Abstract
The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) plays a fundamental role in the oceanography and climate of the Atlantic realm. Atmosphere-ocean general circulation models have predicted a weakening in AMOC strength for the coming decades. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of the response of the western Atlantic Ocean to changes in AMOC on different time scales is a key issue. Here we propose to reconstruct changes in stratification of the upper water column and deep water geometry in the western Atlantic Ocean since Marine Isotope Stage 3 in order to explore the response of the western Atlantic Ocean to changes in AMOC on millennial to seasonal timescales. Therefore, we will analyze stable oxygen and carbon isotopes as well as Mg/Ca ratios in selected species of planktonic and benthic foraminifera from a suite of 18 carefully selected sediment cores from the tropical and subtropical western Atlantic Ocean. The sediment cores will have age models determined based on AMS 14C datings on monospecific foraminifera. Additionally, bulk sediment geochemistry will be analyzed on all cores in order to refine the variability in continental precipitation. Through this project we expect to: (i) significantly contribute to the debate of possible impacts that future changes in AMOC may have over the western Atlantic Ocean; (ii) establish a top-level research group on paleoceanography/paleoclimatology at the School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, USP; and (iii) set up at the same institution a cutting-edge laboratory specialized on stable oxygen and carbon isotope analyses on very small carbonate samples (i.e., ca. 10 microg) (AU)
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