Glacial/interglacial sea surface temperature changes in the Southwest Pacific ocean over the past 360 ka

The phase relationship between climate parameters during terminations gives insight into deglaciation mechanisms. By combining foraminiferal Mg/Ca and alkenone thermometers with planktonic and benthic foraminiferal δ¹⁸O, we determined the phase relationship between local sea surface temperature (SST) and global seawater δ¹⁸O changes in the Coral Sea in the Southwestern Pacific over the last 360 ka. The onset of the SST warming preceded the seawater δ¹⁸O change by several ka for Termination I, II and III. During Termination I, the SST warming started at 20 ka BP, earlier than atmospheric CO₂ rise suggesting that the greenhouse effect was not the main trigger of this early warming. Compilation of ¹⁴C-dated SST records from the whole Pacific during Termination I reveals that the onset of the warming is generally earlier in the Southern and the tropical Pacific than in the North Pacific. This spatio-temporal warming pattern suggests linkage between the southern ocean and tropical Pacific. The early tropical warming could provide heat and moisture to the northern high latitudes, modifying radiative balance and precipitation over ice sheets at the onset of deglaciation.     

Persistent millennial-scale climatic variability over the past 25,000 years in Southern Africa

Data from stalagmites in the Makapansgat Valley, South Africa, document regional climatic change in southern Africa in the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. A new TIMS U-series dated stalagmite indicates speleothem growth from 24.4 to 12.7 ka and from 10.2 to 0 ka, interrupted by a 2.5 ka hiatus. High-resolution oxygen and carbon stable isotope data suggest that postglacial warming was first initiated 17 ka, was interrupted by cooling, probably associated with the Antarctic Cold Reversal, and was followed by strong warming after 13.5 ka. The Early Holocene experienced warm, evaporative conditions with fewer C₄ grasses. Cooling is evident from 6 to 2.5 ka, followed by warming between 1.5 and 2.5 ka and briefly at AD 1200. Maximum Holocene cooling occurred at AD 1700. The new stalagmite largely confirms results from shorter Holocene stalagmites reported earlier. The strongest variability superimposed on more general trends has a quasi-periodicity between 2.5 and 4.0 ka. Also present are weaker 1.0 ka and 100-year oscillations, the latter probably solar induced. Given similarities to the Antarctic records, the proximate driving force producing millennial- and centennial-scale changes in the Makapansgat record is postulated to be atmospheric circulation changes associated with change in the Southern Hemisphere circumpolar westerly wind vortex.     

Sea‐surface temperature and salinity changes in the northwest Pacific since the Last Glacial Maximum

The oxygen isotope records of both benthic and planktonic Foraminifera in five piston cores, collected from the region between the Oyashio and Kuroshio Currents near Japan, clearly show the marked latitudinal shifts of these two currents during the past 25 kyr. Under the present hydrographic condition, a clear relationship between the sea‐surface temperature (SST) and oxygen isotope differences from benthic to planktonic Foraminifera is observed in this region. Using this relationship, we find decreased SSTs of 12–13°C (maximum 15°C) in the southernmost core site at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), indicating the Oyashio Current shifted southward. The SSTs at the southern two core sites abruptly increased more than 10°C at 10–11 ka, suggesting the Kuroshio Current shifted northward over these sites at 10–11 ka. In contrast, the northern two core sites have remained under the influence of the cold Oyashio Current for the past 25 kyr. With the reasonable estimate of bottom‐water temperature decrease of 2.5°C at the LGM, the SSTs estimated by this new method give exactly the same SST values calculated from Mg/Ca ratio of planktonic Foraminifera, allowing palaeosea‐surface salinities to be reconstructed. The result suggests that the ice volume effect was 1.0 ± 0.1‰ at the LGM. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sedimentary evolution and environmental history of Lake Van (Turkey) over the past 600 000 years

