Glacial-interglacial Transition Research Articles

Transformation of regional vegetation driven by climate change during the last deglacial–early Holocene at Chaohu Lake, eastern China: New pollen insights

Reconstructing the vegetation history of east China during the last glacial–interglacial transition is crucial for understanding the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) evolution. Here, we present a new high-resolution pollen record from Chaohu Lake to determine the detailed process of regional lowland vegetation succession and its response to the EASM changes during the last glacial–Holocene transition (13.9–9.1 cal ka BP) in the lower Yangtze Valley, eastern China. During the Older Dryas (OD, 13.9–13.5 cal ka BP) period, regional forest-steppe indicative of co–dominance of Artemisia, Poaceae, and deciduous Quercus was present under a cool and dry climate. During the Allerød Interstadial (AI, 13.5–12.9 cal ka BP), significant arboreal expansions of deciduous Quercus, Hydrangea type and evergreen Quercus occurred, while herbs retreated significantly, presumably driven by the relatively warm, humid climate. Forest-steppe readvanced during the Younger Dryas (YD) interval, as indicated by increases in Poaceae and Artemisia, suggesting a cool and dry climate. During the early Holocene, extensive oak-pine forest flourished as regional vegetation, responding to pronounced climatic amelioration.Our pollen-based climatic record is closely correlated with stalagmites δ18O records from EASM region and Greenland ice cores δ18O records, indicating the teleconnection between EASM variation and North Atlantic climate during the last deglacial–early Holocene. However, our record indicates an intensified EASM during the early AI and a prolonged onset excursion during the YD, diverging from North Atlantic climate but closely correlated to sea surface temperature (SST) variations in the western tropical Pacific.

Modulation of the northward penetration of Antarctica intermediate waters into the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean under glacial and interglacial conditions

The Indo-Pacific warm pool is the warmest and most dynamic ocean–atmosphere-climate system on Earth and was subject to significant climate changes during the Pleistocene glacial-interglacial transitions. This has been shown to significantly affected the strength of surface waters that redistribute heat from the tropics to the southern part of the Indian Ocean. Here we investigate the response of the oceanic circulation at intermediate depth (1200 m) of the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean (EEIO) with neodymium (Nd) isotopes in the context of the climatic oscillation of the last 500 ka. The most striking feature of our new dataset is the seesaw Nd record that mimics glacial-interglacial cycles. While the interglacial periods are characterized by a higher contribution of the less radiogenic neodymium (~ − 7εNd) Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW), the glacial periods are characterized by more radiogenic water mass of Pacific origin (~ − 5εNd). To explain the increase in the εNd signature toward a more radiogenic signature as the Indo-Pacific connection is reduced under the low sea level of the glacial periods, we show that under global cooling, the AAIW advances northward into the tropics, which is a consequence of the general slowdown of the thermohaline circulation. Therefore, oceanic mixing at intermediate depth in the eastern tropical Indian intermediate water is modulated by the production rate of the AAIW in the Southern Ocean. Our study provides new evidence for the role that changes in the deep oceanic conditions play in amplifying externally forced climate changes that ultimately lead to drier/moister atmospheric conditions and weaker/stronger monsoons during glacial/interglacial periods over eastern tropical Indian Ocean.

Single-grain K-feldspar luminescence dating of the late Quaternary rapid decline in the largest Lake over the Tibetan Plateau

