Response of surface water masses and circulation to Late Quaternary climate change east of New Zealand

Weaver, P. P. E.; Carter, Lionel; Neil, Helen L

doi:10.1029/97pa02982

Cited by 164 publications

(129 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…3 and Table S3). A similar northward extension of cold ACC waters occurred in the Southwest Pacific off New Zealand (16,29).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 55%

“…during glacial epochs (14). Likewise, in the Southwest Pacific, the deep western boundary current east of New Zealand intensified during glacial periods over the past 1.2 My (15), which has been related to a northward extension of the ACC along the New Zealand continental margin (15,16). Evidently, disagreement exists for ACC flow intensity and its potential impact on changes in DP throughflow in response to glacial and interglacial cycles.…”

Section: Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

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Glacial reduction and millennial-scale variations in Drake Passage throughflow

Lamy

Arz

Kilian

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

116

111

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The Drake Passage (DP) is the major geographic constriction for the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) and exerts a strong control on the exchange of physical, chemical, and biological properties between the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean basins. Resolving changes in the flow of circumpolar water masses through this gateway is, therefore, crucial for advancing our understanding of the Southern Ocean’s role in global ocean and climate variability. Here, we reconstruct changes in DP throughflow dynamics over the past 65,000 y based on grain size and geochemical properties of sediment records from the southernmost continental margin of South America. Combined with published sediment records from the Scotia Sea, we argue for a considerable total reduction of DP transport and reveal an up to ∼40% decrease in flow speed along the northernmost ACC pathway entering the DP during glacial times. Superimposed on this long-term decrease are high-amplitude, millennial-scale variations, which parallel Southern Ocean and Antarctic temperature patterns. The glacial intervals of strong weakening of the ACC entering the DP imply an enhanced export of northern ACC surface and intermediate waters into the South Pacific Gyre and reduced Pacific–Atlantic exchange through the DP (“cold water route”). We conclude that changes in DP throughflow play a critical role for the global meridional overturning circulation and interbasin exchange in the Southern Ocean, most likely regulated by variations in the westerly wind field and changes in Antarctic sea ice extent.

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“…3 and Table S3). A similar northward extension of cold ACC waters occurred in the Southwest Pacific off New Zealand (16,29).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 55%

Section: Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

Glacial reduction and millennial-scale variations in Drake Passage throughflow

Lamy

Arz

Kilian

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

116

111

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Evidence for enhanced ocean upwelling east of New Zealand (Fenner et al, 1992;Weaver et al, 1998) and maxima in dust flux (Thiede, 1979;Stewart and Neall, 1984;Carter et al, 1995) have generally been attributed to persistent and strong westerly flow during the LGM (e.g. Markgraf et al, 1992;Shulmeister et al, 2004).…”

Section: Glaciological Setting: New Zealandmentioning

confidence: 99%

Synoptic climate change as a driver of late Quaternary glaciations in the mid-latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere

Rother

Shulmeister

2006

Clim. Past

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Abstract. The relative timing of late Quaternary glacial advances in mid-latitude (40-55 • S) mountain belts of the Southern Hemisphere (SH) has become a critical focus in the debate on global climate teleconnections. On the basis of glacial data from New Zealand (NZ) and southern South America it has been argued that interhemispheric synchrony or asynchrony of Quaternary glacial events is due to Northern Hemisphere (NH) forcing of SH climate through either the ocean or atmosphere systems. Here we present a glacial snow-mass balance model that demonstrates that large scale glaciation in the temperate and hyperhumid Southern Alps of New Zealand can be generated with moderate cooling. This is because the rapid conversion of precipitation from rainfall to snowfall drives massive ice accumulation at small thermal changes (1-4 • C). Our model is consistent with recent paleo-environmental reconstructions showing that glacial advances in New Zealand during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the Last Glacial Interglacial Transition (LGIT) occurred under very moderate cooling. We suggest that such moderate cooling could be generated by changes in synoptic climatology, specifically through enhanced regional flow of moist westerly air masses. Our results imply that NH climate forcing may not have been the exclusive driver of Quaternary glaciations in New Zealand and that synoptic style climate variations are a better explanation for at least some late Quaternary glacial events, in particular during the LGIT (e.g. Younger Dryas and/or Antarctic Cold Reversal).

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“…1). Bisecting the region is a major oceanographic feature, the STF, which defines the northern extent of the Southern Ocean and has remained more-or-less fixed over Chatham Rise through the late Quaternary, including the LGM (Heath 1985;Fenner et al 1992;Nelson et al 1993;Weaver et al 1998;Sikes et al 2002). Flow from the north of warm, highly saline (Heath 1985;Chiswell 2001;Sikes etal.…”

Section: Oceanographic Setting and Related Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Transfer function or modern analogue techniques (MAT) have been applied to planktic foraminiferal assemblages to generate paleo-temperature estimates from fossil assemblages in several Quaternary sediment cores in the vicinity of the STF (Weaver et al 1998;Barrows et al 2000;Sikes et al 2002;Sabaa et al 2004).…”

Section: Oceanographic Setting and Related Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sedimentary record of radiolarian biogeography, offshore eastern New Zealand

Hollis¹,

Neil

2005

New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research

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Examination of 38 surface sediment samples from offshore eastern New Zealand, between 33°S and 54°S, yielded 100 radiolarian taxa, which are common to abundant in sediments deposited at > 1000 m water depth but rare at shallower depths. In general, radiolarians are most abundant, most diverse, and best preserved in assemblages north of the Subtropical Front (STF). Multivariate analysis of census data for 29 radiolarian-rich samples identifies six sample groups and eight species groups. The STF forms a major biogeographic barrier, separating three transitional zone (TR) and three subantarctic zone (SA) sample groups. The three primary sample groups (TR1, TR2, SA1) record a southward latitudinal trend of decreasing abundance of subtropical-tropical or warm-water taxa (species group 4) and increasing abundance of subantarcticAntarctic or cool-water taxa (species groups 7 and 8). Two secondary sample groups (TR3 and SA2) may record the influence of shallow-water processes or strong surface currents on either side of the STF. low abundance and diversity, records relatively shallow, stratified, and silica-limited conditions of the central Campbell Plateau.

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Response of surface water masses and circulation to Late Quaternary climate change east of New Zealand

Cited by 164 publications

References 43 publications

Glacial reduction and millennial-scale variations in Drake Passage throughflow

Glacial reduction and millennial-scale variations in Drake Passage throughflow

Synoptic climate change as a driver of late Quaternary glaciations in the mid-latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere

Sedimentary record of radiolarian biogeography, offshore eastern New Zealand

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