Impact of the Atlantic Warm Pool on precipitation and temperature in Florida during North Atlantic cold spells

Recurrent phases of increased pine at Lake Tulane, Florida have previously been related to strong stadials terminated by so-called Heinrich events. The climatic significance of these pine phases has been interpreted in different ways. Using a pollen?Cclimate inference model, we quantified the climate changes and consistently found that mean summer precipitation (P _JJA) increased (0.5?C0.9?mm/day) and mean November temperature increased (2.0?C3.0°C) during pine phases coeval with Heinrich events and the Younger Dryas. Marine sea surface temperature records indicate that potential sources for these moisture and heat anomalies are in the Gulf of Mexico and the western tropical Atlantic. We explain this low latitude warming by an increased Loop Current facilitated by persistence of the Atlantic Warm Pool during summer. This hypothesis is supported by a climate model sensitivity analysis. A positive heat anomaly in the Gulf of Mexico and equatorial Atlantic best approximates the pollen-inferred climate reconstructions from Lake Tulane during the (stadials around) Heinrich events and the Younger Dryas.     

The Western Mediterranean summer variability and its feedbacks

The anomalous climatic variability of the Western Mediterranean in summer, its relationships with the large scale climatic teleconnection modes and its feedbacks from some of these modes are the targets of this study. The most important trait of this variability is the recurrence of warm and cold episodes, that take place at 2–4 year intervals, and which are monitored in the Western Mediterranean Index. We find that the Western Mediterranean events are part of a basin scale mode, and are related to the previous spring atmospheric anomalies. These anomalies are related mainly to the Pacific North America teleconnection pattern and the North Atlantic Oscillation, but also to a number of other climatic modes, connected with the previous two, as the Southern Oscillation, the Indian Core Monsoon and the Scandinavian teleconnection pattern. We identify the main spatial and temporal traits of the Western Mediterranean summer variability, the physical mechanisms at play in the generation of the events and their impacts. Considering the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean events influence the sea surface temperature in the southeastern part of the North Atlantic Gyre. Additionally, they are significantly related to summer precipitation anomalies of the opposite sign in the Baltic basin (Central Germany and Poland) and near the Black Sea. We then estimate the mutual influence that the anomalous previous state of the Western Mediterranean, of the Pacific North America teleconnection pattern and of the North Atlantic Oscillation have on their summer conditions using a simple stochastic model. As the summer Western Mediterranean events have an influence on a part of the Baltic basin, we propose a second stochastic model in order to investigate if thereafter the Baltic basin variability will feedback on the Western Mediterranean sea surface temperature anomalies. Among the variables included in the second model are, in addition to the Western Mediterranean previous state, that of the Baltic Sea and of the Scandinavian teleconnection pattern. From each of the feedback matrices, a linear statistical analysis extracts spatial patterns whose evolution in time exhibits predictive capabilities for the Western Mediterranean evolution in summer and autumn that are above those of persistence, and that could be improved.     

Low-latitude control of interhemispheric sea-surface temperature contrast in the tropical Atlantic over the past 21 kyears: the possible role of SE trade winds

To stimulate a discussion on the role of tropical atmospheric circulation versus thermohaline circulation changes for tropical Atlantic sea-surface temperature (SST) variations, we present a record of the SST contrast (SST) between the tropical northwest and southeast Atlantic from the Last Glacial Maximum to the Late Holocene. The SST was calculated from two alkenone-derived SST records; one from the Caribbean Sea and the other from the Angola Basin. Changes in the cross-equatorial SST were then compared with an abundance record of Florisphaera profunda from the equatorial Atlantic, which is indicative of SE trade-wind induced variations in thermocline depth in the equatorial divergence zone. This comparison implies that the Last Glacial Maximum, the Younger Dryas, and the Mid to Late Holocene were periods of strong SE trade winds, which led to an intense upwelling-related cooling in the southeast Atlantic and concurrently enhanced advection of warm tropical South Atlantic waters into the western tropical Atlantic. Accordingly, a coupled ocean-atmospheric process has probably created a dipole-like SST distribution pattern in the tropical Atlantic during these three distinct climatic periods. In contrast, Heinrich Event 1, the Bølling-Allerød, and the Early Holocene were intervals of weakened SE trade winds, causing a warming in the southeast Atlantic. However, synchronous warming in both regions during Heinrich Event 1 can be partially attributed to a weakening of thermohaline overturning which caused a reduced northward heat transport from the low-latitude to the high-latitude North Atlantic.     