The lithostratigraphic framework of Lake Van, eastern Turkey, has been systematically analysed to document the sedimentary evolution and the environmental history of the lake during the past ca 600 000 years. The lithostratigraphy and chemostratigraphy of a 219 m long drill core from Lake Van serve to separate global climate oscillations from local factors caused by tectonic and volcanic activity. An age model was established based on the climatostratigraphic alignment of chemical and lithological signatures, validated by ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages. The drilled sequence consists of ca 76% lacustrine carbonaceous clayey silt, ca 2% fluvial deposits, ca 17% volcaniclastic deposits and 5% gaps. Six lacustrine lithotypes were separated from the fluvial and event deposits, such as volcaniclastics (ca 300 layers) and graded beds (ca 375 layers), and their depositional environments are documented. These lithotypes are: (i) graded beds frequently intercalated with varved clayey silts reflecting rising lake levels during the terminations; (ii) varved clayey silts reflecting strong seasonality and an intralake oxic–anoxic boundary, for example, lake‐level highstands during interglacials/interstadials; (iii) CaCO₃‐rich banded sediments which are representative of a lowering of the oxic–anoxic boundary, for example, lake level decreases during glacial inceptions; (iv) CaCO₃‐poor banded and mottled clayey silts reflecting an oxic–anoxic boundary close to the sediment–water interface, for example, lake‐level lowstands during glacials/stadials; (v) diatomaceous muds were deposited during the early beginning of the lake as a fresh water system; and (vi) fluvial sands and gravels indicating the initial flooding of the lake basin. The recurrence of lithologies (i) to (iv) follows the past five glacial/interglacial cycles. A 20 m thick disturbed unit reflects an interval of major tectonic activity in Lake Van at ca 414 ka bp . Although local environmental processes such as tectonic and volcanic activity influenced sedimentation, the lithostratigraphic pattern and organic matter content clearly reflect past global climate changes, making Lake Van an outstanding terrestrial archive of unprecedented sensitivity for the reconstruction of the regional climate over the last 600 000 years.     

近千年来青海湖水热变化再重建

中国近千年来的水文气候变化大致以暖期时季风区相对湿润而西北西风区相对干旱为特征,处在季风边缘区的青海湖对验证此特征因此显得特别重要。然而相互不一致的青海湖研究结果还时常出现,多数时候与沉积物年代及所采用指标的解释的不确定性有关。本文重新分析了青海湖东部靠近沙岛水深5m处的一根2m的沉积柱里的有机指标,长链烯酮和正构烷烃的分布特征。长链烯酮U₃₇^K'古温度指标、%C_37：4古盐度指标和直链烷烃的水生植物比（P_aq）指标显示当代暖期（1850~2000A.D.）和中世纪暖期（800~1400A.D.）时湖水相对温暖,盐度较低和湖水深度增加,而小冰期时（1400~1850A.D.）相反;并且中世纪暖期相对当代暖期要温暖湿润,证实了以前从湖心深水沉积柱获得的烯酮结果。本文结果也显示至少在盐度变化明显的青海湖长链烯酮古温度指标不包括C_37：4可能更合理一些;另外,气候从冷到暖的转变过程中,湖水温度和盐度变化似乎不同步,可能与径流输入的突然性增加有关。

     

Sea level, surface salinity of the Japan Sea, and the Younger Dryas event in the northwestern Pacific Ocean

The Japan Sea was profoundly different during glacial times than today. Available δ¹⁸O evidence indicates that sea surface salinity was lower by several per mil. This probably increased the stability of the water column and caused anoxic sedimentary conditions in the deep sea, as shown by the absence of benthic microfossils and the presence of laminated sediment. These changes are likely related to the effects of late Quaternary sea-level change on the shallow sills (ca. 130 m) across which the Japan Sea exchanges with the open ocean. The Hwang He (Yellow River) has previously been implicated as the source of fresh water to the Japan Sea during glaciation, but the possible roles of the Amur River and excess precipitation over evaporation must also be considered. Ambiguous radiocarbon chronologies for the latest Quaternary of Japan Sea cores do not adequately constrain the timing of salinity lowering. Previous studies have suggested that lowest sea surface salinity was achieved 27,000 to 20,000 ¹⁴C yr B.P. However, if global sea-level fall restricted exchange with the open ocean circulation, then lowest salinity in the Japan Sea may have occurred as recently as 15,000 to 20,000 yr ago when sea level was lowest. If this alternative is correct, then as sea level abruptly rose about 12,000 yr ago, relatively fresh water must have been discharged to the open Pacific. This might have affected the dynamics of outflow, local faunal and floral expression of the polar front, and stable isotope ratios in foraminifera. These environmental changes could be misinterpreted as evidence for the cooling of Younger Dryas age, which has not been identified in nearby terrestrial records.     

