Antarctic evidence for an abrupt northward shift of the Southern Hemisphere westerlies at 32 ka BP

Abhijith U. Venugopal (), Nancy A. N. Bertler, Jeffrey P. Severinghaus, Edward J. Brook, Giuseppe Cortese, James E. Lee, Thomas Blunier, Paul A. Mayewski, Helle A. Kjær, Lionel Carter, Michael E. Weber, Richard H. Levy, Rebecca L. Pyne and Marcus J. Vandergoes
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Abhijith U. Venugopal: GNS Science
Nancy A. N. Bertler: GNS Science
Jeffrey P. Severinghaus: UC San Diego
Edward J. Brook: Oregon State University
Giuseppe Cortese: GNS Science
James E. Lee: Oregon State University
Thomas Blunier: University of Copenhagen
Paul A. Mayewski: University of Maine
Helle A. Kjær: University of Copenhagen
Lionel Carter: Victoria University of Wellington
Michael E. Weber: University of Bonn
Richard H. Levy: GNS Science
Rebecca L. Pyne: GNS Science
Marcus J. Vandergoes: GNS Science

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract High-resolution ice core records from coastal Antarctica are particularly useful to inform our understanding of environmental changes and their drivers. Here, we present a decadally resolved record of sea-salt sodium (a proxy for open-ocean area) and non-sea salt calcium (a proxy for continental dust) from the well-dated Roosevelt Island Climate Evolution (RICE) core, focusing on the time period between 40–26 ka BP. The RICE dust record exhibits an abrupt shift towards a higher mean dust concentration at 32 ka BP. Investigating existing ice-core records, we find this shift is a prominent feature across Antarctica. We propose that this shift is linked to an equatorward displacement of Southern Hemisphere westerly winds. Subsequent to the wind shift, data suggest a weakening of Southern Ocean upwelling and a decline of atmospheric CO2 to lower glacial values, hence making this shift an important glacial climate event with potentially important insights for future projections.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40951-1

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