Mediterranean climate extremes in synoptic downscaling assessments

The behaviour of precipitation and maximum temperature extremes in the Mediterranean area under climate change conditions is analysed in the present study. In this context, the ability of synoptic downscaling techniques in combination with extreme value statistics for dealing with extremes is investigated. Analyses are based upon a set of long-term station time series in the whole Mediterranean area. At first, a station-specific ensemble approach for model validation was developed which includes (1) the downscaling of daily precipitation and maximum temperature values from the large-scale atmospheric circulation via analogue method and (2) the fitting of extremes by generalized Pareto distribution (GPD). Model uncertainties are quantified as confidence intervals derived from the ensemble distributions of GPD-related return values and described by a new metric called “ratio of overlapping”. Model performance for extreme precipitation is highest in winter, whereas the best models for maximum temperature extremes are set up in autumn. Valid models are applied to a 30-year period at the end of the twenty-first century (2070–2099) by means of ECHAM5/MPI-OM general circulation model data for IPCC SRES B1 scenario. The most distinctive future changes are observed in autumn in terms of a strong reduction of precipitation extremes in Northwest Iberia and the Northern Central Mediterranean area as well as a simultaneous distinct increase of maximum temperature extremes in Southwestern Iberia and the Central and Southeastern Mediterranean regions. These signals are checked for changes in the underlying dynamical processes using extreme-related circulation classifications. The most important finding connected to future changes of precipitation extremes in the Northwestern Mediterranean area is a reduction of southerly displaced deep North Atlantic cyclones in 2070–2099 as associated with a strengthened North Atlantic Oscillation. Thus, the here estimated future changes of extreme precipitation are in line with the discourse about the influence of North Atlantic circulation variability on the changing climate in Europe.     

The impact of global warming on Kuroshio Extension and its southern recirculation using CMIP5 experiments with a high-resolution climate model MIROC4h

The impacts of four teleconnection patterns on atmospheric circulation components over Eurasia and the Pacific region, from low to high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere (NH), were investigated comprehensively in this study. The patterns, as identified by the Climate Prediction Center (USA), were the East Atlantic (EA), East Atlantic/Western Russia (EAWR), Polar/Eurasia (POLEUR), and Scandinavian (SCAND) teleconnections. Results indicate that the EA pattern is closely related to the intensity of the subtropical high over different sectors of the NH in all seasons, especially boreal winter. The wave train associated with this pattern serves as an atmospheric bridge that transfers Atlantic influence into the low-latitude region of the Pacific. In addition, the amplitudes of the EAWR, SCAND, and POLEUR patterns were found to have considerable control on the “Vangengeim–Girs” circulation that forms over the Atlantic–Eurasian region in winter or spring. The EA and EAWR mainly affect the westerlies in winter and spring and the POLEUR and SCAND, respectively, in summer and winter. Strong westerlies confine the extension of the North Polar vortex, which generally results in a small weak vortex and a shallow East Asian trough located in a position further east than normal. Furthermore, the North Polar vortex presents significant connections with the patterns during winter and summer. Analyses in this work suggest that the teleconnection patterns in summer could be driven, at least partly, by the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, which to some degree might transmit the influence of the Atlantic Ocean to Eurasia and the Pacific region.     

Calibration of the climatic signal in a new pollen sequence from La Grande Pile

A new core, GPXX, from La Grande Pile (Vosges, France) has enabled a more precise evaluation of pollen data concerning the last climatic cycle at this site and has enabled reconstruction of the monthly temperature and precipitation. This paper shows that the various components of the reconstructed climatic signal are clearly separated and that they are coherent with the vegetation dynamics. The Eemian interglacial was influenced first by an oceanic climate and second by a more continental one. The two interstadials, St-Germain I and II, were mainly continental. These three temperate periods ended with a cool and humid transition period dominated by boreal forests, which may have been favourable to ice accretion. The Dansgaard-Oeschger oscillations from 55 to 25 Kyr BP are not significantly recorded in La Grande Pile.Contribution to Clima Locarno — Past and Present Climate Dynamics; Conference September 1990, Swiss Academy of Sciences — National Climate Program     

Analysis of the long-term surface wind variability over complex terrain using a high spatial resolution WRF simulation

