Open AccessEvidence for a widespread climatic anomaly at around 9.2 ka before present
Author(s) -
Fleitmann Dominik,
Mudelsee Manfred,
Burns Stephen J.,
Bradley Raymond S.,
Kramers Jan,
Matter Albert
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
paleoceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1944-9186
pISSN - 0883-8305
DOI - 10.1029/2007pa001519
Subject(s) - northern hemisphere , thermohaline circulation , paleoclimatology , before present , geology , climatology , anomaly (physics) , meltwater , holocene , middle latitudes , climate change , oceanography , glacial period , paleontology , physics , condensed matter physics
The 8.2 ka event was triggered by a meltwater pulse (MWP) into the North Atlantic and resultant reduction of the thermohaline circulation (THC). This event was preceded by a series of at least 14 MWPs; their impact on early Holocene climate has remained almost unknown. A set of high‐quality paleoclimate records from across the Northern Hemisphere shows evidence for a widespread and significant climatic anomaly at ∼9.2 ka B.P. This event has climatic anomaly patterns very similar to the 8.2 ka B.P. event, cooling occurred at high latitudes and midlatitudes and drying took place in the northern tropics, and is concurrent with an MWP of considerable volume (∼8100 km 3 ). As the 9.2 ka MWP occurs at a time of enhanced baseline freshwater flow into the North Atlantic, this MWP may have been, despite its relatively small volume, sufficient to weaken THC and to induce the observed climate anomaly pattern.