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More efficient North Atlantic carbon pump during the Last Glacial Maximum

Author

Listed:
  • J. Yu

    (The Australian National University
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • L. Menviel

    (University of New South Wales)

  • Z. D. Jin

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology)

  • D. J. R. Thornalley

    (University College London)

  • G. L. Foster

    (National Oceanography Centre)

  • E. J. Rohling

    (The Australian National University
    National Oceanography Centre)

  • I. N. McCave

    (University of Cambridge)

  • J. F. McManus

    (Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University)

  • Y. Dai

    (The Australian National University)

  • H. Ren

    (National Taiwan University)

  • F. He

    (University of Wisconsin-Madison
    Oregon State University)

  • F. Zhang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    CAS Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change)

  • P. J. Chen

    (Tongji University)

  • A. P. Roberts

    (The Australian National University)

Abstract

During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; ~20,000 years ago), the global ocean sequestered a large amount of carbon lost from the atmosphere and terrestrial biosphere. Suppressed CO2 outgassing from the Southern Ocean is the prevailing explanation for this carbon sequestration. By contrast, the North Atlantic Ocean—a major conduit for atmospheric CO2 transport to the ocean interior via the overturning circulation—has received much less attention. Here we demonstrate that North Atlantic carbon pump efficiency during the LGM was almost doubled relative to the Holocene. This is based on a novel proxy approach to estimate air–sea CO2 exchange signals using combined carbonate ion and nutrient reconstructions for multiple sediment cores from the North Atlantic. Our data indicate that in tandem with Southern Ocean processes, enhanced North Atlantic CO2 absorption contributed to lowering ice-age atmospheric CO2.

Suggested Citation

  • J. Yu & L. Menviel & Z. D. Jin & D. J. R. Thornalley & G. L. Foster & E. J. Rohling & I. N. McCave & J. F. McManus & Y. Dai & H. Ren & F. He & F. Zhang & P. J. Chen & A. P. Roberts, 2019. "More efficient North Atlantic carbon pump during the Last Glacial Maximum," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-10028-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10028-z
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