This work uses a WRF numerical simulation from 1960 to 2005 performed at a high horizontal resolution (2 km) to analyze the surface wind variability over a complex terrain region located in northern Iberia. A shorter slice of this simulation has been used in a previous study to demonstrate the ability of the WRF model in reproducing the observed wind variability during the period 1992–2005. Learning from that validation exercise, the extended simulation is herein used to inspect the wind behavior where and when observations are not available and to determine the main synoptic mechanisms responsible for the surface wind variability. A principal component analysis was applied to the daily mean wind. Two principal modes of variation accumulate a large percentage of the wind variability (83.7%). The first mode reflects the channeling of the flow between the large mountain systems in northern Iberia modulated by the smaller topographic features of the region. The second mode further contributes to stress the differentiated wind behavior over the mountains and valleys. Both modes show significant contributions at the higher frequencies during the whole analyzed period, with different contributions at lower frequencies during the different decades. A strong relationship was found between these two modes and the zonal and meridional large scale pressure gradients over the area. This relationship is described in the context of the influence of standard circulation modes relevant in the European region like the North Atlantic Oscillation, the East Atlantic pattern, East Atlantic/Western Russia pattern, and the Scandinavian pattern.     

Modeled seasonality of glacial abrupt climate events

Greenland ice cores, as well as many other paleo-archives from the northern hemisphere, recorded a series of 25 warm interstadial events, the so-called Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) events, during the last glacial period. We use the three-dimensional coupled global ocean–atmosphere–sea ice model ECBILT-CLIO and force it with freshwater input into the North Atlantic to simulate abrupt glacial climate events, which we use as analogues for D-O events. We focus our analysis on the Northern Hemisphere. The simulated events show large differences in the regional and seasonal distribution of the temperature and precipitation changes. While the temperature changes in high northern latitudes and in the North Atlantic region are dominated by winter changes, the largest temperature increases in most other land regions are seen in spring. Smallest changes over land are found during the summer months. Our model simulations also demonstrate that the temperature and precipitation change patterns for different intensifications of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation are not linear. The extent of the transitions varies, and local non-linearities influence the amplitude of the annual mean response as well as the response in different seasons. Implications for the interpretation of paleo-records are discussed.     

Summer temperature extremes in northeastern Spain: spatial regionalization and links to atmospheric circulation (1960–2006)

A procedure for classifying daily summer temperature extremes in northeastern Spain into homogenous regions has been presented and evaluated. This procedure employed daily temperature series from a dense network of 128 weather stations spanning the period from 1960 to 2006. Characteristics of temperature extremes included temperature frequency (e.g., warm days), intensity (e.g., warmest day), and duration (e.g., maximum length of hot spell). Following the results of the principal components analysis and Ward's method of clustering, the study area was divided into four homogenous sub-regions in terms of both the geographic and climatic meanings: the Mediterranean region, the mainland and the Cantabrian region, the moderately elevated areas westward and southward, and the mountainous region. Based on an internal cluster validation measure (Silhouette width), the quality of clustering was evaluated and ensured. The temporal evolution of the long-term (1960–2006) temperature extremes clearly showed a different behavior amongst these sub-regions. The Mediterranean and the highly elevated regions revealed the strongest signals in both daytime and nighttime extremes. For mainland areas, considerable differences in the behavior of the daytime and nighttime temperature extremes were evident. The influence of atmospheric circulation on spatial and temporal variability of temperature extremes was also explored. The variability of summer temperature extremes in NE Spain appears to be mainly driven by the Scandinavian (SCA), the Western Mediterranean Oscillation (WeMO), and the East Atlantic (EA) patterns, with a tendency toward increasing during the positive (negative) phases of the EA (WeMO and SCA) circulation modes. In such a region with complex geography and climate, regionalization of summer temperature extremes can be advantageous for extracting finer-scale information, which may prove useful for the vulnerability assessments and the development of local adaptation strategies in areas such as health, ecosystems and agriculture.     

Origin of the northern Atlantic's Heinrich events

As first noted by Heinrich, 1988, glacial age sediments in the eastern part of the northern Atlantic contain layers with unusually high ratios of ice-rafted lithic fragments to foraminifera shells. He estimated that these layers are spaced at intervals of roughly 10 000 years. In this paper we present detailed information documenting the existence of the upper five of these layers in ODP core 609 from 50° N and 24° W. Their ages are respectively 15 000 radiocarbon years, 20 000 radiocarbon years, 27 000 radiocarbon years, about 40 000 years, and about 50 000 years. We also note that the high lithic fragment to foram ratio is the result of a near absence of shells in these layers. Although we are not of one mind regarding the origin of these layers, we lean toward an explanation that the Heinrich layers are debris released during the melting of massive influxes of icebergs into the northern Atlantic. These sudden inputs may be the result of surges along the eastern margin of the Laurentide ice sheet.Contribution to Clima Locarno — Past and Present Climate Dynamics; Conference September 1990, Swiss Academy of Sciences — National Climate Program     