Well-preserved shorelines, situated at elevations ranging from tens to hundreds of meters above the current lake levels, are commonly found in the lake basins across the Tibetan Plateau (TP). These shorelines offer a valuable opportunity to reconstruct past hydroclimate changes, contingent upon precise age determination of palaeoshorelines. While single-aliquot luminescence methods have been extensively employed for dating palaeoshoreline sediments, both quartz and K-feldspar fractions, the application of single-grain (SG) dating techniques has been relatively limited, particularly in the case of water-lain sediments where partial bleaching must be taken into account. In this study, we applied the single-grain K-feldspar dating technique using the post-IR IRSL (pIRIR) protocol to a selection of palaeoshorelines from Qinghai Lake, the largest lake on the TP. Our primary objectives were to investigate the behavior of single-grain K-feldspar pIRIR signals and to establish precise timing for late Quaternary lake level fluctuations based on SG data. Our findings reveal a clear correlation between the De (equivalent dose) values of single grains and their fading rates. The higher fading rates observed in dim grains constitute the primary reason for the underestimation of De values. However, it appears that the internal K content of the grains cannot explain the relationship between fading rates and grain brightness. Finally, we utilized the 30% brightest grains for SG pIRIR De determinations, allowing us to reconstruct the historical water level fluctuations of Qinghai Lake. Our results indicate a pronounced decline in lake levels during the last interglacial-glacial transition, approximately 90,000 to 75,000 years ago. This decline can be attributed to the response of regional hydroclimate patterns to global environmental changes.

Millennial climate variability and organic matter accumulation under icehouse conditions

Millennial climate variability (MCV) is a prominent feature of the Pleistocene high-resolution climate records and is closely linked to orbital-scale climate variability and glacial-interglacial cycles. However, the origin and internal climate feedback of pre-Quaternary MCV remain poorly constrained. To better understand the nature and evolution of MCV under icehouse conditions, we quantitatively analyzed four sets of paleoclimatic proxies (including natural gamma ray emissions, uranium, and total organic carbon) from mid-latitude lakes (Lucaogou Formation for Early Permian icehouse and Lakes Ohrid and Van for Quaternary icehouse) using amplitude modulation and bi-coherence spectral analysis. Our results suggest that MCV (with periods of 4–8 kyr) is modulated by eccentricity, obliquity, and precession cycles and can be directly generated by the harmonization between fundamental orbital cycles (e.g., obliquity and precession cycles). In both the Early Permian and Quaternary icehouses, the changes in the amplitude of the MCV were more pronounced within an intermediate climate (e.g., glacial-interglacial transition). In addition, robust petrographic evidence and in-phase relationships between total organic carbon and natural gamma ray emissions in millennial-scale cycles suggest that MCV affects mid-latitude organic matter accumulation by modulating hydrological cycles, primary productivity, and redox conditions. Our study highlights a common origin of MCV in two Phanerozoic icehouses and the complex nonlinear response to external orbital forcing of the Earth’s climate system.

Tephra data from varved lakes of the Last Glacial–Interglacial Transition: towards a global inventory and better chronologies on the Varved Sediments Database (VARDA)

Abstract. The Varved Sediments Database (VARDA) was launched in 2020 and aimed to establish a community database for annually resolved chronological archives with their associated high-resolution proxy records. This resource would support reproducibility through accessible data for the paleoclimate and modelling communities. In this paper, VARDA has been extended by a dataset of European tephra geochemical data and metadata to enable the synchronisation of varve records during the Last Glacial–Interglacial Transition (LGIT; here defined as 25 to 8 ka; Beckett et al., 2022). Geochemical data from 49 known individual tephra layers across 19 lake records have been included, with Lago di Grande Monticchio being the single biggest contributor of geochemical data with 28 tephra layers. The Vedde Ash and Laacher See tephra are the most common layers found in six different records. This highlights the potential of refining the absolute age estimates for these tephra layers using varve chronologies and for synchronising regional paleoclimate archives. This is the first stage in a 5-year plan funded by the Past Global Changes (PAGES) Data Stewardship Scholarship to incorporate a global dataset of tephra geochemical data into varve records. Further stages of this project will focus on different regions and timescales. Data collated for this project are available open access at https://doi.org/10.5880/fidgeo.2023.015 (Beckett et al., 2022).

