Proxy‐Based Preformed Phosphate Estimates Point to Increased Biological Pump Efficiency as Primary Cause of Last Glacial Maximum CO2 Drawdown

Abstract

AbstractUpwelling deep waters in the Southern Ocean release biologically sequestered carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to the relatively high atmospheric CO2 levels during interglacial climate periods. Paleoceanographic evidence suggests this “CO2 leak” was lessened during the last glacial maximum (LGM), potentially due to increased stratification, weaker and equatorward‐shifted winds, and/or enhanced biological carbon export. The collective influences of these mechanisms on the ocean's biological pump efficiency and amount of atmospheric CO2 can be quantified by determining preformed phosphate of deep waters. We quantify preformed PO4 (Ppre,AOU) and preformed () of LGM bottom waters using a compilation of published paleo‐temperature, nutrient and oxygen estimates from benthic foraminifera. Our results show that preformed phosphate of the Pacific and Indian deep oceans was reduced by about −0.53 ± 0.13 μM and suggest that much (64 ± 28 ppmv) of the Glacial‐Interglacial CO2 drawdown resulted from changes in the ocean's biological pump efficiency. Once carbonate compensation is accounted for, this can explain the entire CO2 drawdown (87 ± 40 ppmv). Preformed shows similar results. The reconstructed LGM Ppre,AOU and oxygen are qualitatively consistent with the changes produced by a suite of numerical sensitivity experiments that roughly simulate three proposed mechanisms for an increase in LGM biological pump efficiency: an increase in biological activity, a decrease in wind‐driven upwelling, and an increase in stratification in the Southern Ocean.