High frequency pulses of East Asian monsoon climate in the last two glaciations: link with the North Atlantic

Three loess sections in the Loess Plateau of China have been studied to characterize the variations of the East Asian monsoon climate in the Late Quaternary period. Paleo-weathering profiles based on two weathering indices reveal a series of spatially correlative intervals of lower weathering intensity (LW), in the last glacial and late penultimate glacial loess, indicating significantly cooler or/and drier conditions. Most of them are identified at or near the transitional boundaries between loess and soil units, suggesting that climatic conditions favorable for LW events tended to occur at or near major climatic boundaries. Twenty-eight radiocarbon and thermoluminescence measurements, combined with Kukla's magnetic susceptibility age model date these events at ∼14, ∼21, ∼29, ∼38, ∼52, ∼71, ∼135, and ∼145 ka BP, with ∼5–10 ka frequency inlaid within the orbitally induced ∼20-ka periodicity. The ages of the first six events in the last glacial period are therefore close to those of the coarse-grained Heinrich layers in the North Atlantic Ocean, which resulted from massive discharges of icebergs. The results indicate that the climate in the area affected by the East Asian monsoon has experienced high-frequency changes more or less synchronous with the Heinrich events. These high-frequency changes have been reported by Porter and An, based on the grain-size time series from the Luochuan loess section. Our data also reveal that similar events also occurred during the penultimate glaciation. The mechanisms linking the Heinrich events and the East Asian monsoon climate may be similar to that driving the Younger Dryas event which has been identified in a large number of records in China and in the surrounding oceans. Received: 16 October 1995 / Accepted: 10 May 1996     

冬季南极涛动对欧亚大陆地表气温的影响

基于1962~2011年NCEP/NCAR逐日再分析资料,本文研究了北半球冬季南极涛动（Antarctic Oscillation,AAO）对欧亚大陆地表气温的影响及其物理过程。线性回归结果表明,在扣除冬季ENSO信号后,1月AAO与2月欧亚大陆地表气温呈显著正相关关系。当1月AAO处于正位相时,东南太平洋出现显著的位势高度正异常,这对应着南半球副热带高压的增强。该高度正异常在空间上从南半球向北扩展至北半球东太平洋地区,在时间上可一直持续到2月,它在南北半球相互作用过程中起重要作用。2月,北半球东太平洋高度正异常随高度向北倾斜,在对流层上层位于美国西南侧,该位置对应着北大西洋风暴轴入口处。进一步的相关分析表明,美国西南侧的高度正异常与地中海西北侧的瞬变波活动显著正相关,进而对应着斯堪的纳维亚半岛地区的高度负异常的形成。该负异常通过向下游频散波能量,引起贝加尔湖西侧高度正异常,形成典型的负位相斯堪的纳维亚环流型。该环流型对应60°N附近的西风异常,抑制了北侧冷空气南下,进而引起欧亚大陆地表气温正异常,反之亦然。     

Remarkable Link between Projected Uncertainties of Arctic Sea-Ice Decline and Winter Eurasian Climate

We identify that the projected uncertainty of the pan-Arctic sea-ice concentration(SIC) is strongly coupled with the Eurasian circulation in the boreal winter(December–March; DJFM), based on a singular value decomposition(SVD) analysis of the forced response of 11 CMIP5 models. In the models showing a stronger sea-ice decline, the Polar cell becomes weaker and there is an anomalous increase in the sea level pressure(SLP) along 60°N, including the Urals–Siberia region and the Iceland low region. There is an accompanying weakening of both the midlatitude westerly winds and the Ferrell cell,where the SVD signals are also related to anomalous sea surface temperature warming in the midlatitude North Atlantic.In the Mediterranean region, the anomalous circulation response shows a decreasing SLP and increasing precipitation. The anomalous SLP responses over the Euro-Atlantic region project on to the negative North Atlantic Oscillation–like pattern.Altogether, pan-Arctic SIC decline could strongly impact the winter Eurasian climate, but we should be cautious about the causality of their linkage.     

