Overturning circulation, nutrient limitation, and warming in the Glacial North Pacific

James W. B. Rae; W. R. Gray; R. C. J.  Wills; I.  Eisenman; B.  Fitzhugh; M.  Fotheringham; Eloise  Littley; P. A.  Rafter; Rhian Laura Rees-Owen; A.  Ridgwell; Ben Taylor; Andrea Burke

doi:10.1126/sciadv.abd1654

Overturning circulation, nutrient limitation, and warming in the Glacial North Pacific

James W. B. Rae^*, W. R. Gray, R. C. J. Wills, I. Eisenman, B. Fitzhugh, M. Fotheringham, Eloise Littley, P. A. Rafter, Rhian Laura Rees-Owen, A. Ridgwell, Ben Taylor, Andrea Burke

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Although the Pacific Ocean is a major reservoir of heat and CO₂, and thus an important component of the global climate system, its circulation under different climatic conditions is poorly understood. Here, we present evidence that during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the North Pacific was better ventilated at intermediate depths and had surface waters with lower nutrients, higher salinity, and warmer temperatures compared to today. Modeling shows that this pattern is well explained by enhanced Pacific meridional overturning circulation (PMOC), which brings warm, salty, and nutrient-poor subtropical waters to high latitudes. Enhanced PMOC at the LGM would have lowered atmospheric CO₂—in part through synergy with the Southern Ocean—and supported an equable regional climate, which may have aided human habitability in Beringia, and migration from Asia to North America.

Original language	English
Article number	eabd1654
Number of pages	13
Journal	Science Advances
Volume	6
Issue number	50
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abd1654
Publication status	Published - 9 Dec 2020

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SDG 13 Climate Action

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Rae_2020_SciAdvances_overturning-circulation_CC
Copyright © 2020 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License 4.0 (CC BY-NC).
Final published version, 5.08 MBLicence: CC BY-NC

Cite this

@article{0fc76b39de1c4820920f5c2fade983e9,

title = "Overturning circulation, nutrient limitation, and warming in the Glacial North Pacific",

abstract = "Although the Pacific Ocean is a major reservoir of heat and CO2, and thus an important component of the global climate system, its circulation under different climatic conditions is poorly understood. Here, we present evidence that during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the North Pacific was better ventilated at intermediate depths and had surface waters with lower nutrients, higher salinity, and warmer temperatures compared to today. Modeling shows that this pattern is well explained by enhanced Pacific meridional overturning circulation (PMOC), which brings warm, salty, and nutrient-poor subtropical waters to high latitudes. Enhanced PMOC at the LGM would have lowered atmospheric CO2—in part through synergy with the Southern Ocean—and supported an equable regional climate, which may have aided human habitability in Beringia, and migration from Asia to North America.",

author = "Rae, \{James W. B.\} and Gray, \{W. R.\} and Wills, \{R. C. J.\} and I. Eisenman and B. Fitzhugh and M. Fotheringham and Eloise Littley and Rafter, \{P. A.\} and Rees-Owen, \{Rhian Laura\} and A. Ridgwell and Ben Taylor and Andrea Burke",

note = "This work was funded by NERC grant NE/N011716/1 to J.W.B.R., a NERC studentship to B.T., and NSF grant OPP 1643445 to I.E. A.R. acknowledges support from NSF grant 1736771.",

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T1 - Overturning circulation, nutrient limitation, and warming in the Glacial North Pacific

AU - Rae, James W. B.

AU - Gray, W. R.

AU - Wills, R. C. J.

AU - Eisenman, I.

AU - Fitzhugh, B.

AU - Fotheringham, M.

AU - Littley, Eloise

AU - Rafter, P. A.

AU - Rees-Owen, Rhian Laura

AU - Ridgwell, A.

AU - Taylor, Ben

AU - Burke, Andrea

N1 - This work was funded by NERC grant NE/N011716/1 to J.W.B.R., a NERC studentship to B.T., and NSF grant OPP 1643445 to I.E. A.R. acknowledges support from NSF grant 1736771.

PY - 2020/12/9

Y1 - 2020/12/9

N2 - Although the Pacific Ocean is a major reservoir of heat and CO2, and thus an important component of the global climate system, its circulation under different climatic conditions is poorly understood. Here, we present evidence that during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the North Pacific was better ventilated at intermediate depths and had surface waters with lower nutrients, higher salinity, and warmer temperatures compared to today. Modeling shows that this pattern is well explained by enhanced Pacific meridional overturning circulation (PMOC), which brings warm, salty, and nutrient-poor subtropical waters to high latitudes. Enhanced PMOC at the LGM would have lowered atmospheric CO2—in part through synergy with the Southern Ocean—and supported an equable regional climate, which may have aided human habitability in Beringia, and migration from Asia to North America.

AB - Although the Pacific Ocean is a major reservoir of heat and CO2, and thus an important component of the global climate system, its circulation under different climatic conditions is poorly understood. Here, we present evidence that during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the North Pacific was better ventilated at intermediate depths and had surface waters with lower nutrients, higher salinity, and warmer temperatures compared to today. Modeling shows that this pattern is well explained by enhanced Pacific meridional overturning circulation (PMOC), which brings warm, salty, and nutrient-poor subtropical waters to high latitudes. Enhanced PMOC at the LGM would have lowered atmospheric CO2—in part through synergy with the Southern Ocean—and supported an equable regional climate, which may have aided human habitability in Beringia, and migration from Asia to North America.

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SN - 2375-2548

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JO - Science Advances

JF - Science Advances

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Overturning circulation, nutrient limitation, and warming in the Glacial North Pacific

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INTRIGUED: Investigating the role of the: INTRIGUED: Investigating The Role of the North Pacific in Glacial and Deglacial CO2 and Climate

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Overturning circulation, nutrient limitation, and warming in the Glacial North Pacific

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