude of the CO2 cycles observed around 400 ka, was most likely driven by physical processes, possibly related to changes in Antarctic sea ice extent, surface water stratification, and westerly winds position.

Southern Ocean dust–climate coupling over the past four million years

Dust has the potential to modify global climate by influencing the radiative balance of the atmosphere and by supplying iron and other essential limiting micronutrients to the ocean. Indeed, dust supply to the Southern Ocean increases during ice ages, and ‘iron fertilization’ of the subantarctic zone may have contributed up to 40 parts per million by volume (p.p.m.v.) of the decrease (80–100 p.p.m.v.) in atmospheric carbon dioxide observed during late Pleistocene glacial cycles. So far, however, the magnitude of Southern Ocean dust deposition in earlier times and its role in the development and evolution of Pleistocene glacial cycles have remained unclear. Here we report a high-resolution record of dust and iron supply to the Southern Ocean over the past four million years, derived from the analysis of marine sediments from ODP Site 1090, located in the Atlantic sector of the subantarctic zone. The close correspondence of our dust and iron deposition records with Antarctic ice core reconstructions of dust flux covering the past 800,000 years (refs 8, 9) indicates that both of these archives record large-scale deposition changes that should apply to most of the Southern Ocean, validating previous interpretations of the ice core data. The extension of the record beyond the interval covered by the Antarctic ice cores reveals that, in contrast to the relatively gradual intensification of glacial cycles over the past three million years, Southern Ocean dust and iron flux rose sharply at the Mid-Pleistocene climatic transition around 1.25 million years ago. This finding complements previous observations over late Pleistocene glacial cycles, providing new evidence of a tight connection between high dust input to the Southern Ocean and the emergence of the deep glaciations that characterize the past one million years of Earth history.

Interhemispheric appraisal of the value of alkenone indices as temperature and salinity proxies in high-latitude locations

Alkenone sediment data from the Nordic seas and North Atlantic are compared to those from Sikes et al.[1997] for the Southern Ocean to evaluate further UK37 and UK37′ as proxies to estimate cold temperatures (<10°C) and the effect of salinity and temperature in the relative abundance of 37∶4 to the total abundance of C37 alkenones (37∶4%). UK37 and UK37′ are found to be equally viable as proxies, but there are significant regional differences in their cold temperature dependence. The measurement of 37∶4% in cores from the North Atlantic region can be used to identify situations when UK37′ is not a reliable paleothermometer. Variations in salinity are probably responsible for changes in the sedimentary record of 37∶4%, and a preliminary calibration has been obtained for 37:4%=f(salinity). This new relationship should be further confirmed through field or laboratory experiments, but it paves the way to derive a molecular proxy to reconstruct paleosalinity in surface waters.

Climate Sensitivity Estimated from Temperature Reconstructions of the Last Glacial Maximum

Last Glacial Maximum temperature reconstructions and model simulations can constrain the equilibrium climate sensitivity. Assessing the impact of future anthropogenic carbon emissions is currently impeded by uncertainties in our knowledge of equilibrium climate sensitivity to atmospheric carbon dioxide doubling. Previous studies suggest 3 kelvin (K) as the best estimate, 2 to 4.5 K as the 66% probability range, and nonzero probabilities for much higher values, the latter implying a small chance of high-impact climate changes that would be difficult to avoid. Here, combining extensive sea and land surface temperature reconstructions from the Last Glacial Maximum with climate model simulations, we estimate a lower median (2.3 K) and reduced uncertainty (1.7 to 2.6 K as the 66% probability range, which can be widened using alternate assumptions or data subsets). Assuming that paleoclimatic constraints apply to the future, as predicted by our model, these results imply a lower probability of imminent extreme climatic change than previously thought.

Atlantic core-top calibration of the U37K index as a sea-surface palaeotemperature indicator

Abstract A field calibration of the UK index with sea surface temperature is discussed, through analysis of an extensive suite of surface sediments ( n = 109) from the northeastern Atlantic (2°S–75°N). Values of U 37 K are compared with sea surface temperatures for overlying waters measured at different depths and seasons, to obtain a correlation suitable for palaeotemperature reconstructions. The best fit is obtained using surface (0 m) temperatures corresponding to caloric winter and autumn months. However, the annual average, spring and summer surface temperature equations also have high correlation coefficients, and are also appropriate for climatic studies. The results further validate the general applicability of the U 37 K as a climatic proxy, because the calibration equations are valid over a wide range of surface water temperatures (0–28°C) for different algal populations and are representative of the average contribution of alkenones to sediments, as found in sediment cores.