Climate controls on rainfall isotopes and their effects on cave drip water and speleothem growth: the case of Molinos cave (Teruel,NE Spain)

The interpretation of stable isotopes in speleothems in terms of past temperature variability or precipitation rates requires a comprehensive understanding of the climatic factors and processes that influence the δ¹⁸O signal in the way through the atmosphere to the cave, where carbonate precipitates acquiring its final isotopic composition. This study presents for the first time in the Iberia Peninsula an integrated analysis of the isotopic composition of rainfall (δ¹⁸O_p) during 2010–2012 years and, through a detailed monitoring survey, the transference of the primary isotopic signal throughout the soil and epikarst into the Molinos cave (Teruel, NE Spain). Both air temperature and amount of precipitation have an important effect on δ¹⁸O_p values, clearly imprinting a seasonal variability modulated by an amount effect when rainfall events are more frequent or intense. Air mass history and atmospheric circulation influences are considered through the study of weather types, synoptic-scale climate patterns and large-scale atmospheric circulation indexes (North Atlantic Oscillation and Western Mediterranean Oscillation) revealing a dominant source effect on δ¹⁸O_p values in this region where tropical North Atlantic and Western Mediterranean are the two moisture source regions. A delay of 2–3 months occurs between the dripwater oxygen isotopic composition (δ¹⁸O_d) respect to δ¹⁸O_p values as a consequence of large residence time in the epikarst. Limited calcite precipitates are found from winter to spring when δ¹⁸O_d values are less negative and dripwater rates are constant. This study suggests that NE Iberian δ¹⁸O_calcite proxy records are best interpreted as reflecting a combination of parameters, not just paleotemperature or paleorainfall and, if extending present-day situation towards the recent past, a biased signal towards winter values should be expected in Molinos speleothem records.     

北大西洋地区气候准20年周期的观测和模拟分析

北大西洋地区除了存在约70 a周期的AMO（Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation,北大西洋年代际振荡）之外,历史长期气候记录中英格兰温度（Central England Temperature,CET）与格陵兰冰芯净雪累计率还存在显著的20 a周期波动。本研究利用CCSM4（Community Climate System Model version 4）耦合模式工业革命前控制试验（piControl）结果中的海表面温度（Sea Surface Temperature,SST）,通过10～50 a带通滤波与扩展经验正交函数（Extended Empirical Orthogonal Function,EEOF）分解,得到在北大西洋副极地海区存在准20 a振荡的逆时针旋转模态。此周期与其临近地区的CET、格陵兰冰芯净雪累计率的准20 a振荡周期相吻合,说明这种北大西洋副极地海区准20 a振荡的海洋模态与其临近地区的大气准20 a振荡之间可能存在相应的联系。进一步利用CAM4（the Community Atmosphere Model version4）大气模式,以北大西洋副极地海区准20 a振荡SST旋转模态为强迫场进行敏感性试验,进一步验证了这种联系。     

Simulating Heinrich event 1 with interactive icebergs

During the last glacial, major abrupt climate events known as Heinrich events left distinct fingerprints of ice rafted detritus, and are thus associated with iceberg armadas; the release of many icebergs into the North Atlantic Ocean. We simulated the impact of a large armada of icebergs on glacial climate in a coupled atmosphere–ocean model. In our model, dynamic-thermodynamic icebergs influence the climate through two direct effects. First, melting of the icebergs causes freshening of the upper ocean, and second, the latent heat used in the phase-transition of ice to water results in cooling of the iceberg surroundings. This cooling effect of icebergs is generally neglected in models. We investigated the role of the latent heat by performing a sensitivity experiment in which the cooling effect is switched off. At the peak of the simulated Heinrich event, icebergs lacking the latent heat flux are much less efficient in shutting down the meridional overturning circulation than icebergs that include both the freshening and the cooling effects. The cause of this intriguing result must be sought in the involvement of a secondary mechanism: facilitation of sea-ice formation, which can disturb deep water production at key convection sites, with consequences for the thermohaline circulation. We performed additional sensitivity experiments, designed to explore the effect of the more plausible distribution of the dynamic icebergs’ melting fluxes compared to a classic hosing approach with homogeneous spreading of the melt fluxes over a section in the mid-latitude North Atlantic (NA) Ocean. The early response of the climate system is much stronger in the iceberg experiments than in the hosing experiments, which must be a distribution-effect: the dynamically distributed icebergs quickly affect western NADW formation, which synergizes with direct sea-ice facilitation, causing an earlier sea-ice expansion and climatic response. Furthermore, compared to dynamic-thermodynamic icebergs, a homogeneous hosing overestimates the fresh water flux in the Eastern Ruddiman belt, causing a fresh anomaly in the Eastern North Atlantic, leading to a delayed recovery of the circulation after the event.     

