Global reorganization of deep-sea circulation and carbon storage after the last ice age
Abstract
Using new and published marine fossil radiocarbon (14C/C) measurements, a tracer uniquely sensitive to circulation and air-sea gas exchange, we establish several benchmarks for Atlantic, Southern, and Pacific deep-sea circulation and ventilation since the last ice age. We find the most 14C-depleted water in glacial Pacific bottom depths, rather than the mid-depths as they are today, which is best explained by a slowdown in glacial deep-sea overturning in addition to a “flipped” glacial Pacific overturning configuration. These observations cannot be produced by changes in air-sea gas exchange alone, and they underscore the major role for changes in the overturning circulation for glacial deep-sea carbon storage in the vast Pacific abyss and the concomitant drawdown of atmospheric CO2.
Citation
Rafter , P , Gray , W , Hines , S K V , Burke , A , Costa , K M , Gottschalk , J , Hain , M P , Rae , J W B , Southon , J R , Walczak , M H , Yu , J , Adkins , J F & DeVries , T 2022 , ' Global reorganization of deep-sea circulation and carbon storage after the last ice age ' , Science Advances , vol. 8 , no. 46 , eabq5434 . https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abq5434
Publication
Science Advances
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
2375-2548Type
Journal article
Description
Funding: This work was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (OCE-2015647 and OCE-2032340 to PAR; OCE- 2032343 to MPH); NERC grant NE/N011716/1 to JWBR and NERC grant NE/M004619/1 to AB.Collections
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