DOI: 10.1007/s00382-011-1148-4
Scopus记录号: 2-s2.0-84864379349
论文题名: Vertical density gradient in the eastern North Atlantic during the last 30,000 years
作者: Rogerson M. ; Bigg G.R. ; Rohling E.J. ; Ramirez J.
刊名: Climate Dynamics
ISSN: 9307575
出版年: 2012
卷: 39, 期: 3 起始页码: 589
结束页码: 598
语种: 英语
英文关键词: Atlantic Ocean
; Iberian margin
; Mediterranean outflow
; Meridional overturning
; Overflow physics
; Paleoceanography
英文摘要: Past changes in the density and momentum structure of oceanic circulation are an important aspect of changes in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and consequently climate. However, very little is known about past changes in the vertical density structure of the ocean, even very extensively studied systems such as the North Atlantic. Here we exploit the physical controls on the settling depth of the dense Mediterranean water plume derived from the Strait of Gibraltar to obtain the first robust, observations-based, probabilistic reconstruction of the vertical density gradient in the eastern North Atlantic during the last 30,000 years. We find that this gradient was weakened by more than 50%, relative to the present, during the last Glacial Maximum, and that changes in general are associated with reductions in AMOC intensity. However, we find only a small change during Heinrich Event 1 relative to the Last Glacial Maximum, despite strong evidence that overturning was substantially altered. This implies that millennial-scale changes may not be reflected in vertical density structure of the ocean, which may be limited to responses on an ocean-overturning timescale or longer. Regardless, our novel reconstruction of Atlantic density structure can be used as the basis for a dynamical measure for validation of model-based AMOC reconstructions. In addition, our general approach is transferrable to other marginal sea outflow plumes, to provide estimates of oceanic vertical density gradients in other locations. © 2011 Springer-Verlag. Citation statistics:
资源类型: 期刊论文
标识符: http://119.78.100.158/handle/2HF3EXSE/55258
Appears in Collections: 过去全球变化的重建
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作者单位: Geography Department, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom; Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, Winter Street, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom; School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton SO14 3ZH, United Kingdom
Recommended Citation:
Rogerson M.,Bigg G.R.,Rohling E.J.,et al. Vertical density gradient in the eastern North Atlantic during the last 30,000 years[J]. Climate Dynamics,2012-01-01,39(3)