A high resolution relative paleointensity record from the Gerlache-Boyd paleo-ice stream region, northern Antarctic Peninsula

Herein we document and interpret an absolute chronological dating attempt using geomagnetic paleointensity data from a post-glacial sediment drape on the western Antarctic Peninsula continental shelf. Our results demonstrate that absolute dating can be established in Holocene Antarctic shelf sediments that lack suitable material for radiocarbon dating. Two jumbo piston cores of 10-m length were collected in the Western Bransfield Basin. The cores preserve a strong, stable remanent magnetization and meet the magnetic mineral assemblage criteria recommended for reliable paleointensity analyses. The relative paleomagnetic intensity records were tuned to published absolute and relative paleomagnetic stacks, which yielded a record of the last ∼8500 years for the post-glacial drape. Four tephra layers associated with documented eruptions of nearby Deception Island have been dated at 3.31, 3.73, 4.44, and 6.86 ± 0.07 ka using the geomagnetic paleointensity method. This study establishes the dual role of geomagnetic paleointensity and tephrochronology in marine sediments across both sides of the northern Antarctic Peninsula.     

Unstable Climate Oscillations during the Late Holocene in the Eastern Bransfield Basin, Antarctic Peninsula

Core A9-EB2 from the eastern Bransfield Basin, Antarctic Peninsula, consists of pelagic (diatom ooze-clay couplets and bioturbated diatom ooze) and hemipelagic (bioturbated mud) sediments interbedded with turbidites (homogeneous mud and silt–clay couplets). The cyclic and laminated nature of these pelagic sediments represents alternation between the deposition of diatom-rich biogenic sediments and of terrigenous sediments. Sediment properties and geochemical data explain the contrasting lamination, with light layers being finer-grained and relatively rich in total organic carbon and biogenic silica content. Also, the high-resolution magnetic susceptibility (MS) variations highlight distinct features: high MS values coincide with clastic-rich sections and low MS values correspond to biogenic sections. The chronology developed for core A9-EB2 accounts for anomalous ages associated with turbidites and shows a linear sedimentation rate of approximately 87 cm/10³ yr, which is supported by an accumulation rate of 80 cm/10³ yr calculated from ²¹⁰Pb activity. The late Holocene records clearly identify Neoglacial events of the Little Ice Age (LIA) and Medieval Warm Period (MWP). Other unexplained climatic events comparable in duration and amplitude to the LIA and MWP events also appear in the MS record, suggesting intrinsically unstable climatic conditions during the late Holocene in the Bransfield Basin of Antarctic Peninsula.     

Meltwater discharge during the Holocene from the Wilkes subglacial basin revealed by beryllium isotope analysis of marine sediments

Understanding Antarctic Ice Sheet dynamics related to global climate change is of scientific and societal interest as the future behaviour of the ice sheet under the currently changing climate is unknown. We present beryllium‐10 (¹⁰Be) analysis of a high‐resolution marine sediment core from the Adélie Basin near the eastern Wilkes Land margin, which is susceptible to marine ice sheet instability due to the low‐lying nature and down‐sloping trough of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin. Combined with a newly constructed age model using compound specific radiocarbon dates, the data reveal three events associated with high meteoric ¹⁰Be at ca. ~10 ka, ca. ~6.5 ka and from ca. ~4 ka. We interpret these high meteoric ¹⁰Be events to be derived from the deposition of ¹⁰Be released from the ice sheet during meltwater discharge. In particular, the shift to higher meteoric ¹⁰Be concentration at~4 ka may correspond to changes in climate patterns at this time. Copyright © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Late-glacial and Holocene vegetation and climatic history of the Cass Basin, central South Island, New Zealand

Lithology, pollen, macrofossils, and stable carbon isotopes from an intermontane basin bog site in southern New Zealand provide a detailed late-glacial and early Holocene vegetation and climate record. Glacial retreat occurred before 17,000 cal yr B.P., and tundra-like grassland–shrubland occupied the basin shortly after. Between 16,500 and 14,600 cal yr B.P., a minor regional expansion of forest patches occurred in response to warming, but the basin remained in shrubland. Forest retreated between 14,600 and 13,600 cal yr B.P., at about the time of the Antarctic Cold Reversal. At 13,600 cal yr B.P., a steady progression from shrubland to tall podocarp forest began as the climate ameliorated. Tall, temperate podocarp trees replaced stress-tolerant shrubs and trees between 12,800 and 11,300 cal yr B.P., indicating sustained warming during the Younger Dryas Chronozone (YDC). Stable isotopes suggest increasing atmospheric humidity from 11,800 to 9300 cal yr B.P. Mild (annual temperatures at least 1°C higher than present), and moist conditions prevailed from 11,000 to 10,350 cal yr B.P. Cooler, more variable conditions followed, and podocarp forest was completely replaced by montane Nothofagus forest at around 7500 cal yr B.P. with the onset of the modern climate regime. The Cass Basin late-glacial climate record closely matches the Antarctic ice core records and is in approximate antiphase with the North Atlantic.     