Deglacial export of pre-aged terrigenous carbon to the Bay of Biscay

Abstract. The last deglaciation is the most recent relatively well-documented period of pronounced and fast climate warming, and, as such, it holds important information for our understanding of the climate system. Notably, while research into terrestrial organic carbon reservoirs has been instrumental in exploring the possible sources of atmospheric carbon dioxide during periods of rapid change, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Here we investigate the mobilization of organic matter to the Bay of Biscay, located in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean off the coasts of France and Spain. Specifically, we focus on the area that was the mouth of the Channel River during the last deglaciation, where an enhanced terrigenous input has been reported for the last glacial–interglacial transition. We conducted a comprehensive suite of biomarker analyses (e.g. n-alkanes, hopanes and n-alkanoic acids) and isotopic investigations (radiocarbon dating and δ13C measurements) on a high-resolution sedimentary archive. The present study provides the first direct evidence for the fluvial supply of immature and ancient terrestrial organic matter to the core location. Moreover, our results reveal the possibility of permafrost carbon export to the ocean, driven by processes such as deglacial warming and glacial erosion. These findings are consistent with observations from other regions characterized by present or past permafrost conditions on land, which have shown that permafrost thaw and glacial erosion can lead to carbon remobilization, potentially influencing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.

Weathering pulses during glacial-interglacial transitions: Insights from well-dated paleosols in the Azores volcanic province (Central North Atlantic)

Volcanic islands evolve through complex interactions between volcano growth and surface processes. Climate changes impact the physical and chemical processes that drive weathering and denudation. While global paleoclimate has been extensively studied for the late Quaternary, elucidating the local climatic response to global forcing on such islands remains challenging. São Miguel is a volcanic island in the Eastern Azores, located in the Central North Atlantic, a region susceptible to changes in large-scale atmospheric and oceanic dynamics. It comprises numerous paleosols (PSs), whose geochemistry results from volcanic rocks' weathering and can serve as a proxy to reconstruct paleoclimatic conditions. New K–Ar and 40Ar/39Ar ages of volcanic units “bracketing” (under and overlying) PSs reveal four periods of enhanced soil formation (∼820–765 ka, ∼425–430 ka, ∼170–75 ka, <10 ka), coinciding with rapid glacial-interglacial transitions (Terminations I, II, V, IX). Our reconstructed mean annual precipitation (MAP; 500–1200 mm yr−1) and air temperature (MAAT; 12–18 °C) are higher during interglacial peaks. This, in addition to the coherence of MAAT with previous Sea Surface Temperature reconstructions, shows consistency between local and global climate dynamics. The texture of parental rocks played a significant role in weathering, with PSs predominantly restricted to the brecciated upper part of lava flows and to pyroclastic deposits, which exhibited distinctive precipitation thresholds for their formation (∼800 mm yr−1 and ∼500 mm yr−1, respectively). PSs developed on basaltic lava flows exhibit greater elemental loss, due to a high glass proportion and low permeability, which prevents fluids percolation out of the soils. As present-day precipitation and temperature exceed those of the past, enhanced weathering is expected in São Miguel and other volcanic islands, with local to global impacts (e.g., carbon cycling), especially in the context of ongoing global warming.

Large shift in the upper water column characteristics of the west-central Bay of Bengal during the last glacial-interglacial transition

The upper water column structure in the Bay of Bengal is strongly influenced by the monsoon and associated processes. However, the records of variation in water column stratification during different monsoon phases, are scarce from this region. Here, we have reconstructed the variation in monsoon induced upwelling, mixed layer and thermocline during the last glacial-interglacial transition, by using the relative abundance of mixed layer and thermocline dwelling planktic foraminifera, relative abundance of Globigerina bulloides and the stable oxygen isotopic ratio (δ18O) of surface dwelling Globigerinoides ruber. We report a weaker upwelling during the last glacial interval and late Greenlandian-Northgrippian Age, and strong upwelling during the deglaciation and Meghalayan Age. The intense upwelling shoaled the thermocline during the early glacial interval, last glacial maximum, late deglaciation and the Meghalayan Age. The mixed layer depth increased during the early deglaciation and Late Greenlandian-Northgrippian due to the reduced upwelling and stronger winter monsoon. The shift in the position of the core site with respect to the low salinity coastal currents, due to the rising sea level, also influenced the upper water column structure in the west-central Bay of Bengal. Therefore, the reorganization of the upper water column structure in the west-central Bay of Bengal, on the glacial-interglacial time scale, was mainly influenced by a combination of the upwelling, fresh water influx, sea level and winter monsoon.

