Ventilation of the Deep Ocean Carbon Reservoir During the Last Deglaciation: Results From the Southeast Pacific

Abstract

AbstractCoeval changes in atmospheric CO2 and 14C contents during the last deglaciation are often attributed to ocean circulation changes that released carbon stored in the deep ocean during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Work is being done to generate records that allow for the identification of the exact mechanisms leading to the accumulation and release of carbon from the oceanic reservoir, but these mechanisms are still the subject of debate. Here we present foraminifera 14C data from five cores in a transect across the Chilean continental margin between ~540 and ~3,100 m depth spanning the last 20,000 years. Our data reveal that during the LGM, waters at ~2,000 m were 50% to 80% more depleted in Δ14C than waters at ~1,500 m when compared to modern values, consistent with the hypothesis of a glacial deep ocean carbon reservoir that was isolated from the atmosphere. During the deglaciation, our intermediate water records reveal homogenization in the Δ14C values between ~800 and ~1,500 m from ~16.5–14.5 ka cal BP to ~14–12 ka cal BP, which we interpret as deeper penetration of Antarctic Intermediate Water. While many questions still remain, this process could aid the ventilation of the deep ocean at the beginning of the deglaciation, contributing to the observed ~40 ppm rise in atmospheric pCO2.