近30a北极平流层臭氧的季节和年际变化特征

综合利用1978-2011年TOMS（Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer）和OMI（Ozone Monitoring Instrument）臭氧总量资料,MLS（Microwave Limb Sounder）臭氧廓线资料以及NCEP/NCAR再分析气象场资料,对比研究了近30a南北极臭氧总量的年际变化和季节变化差异,重点分析了2010/2011年冬末春初北极臭氧出现的异常损耗现象,探讨北极春季臭氧低值产生的原因。结果表明：与南极地区一年四季都保持一个臭氧低值中心明显不同,北极臭氧总量的减少则是伴随着整个春夏季（4-8月）,在秋季（10月）达到最低值,冬季（11月-次年2月）北极臭氧快速恢复,这主要是由于南北半球极地地区环流差异和温度差异造成的。南北两极年均O3总量呈下降趋势,两极地区O3总量年际变化最大的季节是春季。近30a,北极在1997和2011年春季（3-4月）分别达到极低值355DU和361DU,但近年来两极臭氧年际变化趋势不明显。2011年春季,北极地区出现的较严重臭氧低值现象从3月中旬至4月中旬持续了近1个月,2010/2011年冬春季平流层低温和臭氧低值对应关系很好。     

Strengthened Relationship between the Antarctic Oscillation and ENSO After the Mid-1990s during Austral Spring

This paper documents a decadal strengthened co-variability of the Antarctic Oscillation(AAO)and ENSO in austral spring after the mid-1990 s.During the period 1979–93,the ENSO(AAO)spatial signatures are restricted to the tropics–midlatitudes(Antarctic–midlatitudes)of the Southern Hemisphere(SH),with a weak connection between the two oscillations.Comparatively,after the mid-1990 s,the El Ni o-related atmospheric anomalies project on a negative AAO pattern with a barotropic structure in the mid–high latitudes of the SH.The expansion of El Ni o-related air temperature anomalies have a heightened impact on the meridional thermal structure of the SH,contributing to a weakened circumpolar westerly and strengthened subtropical jet.Meanwhile,the ENSO-related southern three-cell circulations expand poleward and then strongly couple the Antarctic and the tropics.Numerical simulation results suggest that the intensified connection between ENSO and SST in the South Pacific since the mid-1990 s is responsible for the strengthened AAO–ENSO relationship.     

春季南极涛动对北美夏季风的影响

This study examined the relationship between the boreal spring(April?May) Antarctic Oscillation(AAO) and the North American summer monsoon(NASM)(July?September) for the period of 1979?2008.The results show that these two systems are closely related.When the spring AAO was stronger than normal,the NASM tended to be weaker,and there was less rainfall over the monsoon region.The opposite NASM situation corresponded to a weaker spring AAO.Further analysis explored the possible mechanism for the delayed impact of the boreal spring AAO on the NASM.It was found that the tropical Atlantic sea surface temperature(SST) plays an important role in the connection between the two phenomena.The variability of the boreal spring AAO can produce anomalous SSTs over the tropical Atlantic.These SST anomalies can persist from spring to summer and can influence the Bermuda High,affecting water vapor transportation to the monsoon region.Through these processes,the boreal spring AAO exerts a significantly delayed impact on the amount of NASM precipitation.Thus,information about the boreal spring AAO is valuable for the prediction of the NASM.     

七月大气环流对南极海冰异常的响应

本文用一个全球大气九层谱模式，模拟了七月份南极两个不同海区海冰区异常对大气环流的影响。主要讨论了大气环流对南极海冰异常存在的局地性的及全球性的响应。细致分析了二个区域极冰异常导致的南北半球低频波列分布的差异，以及它们对热带区域及亚洲季风区降水、越赤道气流的不同影响。最后则依据我们的模拟结果，讨论了南极海冰异常影响全球大气环流的动力学机制。     

Extremely low temperatures in the stratosphore and very low total ozone amount above northern and central Europe during winter 1989

On 1 February 1989, -83.5°C was recorded in 27.8 hPa over Hohenpeißenberg, the lowest temperature in the 22-year series. This was measured together with a very low total ozone amount of 266 DU. This may be compared with nearly twice this amount on 27 February 1989. The situation was very unusual: following an extremely cold winter in the Arctic stratosphere, the stratospheric cold pole was located over southern Scandinavia on 1 February in a very southerly position. The analyzed temperatures of -92 °C in 30 hPa were also unusual. Even though the low ozone amounts over Hohenpeißenberg were probably dynamically caused, an additional very small ozone decrease due to heterogeneous reactions in altitudes from 23–28 km, where the temperatures lie below -80 °C, cannot be ruled out. Extinction measurements by the orbitting SAGE II instrument indeed show polar stratospheric clouds over Europe near 50° N during the period 31 January–2 February. Also, polar stratospheric clouds were previously observed over Kiruna at similarly low temperatures and signs of a corresponding small ozone decrease were noted there.     

The Arctic and Antarctic Oscillations in the IPCC AR4 Coupled Models

This study evaluates the fidelity of Arctic and Antarctic oscillations (AO and AAO for short,respectively) in the coupled general circulation models participating in the Fourth Assessment Report of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC AR4).The AO and AAO during 1970-1999 in 24 models are analyzed and compared with that in ERA-40 and NCEP-1.Models'performance is seasonally dependent,with best reproducibility of both spatial structure and trend in winter.In most models,the spatial pattern and temporal trend of AAO during this period are more delicately simulated than AO.After picking out models with better performance according to the Taylor diagram,we find that their ensemble mean can obviously improve models'reproducibility.The AO and AAO in the Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES) A1B Projection during the 21st century are also briefly analyzed.The results reveal that both the AO and AAO indices keep increasing during 1970-2099,with a steadier pace of AO than AAO.The spatial difference of sea level pressure between 2060 2089 and 1970-1999 shows decreased values in polar regions,and increased values in midlatitudes.The results manifest that the ozone recovery during the mid 21st century may not weaken such a trend.