Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 27, 2026
08:50
Deep Neuromuscular Blockade Leads to a Larger Intraabdominal Volume During Laparoscopy
Published on: June 25, 2013
13.6K
Deep-water circulation changes lead North Atlantic climate during deglaciation
Francesco Muschitiello1,2,3, William J D'Andrea4, Andreas Schmittner5
1Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN, UK. francesco.muschitiello@geog.cam.ac.uk.
Nature Communications
|March 22, 2019
Summary
Changes in North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) formation precede abrupt climate shifts by about 400 years. This finding improves understanding of climate system response times and predictability.
Area of Science:
- Paleoclimatology
- Climate Dynamics
- Oceanography
Background:
- Understanding the climate system's response time to North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) formation changes is crucial for climate and Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) predictability.
- Previous studies lacked quantitative data on the precise timing between NADW formation shifts and subsequent climate changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively determine the response time of North Atlantic climate to variations in high-latitude NADW formation during the last deglaciation.
- To establish the lead-lag relationship between deep water circulation changes and abrupt climate events.
Main Methods:
- Synchronization of terrestrial, marine, and ice-core records.
- Analysis of a continuous deep water ventilation record from the Nordic Seas.
- Correlation of high-latitude NADW formation rates with Greenland ice core climate records.
Main Results:
- A ~400-year lead of high-latitude NADW formation changes was identified preceding abrupt climate changes in Greenland ice cores.
- This phasing was observed at the onset and end of the Younger Dryas stadial.
- The observed changes are linked to gradual shifts in temperature- and wind-driven freshwater transport.
Conclusions:
- Variations in Nordic Seas deep-water circulation act as precursors to abrupt climate changes.
- Future climate model studies should incorporate and investigate this observed phasing between deep water circulation and climate events.
- This research enhances the predictability of climate and AMOC by clarifying response mechanisms.
Related Concept Videos
01:50Global Climate Change
28.9K
Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.
28.9K
01:16What is Climate?
20.7K
Climate refers to the prevailing weather conditions in a specific area over an extended period. As the saying goes, “Climate is what you expect. Weather is what you get.” Climate is influenced by geographic factors, such as latitude, terrain, and proximity to bodies of water.
20.7K
01:14Fetal Circulation
2.8K
Fetal circulation is a unique system that facilitates the exchange of gases, nutrients, and waste products between the developing fetus and the mother. This intricate process takes place through a special organ called the placenta.
Two umbilical arteries transport blood from the fetus to the placenta. At the placenta, the blood absorbs oxygen and nutrients while simultaneously eliminating waste products. This oxygen-enriched and nutrient-rich blood then returns to the fetus through one...
Two umbilical arteries transport blood from the fetus to the placenta. At the placenta, the blood absorbs oxygen and nutrients while simultaneously eliminating waste products. This oxygen-enriched and nutrient-rich blood then returns to the fetus through one...
2.8K
01:21Coronary Circulation
7.1K
The heart, an organ critical to survival, gets nourishment not from the blood it pumps but from a separate circulation system known as coronary circulation. This is the shortest circulation in the body and is responsible for supplying the heart with the nutrients it needs to function effectively.
Coronary circulation begins at the base of the aorta, where two main arteries arise—the left and right coronary arteries. These arteries encircle the heart in the coronary sulcus and supply the...
Coronary circulation begins at the base of the aorta, where two main arteries arise—the left and right coronary arteries. These arteries encircle the heart in the coronary sulcus and supply the...
7.1K
01:22Phase-lead and Phase-lag Controllers
539
Understanding the working function of different types of controllers can be illustrated with practical analogies, such as adjusting a stereo's volume equalizer. Cranking up the bass involves a phase-lead controller, which functions as a high-pass filter, while increasing the treble uses a phase-lag controller, which acts as a low-pass filter. PD controllers, similar to high-pass filters, enhance the system's response to high-frequency components. PI controllers, akin to low-pass...
539
01:23States of Water
56.7K
Water exists in any one of the three classical states: solid (ice), liquid (water), and gas (steam or water vapor). The state of water depends on i) the intermolecular forces that draw molecules together and ii) the kinetic energy that leads to movements that pull them apart.
Water freezes when the intermolecular forces are greater than the kinetic energy. Unlike most other substances, water is less dense in its solid state than in its liquid state. This is because each water molecule can form...
Water freezes when the intermolecular forces are greater than the kinetic energy. Unlike most other substances, water is less dense in its solid state than in its liquid state. This is because each water molecule can form...
56.7K