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Published on: September 5, 2018
Southern Hemisphere water mass conversion linked with North Atlantic climate variability
Katharina Pahnke1, Rainer Zahn
1School of Earth, Ocean, and Planetary Sciences, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3YE, UK. kpahnke@mit.edu
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|March 19, 2005
Summary
Ocean warming in the Southern Hemisphere drives intermediate water changes, impacting global ocean circulation. This study reveals a strong link between Southern Hemisphere warmth and North Atlantic deepwater formation, highlighting climate instability.
Area of Science:
- Paleoceanography
- Climate Science
- Oceanography
Background:
- Multicentennial variability in intermediate water masses is crucial for understanding past climate dynamics.
- The Southern Hemisphere's role in regulating global ocean thermohaline circulation is an active area of research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reconstruct long-term intermediate water variability using paleoceanographic proxies.
- To investigate the relationship between Southern Hemisphere climate and intermediate water production.
- To explore the interhemispheric teleconnections in ocean thermohaline circulation.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a 340,000-year-long isotope time series from foraminifers in the southwest Pacific.
- Correlation of paleoceanographic data with paleoclimate records from both hemispheres.
Main Results:
- Documented multicentennial-scale variability in intermediate water masses over 340,000 years.
- Identified a direct link between Southern Hemisphere warm episodes and increased intermediate water production.
- Observed a correlation between Southern Hemisphere warming and North Atlantic deepwater convection minima.
Conclusions:
- Climate warming in the Southern Hemisphere directly influences intermediate water formation.
- Hemispheric oceanographic processes are interdependent, affecting global thermohaline circulation.
- Interhemispheric climate forcing can drive ocean circulation instability.
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