The Antarctic Ice Core Chronology 2023 (AICC2023) chronological framework and associated timescale for the European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA) Dome C ice core

Abstract. The EPICA (European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica) Dome C (EDC) ice core drilling in East Antarctica reaches a depth of 3260 m. The reference EDC chronology, the AICC2012 (Antarctic Ice Core Chronology 2012), provides an age vs. depth relationship covering the last 800 kyr (thousands of years), with an absolute uncertainty rising up to 8000 years at the bottom of the ice core. The origins of this relatively large uncertainty are twofold: (1) the δ18Oatm, δO2/N2 and total air content (TAC) records are poorly resolved and show large gaps over the last 800 kyr, and (2) large uncertainties are associated with their orbital targets. Here, we present new highly resolved δ18Oatm, δO2/N2 and δ15N measurements for the EDC ice core covering the last five glacial–interglacial transitions; a new low-resolution TAC record over the period 440–800 ka BP (ka: 1000 years before 1950); and novel absolute 81Kr ages. We have compiled chronological and glaciological information including novel orbital age markers from new data on the EDC ice core as well as accurate firn modeling estimates in a Bayesian dating tool to construct the new AICC2023 chronology. For the first time, three orbital tools are used simultaneously. Hence, it is possible to observe that they are consistent with each other and with the other age markers over most of the last 800 kyr (70 %). This, in turn, gives us confidence in the new AICC2023 chronology. The average uncertainty in the ice chronology is reduced from 1700 to 900 years in AICC2023 over the last 800 kyr (1σ). The new timescale diverges from AICC2012 and suggests age shifts reaching 3800 years towards older ages over marine isotope stages (MISs) 5, 11 and 19. But the coherency between the new AICC2023 timescale and independent chronologies of other archives (Italian Lacustrine succession from Sulmona Basin, Dome Fuji ice core and northern Alpine speleothems) is improved by 1000 to 2000 years over these time intervals.

Fluvial response to Late Pleistocene–Holocene climate change in the Colorado River drainage, central Texas, USA

Abstract We documented the impact of Late Pleistocene–Holocene climate change on terrace deposits and preserved channels in the unglaciated drainage of the Colorado River in central Texas (south-central United States) using integrated channel morphology and provenance analysis. Detrital zircon (DZ) U-Pb ages (n = 1850) from fluvial terrace deposits and new quantitative analysis of fluvial channel morphology based on LiDAR data were used to reconstruct sediment provenance and shifts in paleohydraulic conditions during Late Pleistocene to Holocene aridification. These data reveal a reduction in fluvial channel size and discharge temporally coupled with a rapid shift in erosion locus and dominant sediment sourcing, from the Southern Rocky Mountains to the Llano area, during the glacial-interglacial transition. Geomorphic mapping and morphometric analysis show narrowing of river channels linked to diminishing Colorado River discharge. DZ data show an abrupt shift to erosion in the lower drainage basin and the remobilization of older terraces due to river incision and lateral channel migration. We attribute these systematic changes to upper-basin contraction caused by drainage reorganization and aridification during the Late Pleistocene, as well as the onset of enhanced convective precipitation sourced from the Gulf of Mexico, driving focused erosion along the topographic edge of the Llano uplift in central Texas since the early to mid-Holocene.

