Relation of subtropical Atlantic temperature, high-latitude ice rafting, deep water formation, and European climate 130,000–60,000 years ago

Abstract

A new, high-resolution record of sea surface temperature from the subtropical western North Atlantic documents a series of abrupt coolings within marine isotope stage 5 which can be objectively correlated with marine-core evidence for increased ice-sheet discharge at subpolar latitudes and reduced North Atlantic deep water formation. These results indicate that ice-sheet forcing of deep ocean circulation influenced surface temperatures over much of the North Atlantic. A proposed correlation to the pollen record of Grande Pile, France, indicates that each cold event seen in the pollen sequence has a unique counterpart in the record of subtropical ocean temperature. If this correlation is correct, it suggests that the warmest part of the European Eemian ended suddenly in response to oceanographic changes, and that the subsequent post-temperate phase of the Eemian extended well into the interval of ice sheet growth corresponding to marine isotope substage 5d.