Climate of the Past
Climate of the Past
CP
Articles | Volume 22, issue 8
Articles | Volume 22, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-22-1559-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-22-1559-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 22, issue 8
Research article
 | 
19 Aug 2026
Research article |  | 19 Aug 2026

Increased abyssal ocean density stratification across the Middle Pleistocene Transition

Nicola C. Thomas, Heather L. Ford, Mervyn Greaves, and David A. Hodell

Viewed

Total article views: 6,444 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total Supplement BibTeX EndNote
4,943 1,261 240 6,444 552 129 149
  • HTML: 4,943
  • PDF: 1,261
  • XML: 240
  • Total: 6,444
  • Supplement: 552
  • BibTeX: 129
  • EndNote: 149
Views and downloads (calculated since 01 Oct 2025)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 01 Oct 2025)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 6,444 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 6,398 with geography defined and 46 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 

Cited

Latest update: 19 Aug 2026
Download
Short summary
We reconstruct interbasinal temperature and salinity gradients using stacked Mg/Ca and benthic δ¹⁸O records for the past 1.5 Myr. Across the Middle Pleistocene Transition, the deep Atlantic cooled and the Pacific became more saline, increasing deep ocean density stratification. The glacial ocean became a more effective carbon trap, which lowered atmospheric pCO2, and led to the growth of larger ice sheets. Results support a physical role for abyssal ocean stratification in explaining the MPT.
Read more
Share