Contrasting multiproxy reconstructions of surface ocean hydrography in the Agulhas Corridor and implications for the Agulhas Leakage during the last 345,000 years
Martínez Méndez, Gema (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Zahn, Rainer (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Hall, Ian R. (Cardiff University. School of Earth and Ocean Sciences)
Peeters, Frank J. C. (University of Amsterdam. Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences)
Pena, Leopoldo D. (Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (Estats Units d'Amèrica))
Cacho, Isabel (Universitat de Barcelona. Departament d'Estratigrafia, Paleontologia i Geociències Marines)
Negre de Bofarull, César (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)

Date:	2010
Abstract:	Planktonic δ18O and Mg/Ca-derived sea surface temperature (SST) records from the Agulhas Corridor off South Africa display a progressive increase of SST during glacial periods of the last three climatic cycles. The SST increases of up to 4°C coincide with increased abundance of subtropical planktonic foraminiferal marker species which indicates a progressive warming due to an increased influence of subtropical waters at the core sites. Mg/Ca-derived SST maximizes during glacial maxima and glacial Terminations to values about 2. 5°C above full-interglacial SST. The paired planktonic δ18O and Mg/Ca-derived SST records yield glacial seawater δ18O anomalies of up to 0. 8‰, indicating measurably higher surface salinities during these periods. The SST pattern along our record is markedly different from a U37K'-derived SST record at a nearby core location in the Agulhas Corridor that displays SST maxima only during glacial Terminations. Possible explanations are lateral alkenone advection by the vigorous regional ocean currents or the development of SST contrasts during glacials in association with seasonal changes of Agulhas water transports and lateral shifts of the Agulhas retroflection. The different SST reconstructions derived from U37K' and Mg/Ca pose a significant challenge to the interpretation of the proxy records and demonstrate that the reconstruction of the Agulhas Current and interocean salt leakage is not as straightforward as previously suggested.
Rights:	Tots els drets reservats.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Paleocirculation ; Indian-Atlantic transport ; Agulhas Corridor ; Paleoclimatology ; Paleoceanography ; Marine geochemistry
Published in:	Paleoceanography, Vol. 25, Issue 4 (December 2010) , p. PA4227, ISSN 1944-9186

DOI: 10.1029/2009PA001879

12 p, 2.2 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)
Articles > Published articles