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Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions
Published on: March 31, 2023
Insolation-driven northern Atlantic westerly wind patterns shaped the mid-Pleistocene transition in three phases
Xiaowen Quan1, María F Sánchez Goñi2, Qiuzhen Yin3
1Environnements et paléoenvironnements océaniques et continentaux (EPOC, UMR 5805), Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, EPHE, PSL University, Pessac, France. quanxw195@163.com.
None:
The Mid-Pleistocene Transition ( ~ 1200-650 ka) marked a shift to 100-kyr glacial cycles, despite no significant change in insolation cyclicity. In this study, a high-resolution pollen record from the southwestern Iberian margin, combined with climate modeling, reveals a three-phase climate evolution linked to boreal summer insolation amplitude. In the early phase ( ~ 1200-930 ka), strong insolation minima shifted westerlies north, boosting ice accumulation, while maxima promoted melting, limiting ice growth. The middle phase ( ~ 930-790 ka) followed regoliths loss and featured weaker insolation extremes, leading to the southward migration of the westerlies, mega-droughts and greater ice buildup. In the late phase ( ~ 790-680 ka), stronger minima pushed westerlies north, aligning with longer, colder glacials. These findings suggest that changes in insolation amplitude drove shifts in westerly wind patterns, influencing hydroclimate and ice sheet development, and may have contributed to the transition to 100-kyr glacial cycles.
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