Miriam Pfeiffer

Mayotte coral reveals hydrological changes in the western Indian Ocean between 1881 and 1994

We reconstruct the hydrologic history of the tropical western Indian Ocean by calculating the δ18Oseawater from coupled coral Sr/Ca and δ18O measurements in a massive Porites coral from Mayotte (Comoros) between 1881 and 1994. We found that the precipitation-evaporation balance varies naturally on time scales of 5–6 years and 18–25 years. High (low) SSTs are associated with positive (negative) δ18Oseawater implying that atmospheric variability is linked with remote climate modes in the Indian Ocean and the tropical/extratropical Pacific Ocean. Warm El Nino-Southern Oscillation events are associated with a negative freshwater balance at Mayotte. This case study demonstrates that a much denser network of δ18Oseawater reconstructions is crucial for understanding the spatial patterns of hydrological conditions.

Caribbean coral tracks Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation and past hurricane activity

It is highly debated whether global warming contributed to the strong hurricane activity observed during the last decade. The crux of the recent debate is the limited length of the reliable instrumental record that exacerbates the detection of possible long-term changes in hurricane activity, which naturally exhibits strong multidecadal variations that are associated with the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). The AMO, itself a major mode of climate variability, remains also poorly understood because of limited data. Here, we present the first coral-based proxy record (δ18O) that clearly captures multidecadal variations in the AMO and the hurricane activity. Our record, obtained from a brain coral situated in the Atlantic hurricane domain, is equally sensitive to variations in sea surface temperature (SST) and seawater δ18O, with the latter being strongly linked to precipitation, by this means amplifying large-scale climate signals in coral δ18O. The SST and precipitation signals in the coral provide the longest, thus far, continuous proxy-based record of hurricane activity that interestingly exhibits a long-term increase over the last century. As multidecadal SST variations in this region are closely related to the AMO, this study raises new possibilities to extend the limited observations and to gain new insights into the mechanisms underlying the AMO and long-term hurricane variations.

Oceanic forcing of interannual and multidecadal climate variability in the southwestern Indian Ocean: Evidence from a 160 year coral isotopic record (La Réunion, 55°E, 21°S)

We have developed a new 163-year bimonthly coral δ18O record from La Reunion (55°E, 21°S). Interannual variations in coral δ18O are coherent with the Southern Oscillation Index but not with regional sea surface temperature (SST). Correlations with the global SST field suggest more negative seawater δ18O (δ18Osw) during La Nina years. We propose that the signal results from changes in the strength of the South Equatorial Current and the Indonesian throughflow, which carry low salinity water. Multidecadal variations in coral δ18O are coherent with regional SST, but the sign is of opposite sense as expected from the coral δ18O-temperature relationship. This requires multidecadal changes in salinity large enough to overprint the SST contribution in the coral δ18O record. Our results suggest that multidecadal salinity variations result from modulations in the transport of the South Equatorial Current, which varies in response to the surface wind field and/or the Indonesian throughflow.

Pronounced interannual variability in tropical South Pacific temperatures during Heinrich Stadial 1

The early last glacial termination was characterized by intense North Atlantic cooling and weak overturning circulation. This interval between ~18,000 and 14,600 years ago, known as Heinrich Stadial 1, was accompanied by a disruption of global climate and has been suggested as a key factor for the termination. However, the response of interannual climate variability in the tropical Pacific (El Niño-Southern Oscillation) to Heinrich Stadial 1 is poorly understood. Here we use Sr/Ca in a fossil Tahiti coral to reconstruct tropical South Pacific sea surface temperature around 15,000 years ago at monthly resolution. Unlike today, interannual South Pacific sea surface temperature variability at typical El Niño-Southern Oscillation periods was pronounced at Tahiti. Our results indicate that the El Niño-Southern Oscillation was active during Heinrich Stadial 1, consistent with climate model simulations of enhanced El Niño-Southern Oscillation variability at that time. Furthermore, a greater El Niño-Southern Oscillation influence in the South Pacific during Heinrich Stadial 1 is suggested, resulting from a southward expansion or shift of El Niño-Southern Oscillation sea surface temperature anomalies.

