Coupled atmosphere-ice-ocean dynamics during Heinrich Stadial 2

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Dong, Xiyu ; Kathayat, Gayatri ; Rasmussen, Sune O. ; Svensson, Anders ; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P. ; Li, Hanying ; Sinha, Ashish ; Xu, Yao ; Zhang, Haiwei ; Shi, Zhengguo ; Cai, Yanjun ; Perez-Mejias, Carlos ; Baker, Jonathan ; Zhao, Jingyao ; Spoetl, Christoph ; Columbu, Andrea ; Ning, Youfeng ; Strikis, Nicolas M. ; Chen, Shitao ; Wang, Xianfeng ; Gupta, Anil K. ; Dutt, Som ; Zhang, Fan ; Cruz, Francisco W. ; An, Zhisheng ; Edwards, R. Lawrence ; Cheng, Hai

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: NATURE COMMUNICATIONS; v. 13, n. 1, p. 14-pg., 2022-10-04.

Abstract

Our understanding of climate dynamics during millennial-scale events is incomplete, partially due to the lack of their precise phase analyses under various boundary conditions. Here we present nine speleothem oxygen-isotope records from mid-to-low-latitude monsoon regimes with subcentennial age precision and multi-annual resolution, spanning the Heinrich Stadial 2 (HS2) - a millennial-scale event that occurred at the Last Glacial Maximum. Our data suggests that the Greenland and Antarctic ice-core chronologies require +320- and +400-year adjustments, respectively, supported by extant volcanic evidence and radiocarbon ages. Our chronological framework shows a synchronous HS2 onset globally. Our records precisely characterize a centennial-scale abrupt "tropical atmospheric seesaw" superimposed on the conventional "bipolar seesaw" at the beginning of HS2, implying a unique response/feedback from low-latitude hydroclimate. Together with our observation of an early South American monsoon shift at the HS2 termination, we suggest a more active role of low-latitude hydroclimate dynamics underlying millennial events than previously thought. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/50085-3 - PIRE: climate research education in the Americas using tree-ring speleothem examples (PIRE-CREATE)
• Grantee: Francisco William da Cruz Junior
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants