Lower oceanic <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C during the last interglacial period compared to the Holocene
<p>The last time in Earth's history when high latitudes were warmer than during pre-industrial times was the last interglacial period (LIG, 129–116 ka BP). Since the LIG is the most recent and best documented interglacial, it can provide insights into climate process...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Climate of the Past |
| Online Access: | https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/17/507/2021/cp-17-507-2021.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818624184129945600 |
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| author | S. A. Bengtson S. A. Bengtson L. C. Menviel K. J. Meissner K. J. Meissner L. Missiaen C. D. Peterson L. E. Lisiecki F. Joos F. Joos |
| author_facet | S. A. Bengtson S. A. Bengtson L. C. Menviel K. J. Meissner K. J. Meissner L. Missiaen C. D. Peterson L. E. Lisiecki F. Joos F. Joos |
| author_sort | S. A. Bengtson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>The last time in Earth's history when high latitudes were warmer than during pre-industrial times was the last interglacial period (LIG, 129–116 ka BP). Since the LIG is the most recent and best documented interglacial, it can provide insights into climate processes in a warmer world. However, some key features of the LIG are not well constrained, notably the oceanic circulation and the global carbon cycle. Here, we use a new database of LIG benthic <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C to investigate these two aspects. We find that the oceanic mean <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C was ∼  0.2 ‰ lower during the LIG (here defined as 125–120 ka BP) when compared to the Holocene (7–2 ka BP). A lower terrestrial carbon content at the LIG than during the Holocene could have led to both lower oceanic <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C and atmospheric <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>CO<sub>2</sub> as observed in paleo-records. However, given the multi-millennial timescale, the lower oceanic <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C most likely reflects a long-term imbalance between weathering and burial of carbon. The <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C distribution in the Atlantic Ocean suggests no significant difference in the latitudinal and depth extent of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) between the LIG and the Holocene. Furthermore, the data suggest that the multi-millennial mean NADW transport was similar between these two time periods.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T18:52:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-15c6224eeb5c4e318bf7264942d4b253 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1814-9324 1814-9332 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T18:52:55Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Climate of the Past |
| spelling | doaj.art-15c6224eeb5c4e318bf7264942d4b2532022-12-21T22:20:38ZengCopernicus PublicationsClimate of the Past1814-93241814-93322021-02-011750752810.5194/cp-17-507-2021Lower oceanic <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C during the last interglacial period compared to the HoloceneS. A. Bengtson0S. A. Bengtson1L. C. Menviel2K. J. Meissner3K. J. Meissner4L. Missiaen5C. D. Peterson6L. E. Lisiecki7F. Joos8F. Joos9Climate Change Research Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, AustraliaThe Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes, Sydney, AustraliaClimate Change Research Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, AustraliaClimate Change Research Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, AustraliaThe Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes, Sydney, AustraliaClimate Change Research Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, AustraliaEarth Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California, USADepartment of Earth Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USAClimate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandOeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland<p>The last time in Earth's history when high latitudes were warmer than during pre-industrial times was the last interglacial period (LIG, 129–116 ka BP). Since the LIG is the most recent and best documented interglacial, it can provide insights into climate processes in a warmer world. However, some key features of the LIG are not well constrained, notably the oceanic circulation and the global carbon cycle. Here, we use a new database of LIG benthic <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C to investigate these two aspects. We find that the oceanic mean <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C was ∼  0.2 ‰ lower during the LIG (here defined as 125–120 ka BP) when compared to the Holocene (7–2 ka BP). A lower terrestrial carbon content at the LIG than during the Holocene could have led to both lower oceanic <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C and atmospheric <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>CO<sub>2</sub> as observed in paleo-records. However, given the multi-millennial timescale, the lower oceanic <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C most likely reflects a long-term imbalance between weathering and burial of carbon. The <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C distribution in the Atlantic Ocean suggests no significant difference in the latitudinal and depth extent of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) between the LIG and the Holocene. Furthermore, the data suggest that the multi-millennial mean NADW transport was similar between these two time periods.</p>https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/17/507/2021/cp-17-507-2021.pdf |
| spellingShingle | S. A. Bengtson S. A. Bengtson L. C. Menviel K. J. Meissner K. J. Meissner L. Missiaen C. D. Peterson L. E. Lisiecki F. Joos F. Joos Lower oceanic <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C during the last interglacial period compared to the Holocene Climate of the Past |
| title | Lower oceanic <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C during the last interglacial period compared to the Holocene |
| title_full | Lower oceanic <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C during the last interglacial period compared to the Holocene |
| title_fullStr | Lower oceanic <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C during the last interglacial period compared to the Holocene |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lower oceanic <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C during the last interglacial period compared to the Holocene |
| title_short | Lower oceanic <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C during the last interglacial period compared to the Holocene |
| title_sort | lower oceanic i δ i sup 13 sup c during the last interglacial period compared to the holocene |
| url | https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/17/507/2021/cp-17-507-2021.pdf |
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