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Mean global ocean temperatures during the last glacial transition

Author

Listed:
  • Bernhard Bereiter

    (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego
    Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, and Oeschger Center for Climate Research, University of Bern
    Laboratory for Air Pollution/Environmental Technology, Empa)

  • Sarah Shackleton

    (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego)

  • Daniel Baggenstos

    (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego
    Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, and Oeschger Center for Climate Research, University of Bern)

  • Kenji Kawamura

    (National Institute of Polar Research, Research Organizations of Information and Systems
    Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)
    Institute of Biogeosciences, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology)

  • Jeff Severinghaus

    (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego)

Abstract

Little is known about the ocean temperature’s long-term response to climate perturbations owing to limited observations and a lack of robust reconstructions. Although most of the anthropogenic heat added to the climate system has been taken up by the ocean up until now, its role in a century and beyond is uncertain. Here, using noble gases trapped in ice cores, we show that the mean global ocean temperature increased by 2.57 ± 0.24 degrees Celsius over the last glacial transition (20,000 to 10,000 years ago). Our reconstruction provides unprecedented precision and temporal resolution for the integrated global ocean, in contrast to the depth-, region-, organism- and season-specific estimates provided by other methods. We find that the mean global ocean temperature is closely correlated with Antarctic temperature and has no lead or lag with atmospheric CO2, thereby confirming the important role of Southern Hemisphere climate in global climate trends. We also reveal an enigmatic 700-year warming during the early Younger Dryas period (about 12,000 years ago) that surpasses estimates of modern ocean heat uptake.

Suggested Citation

  • Bernhard Bereiter & Sarah Shackleton & Daniel Baggenstos & Kenji Kawamura & Jeff Severinghaus, 2018. "Mean global ocean temperatures during the last glacial transition," Nature, Nature, vol. 553(7686), pages 39-44, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:553:y:2018:i:7686:d:10.1038_nature25152
    DOI: 10.1038/nature25152
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. M. H. Løland & Y. Krüger & A. Fernandez & F. Buckingham & S. A. Carolin & H. Sodemann & J. F. Adkins & K. M. Cobb & A. N. Meckler, 2022. "Evolution of tropical land temperature across the last glacial termination," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-7, December.
    2. Tao Li & Laura F. Robinson & Graeme A. MacGilchrist & Tianyu Chen & Joseph A. Stewart & Andrea Burke & Maoyu Wang & Gaojun Li & Jun Chen & James W. B. Rae, 2023. "Enhanced subglacial discharge from Antarctica during meltwater pulse 1A," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Shuai Zhang & Zhoufei Yu & Yue Wang & Xun Gong & Ann Holbourn & Fengming Chang & Heng Liu & Xuhua Cheng & Tiegang Li, 2022. "Thermal coupling of the Indo-Pacific warm pool and Southern Ocean over the past 30,000 years," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    4. Fenzhen Su & Rong Fan & Fengqin Yan & Michael Meadows & Vincent Lyne & Po Hu & Xiangzhou Song & Tianyu Zhang & Zenghong Liu & Chenghu Zhou & Tao Pei & Xiaomei Yang & Yunyan Du & Zexun Wei & Fan Wang &, 2023. "Widespread global disparities between modelled and observed mid-depth ocean currents," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    5. Shinya Iwasaki & Lester Lembke-Jene & Kana Nagashima & Helge W. Arz & Naomi Harada & Katsunori Kimoto & Frank Lamy, 2022. "Evidence for late-glacial oceanic carbon redistribution and discharge from the Pacific Southern Ocean," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    6. Anne Willem Omta & Christopher L. Follett & Jonathan M. Lauderdale & Raffaele Ferrari, 2024. "Carbon isotope budget indicates biological disequilibrium dominated ocean carbon storage at the Last Glacial Maximum," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    7. James A. Menking & Sarah A. Shackleton & Thomas K. Bauska & Aron M. Buffen & Edward J. Brook & Stephen Barker & Jeffrey P. Severinghaus & Michael N. Dyonisius & Vasilii V. Petrenko, 2022. "Multiple carbon cycle mechanisms associated with the glaciation of Marine Isotope Stage 4," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.

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