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ABSTRACT: Sedimentary time series of color reflectance and major element chemistry from the anoxic Cariaco Basin off the coast of northern Venezuela record large and abrupt shifts in the hydrologic cycle of the tropical Atlantic during the past 90,000 years. Marine productivity maxima and increased precipitation and riverine discharge from northern South America are closely linked to interstadial (warm) climate events of marine isotope stage 3, as recorded in Greenland ice cores. Increased precipitation at this latitude during interstadials suggests the potential for greater moisture export from the Atlantic to Pacific, which could have affected the salinity balance of the Atlantic and increased thermohaline heat transport to high northern latitudes. This supports the notion that tropical feedbacks played an important role in modulating global climate during the last glacial period. |
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| DATA: Download the Data from the WDC Paleo Archive. |
| DISCUSSION: The color reflectance record from this core in the Cariaco Basin shows the broad geographic impact of the abrupt climate changes during the last glacial period. This record reveals climatic impacts in China synchronous with the interstadial (Dansgaard/Oeschger) events seen in ice cores from Greenland (Figure 1). The Greenland Ice Sheet Project Two (GISP2) core data is also available on the WDC Paleo website.
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Contact Us National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 10 May 2004
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