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Constraining the Variability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation During the Holocene
Author(s) -
Lippold Jörg,
Pöppelmeier Frerk,
Süfke Finn,
Gutjahr Marcus,
Goepfert Tyler J.,
Blaser Patrick,
Friedrich Oliver,
Link Jasmin M.,
Wacker Lukas,
Rheinberger Stefan,
Jaccard Samuel L.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2019gl084988
Subject(s) - holocene , geology , meltwater , shutdown of thermohaline circulation , context (archaeology) , oceanography , climatology , northern hemisphere , north atlantic deep water , thermohaline circulation , glacial period , paleontology
There is a converging body of evidence supporting a measurable slowdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) as climate warms and Northern Hemisphere ice sheets inexorably shrink. Within this context, we assess the variability of the AMOC during the Holocene based on a marine sediment core retrieved from the deep northwest Atlantic, which sensitively recorded large‐scale deglacial transitions in deep water circulation. While there is a diffuse notion of Holocene variability in Labrador and Nordic Seas overturning, we report a largely invariable deep water circulation for the last ~11,000 years, even during the meltwater pulse associated with the 8.2‐ka event. Sensitivity tests along with high‐resolution 231 Pa/ 230 Th data constrain the duration and the magnitude of possible Holocene AMOC variations. The generally constant baseline during the Holocene suggests attenuated natural variability of the large‐scale AMOC on submillennial timescales and calls for compensating effects involving the upstream components of North Atlantic Deep Water.