Southern Ocean dust-climate couplings over the last 4,000,000 years

Dust has the potential to modify global climate by influencing the radiative balance of the atmosphere and by supplying iron and other essential limiting micronutrients to the ocean. Indeed, dust supply to the Southern Ocean increases during ice ages, and ‘iron fertilization’ of the subantarctic zone may have contributed up to 40 parts per million by volume (p.p.m.v.) of the decrease (80–100 p.p.m.v.) in atmospheric carbon dioxide observed during late Pleistocene glacial cycles. So far, however, the magnitude of Southern Ocean dust deposition in earlier times and its role in the development and evolution of Pleistocene glacial cycles have remained unclear. Here we report a high-resolution record of dust and iron supply to the Southern Ocean over the past four million years, derived from the analysis of marine sediments from ODP Site 1090, located in the Atlantic sector of the subantarctic zone. The close correspondence of our dust and iron deposition records with Antarctic ice core reconstructions of dust flux covering the past 800,000 years (refs 8, 9) indicates that both of these archives record large-scale deposition changes that should apply to most of the Southern Ocean, validating previous interpretations of the ice core data. The extension of the record beyond the interval covered by the Antarctic ice cores reveals that, in contrast to the relatively gradual intensification of glacial cycles over the past three million years, Southern Ocean dust and iron flux rose sharply at the Mid-Pleistocene climatic transition around 1.25 million years ago. This finding complements previous observations over late Pleistocene glacial cycles, providing new evidence of a tight connection between high dust input to the Southern Ocean and the emergence of the deep glaciations that characterize the past one million years of Earth history.

Variability in the Benguela Current upwelling system over the past 70,000 years

Abstract This study was designed to see if the intensity and location of upwelling in the Benguela Current Upwelling System off Namibia changed significantly during the last 70,000 years. Most of the analytical work focused on geochemical, micropalaeontological and stable isotopic analyses of a 6.5m long combined pilot and piston core, PGPC12, from 1017m on the continental slope close to Walvis Bay. The slope sediments are rich in organic matter. Most of it is thought to represent deposition beneath a productive shelf edge upwelling system, but some is supplied by downslope nearbottom flow of material probably resuspended on the outer continental shelf. Temporal changes in upwelling intensity as represented by fluctuations in the accumulation of organic matter do not show the simple ‘classical’ pattern of less upwelling and lower productivity in interglacials and more upwelling and higher productivity in glacials, but instead show a pattern of higher frequency fluctuations. The broad changes in organic carbon accumulation reach maxima at times when the earth-sun distance was greatest, indicating that this accumulation responded to changes in the precession index; at these times monsoons would have been weakest and Trade Winds strongest. Maximum accumulation of organic matter on the slope occurred in the last interstadial (isotope stage 3), and coincided with coldest sea surface temperatures as recorded by alkenone data (U k 37 ), and by nannofossil assemblages. It is attributed largely to increased productivity in situ , rather than the lateral supply of material eroded from older organic rich deposits exposed by the lowering of sealevel at that time. The enhanced productivity is attributed to a strengthening of upwelling-favourable winds in this area in response to the minimal solar insolation typical of this period. Diatoms generally are not abundant in these sediments, so appear to be unreliable indicators of productivity over the continental slope. When sealevel was lowest (isotope stages 2 and 4) organic matter previously deposited on the continental shelf was eroded and dumped on the continental slope; this reworked material constitutes up to 43% of the flux of organic matter to the slope at these times. This process did not affect the slope in stage 3, when sealevel fell by only 50m. The accumulation of terrigenous material was highest in stages 2 and 4. The available data suggest that the terrigenous influx at those times was primarily aeolian. We interpret this to mean that more of the winds then came from the east (‘Berg’ winds), bringing an influx of aeolian dust from the hinterland; these easterlies were less favourable for upwelling than were the more southerly Trade Winds that dominated during stage 3. Carbonate accumulation was least in stages 2 and 4, largely in response to dissolution induced by CO 2 -rich bottom waters.

Subpolar Link to the Emergence of the Modern Equatorial Pacific Cold Tongue

Birth of the Cool Over the past 4 million years or so, tropical sea surface temperatures have experienced a cooling trend (see the Perspective by Philander). Herbert et al. (p. 1530) analyzed sea surface temperature records of the past 3.5 million years from low-latitude sites spanning the worlds major ocean basins in order to determine the timing and magnitude of the cooling that has accompanied the intensification of Northern Hemisphere ice ages since the Pliocene. Martínez-Garcia et al. (p. 1550) found that the enigmatic eastern equatorial Pacific cold tongue, a feature one might not expect to find in such a warm region receiving so much sunlight, first appeared between 1.8 and 1.2 million years ago. Its appearance was probably in response to a general shrinking of the tropical warm water pool caused by general climate cooling driven by changes in Earths orbit. The eastern Pacific Ocean cold tongue appeared as Earth’s climate cooled and subpolar waters expanded in the Pleistocene. The cold upwelling “tongue” of the eastern equatorial Pacific is a central energetic feature of the ocean, dominating both the mean state and temporal variability of climate in the tropics and beyond. Recent evidence for the development of the modern cold tongue during the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition has been explained as the result of extratropical cooling that drove a shoaling of the thermocline. We have found that the sub-Antarctic and sub-Arctic regions underwent substantial cooling nearly synchronous to the cold tongue development, thereby providing support for this hypothesis. In addition, we show that sub-Antarctic climate changed in its response to Earth’s orbital variations, from a subtropical to a subpolar pattern, as expected if cooling shrank the warm-water sphere of the ocean and thus contracted the subtropical gyres.