A ca. 39,000-year record of vegetation and climate change from the margin of the Namib Sand Sea

AbstractThis paper presents the first continuous multi-proxy record of climate and vegetation change from the central Namib Desert extending over much of the last ca. 39,000 years. Derived from rock hyrax middens, evidence from stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes, pollen, and microcharcoal reveals significant differences between glacial-age and Holocene climates and vegetation types. Although still arid to semi-arid, conditions during Marine Oxygen Isotope Stages (MIS) 2–3 were significantly more humid than in the Late Holocene. Considerable associated vegetation change is apparent, with cooler temperatures and higher/more-regular rainfall promoting the westward expansion of relatively mesic shrubby karroid vegetation during MIS 2–3. With the last glacial–interglacial transition, increasing temperatures and less/less-regular rainfall resulted in marked vegetation changes and the establishment of current xeric grasslands. The inter-plant spacing of the karroid vegetation promoted by wetter conditions does not carry fire effectively, and the microcharcoal record indicates that more extensive fires may develop only with the development of grassier vegetation under drier conditions. As with other terrestrial records from the Namib Desert and environs, no Cape flora elements were found to support previously hypothesised expansion of the Fynbos Biome during the last glacial period.

Martian dunes indicative of wind regime shift in line with end of ice age

Orbital observations suggest that Mars underwent a recent ‘ice age’ (roughly 0.4–2.1 million years ago), during which a latitude-dependent ice-dust mantle (LDM)1,2 was emplaced. A subsequent decrease in obliquity amplitude resulted in the emergence of an ‘interglacial period’1,3 during which the lowermost latitude LDM ice4–6 was etched and removed, returning it to the polar cap. These observations are consistent with polar cap stratigraphy1,7, but lower- to mid-latitude in situ surface observations in support of a glacial–interglacial transition that can be reconciled with mesoscale and global atmospheric circulation models8 is lacking. Here we present a suite of measurements obtained by the Zhurong rover during its traverse across the southern LDM region in Utopia Planitia, Mars. We find evidence for a stratigraphic sequence involving initial barchan dune formation, indicative of north-easterly winds, cementation of dune sediments, followed by their erosion by north-westerly winds, eroding the barchan dunes and producing distinctive longitudinal dunes, with the transition in wind regime consistent with the end of the ice age. The results are compatible with the Martian polar stratigraphic record and will help improve our understanding of the ancient climate history of Mars9.

A paleoprecipitation and paleotemperature reconstruction of the Last Interglacial in the southeastern Alps

Abstract. The Last Interglacial (LIG, ∼130–116 ka) was one of the warmest interglacials of the past 800 000 years and an important test bed for future climate conditions warmer than today. LIG temperature reconstructions from marine records and paleoclimate models show that middle and high northern latitudes were considerably warmer (by about 2 to 5 ∘C) compared to today. In central Europe, the LIG has been widely studied using pollen and more recently chironomids preserved in lake sediments. While these bio-archives document temperature changes across the LIG, they are commonly poorly constrained chronologically. Speleothems and fluid inclusions contained therein offer superior age control and provide information on past climate, including qualitative and partly also quantitative records of temperature and precipitation. Here, we present a precisely dated fluid-inclusion record based on seven speleothems from two caves in the southeastern Alps (Obir and Katerloch) and use a δ2H/T transfer function to reconstruct regional LIG temperatures. We report a temperature change across the glacial–interglacial transition of 5.2±3.1 ∘C and peak temperatures at ∼127 ka of 2.4±2.8 ∘C above today's mean (1973–2002). The fluid-inclusion δ2H record of these speleothems exhibits millennial-scale events during the LIG that are not well expressed in the δ18Ocalcite. The early LIG in the southeastern Alps was marked by an important climate instability followed by progressively more stable conditions. Our record suggests that the southeastern Alps predominantly received Atlantic-derived moisture during the early and middle LIG, while more Mediterranean moisture reached the study site at the end of the LIG, buffering the speleothem δ18Ocalcite signal. The return towards colder conditions is marked by an increase in δ13C starting at ∼118 ka, indicating a decline in the vegetation and soil activity.