Impact of sea surface temperature in modulating movement and intensity of tropical cyclones

It is well recognized that sea surface temperature (SST) plays a dominant role in the formation and intensification of tropical cyclones. A number of observational/empirical studies were conducted at different basins to investigate the influence of SST on the intensification of tropical cyclones and in turn, modification in SST by the cyclone itself. Although a few modeling studies confirmed the sensitivity of model simulation/forecast to SST, it is not well quantified, particularly for Bay of Bengal cyclones. The present study is designed to quantify the sensitivity of SST on mesoscale simulation of an explosively deepening storm over the Bay of Bengal, i.e., Orissa super cyclone (1999). Three numerical experiments are conducted with climatological SST, NCEP (National Center for Environmental Prediction) skin temperature as SST, and observed SST (satellite derived) toward 5-day simulation of the storm using mesoscale model MM5. At model initial state, NCEP skin temperature and observed SST over the Bay of Bengal are 1–2°C warmer than climatological SST, but cooler by nearly 1°C along the coastline. Observed SST shows a number of warm patches in the Bay of Bengal compared with NCEP skin temperature. The simulation results indicate that the sea surface temperature has a significant impact on model-simulated track and intensity of the cyclonic storm. The track and intensity of the storm is better simulated with the use of satellite-observed SST.     

Sensitivity of tropical cyclone characteristics to the radial distribution of sea surface temperature

Sea Surface Temperature (SST) is crucial for the development and maintenance of a tropical cyclone (TC) particularly below the storm core region. However, storm data below the core region is the most difficult to obtain, hence it is not clear yet that how sensitive the radial distribution of the SST impact the storm characteristic features such as its inner-core structures, translational speed, track, rainfall and intensity particularly over the Bay of Bengal. To explore the effects of radial SST distribution on the TC characteristics, a series of numerical experiments were carried out by modifying the SST at different radial extents using two-way interactive, triply-nested, nonhydrostatic Advanced Weather Research and Forecast (WRF-ARW) model. It is found that not only the SST under the eyewall (core region) contribute significantly to modulate storm track, translational speed and intensity, but also those outside the eyewall region (i.e., 2–2.5 times the radius of maximum wind (RMW)) play a vital role in defining the storm’s characteristics and structure. Out of all the simulated experiments, storm where the positive radial change of SST inducted within the 75 km of the storm core (i.e., P75) produced the strongest storm. In addition, N300 (negative radial changes at 300 km) produced the weakest storm. Further, it is found that SST, stronger within 2–2.5 times of the RMW for P75 experiment, plays a dominant role in maintaining 10 m wind speed (WS ₁₀), surface entropy flux (SEF) and upward vertical velocity (w) within the eyewall with warmer air temperature (T) and equivalent potential temperature (??_e) within the storm’s eye compared to other experiments.     