Sr/Ca and δ18O in a fast‐growing Diploria strigosa coral: Evaluation of a new climate archive for the tropical Atlantic

This study provides the first monthly resolved, 41-year record of geochemical variations (δ18O and Sr/Ca) in a fast-growing Diploria strigosa brain coral from Guadeloupe, Caribbean Sea. Linear regression yields a significant correlation of coral Sr/Ca (δ18O) with instrumental sea surface temperature (SST) on both monthly and mean annual scales (e.g., r = −0.59 for correlation between Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA) SST and Sr/Ca, and r = −0.66 for δ18O; mean annual scale, p < 0.0001). The generated coral Sr/Ca (δ18O)-SST calibration equations are consistent with each other and with published equations using other coral species from different regions. Moreover, a high correlation of coral Sr/Ca and δ18O with local air temperature on a mean annual scale (r = −0.78 for Sr/Ca; r = −0.73 for δ18O; p < 0.0001) demonstrates the applicability of geochemical proxies measured from Diploria strigosa corals as reliable recorders for interannual temperature variability. Both coral proxies are highly correlated with annual and seasonal mean time series of major SST indices in the northern tropical Atlantic (e.g., r = −0.71 for correlation between the index of North Tropical Atlantic SST anomaly and Sr/Ca, and r = −0.70 for δ18O; mean annual scale, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the coral proxies capture the impact of the El Nino–Southern Oscillation on the northern tropical Atlantic during boreal spring. Thus fast-growing Diploria strigosa corals are a promising new archive for the Atlantic Ocean.

Atmosphere–ocean dynamics in the Western Indian Ocean recorded in corals

We present a set of Porites coral oxygen isotope records from the tropical and subtropical Western Indian Ocean covering the past 120–336 years. All records were thoroughly validated for proxy response to regional climate factors and their relation to large–scale climate modes. The records show markedly different imprints of regional climate factors. At the same time, all coral records show clear teleconnections between the Western Indian Ocean and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The multi–proxy site analysis enables the detection of the covariance structure between individual records and climate modes such as ENSO. This method unravels shifts in ENSO teleconnectivity of the Western and Central Indian Ocean on multi–decadal time–scales (after 1976). The Seychelles record shows a stationary correlation with ENSO, Chagos corals show evidence for non–stationary d18O/ENSO relationships and the Southwestern Indian Ocean corals show a strong relationship with ENSO when the forcing is strong (1880–1920, 1970 to present). Our results indicate that the coral δ18O, in combination with other proxies, can be used to monitor temporal and spatial variations in the sea–surface temperature and the fresh water balance within the Indian Ocean on interannual to interdecadal time–scales.

Nonstationary ENSO-precipitation teleconnection over the equatorial Indian Ocean documented in a coral from the Chagos Archipelago

(d 18 Oc )o f aPorites coral from the Chagos Archipelago (71� E/5� S). Only after the mid-1970s a strong ENSO signal emerges in the d 18 Oc during the analyzed period 1950–1994. In the 1970s, the increasing sea surface temperature (SST) shifted the mean SST closer to the deep convection threshold at about 28.5� C. ENSO-related SST variability largely controls the deep convection and precipitation in the central equatorial Indian Ocean (CEIO) when the SST is at this critical level. The anomalies in the precipitation induce changes in the isotopic composition of the surface ocean waters. The precipitation signal amplifies the SST signal in the coral d 18 Oc and raises the correlation to ENSO. The presented results have important implications for the reconstruction of ENSO indices from corals within the Indian Ocean. Citation: Timm, O., M. Pfeiffer, and W.-C. Dullo (2005), Nonstationary ENSOprecipitation teleconnection over the equatorial Indian Ocean documented in a coral from the Chagos Archipelago, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L02701, doi:10.1029/2004GL021738.