Multi-proxy validation of glacial-interglacial rainfall variations in southwest Sulawesi

Speleothem δ18O is widely used as a proxy for rainfall amount in the tropics on glacial-interglacial to interannual scales. However, uncertainties in the interpretation of this renowned proxy pose a vexing problem in tropical paleoclimatology. Here, we present paired multi-proxy geochemical measurements for stalagmites from southwest Sulawesi, Indonesia, and confirm changes in rainfall amount across ice age terminations. Collectively, the stalagmites span two glacial-interglacial transitions from ~380,000 to 330,000 and 230,000 to 170,000 years ago. Mg/Ca in the slow-growing stalagmites is affected by water moving through the karst and prior calcite precipitation, making it a good proxy for changes in local rainfall. When paired, Mg/Ca and δ18O corroborate prominent shifts from drier glacials to wetter interglacials in the core of the Australasian monsoon domain. These shifts in rainfall occur 4,000-7,000 years later than glacial-interglacial increases in global temperature and the associated response of Sulawesi vegetation, determined by speleothem δ13C.

Paleohydrologic history of pluvial lake San Agustin, New Mexico: Tracking changing effective moisture in southwest North America through the last glacial transition

Paleoclimate records across the Intermountain West region of North America show significant regional variation in timing and magnitude of wet conditions that accompanied the last glacial-interglacial transition. To understand the climate controls on paleohydrologic change, well-dated records are needed across the region. The Plains of San Agustin (New Mexico, USA) is a closed-basin watershed of the American Southwest influenced by both winter westerly and summer North American Monsoon precipitation. The flat valley floors of the Plains contain lake and groundwater discharge deposits that record multiple periods of past wet climate. We present a record of hydroclimate for the past 26,000 years based on radiocarbon, U–Th series, and OSL dating of these deposits and stratigraphic correlation across the three sub-basins of the lake system. We find that two major lake oscillations occurred, coincident with the global Last Glacial Maximum (∼23–18 ka) and with Heinrich Stadial 1 (∼17–14 ka). The LGM lake cycle created a deep lake in the lowermost sub-basin, fed by marsh/lake overflow in the upper sub-basins. The Heinrich Stadial 1 wet interval attained the highest recorded lake level between ∼17.0 and 15.3 ka, merging the lower two sub-basins into one lake. Both lake cycles agree well in timing and magnitude with other lake-based records from the southwestern U.S., supporting previous interpretations that a south-shifted cool season storm track brought a dipole-like pattern of enhanced moisture to the southwest at the expense of drier conditions in the northwest during the LGM and deglaciation. A transition from lake to groundwater discharge conditions followed during the Bølling-Allerød (14.7–12.9 ka) across the study area. Wet meadows prevailed in the lower sub-basin during the Younger Dryas (12.9–11.7 ka), with marsh and open lake conditions in the upper and middle sub-basins, respectively. During the early Holocene, discrete wet intervals are recorded by ages for wet meadow deposits in all sub-basins with centennial-millennial frequency at 9.9, 8.8, 8.2 ka. These events agree well with other Intermountain West records showing wetter-than-present conditions prior to 8 ka. Two additional wet periods, centered at 6.8 and 5.4 ka, occurred during the driest known interval of the middle Holocene, and likely were partly supported in the Plains of San Agustin by summer moisture associated with the peak strength of the North American Monsoon. Our record highlights that both winter and summer moisture support water resources in New Mexico watersheds.

