Mechanisms of southern Caribbean SST variability over the last two millennia

Jennifer B. Wurtzel; David E. Black; Robert C. Thunell; Larry C. Peterson; Eric J. Tappa; Shaily Rahman

doi:10.1002/2013GL058458

Mechanisms of southern Caribbean SST variability over the last two millennia

Jennifer B. Wurtzel^*, David E. Black, Robert C. Thunell, Larry C. Peterson, Eric J. Tappa, Shaily Rahman

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

31 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We present a high-resolution Mg/Ca reconstruction of tropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures (SSTs) spanning the last 2000 years using seasonally representative foraminifera from the Cariaco Basin. The range of summer/fall SST over this interval is restricted to 1.5°C, while winter/spring SST varies by 4.5°C over the same time period suggesting that boreal winter variations control interannual SST variability in the tropical North Atlantic. Antiphasing between the two data sets, including a large divergence in the seasonal records circa 900 Common Era, can be explained by changes in Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and associated changes in surface/subsurface temperatures in the tropical North Atlantic as well as resultant changes in trade wind belt location and intensity. A statistically significant but nonlinear relation exists between reconstructed winter/spring temperatures and solar variability.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	5954-5958
Number of pages	5
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	40
Issue number	22
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/2013GL058458
Publication status	Published - 28 Nov 2013

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@article{5149eaee59d14c54b2c942fc1306bd57,

title = "Mechanisms of southern Caribbean SST variability over the last two millennia",

abstract = "We present a high-resolution Mg/Ca reconstruction of tropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures (SSTs) spanning the last 2000 years using seasonally representative foraminifera from the Cariaco Basin. The range of summer/fall SST over this interval is restricted to 1.5°C, while winter/spring SST varies by 4.5°C over the same time period suggesting that boreal winter variations control interannual SST variability in the tropical North Atlantic. Antiphasing between the two data sets, including a large divergence in the seasonal records circa 900 Common Era, can be explained by changes in Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and associated changes in surface/subsurface temperatures in the tropical North Atlantic as well as resultant changes in trade wind belt location and intensity. A statistically significant but nonlinear relation exists between reconstructed winter/spring temperatures and solar variability.",

keywords = "Mg/Ca thermometry, multidecadal variability, paleoclimate, planktonic foraminifera, solar variability, tropical Atlantic SST",

author = "Wurtzel, {Jennifer B.} and Black, {David E.} and Thunell, {Robert C.} and Peterson, {Larry C.} and Tappa, {Eric J.} and Shaily Rahman",

year = "2013",

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doi = "10.1002/2013GL058458",

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journal = "Geophysical Research Letters",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Mechanisms of southern Caribbean SST variability over the last two millennia

AU - Wurtzel, Jennifer B.

AU - Black, David E.

AU - Thunell, Robert C.

AU - Peterson, Larry C.

AU - Tappa, Eric J.

AU - Rahman, Shaily

PY - 2013/11/28

Y1 - 2013/11/28

N2 - We present a high-resolution Mg/Ca reconstruction of tropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures (SSTs) spanning the last 2000 years using seasonally representative foraminifera from the Cariaco Basin. The range of summer/fall SST over this interval is restricted to 1.5°C, while winter/spring SST varies by 4.5°C over the same time period suggesting that boreal winter variations control interannual SST variability in the tropical North Atlantic. Antiphasing between the two data sets, including a large divergence in the seasonal records circa 900 Common Era, can be explained by changes in Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and associated changes in surface/subsurface temperatures in the tropical North Atlantic as well as resultant changes in trade wind belt location and intensity. A statistically significant but nonlinear relation exists between reconstructed winter/spring temperatures and solar variability.

AB - We present a high-resolution Mg/Ca reconstruction of tropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures (SSTs) spanning the last 2000 years using seasonally representative foraminifera from the Cariaco Basin. The range of summer/fall SST over this interval is restricted to 1.5°C, while winter/spring SST varies by 4.5°C over the same time period suggesting that boreal winter variations control interannual SST variability in the tropical North Atlantic. Antiphasing between the two data sets, including a large divergence in the seasonal records circa 900 Common Era, can be explained by changes in Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and associated changes in surface/subsurface temperatures in the tropical North Atlantic as well as resultant changes in trade wind belt location and intensity. A statistically significant but nonlinear relation exists between reconstructed winter/spring temperatures and solar variability.

KW - Mg/Ca thermometry

KW - multidecadal variability

KW - paleoclimate

KW - planktonic foraminifera

KW - solar variability

KW - tropical Atlantic SST

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84890460389&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/2013GL058458

DO - 10.1002/2013GL058458

M3 - Article

SN - 0094-8276

VL - 40

SP - 5954

EP - 5958

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 22

ER -

Mechanisms of southern Caribbean SST variability over the last two millennia

Abstract

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