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Bipolar impact and phasing of Heinrich-type climate variability
Kaden C Martin1, Christo Buizert2, Jon S Edwards2
1College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA. martkade@oregonstate.edu.
Nature
|April 24, 2023
Summary
Heinrich events, linked to ice sheet meltwater pulses, did not cool Greenland but caused Antarctic warming. This suggests oceanic teleconnections influenced climate during these extreme ice age events.
Area of Science:
- Paleoclimatology
- Ice Sheet Dynamics
- Climate Teleconnections
Background:
- Heinrich events are extreme iceberg discharge events from the Laurentide Ice Sheet during ice ages.
- These events significantly impacted global hydrological and biogeochemical cycles.
- Previous research struggled to correlate Heinrich events with Greenland's temperature due to proxy limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the regional climate impacts of Heinrich events on Greenland and Antarctica.
- To determine the phasing of Heinrich events relative to Antarctic climate change.
- To understand the teleconnections responsible for climate shifts during these events.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of Greenland ice-core nitrogen stable isotopes as a temperature proxy.
- Examination of Antarctic ice cores for temperature and methane records.
- Comparison of Greenland and Antarctic climate signals during Heinrich stadials.
Main Results:
- Heinrich events show no detectable temperature impact on Greenland; cooling occurred at the onset of some Heinrich stadials.
- Antarctic ice cores reveal accelerated warming synchronous with methane increases during Heinrich events.
- Antarctic warming lagged Greenland cooling by approximately 133 years, indicating an oceanic teleconnection.
Conclusions:
- Heinrich events influenced Antarctic climate more significantly than Greenland's, despite the absence of a direct Greenland temperature signal.
- Oceanic teleconnections likely mediated the climate impacts of Heinrich events, linking North Atlantic ice discharge to Southern Hemisphere warming.
- The complex spatial dynamics of Heinrich events suggest localized impacts and remote amplification.
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