Sedimentary Mn Metallogenesis and Coupling among Major Geo-Environmental Events during the Sturtian Glacial–Interglacial Transition

The Sturtian (720–670 Ma) glacial–interglacial transition period was an important interval for sedimentary manganese metallogenesis, including the Mn oxide deposit in the Otjosondu region in Namibia and Mn carbonate deposits in the Datangpo Formation in the south-eastern Yangtze Platform, South China. During this period, Earth experienced the breakup of Rodinia, the Sturtian glaciation, and the Neoproterozoic oxygenation event. In this study, we investigate scenarios that might have provided geologically and geochemically favorable conditions for Mn metallogenesis. In these scenarios, the global recovery of microorganisms enhanced marine primary productivity and O2 levels of the hydrosphere and atmosphere during the Sturtian glacial–interglacial transition. However, the water column was not completely oxidized, maintaining redox stratification. Transgression–regression cycles or O2-rich downwelling drove the exchange of oxygenated topwater and anoxic deep water in rift-related basins that developed due to Rodinia’s breakup. The coupling of these processes precipitated existing dissolved Mn(II) at the margins of basins (Otjosondu region) or at their centers (Yangtze Platform). In the latter case, precursor Mn oxides were further converted into Mn carbonates via the reduction of Mn oxides coupled with organic matter oxidation during early diagenesis. A brief review of Mn metallogenesis in the geological record reveals that Mn metallogenic processes typically occur under geo-environmental conditions that, in concert, produce favorable conditions for Mn sourcing, concentration, and sedimentation.

Agulhas leakage extension and its influences on South Atlantic surface water hydrography during the Pleistocene

The inter-ocean transfer of warm and salty water through the Agulhas leakage is regarded as a significant factor influencing the South Atlantic's surface and intermediate water hydrography. To evaluate the extension of Agulhas leakage for the past 1.2 Ma, planktonic foraminiferal assemblage from Ocean Drilling Program Hole 1088B, within the vicinity of AL, and Hole 1090B, located south of the significant Agulhas retroflection region, were generated. The Hole 1088B shows higher abundance of tropical and sub-tropical assemblage. The combination of Globigerinoides ruber, Trilobatus sacculifer, Globigerinoides conglobatus and Globorotalia menardii has previously been defined as the Agulhas leakage fauna [ALF]. The pulse-like amplification of the ALF record at major glacial-interglacial transitions indicates these were periods of strengthened Agulhas leakage with subsequent shedding of Agulhas rings and filaments as far as ∼41°S. From ∼450 ka, the frontal zone exhibits strong ALF variations with evident increase at glacial-interglacial transitions of Marine Isotopic Stages (MIS) 12, 10, 8 and 6, suggesting vigorous eddy mixing and a shift in the leakage zone towards the subantarctic waters. The migration of the Subtropical Convergence and Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (s) coiling ratios during these glacial-interglacial transitions supports the southward expansion of Agulhas leakage. The ALF record is supported by the δ18O record of Globigerina bulloides from hole 1088B, which identify a major anomaly at MIS 10, with depleted δ18O values towards the glacial termination. Simultaneously, the results from Hole 1090B show restricted presence of tropical-subtropical assemblage with their appearance reported only at glacial-interglacial transitions of the MIS 16, 12, 10 and 8. The curtailed ALF index and dominance of the subpolar species N. pachyderma (s) indicate the termination of Agulhas leakage before reaching the Subantarctic zone. The ODP sites chosen for the study reveal the intensification of Agulhas leakage and southward shift of the major leakage zone into the subantarctic zone during the Pleistocene glacial-interglacial transitions.

Nitrogen palaeo-isoscapes: Changing spatial gradients of faunal δ15N in late Pleistocene and early Holocene Europe.