Paired coral Sr/Ca and δ18O records from the Chagos Archipelago : Late twentieth century warming affects rainfall variability in the tropical Indian Ocean

Understanding the relationship between sea surface temperature (SST) and precipitation is a significant challenge for climate models, particularly for the tropics. Here we present a new monthly coral Sr/Ca record from the tropical Indian Ocean (Chagos Archipelago) that extends from 1950 to 1995. The coral Sr/Ca ratio shows a stationary relationship with local SST, and documents a warming of 0.3 °C since 1950. Previous work has shown that the δ 18 O values measured in the same coral core provide a proxy record of precipitation in the tropical Indian Ocean. The coral δ 18 O record shows a nonstationary relationship with local SST, and a correlation between δ 18 O and SST only emerges in the 1970s. It was proposed that this nonstationary behavior is due to an increase in mean SSTs in the tropical Indian Ocean. During the 1970s, SSTs reached a critical threshold (28.5 °C) beyond which small SST anomalies can have a significant impact on atmospheric convection. As a result, the covariance between SST and precipitation in the tropical Indian Ocean increased. Our new Sr/Ca data confirm that the warming of the Indian Ocean during the late twentieth century affects atmospheric convection and rainfall variability. Moreover, our proxy data show that the relationship between SST and precipitation is nonlinear and characterized by threshold behavior.

A change in coral extension rates and stable isotopes after El Niño-induced coral bleaching and regional stress events

Coral reefs are biologically diverse ecosystems threatened with effective collapse under rapid climate change, in particular by recent increases in ocean temperatures. Coral bleaching has occurred during major El Niño warming events, at times leading to the die-off of entire coral reefs. Here we present records of stable isotopic composition, Sr/Ca ratios and extension rate (1940–2004) in coral aragonite from a northern Venezuelan site, where reefs were strongly impacted by bleaching following the 1997–98 El Niño. We assess the impact of past warming events on coral extension rates and geochemical proxies. A marked decrease in coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) extension rates coincides with a baseline shift to more negative values in oxygen and carbon isotopic composition after 1997–98, while a neighboring coral (Siderastrea siderea) recovered to pre-bleaching extension rates simultaneously. However, other stressors, besides high temperature, might also have influenced coral physiology and geochemistry. Coastal Venezuelan reefs were exposed to a series of extreme environmental fluctuations since the mid-1990s, i.e. upwelling, extreme rainfall and sediment input from landslides. This work provides important new data on the potential impacts of multiple regional stress events on coral isotopic compositions and raises questions about the long-term influence on coral-based paleoclimate reconstructions.

Twentieth century sea surface temperature and salinity variations at Timor inferred from paired coral δ18O and Sr/Ca measurements

The Indonesian Throughflow (ITF), which represents the global ocean circulation connecting the Pacific Warm Pool to the Indian Ocean, strongly influences the Indo-Pacific climate. ITF monitoring since the late 1990s using mooring buoys have provided insights on seasonal and interannual time scales. However, the absence of longer records limits our perspective on its evolution over the past century. Here, we present sea surface temperature (SST) and salinity (SSS) proxy records from Timor Island located at the ITF exit passage via paired coral δ18O and Sr/Ca measurements spanning the period 1914–2004. These high-resolution proxy based climate data of the last century highlights improvements and cautions when interpreting paleoclimate records of the Indonesian region. If the seasonality of SST and SSS is not perfectly in phase, the application of coral Sr/Ca thermometry improves SST reconstructions compared to estimates based on coral δ18O only. Our records also underline the importance of ocean advection besides rainfall on local SSS in the region. Although the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) causes larger anomalies relative to the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), Timor coral-based SST and SSS records robustly correlate with IOD on interannual time scales, whereas ENSO only modifies Timor SST. Similarly, Timor SST and SSS are strongly linked to Indian Ocean decadal-scale variations that appear to lead Timor oceanographic conditions by about 1.6–2 years. Our study sheds new light on the complex signatures of Indo-Pacific climate modes on SST and SSS dynamics of the ITF.