Articles | Volume 22, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-22-1105-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-22-1105-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Non-linear climatic response to the weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation during glacial times
Yanxuan Du
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Weather of the 21st Century, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Josephine R. Brown
School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Weather of the 21st Century, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Laurie Menviel
Climate Change Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
The Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Himadri Saini
School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Weather of the 21st Century, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Climate Change Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Russell N. Drysdale
School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
David K. Hutchinson
Climate Change Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
The Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Weather of the 21st Century, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Calla N. Gould-Whaley
School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Yanxuan Du, Josephine R. Brown, and J. M. Kale Sniderman
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Himadri Saini, Katrin J. Meissner, Laurie Menviel, and Karin Kvale
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Timothy Pollard, Jon Woodhead, John Hellstrom, John Engel, Roger Powell, and Russell Drysdale
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Kasia K. Śliwińska, Helen K. Coxall, David K. Hutchinson, Diederik Liebrand, Stefan Schouten, and Agatha M. de Boer
Clim. Past, 19, 123–140, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-123-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-123-2023, 2023
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We provide a sea surface temperature record from the Labrador Sea (ODP Site 647) based on organic geochemical proxies across the late Eocene and early Oligocene. Our study reveals heterogenic cooling of the Atlantic. The cooling of the North Atlantic is difficult to reconcile with the active Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). We discuss possible explanations like uncertainty in the data, paleogeography and atmospheric CO2 boundary conditions, model weaknesses, and AMOC activity.
Hege Kilhavn, Isabelle Couchoud, Russell N. Drysdale, Carlos Rossi, John Hellstrom, Fabien Arnaud, and Henri Wong
Clim. Past, 18, 2321–2344, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-2321-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-2321-2022, 2022
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The analysis of stable carbon and oxygen isotopic ratios, trace element ratios, and growth rate from a Spanish speleothem provides quantitative information on past hydrological conditions during the early Holocene in south-western Europe. Our data show that the cave site experienced increased effective recharge during the 8.2 ka event. Additionally, the oxygen isotopes indicate a change in the isotopic composition of the moisture source, associated with the meltwater flux to the North Atlantic.
Zuorui Liu, Amy Prendergast, Russell Drysdale, and Jan-Hendrik May
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 71, 227–241, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-71-227-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-71-227-2022, 2022
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Past studies used two sampling strategies, the "bulk" and "sequential" drilling methods, for stable isotopic analysis of mammoth tooth enamel and paleoenvironmental reconstruction. This study applied both methods to the same enamel ridges of multiple mammoth teeth and compared their respective δ18O values. Offsets were detected between the bulk and average sequential δ18O values. The potential reasons for the offsets and their impacts on cross-method data comparison were discussed.
Xavier Crosta, Karen E. Kohfeld, Helen C. Bostock, Matthew Chadwick, Alice Du Vivier, Oliver Esper, Johan Etourneau, Jacob Jones, Amy Leventer, Juliane Müller, Rachael H. Rhodes, Claire S. Allen, Pooja Ghadi, Nele Lamping, Carina B. Lange, Kelly-Anne Lawler, David Lund, Alice Marzocchi, Katrin J. Meissner, Laurie Menviel, Abhilash Nair, Molly Patterson, Jennifer Pike, Joseph G. Prebble, Christina Riesselman, Henrik Sadatzki, Louise C. Sime, Sunil K. Shukla, Lena Thöle, Maria-Elena Vorrath, Wenshen Xiao, and Jiao Yang
Clim. Past, 18, 1729–1756, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1729-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1729-2022, 2022
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Despite its importance in the global climate, our knowledge of Antarctic sea-ice changes throughout the last glacial–interglacial cycle is extremely limited. As part of the Cycles of Sea Ice Dynamics in the Earth system (C-SIDE) Working Group, we review marine- and ice-core-based sea-ice proxies to provide insights into their applicability and limitations. By compiling published records, we provide information on Antarctic sea-ice dynamics over the past 130 000 years.
Ryan A. Green, Laurie Menviel, Katrin J. Meissner, Xavier Crosta, Deepak Chandan, Gerrit Lohmann, W. Richard Peltier, Xiaoxu Shi, and Jiang Zhu
Clim. Past, 18, 845–862, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-845-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-845-2022, 2022
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Climate models are used to predict future climate changes and as such, it is important to assess their performance in simulating past climate changes. We analyze seasonal sea-ice cover over the Southern Ocean simulated from numerical PMIP3, PMIP4 and LOVECLIM simulations during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Comparing these simulations to proxy data, we provide improved estimates of LGM seasonal sea-ice cover. Our estimate of summer sea-ice extent is 20 %–30 % larger than previous estimates.
Dipayan Choudhury, Laurie Menviel, Katrin J. Meissner, Nicholas K. H. Yeung, Matthew Chamberlain, and Tilo Ziehn
Clim. Past, 18, 507–523, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-507-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-507-2022, 2022
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We investigate the effects of a warmer climate from the Earth's paleoclimate (last interglacial) on the marine carbon cycle of the Southern Ocean using a carbon-cycle-enabled state-of-the-art climate model. We find a 150 % increase in CO2 outgassing during this period, which results from competition between higher sea surface temperatures and weaker oceanic circulation. From this we unequivocally infer that the carbon uptake by the Southern Ocean will reduce under a future warming scenario.
Jun Shao, Lowell D. Stott, Laurie Menviel, Andy Ridgwell, Malin Ödalen, and Mayhar Mohtadi
Clim. Past, 17, 1507–1521, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-1507-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-1507-2021, 2021
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Planktic and shallow benthic foraminiferal stable carbon isotope
(δ13C) data show a rapid decline during the last deglaciation. This widespread signal was linked to respired carbon released from the deep ocean and its transport through the upper-ocean circulation. Using numerical simulations in which a stronger flux of respired carbon upwells and outcrops in the Southern Ocean, we find that the depleted δ13C signal is transmitted to the rest of the upper ocean through air–sea gas exchange.
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Short summary
This study examines the climate response to different magnitudes of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) weakening under glacial conditions using the Australian Earth System Model. A potential threshold is identified between linear AMOC slowdown and nonlinear shutdown, driven by a critical change in ocean heat loss that induces a nonlinear atmospheric response governed by energetic constraints.
This study examines the climate response to different magnitudes of Atlantic Meridional...