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Tropical temperature variations since 20,000 years ago: modulating interhemispheric climate change
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|February 4, 1994
Summary
Tropical sea surface temperatures (SSTs) were 5°C colder 19,000 years ago, potentially explaining synchronized global climate shifts. Variable tropical SSTs and radiative changes from clouds may be key factors.
Area of Science:
- Paleoclimatology
- Coral paleothermometry
- Climate dynamics
Background:
- Coral skeletons record past sea surface temperatures (SSTs) with high fidelity.
- Global climate change exhibits interhemispheric synchronicity across various paleoclimate archives.
- Understanding past tropical climate variability is crucial for refining climate models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reconstruct tropical sea surface temperatures (SSTs) from 19,000 years ago using Barbados corals.
- To investigate the role of tropical SSTs in driving global climate synchronicity.
- To explore potential mechanisms maintaining cooler tropical SSTs during past climate states.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of coral skeletal geochemistry (e.g., oxygen isotopes) to determine past SSTs.
- Comparison of Barbados coral SST records with global paleoclimate data (ice cores, snowlines, vegetation).
- Modeling potential radiative forcing mechanisms (cloud type, cloud cover) affecting tropical SSTs.
Main Results:
- Barbados coral records indicate tropical SSTs were approximately 5°C colder than present values 19,000 years ago.
- The timing of tropical SST variability aligns with synchronized global climate changes observed in other archives.
- Radiative changes associated with cloud properties are identified as plausible drivers of past cooler tropical SSTs.
Conclusions:
- Past tropical SSTs were significantly cooler than today, providing a potential mechanism for interhemispheric climate synchronicity.
- Variability in tropical sea surface temperatures played a key role in modulating global climate during past deglacial periods.
- Cloud radiative effects represent a significant factor in regulating tropical SSTs and global climate dynamics.
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