Drivers of ecosystem and climate change in tropical West Africa over the past ∼540 000 years

A paucity of empirical non‐marine data means that uncertainty surrounds the impact of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems in tropical regions beyond the last glacial period. The sedimentary fill of the Bosumtwi impact crater (Ghana) provides the longest continuous Quaternary terrestrial archive of environmental change in West Africa, spanning the last ～1.08 million years. Here we explore the drivers of change in ecosystem and climate in tropical West Africa for the past ～540 000 years using pollen analysis and the nitrogen isotope composition of bulk organic matter preserved in sediments from Lake Bosumtwi. Variations in grass pollen abundance (0?99%) indicate transitions between grassland and forest. Coeval variations in the nitrogen isotopic composition of organic matter indicate that intervals of grassland expansion coincided with minimum lake levels and low regional moisture availability. The observed changes responded to orbitally paced global climate variations on both glacial–interglacial and shorter timescales. Importantly, the magnitude of ecosystem change revealed by our data exceeds that previously determined from marine records, demonstrating for the first time the high sensitivity of tropical lowland ecosystems to Quaternary climate change.

     

Timing and cause of water level fluctuations in Kluane Lake, Yukon Territory, over the past 5000 years

We reconstructed late Holocene fluctuations of Kluane Lake in Yukon Territory from variations in bulk physical properties and carbon and nitrogen elemental and isotopic abundances in nine sediment cores. Fluctuations of Kluane Lake in the past were controlled by changes in climate and glaciers, which affected inflow of Slims and Duke rivers, the two largest sources of water flowing into the lake. Kluane Lake fluctuated within a narrow range, at levels about 25 m below the present datum, from about 5000 to 1300 cal yr BP. Low lake levels during this interval are probably due to southerly drainage of Kluane Lake to the Pacific Ocean, opposite the present northerly drainage to Bering Sea. Slims River, which today is the largest contributor of water to Kluane Lake, only rarely flowed into the lake during the period 5000 to 1300 cal yr BP. The lake rose 7-12 m between 1300 and 900 cal yr BP, reached its present level around AD 1650, and within a few decades had risen an additional 12 m. Shortly thereafter, the lake established a northern outlet and fell to near its present level.     

巴颜喀拉山东端过去376年来夏季气温变化

巴颜喀拉山地处青藏高原东缘,是长江和黄河上游的分水岭,其生态环境与气候背景变化对下游地区的生态安全具有重要影响,但较短的器测记录限制了对该地区气候变化历史和机制的认识。本文基于巴颜喀拉山东端青海云杉（Picea crassifolia）486年树轮宽度年表,重建了该地区376年的夏季（6月、7月和8月）平均气温变化。结果显示,研究区经历了2个冷期（1724~1789年、1864~1994年）和3个暖期（1637~1723年、1790~1863年和1995~2012年）。经集合经验模态分解（Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition,简称EEMD）发现,重建温度序列的年代际和多年代际信号与太平洋年代际涛动（Pacific Decadal Oscillation,简称PDO）和北大西洋涛动（North Atlantic Oscillation,简称NAO）的变化有较好的一致性,表明PDO和NAO可能对研究区夏季温度变化具有重要影响,但具体影响机制需要气候模式来进一步揭示。     

春季热带海温与北疆夏季极端降水的关系研究

基于1961—2017年北疆47站夏季逐日降水资料、NOAA海温资料和NCEP/NCAR再分析资料,利用90%分位确定北疆夏季单站降水阈值,得出极端降水量,讨论了春季热带海温与北疆夏季极端降水的关系。结果表明：北疆夏季极端降水和春季热带印度洋（20° S~15° N,50°~110° E）及赤道东太平洋（15° S~15° N,90°~180° W）海温呈正相关,两个关键区春季热带海温异常偏暖时,北疆夏季极端降水偏多,仅春季热带印度洋关键区海温异常偏暖时,北疆西北地区夏季极端降水偏多。当春季热带印度洋和赤道东太平洋关键区海温同时异常偏暖时,200 hPa西风急流轴明显偏南,500 hPa西西伯利亚和中亚地区低值系统活跃,南方路径输送的水汽增加,有利于北疆夏季极端降水的发生;仅春季热带印度洋关键区海温异常偏暖时,200 hPa西风急流强度增强,500 hPa西西伯利亚地区低值系统活跃,配合偏东路径的水汽输送,北疆西北地区夏季极端降水偏多。     

Early-summer temperature variations over the past 563 yr inferred from tree rings in the Shaluli Mountains,southeastern Tibet Plateau

