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Persistent eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean upwelling since the warm Pliocene.
Patrick A Rafter1,2, Jesse R Farmer3,4,5, Alfredo Martínez-García5
1College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL, USA.
Modern-like upwelling persisted in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean over the past 5 million years. This finding explains the reduced Pliocene cold tongue despite weaker trade winds.
Area of Science:
- Paleoceanography
- Marine Geochemistry
- Climate Science
Background:
- Upwelling in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean (EEP) creates a nutrient-rich "cold tongue" influencing global climate and productivity.
- The Pliocene Epoch featured a reduced cold tongue, previously attributed to weaker upwelling and a deeper mixed layer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the persistence of upwelling in the EEP over the past 5 million years.
- To re-evaluate the causes of the reduced Pliocene cold tongue.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of nitrogen-isotope records.
- Reconstruction of paleoceanographic conditions in the EEP.
Main Results:
- Nitrogen-isotope evidence indicates modern-like upwelling in the EEP during the Pliocene.
- Upwelling has persisted in the EEP for the last 5 million years.
- The reduced Pliocene cold tongue resulted from a smaller temperature difference between surface and subsurface waters.
Conclusions:
- Pliocene upwelling in the EEP was maintained by a reduced vertical density gradient, despite weaker trade winds.
- This suggests a more dynamic Pliocene ocean than previously thought.
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