Frauke Rostek

TROPICAL SEA-SURFACE TEMPERATURES DURING THE LAST GLACIAL PERIOD : A VIEW BASED ON ALKENONES IN INDIAN OCEAN SEDIMENTS

Abstract The quantification of tropical temperatures during the last glacial cycle (0–150xa0kyr BP) is a controversial issue since different proxies seem to provide conflicting informations. To obtain a complementary point of view, we use the alkenone method to estimate sea-surface temperatures and focus our work on deep-sea sediments recovered from the tropical Indian Ocean. We present alkenone data obtained in two cores which cover in detail the last deglaciation and in about twenty cores distributed between 20°S and 20°N that were chosen to evaluate the temperature contrast of the last glacial-interglacial transition. Our results indicate that Indian Ocean tropical temperatures remained an average within 1.5–2.5°C of their present values during the last glaciation. At 10°N the last deglaciation is characterized by two warming steps which is similar to the classical deglacial chronology observed in the North Atlantic area. At 20°S the deglacial warming occurred at ca. 15xa0calxa0kyr BP, lagging significantly (5–4xa0kyr) behind the Antarctic warming, but in phase with northern hemisphere time series.

Hydrological conditions over the western Mediterranean basin during the deposition of the cold Sapropel 6 (ca. 175 kyr BP)

A new oxygen isotope record is reported from a stalagmite collected in the Argentarola Cave located on the Tyrrhenian coast of Italy. As shown from observations and numerical modeling of N 18 O in modern precipitation, the recorded N 18 O variability for this zone is dominated by the amount of precipitation (so-called ‘amount effect’). The N 18 O profile measured in the stalagmite is characterized by a prominent negative excursion (ca. 2^3x) between 180 and 170 kyr BP. This paleoclimatic feature is interpreted as being due to a relatively wet period which occurred during the penultimate glacial period, more precisely, during Marine Isotope Stage 6.5. This pluvial phase is shown to correspond chronologically to the deposition of the sapropel event 6 (S6). Although this particular sapropel event occurred during a cold phase, the N 18 O excursion is similar to those corresponding to other sapropels (S4, S3 and S2). The evidence for humid conditions during S6 in the western Mediterranean basin agrees with previous studies based on deep-sea sediment cores. Taken collectively, the data suggest that during sapropel events dilution of ocean surface waters was not restricted to the output of the river Nile but was rather widespread over the entire Mediterranean Sea due to increased rainfall. < 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Early Reactivation of European Rivers During the Last Deglaciation

During the Last Glacial Maximum, the sea-level lowstand combined with the large extent of the Fennoscandian and British ice sheets led to the funneling of European continental runoff, resulting in the largest river system that ever drained the European continent. Here, we show an abrupt and early reactivation of the European hydrological cycle at the onset of the last deglaciation, leading to intense discharge of the Channel River into the Bay of Biscay. This freshwater influx, probably combined with inputs from proglacial or ice-dammed lakes, dramatically affected the hydrology of the region, both on land and in the ocean.

Hydrology in the Sea of Marmara during the last 23 ka: Implications for timing of Black Sea connections and sapropel deposition

[1]xa0Sediments deposited under lacustrine and marine conditions in the Sea of Marmara hold a Late Quaternary record for water exchange between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Here we report a multiproxy data set based on oxygen and strontium isotope results obtained from carbonate shells, major and trace elements, and specific organic biomarker measurements, as well as a micropaleontological study from a 14C-dated sediment core retrieved from the Sea of Marmara. Pronounced changes occurred in δ18O and 87Sr/86Sr values at the fresh and marine water transition, providing additional information in relation to micropaleontological data. Organic biomarker concentrations documented the marine origin of the sapropelic layer while changes in n-alkane concentrations clearly indicated an enhanced contribution for organic matter of terrestrial origin before and after the event. When compared with the Black Sea record, the results suggest that the Black Sea was outflowing to the Sea of Marmara from the Last Glacial Maximum until the warmer Bolling-Allerod. The first marine incursion in the Sea of Marmara occurred at 14.7 cal ka B.P. However, salinification of the basin was gradual, indicating that Black Sea freshwaters were still contributing to the Marmara seawater budget. After the Younger Dryas (which is associated with a high input of organic matter of terrestrial origin) both basins were disconnected, resulting in a salinity increase in the Sea of Marmara. The deposition of organic-rich sapropel that followed was mainly related to enhanced primary productivity characterized by a reorganization of the phytoplankton population.

