Proximal trigger for late glacial Antarctic circulation and CO2 changes

Figure 1: A) Comparison of zonal poleward ocean heat transport (1 PW = 10 Watts) in the Atlantic sector for the model runs illustrated in Figure 2. Figure from Maier-Reimer et al., 1996. B) Difference of surface current (25 m) between the control and perturbed run, illustrating the effects of an NADW shutdown (in this case due to an open central American isthmus) on global ocean circulation (Figure from Maier-Reimer et al., 1990). Red dot refers to location of sub-Antarctic core illustrated in Figure 2. The Brazil Current may have played a key role in shunting heat towards the Antarctic during the meridional overturning shutdown at the end of the last ice age.