Norbert Frank

Speleothem-based paleoclimate record from northern Oman

U-Th age dating and stable isotope measurements of speleothems from Hoti Cave in northern Oman yield paleoclimate information from the region extending to 125 ka. The results (1) provide further confirmation of an early Holocene wet period in southern Arabia extending from some time prior to 9.7 ka and ending at 6.2 ka; (2) demonstrate a second period of wetness closely coinciding with the last interglacial period, marine isotope stage (MIS) 5e; (3) indicate that during MIS 5e, southern Arabia was considerably wetter than during the early Holocene; and (4) demonstrate that periods of increased monsoon wind strength, based on data from marine sediments, do not always coincide with evidence of greatly increased precipitation even from nearby continental areas.

Strong and deep Atlantic meridional overturning circulation during the last glacial cycle

Extreme, abrupt Northern Hemisphere climate oscillations during the last glacial cycle (140,000 years ago to present) were modulated by changes in ocean circulation and atmospheric forcing. However, the variability of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), which has a role in controlling heat transport from low to high latitudes and in ocean CO2 storage, is still poorly constrained beyond the Last Glacial Maximum. Here we show that a deep and vigorous overturning circulation mode has persisted for most of the last glacial cycle, dominating ocean circulation in the Atlantic, whereas a shallower glacial mode with southern-sourced waters filling the deep western North Atlantic prevailed during glacial maxima. Our results are based on a reconstruction of both the strength and the direction of the AMOC during the last glacial cycle from a highly resolved marine sedimentary record in the deep western North Atlantic. Parallel measurements of two independent chemical water tracers (the isotope ratios of 231Pa/230Th and 143Nd/144Nd), which are not directly affected by changes in the global cycle, reveal consistent responses of the AMOC during the last two glacial terminations. Any significant deviations from this configuration, resulting in slowdowns of the AMOC, were restricted to centennial-scale excursions during catastrophic iceberg discharges of the Heinrich stadials. Severe and multicentennial weakening of North Atlantic Deep Water formation occurred only during Heinrich stadials close to glacial maxima with increased ice coverage, probably as a result of increased fresh-water input. In contrast, the AMOC was relatively insensitive to submillennial meltwater pulses during warmer climate states, and an active AMOC prevailed during Dansgaard–Oeschger interstadials (Greenland warm periods).

Start of the last interglacial period at 135 ka: Evidence from a high Alpine speleothem

A detailed study of growth periods of a flowstone from Spannagel Cave in the Zillertal Alps (Austria) at ∼2500 m above sea level, a site highly sensitive to climate changes, offers unprecedented new insights into Pleistocene climate change in Central Europe. Flowstone sample SPA 52 has a high U content (to 116 ppm); analyses of this sample reveal that episodes of calcite deposition started at 204 ± 3 ka, 135 ± 1.2 ka, and 122 ka, suggesting that at these times, the mean air temperature at this high Alpine site was within 1.5 °C of the present-day condition. The beginning of growth at 135 ka corresponds to the ending of the last glaciation and is concordant with a midpoint age for the penultimate deglaciation at 135 ± 2.5 ka, as deduced from the absolutely dated oxygen isotope curve in sediments from the Bahamas, as well as with recent coral evidence from Barbados indicating a high sea level already by 135.8 ± 0.8 ka. This set of data supports evidence against Northern Hemisphere forcing of termination II, because the insolation maximum is at 127 ka.

Eastern North Atlantic deep-sea corals: tracing upper intermediate water Δ14C during the Holocene

Abstract Paired 230Th/U and 14C dating were performed on deep-sea corals (Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata) from the northeastern North Atlantic at ∼730 m bsl to investigate past changes of the thermohaline circulation. These were estimated using the Δ14C value of the upper intermediate waters, based on the 14C ages of the top and base of each coral, where possible, and the 230Th/U dating. The reliability of these estimates was checked by dating two very young corals of the species L. pertusa. One of these corals, collected alive in 1999 AD, gave a 230Th/U age of 1995±4 AD after correction for non-radiogenic 230Th. Another coral, the top of which dated to 1969±6 AD, recorded the atmospheric 14C/12C increase due to the nuclear tests in the early 1960s. The calculated Δ14C values from these two corals agree with those measured at GEOSECS Station 23 in 1972–1973 [Ostlund et al., Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 23 (1974) 69–86] and 1991–1992 [Nydal and Gisfelos, Radiocarbon 38 (1996) 389–406]. This, together with the 100% aragonite content and the δ234U and 230Th/232Th values of all the dated corals, indicates that none of the corals behaved as open systems with respect to their U-series nuclides and that they closely represent the water mass properties in which they lived. The pre-anthropogenic Δ14C value of the North Atlantic intermediate waters was estimated at −69±4‰. The reservoir age varies from ∼400 years to ∼600 years, and this variation is due to atmospheric 14C/12C changes. A reservoir age of 610±80 years, close to the pre-anthropogenic value, was determined from one coral dated at 10 430±120 cal yr BP, when the global sea level was approximately at −35 m [Bard et al., Nature 382 (1996) 241–244]. This suggests a modern-like pattern of the oceanic circulation prevailed in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean at this time although the deglaciation was not completely achieved.

Evolution of weathering patterns in the Indo‐Burman Ranges over the last 280 kyr: Effects of sediment provenance on 87Sr/86Sr ratios tracer

[1] A high-resolution study of mineralogy and major element geochemistry combined with Sr and Nd isotopes has been conducted on high sedimentation rate cores collected off the Irrawaddy River mouth in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal to reconstruct the erosional and weathering history of the Irrawaddy River basin. In both cores, eNd(0) values imply that both glacial and interglacial sediments share a common crustal source: the Irrawaddy River. Strong glacial/interglacial cycles are recorded by Sr/Sr: interglacial periods yield values between 0.713 and 0.717, whereas glacial periods show higher values between 0.717 and 0.719. Variations of the pedogenic clays (smectite and kaolinite) to primary mineral (feldspar, quartz, illite, and chlorite) ratios show strong precessional cycles, suggesting a control by past changes in the summer monsoon intensity. Each increase in pedogenic clays content is also associated with a net loss of labile elements (Na, K, and Ca) from the detrital minerals under chemical weathering. Wet periods of summer monsoon reinforcement correspond to an increase in weathering of the Irrawaddy plain soils and a decrease of Sr/Sr ratio. Plotting Sr/Sr versus Rb/Sr gives a pseudoisochrons interpreted as a mixing line representing the strength of chemical weathering. During glacial stages, enhanced physical erosion induced by glacier scour and frost action in the highland of the Irrawaddy River basins produced high volumes of unaltered, Rb-rich minerals. The low sea level of glacial times constricted the river to the main channel in the lower reaches and permitted an efficient transport of unaltered Rb-rich minerals with high radiogenic Sr composition from the high relief of the Indo-Burman Ranges and the Tibetan plateau to the Indian Ocean.

Coral provides way to age deep water

We propose a new method for computing the ratio of the isotopes carbon-14 to carbon-12 in deep water from the past, and for testing the results derived from the normal method of age difference between benthic and planktic foraminifera in deep-sea sediments.