Burial of redox-sensitive metals and organic matter in the equatorial Indian Ocean linked to precession

Authigenic metals (uranium, cadmium, and molybdenum), organic carbon (OC) and total C37 alkenone (totC37) concentrations were measured for the last 350 kyr in core MD900963, located in the eastern equatorial Arabian Sea. Authigenic metal concentrations on a carbonate-free basis range between 1 and 17 ppm, 0.5 and 6 ppm, and 0.5 and 4 ppm for U, Cd, and Mo, respectively. The profiles are characterized by well-defined 23 kyr cycles between oxic and mildly suboxic conditions. The redox-sensitive metal profiles also follow variations in the concentrations of OC (0.2- 0.9%) and alkenones (0.2- 6.7 ppm). The coupled variations in inorganic and organic constituents are attributed to a 23-kyr cycle in primary production above site MD900963, as suggested by clear correlations with independent micropaleontologic proxies (primary productivity indices based on foraminifera and coccoliths and fragmentation of foraminiferal shells). The 23-kyr cycles do appear to be primarily driven by productivity rather than changes in bottom water oxygen. Comparison with other records indicates that if this interpretation is correct, productivity variations across much of the Indian Ocean have been dominated by precessional forcing, with high productivity in phase with low summer insolation in the Northern Hemisphere. This interpretation contrasts with the traditional attribu- tion of enhanced productivity in the Indian Ocean with periods of high summer insolation. Copyright

Western Arabian Sea SST during the penultimate interglacial: A comparison of U37K′ and Mg/Ca paleothermometry

Millennial-scale records of planktonic foraminiferal Mg/Ca, bulk sediment U37 K′, and planktonic foraminiferal δ 18O are presented across the last two deglaciations in sediment core NIOP929 from the Arabian Sea. Mg/Ca-derived temperature variability during the penultimate and last deglacial periods falls within the range of modern day Arabian Sea temperatures, which are influenced by monsoon-driven upwelling. The U37 K′-derived temperatures in MIS 5e are similar to modern intermonsoon values and are on average 3.5°C higher than the Mg/Ca temperatures in the same period. MIS 5e U37 K′ and Mg/Ca temperatures are 1.5°C warmer than during the Holocene, while the U37 K′-Mg/Ca temperature difference was about twice as large during MIS 5e. This is surprising as, nowadays, both proxy carriers have a very similar seasonal and depth distribution. Partial explanations for the MIS 5e U37 K′-Mg/Ca temperature offset include carbonate dissolution, the change in dominant alkenone-producing species, and possibly lateral advection of alkenone-bearing material and a change in seasonal or depth distribution of proxy carriers. Our findings suggest that (1) Mg/Ca of G. ruber documents seawater temperature in the same way during both studied deglaciations as in the present, with respect to, e.g., season and depth, and (2) U37 K′-based temperatures from MIS 5 (or older) represent neither upwelling SST nor annual average SST (as it does in the present and the Holocene) but a higher temperature, despite alkenone production mainly occurring in the upwelling season. Further we report that at the onset of the deglacial warming, the Mg/Ca record leads the U37 K′ record by 4 ka, of which a maximum of 2 ka may be explained by postdepositional processes. Deglacial warming in both temperature records leads the deglacial decrease in the δ 18O profile, and Mg/Ca-based temperature returns to lower values before δ 18O has reached minimum interglacial values. This indicates a substantial lead in Arabian Sea warming relative to global ice melting.

Sea surface temperature reconstructions over the last 70 kyr off Portugal: Biomarker data and regional modeling

This study aims at providing robust temperature reconstructions for a key oceanographic setting in the North Atlantic and at understanding the nature of the temperature signal recorded by the two biomarkers U-37(k) and TEX86, considering season and depth of production. To do so, high-resolution signals of U-37(k) and TEX86 are determined for the last 70kyr for core MD95-2042, located off Portugal. Signals of U-37(k) and TEX86 present a tight correlation, demonstrating a dominant temperature effect. U-37(k) signals correspond well to the annual mean sea surface temperature (SST), whereas TEX86H-derived temperatures are 5.6 degrees C higher, which is unrealistically warm for this area. Unsuitable TEX86 global linear calibrations on the Iberian Margin may suggest a possible occurrence of archaeal communities with specific temperature response. To assess the impact of different season or depth of production of the biomarkers on the recorded temperature in the sediment, modeled temperature proxies (Tproxies) are introduced in a Regional Oceanic Modeling System and tested for different seasons (annual/summer/winter) and depths (surface and 0-200m) of production for three climate modes (Present Day (PD), Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), and Heinrich Stadials (HS)). Similar temperature amplitudes between climate modes are found at MD95-2042 core site for observations, for both biomarkers, and for modeled annual surface production Tproxy: 5.5-7 degrees C for T(PD-LGM) and 3-4 degrees C for T(LGM-HS). Therefore, we propose a new TEX86H regional calibration to reconstruct present and past annual mean SSTs on the Iberian Margin.