Sensitivity of modern climate to the presence,strength and salinity of Mediterranean-Atlantic exchange in a global general circulation model

Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW) is thought to be a key contributor to the strength and stability of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), but the future of Mediterranean-Atlantic water exchange is uncertain. It is chiefly dependent on the difference between Mediterranean and Atlantic temperature and salinity characteristics, and as a semi-enclosed basin, the Mediterranean is particularly vulnerable to future changes in climate and water usage. Certainly, there is strong geologic evidence that the Mediterranean underwent dramatic salinity and sea-level fluctuations in the past. Here, we use a fully coupled atmosphere–ocean General Circulation Model to examine the impact of changes in Mediterranean-Atlantic exchange on global ocean circulation and climate. Our results suggest that MOW strengthens and possibly stabilises the AMOC not through any contribution towards NADW formation, but by delivering relatively warm, saline water to southbound Atlantic currents below 800 m. However, we find almost no climate signal associated with changes in Mediterranean-Atlantic flow strength. Mediterranean salinity, on the other hand, controls MOW buoyancy in the Atlantic and therefore affects its interaction with the shallow-intermediate circulation patterns that govern surface climate. Changing Mediterranean salinity by a factor of two reorganises shallow North Atlantic circulation, resulting in regional climate anomalies in the North Atlantic, Labrador and Greenland-Iceland-Norwegian Seas of ±4 °C or more. Although such major variations in salinity are believed to have occurred in the past, they are unlikely to occur in the near future. However, our work does suggest that changes in the Mediterranean’s hydrological balance can impact global-scale climate.     

冬季中东急流中心位置的年际变化及其与大气环流的联系

利用NCEP/DOE再分析资料,通过EOF分解、合成分析和线性回归等多种统计学方法,对年际时间尺度上冬季中东副热带西风急流(Middle East subtropical westerly Jet stream,MEJ)中心位置的变化进行研究,分析了MEJ中心位置的年际变化与大气环流的联系,找到了与MEJ中心位置相联系...     

Vertical density gradient in the eastern North Atlantic during the last 30,000?years

Past changes in the density and momentum structure of oceanic circulation are an important aspect of changes in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and consequently climate. However, very little is known about past changes in the vertical density structure of the ocean, even very extensively studied systems such as the North Atlantic. Here we exploit the physical controls on the settling depth of the dense Mediterranean water plume derived from the Strait of Gibraltar to obtain the first robust, observations-based, probabilistic reconstruction of the vertical density gradient in the eastern North Atlantic during the last 30,000?years. We find that this gradient was weakened by more than 50%, relative to the present, during the last Glacial Maximum, and that changes in general are associated with reductions in AMOC intensity. However, we find only a small change during Heinrich Event 1 relative to the Last Glacial Maximum, despite strong evidence that overturning was substantially altered. This implies that millennial-scale changes may not be reflected in vertical density structure of the ocean, which may be limited to responses on an ocean-overturning timescale or longer. Regardless, our novel reconstruction of Atlantic density structure can be used as the basis for a dynamical measure for validation of model-based AMOC reconstructions. In addition, our general approach is transferrable to other marginal sea outflow plumes, to provide estimates of oceanic vertical density gradients in other locations.     

Link between the North and South Atlantic during the Heinrich events of the last glacial period

High resolution benthic oxygen isotope records combined with radiocarbon datings, from cores retrieved in the North, Equatorial, and South Atlantic are used to establish a reliable cronostratigraphy for the last 60 ky. This common temporal framework enables us to study the timing of the sub-Milankovitch climate variability in the entire surface Atlantic during this period, as reflected in planktonic oxygen isotope records. Variations in sea surface temperatures in the Equatorial and South Atlantic reveal two warm periods during the mid-stage 3 which are correlated to the warming observed in the North Atlantic after Heinrich events (HL) 5 and 4. However, the records show that the warming started about 1500 y earlier in the South Atlantic. A zonally averaged ocean circulation model simulates a similar north-south thermal antiphasing between the latitudes of our coring sites, when pertubated by a freshwater flux anomaly. We infer that the observed phase relationship between the northern and the southern Atlantic is related to periods of reduced NADW production in the North Atlantic, such as during HL5 and HL4. Received: 24 November 1998 / Accepted: 16 May 1999