Global Synthesis of Sea-Surface Temperature Trends During Marine Isotope Stage 11

Abstract

To examine the sea-surface temperature (SST) evolution during interglacial Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 11, we compiled a database of 78 SST records from 57 sites. We aligned these records by oxygen-isotope stratigraphy and subjected them to an Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis. The principal SST trend (EOF1) reflects a rapid deglacial warming of the surface ocean in pace with carbon dioxide rise during Termination V, followed by a broad SST optimum centered at ~410 thousand years (ka) before present (BP). The second EOF indicates the existence of a regional SST trend, characterized by a delayed onset of the SST optimum, followed by a prolonged period of warmer temperatures. The proxy-based SST patterns were compared to CCSM3 climate model runs for three time slices representing different orbital configurations during MIS 11. Although the modeled SST anomalies are characterized by generally lower variance, correlation between modeled and reconstructed SST anomalies suggests a detectable signature of astronomical forcing in MIS 11 climate trends.