Simon J A Jung

Stepwise Holocene aridification in NE Africa deduced from dust-borne radiogenic isotope records

Abstract Transfer of tropical heat to higher latitudes is the major driving force of the Earth’s climate. Consequently, sediments in regions to the north and south of the tropics potentially retain an archive of past major climate reconfigurations. The climate of one such region, around the Arabian Sea, sensitively depends on the coupled Asian and African monsoons that also control the dust transport. Here, we use the Sr–Nd isotope ratios of the dust fraction from Core 905 (Arabian Sea off Somalia), as a novel tool to deduce the Holocene weathering history of the Horn of Africa with emphasis on the climate transition that took place from a wet early to a dry late Holocene. The highly variable Sr isotope ratios are interpreted to reflect mainly changes in the evaporation/precipitation balance over NE Africa whilst the Nd isotope measurements record no significant variations and point to a prevailing NE African dust source. The Sr isotope record shows that the first aridification step occurred at 8.5 kyr BP followed by an unstable transitional period up to 6 kyr BP, characterized by decadal-scale high-amplitude variations in the evaporation/precipitation balance. A second aridification step began at 6 kyr BP and ceased at 3.8 kyr BP when modern-day dry climate was established. The combined Sr and Nd isotope records probably reflect north–south shifts of the Intertropical Convergence Zone controlling the evaporation/precipitation balance over NE Africa.

Sea surface temperatures of the western Arabian Sea during the last deglaciation

[1] In this study we present a sea surface temperature (SST) record from the western Arabian Sea for the last 20,000 years. We produced centennial-scale d 18 O and Mg/Ca SST time series of core NIOP929 with focus on the glacial-interglacial transition. The western Arabian Sea is influenced by the seasonal NE and SW monsoon wind systems. Lowest SSTs occur during the SW monsoon season because of upwelling of cold water, and highest SSTs can be found in the low-productivity intermonsoon season. The Mg/Ca-based temperature record reflects the integrated SST of the SW and NE monsoon seasons. The results show a glacial-interglacial SST difference of � 2C, which is corroborated by findings from other Arabian Sea cores. At 19 ka B.P. a yet undescribed warm event of several hundred years duration is found, which is also reflected in the d 18 O record. A second centennial-scale high SST/low d 18 O event is observed at 17 ka B.P. This event forms the onset of the stepwise yet persistent trend toward Holocene temperatures. Highest Mg/Ca-derived SSTs in the NIOP929 record occurred between 13 and 10 ka B.P. Interglacial SST is � 24C, indicating influence of upwelling. The onset of Arabian Sea warming occurs when the North Atlantic is experiencing minimum temperatures. The rapid temperature variations at 19, 17, and 13 ka B.P. are difficult to explain with monsoon changes alone and are most likely also linked to regional hydrographic changes, such as trade wind induced variations in warm water advection.

Multidecadal variations in the Early Holocene outflow of Red Sea water into the Arabian Sea

We present Holocene stable oxygen isotope data from the deep Arabian Sea off Somalia at a decadal time resolution as a proxy for the history of intermediate/upper deep water. These data show an overall δ18O reduction by 0.5‰ between 10 and ∼6.5 kyr B.P. superimposed upon short-term δ18O variations at a decadal-centennial timescale. The amplitude of the decadal variations is 0.3‰ prior, and up to 0.6‰ subsequent, to ∼8.1 kyr B.P. We conclude from modeling experiments that the short-term δ18O variations between 10 and ∼6.5 kyr B.P. most likely document changes in the evaporation-precipitation balance in the central Red Sea. Changes in water temperature and salinity cause the outflowing Red Sea Water to settle roughly 800 m deeper than today.

Geochemistry and morphometry on planktonic foraminifera

About one third of the anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere in the past two centuries has been taken up by the ocean. As CO2 invades the surface ocean, carbonate ion concentrations and pH are lowered. Laboratory studies indicate that this reduces the calcification rates of marine calcifying organisms, including planktic foraminifera. Such a reduction in calcification resulting from anthropogenic CO2 emissions has not been observed, or quantified in the field yet. Here we present the findings of a study in the Western Arabian Sea that uses shells of the surface water dwelling planktic foraminifer Globigerinoides ruber in order to test the hypothesis that anthropogenically induced acidification has reduced shell calcification of this species. We found that light, thin-walled shells from the surface sediment are younger (based on 14C and d13C measurements) than the heavier, thicker-walled shells. Shells in the upper, bioturbated, sediment layer were significantly lighter compared to shells found below this layer. These observations are consistent with a scenario where anthropogenically induced ocean acidification reduced the rate at which foraminifera calcify, resulting in lighter shells. On the other hand, we show that seasonal upwelling in the area also influences their calcification and the stable isotope (d13C and d18O) signatures recorded by the foraminifera shells. Plankton tow and sediment trap data show that lighter shells were produced during upwelling and heavier ones during non-upwelling periods. Seasonality alone, however, cannot explain the 14C results, or the increase in shell weight below the bioturbated sediment layer. We therefore must conclude that probably both the processes of acidification and seasonal upwelling are responsible for the presence of light shells in the top of the sediment and the age difference between thick and thin specimens.