We developed a tree-ring chronology (AD 1446–2008) based on 75 cores from 37 Abies squamata Mast. trees from the Shaluli Mountains, southeastern Tibet Plateau, China, using signal-free methods, which are ideally suited to remove or reduce the distortion introduced during traditional standardization. This chronology correlates best with regional temperatures in June–July, which allowed us to develop a June–July temperature reconstruction that explained 51.2% of the variance in the instrumental record. The reconstruction showed seven cold periods and five warm periods. Cold periods were identified from AD 1472 to 1524, 1599 to 1653, 1661 to 1715, 1732 to 1828, 1837 to 1847, 1865 to 1876 and 1907 to 1926. Warm intervals occurred from AD 1446 to 1471, 1525 to 1598, 1716 to 1731, 1848 to 1864, 1877 to 1906 and 1927 to present. The reconstruction agrees well with nearby tree-ring-based temperature reconstructions. Spatial correlation analyses suggest that our reconstructions provide information on June–July temperature variability for the southeastern Tibetan Plateau and its vicinity. Spectral analyses revealed significant peaks at 2–6, 10.7, 51.2, 102.2 and 204.8 yr. The temperature variability in this area may be affected by ENSO, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and solar activity.     

过去60年来南极冰盖近地面气温时空变化研究

如何将十分有限的器测资料和再分析资料有机联系起来,充分借助它们各自的优势,分析南极冰盖气温时空变化具有重要意义。以CFSR（the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis）、ERA5（the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Fifth-generation Reanalysis）和MERRA-2（the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications,version 2）再分析资料分别作为背景场,利用南极冰盖具有超过50年连续观测的站点气温观测资料,分别重建了1960~2019年冰盖近地面月气温时空数据集,借助于未参与重建的70个站点观测资料进行了验证分析。在此基础上,利用精度最高的重建数据集探讨了冰盖过去60年来气温时空变化特征。精度验证结果表明：基于ERA5重建的月气温数据集精度最高,相关系数为0.70,均方根误差为0.49℃。1960~2019年,南极半岛和西南极冰盖呈现显著增温趋势,而且显著变暖延伸到60°~180°E的东南极内陆大部分区域。全球变暖停滞事件在南极半岛和西南极冰盖发生,且增温减缓程度更明显：1999~2019年间年和春季平均气温均呈明显降低趋势。1960~1998年,整个东南极冰盖气温没有显著变化,但是1999~2019年东南极冰盖内陆较大区域呈现了显著变暖趋势。这些结果有助于增进对不同时间尺度南极冰盖气温变化区域差异性的理解。

     

过去千年中国西北干旱区温度变化特征及成因分析

本研究基于过去千年多成员集合模拟试验(CESM-LME)数据, 在与同化资料(LMR)、参与CMIP6两个模式(MRI-ESM2和MIROC-ES2L)过去千年模拟结果以及观测/再分析资料(CN05.1)进行对比验证模式模拟结果可靠性的基础上, 分析了中国西北干旱区过去千年地表温度变化特征和影响因子。研究表明, CESM-LME全强迫试验能够较好地模拟出中世纪气候异常期、小冰期和现代暖期温度异常特征, 模式模拟的中国西北干旱区中世纪气候异常期温度变化幅度与现代暖期的相当。通过计算不同尺度上各单因子敏感性试验与全强迫试验中地表温度序列相关系数发现, 不仅在年尺度上, 年代际、多年代际、百年尺度上火山活动强迫出的地表温度序列与全强迫试验中的均呈现显著的相关关系, 但二者的关系在过去千年并不稳定; 另外, 1850年后温室气体排放对西北干旱区地表温度升高起到了主导作用。根据火山喷发纬度位置和气溶胶注入量两个标准将过去千年火山活动分为3种类型, 即北半球火山(NHV)、赤道火山(TRV)和南半球火山(SHV)。NHV爆发对西北干旱区降温的影响最强, TRV次之, 但是二者差别不大, 均在爆发10~12个月之内降温至-2.0 ℃以下。与以往研究不同的是, SHV爆发后中国西北干旱区地表温度在10个月后降温幅度能达到-1.7 ℃, 且该冷异常可持续到22个月之后。