A new technique for precise uranium-series dating of travertine micro-samples

Abstract Secondary carbonate formations, such as travertine and calcareous tufa deposits, are important archives for quaternary continental climate studies and archaeology. The extremely complex growth mechanisms result in some serious problems for precise mass spectrometric uranium-series dating. Often, detrital and organic particles contaminate the carbonate and large pore volumes yield a great potential for open system behavior. We utilized microscopic, mineralogical and geochemical methods prior to sample selection to determine the abundance of primary calcite, i.e. micrite and spar. Furthermore, the state of alteration was characterized by cathodoluminescence and trace-element analysis. We conclude that travertine and calcareous tufa are appropriate for precise U-series age determination if a) micrite and/or spar are the dominant phases; b) cathodoluminescence of both phases is weak or absent; c) Fe and Al levels are low; and d) Sr concentrations are close to the average of the studied site. We mapped and sampled solely areas of major micrite/spar abundance having minor alteration for accurate U-series dating. When this new method was applied, travertines located in eastern Germany (sites Bad Langensalza, Burgtonna and Weimar-Ehringsdorf) gave single 230Th/238U-ages consistent with the lithological growth sequence and greatly improved compared to previously published chronologies. In addition, we determined 230Th/U isochron ages on bulk samples that confirm our single ages. In contrast to primary calcite, pore cements are homogeneously distributed throughout the travertine fabric and reflect early diagenetic processes and/or weathering.

Northeastern Atlantic cold-water coral reefs and climate

U-series age patterns obtained on reef framework-forming cold-water corals collected over a nearly 6000-km-long continental margin sector, extending from off Mauritania (17 degrees N; northwest Africa) to the southwestern Barents Sea (70 degrees N; northeastern Europe), reveal strong climate influences on the geographical distribution and sustained development of these ecosystems. Over the past three glacial-interglacial cycles, framework-forming cold-water corals (Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata) seem to have predominantly populated reefs, canyons, and patches in the temperate East Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. Above 50 degrees N corals colonize reefs in the northern East Atlantic primarily during warm climate periods with the biogeographic limit advancing from similar to 50 degrees N to similar to 70 degrees N. We propose that north-south oscillations of the biogeographic limit of reef developments are paced by ice ages and may occur synchronously with north-south displacement of cold nutrient-rich intermediate waters and surface productivity related to changes of the polar front.

Variations of biogenic particle flux in the southern Atlantic section of the Subantarctic Zone during the late Quaternary: Evidence from sedimentary 231Paex and 230Thex

Variations of intensity and composition of biogenic particle flux at the northern boundary of the present PolarFrontal Zone in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean are indicators of major changes of paleoenvironmentalconditions on glacial/interglacial time scales during the Late Quaternary. In order to estimate those pastchanges, sediment accumulation patterns of two piston cores, one from just north and one just south of thepresent day position of the Subantarctic Front were reconstructed. Using the 230Thex method large contributionsof laterally supplied material were quantified and used to correct sediment accumulation rates. During the lastglacial focussing of biogenic opal-dominated material exceeded the original contribution from the surfacewater above by a maximum factor of 8.7. The initial activity ratio of 231Paex/230Thex was used as tracer forbiogenic particle flux and composition and indicates that during the glacial stages 2 and 4 the area of high opalproductivity was situated above the location of the southern core whereas the northern core has not beenreached by this northward shift during the last 130 kyr as shown by the pattern of focussing-corrected bulkaccumulation rates. If the position of the Antarctic Polar Front has remained at the northern boundary of thehigh opal productivity area during the last 130 kyr, the results suggest that was located exactly between thetwo core sites during glacial stages 2 and 4. A two-box modeling approach involving particle flux and boundaryscavenging intensity of 231Pa was applied to estimate the possible range of the 231Paex/230Thex ratio recordedin Southern Ocean sediments. Previous estimates on the export of 231Pa from the Atlantic into the SouthernOcean are corroborated but the model suggests a low sensitivity of the 231Paex/230Thex ratio in Southern Oceansediments to variations of the residence time of North Atlantic Deep Water in the Atlantic Ocean.

Paleotemperatures from deep-sea corals: scale effects

Like other biogenic carbonate that can be dated, aragonite skeleton of deep-sea corals is a potential archive of oceanographic changes over time. Stable isotope analysis is commonly used in paleoceanographic reconstruction of past seawater temperatures, however, offset from isotopic equilibrium as well as recent observations about isotope distribution with the micro-structure of deep-water corals implies non direct paleoclimate reconstructions. Here we test the influence of the sampling scale on oceanographic interpretations.