Nitrogen isotope ratio analysis (δ15N) of animal tissue is widely used in archaeology and palaeoecology to investigate diet and ecological niche. Data interpretations require an understanding of nitrogen isotope compositions at the base of the food web (baseline δ15N). Significant variation in animal δ15N has been recognised at various spatiotemporal scales and related to changes both in baseline δ15N, linked to environmental and climatic influence on the terrestrial nitrogen cycle, and animal ecology. Isoscapes (models of isotope spatial variation) have proved a useful tool for investigating spatial variability in biogeochemical cycles in present-day marine and terrestrial ecosystems, but so far, their application to palaeo-data has been more limited. Here, we present time-sliced nitrogen isoscapes for late Pleistocene and early Holocene Europe (c. 50,000 to 10,000 years BP) using herbivore collagen δ15N data. This period covers the Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition, during which significant variation in the terrestrial nitrogen cycle occurred. We use generalized linear mixed modelling approaches for interpolation and test models which both include and exclude climate covariate data. Our results show clear changes in spatial gradients of δ15N through time. Prediction of the lowest faunal δ15N values in northern latitudes after, rather than during, the Last Glacial Maximum is consistent with the Late Glacial Nitrogen Excursion (LGNE). We find that including climatic covariate data does not significantly improve model performance. These findings have implications for investigating the drivers of the LGNE, which has been linked to increased landscape moisture and permafrost thaw, and for understanding changing isotopic baselines, which are fundamental for studies investigating diets, niche partitioning, and migration of higher trophic level animals.

Deglacial records of terrigenous organic matter accumulation off the Yukon and Amur rivers based on lignin phenols and long-chain n-alkanes

Abstract. Arctic warming and sea level change will lead to widespread permafrost thaw and subsequent mobilization. Sedimentary records of past warming events during the Last Glacial–interglacial transition can be used to study the conditions under which permafrost mobilization occurs and which changes in vegetation on land are associated with such warming. The Amur and Yukon rivers discharging into the Okhotsk and Bering seas, respectively, drain catchments that have been, or remain until today, covered by permafrost. Here we study two marine sediment cores recovered off the mouths of these rivers. We use lignin phenols as biomarkers, which are excellently suited for the reconstruction of terrestrial higher plant vegetation, and compare them with previously published lipid biomarker data. We find that in the Yukon basin, vegetation change and wetland expansion began already in the early deglaciation (ED; 14.6–19 ka). This timing is different from observed changes in the Okhotsk Sea reflecting input from the Amur basin, where wetland expansion and vegetation change occurred later in the Pre-Boreal (PB). In the two basins, angiosperm contribution and wetland extent all reached maxima during the PB, both decreasing and stabilizing after the PB. The permafrost of the Amur basin began to become remobilized in the PB. Retreat of sea ice coupled with increased sea surface temperatures in the Bering Sea during the ED might have promoted early permafrost mobilization. In modern Arctic river systems, lignin and n-alkanes are transported from land to the ocean via different pathways, i.e., surface runoff vs. erosion of deeper deposits, respectively. However, accumulation rates of lignin phenols and lipids are similar in our records, suggesting that under conditions of rapid sea level rise and shelf flooding, both types of terrestrial biomarkers are delivered by the same transport pathway. This finding suggests that the fate of terrigenous organic matter in the Arctic differs on both temporal and spatial scales.

Palaeontological evidence for community-level decrease in mesopelagic fish size during Pleistocene climate warming in the eastern Mediterranean.

Mesopelagic fishes are an important element of marine food webs, a huge, still mostly untapped food resource and great contributors to the biological carbon pump, whose future under climate change scenarios is unknown. The shrinking of commercial fishes within decades has been an alarming observation, but its causes remain contended. Here, we investigate the effect of warming climate on mesopelagic fish size in the eastern Mediterranean Sea during a glacial-interglacial-glacial transition of the Middle Pleistocene (marine isotope stages 20-18; 814-712 kyr B.P.), which included a 4°C increase in global seawater temperature. Our results based on fossil otoliths show that the median size of lanternfishes, one of the most abundant groups of mesopelagic fishes in fossil and modern assemblages, declined by approximately 35% with climate warming at the community level. However, individual mesopelagic species showed different and often opposing trends in size across the studied time interval, suggesting that climate warming in the interglacial resulted in an ecological shift toward increased relative abundance of smaller sized mesopelagic fishes due to geographical and/or bathymetric distribution range shifts, and the size-dependent effects of warming.