     

Diatom‐based reconstruction of summer sea‐surface salinity in the South China Sea over the last 15 000 years

We present a new reconstruction of summer sea‐surface salinity (SSS) over the past 15 000 years based on a diatom record from piston core 17940, located on the northern slope of the South China Sea (SCS). The reconstructed diatom‐based summer SSS values for the modern period are in accord with instrumental observations of summer SSS in the area. Here, the modern summer SSS is primarily controlled by river runoff, in particular from the Pearl River. The reconstruction presented in this study shows that the summer SSS varied between 33.3 and 34.2 psu over the past 15 000 years. The long‐term summer SSS trend closely followed the trend of the orbitally controlled solar insolation at 20°N, suggesting that orbital forcing was the dominant driver of changes in summer SSS in this area. Comparisons to speleothem δ¹⁸O data and studies of surface hydrography in the region suggest that changes in solar insolation affected the summer SSS through changes in the East Asian Monsoon and sea‐level changes associated with the last deglaciation. Univariate spectral analyses indicate that centennial‐scale oscillatory variations in summer SSS were superimposed on the long‐term trend. During the deglacial period (c. 12 000–9000 cal. a BP), the dominant periodicity was centred around 230–250 years, whereas a ～350‐year oscillation dominated in the period 2200–4500 cal. a BP. The balance of evidence suggests that these centennial‐scale changes in summer SSS may have been driven by solar‐induced changes in the East Asian Monsoon, but further evidence is needed to firmly establish this relationship.     

Relationship between all-India summer monsoon rainfall and southern oscillation/eastern equatorial Pacific sea surface temperature

The interannual variability of all-India summer monsoon (June to September) rainfall and its teleconnections with the southern oscillation index (SOI) and sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly of the eastern equatorial Pacific ocean have been examined for the period 1871–1978 for different seasons (i.e., winter, spring, summer and autumn). The relationship (correlation coefficient) between all-India summer monsoon rainfall andSOI for different seasons is positive and highly significant. Further examination of 10-, 20- and 30-year sliding window lengths’ correlations, brings out the highly consistent and significant character of the relationships. The relationship between all-India monsoon rainfall andSST for different seasons is negative and is significant at 1 % level or above. Drought years are characterised by negative anomalies ofSOI and positive anomalies ofSST and vice versa with flood years. The relationship betweenSOI andSST is negative and significant at 0.1 % level. The relationships between all-India summer monsoon rainfall,SOI and sst are expected to improve our understanding of the interannual variability of the summer monsoon.     

Millennial-scale variations in hydrography and biogeochemistry in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific over the last 100 kyr

In this study, we use records of nitrogen isotope ratios (δ¹⁵N), UK’37 temperature estimates, organic carbon and opal percentages from high-resolution sediment cores located in the eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) to explore the mechanisms linking millennial-scale changes in low-latitude sea surface temperature, water column denitrification and surface productivity to the timing of northern or southern polar climate during the last 100,000 yr. Our results support a hypothesis that the Southern Hemisphere, and its connection to the low latitudes via shallow subsurface ocean circulation, has a primary influence on the biogeochemistry of the EEP. In addition, our results suggest that, during the last glacial stage, denitrification rates fluctuated on millennial timescales in response to water-column ventilation rather than upstream oxidant demand in intermediate-depth waters.However, due to the poor age constraints available for Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 3, the EEP sedimentary data presented here could support two conflicting mechanisms, one driven by enhanced intermediate overturning circulation in the Southern Ocean during Heinrich Events/Antarctic Warm Events, implying that subsurface flow rates control thermocline ventilation, and a second one consistent with more sluggish intermediate circulation during Antarctic Warm Events and giving a central role to the temperature control on oxygen solubility in Southern Ocean surface waters.