174 resultados para SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE TELECONNECTIONS
Resumo:
Lichens, symbiotic associations of fungi (mycobionts) and green algae or cyanobacteria (photobionts), are poikilohydric organisms that are particularly well adapted to withstand adverse environmental conditions. Terrestrial ecosystems of the Antarctic are therefore largely dominated by lichens. The effects of global climate change are especially pronounced in the maritime Antarctic and it may be assumed that the lichen vegetation will profoundly change in the future. The genetic diversity of populations is closely correlated to their ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions and to their future evolutionary potential. In this study, we present evidence for low genetic diversity in Antarctic mycobiont and photobiont populations of the widespread lichen Cetraria aculeata. We compared between 110 and 219 DNA sequences from each of three gene loci for each symbiont. A total of 222 individuals from three Antarctic and nine antiboreal, temperate and Arctic populations were investigated. The mycobiont diversity is highest in Arctic populations, while the photobionts are most diverse in temperate regions. Photobiont diversity decreases significantly towards the Antarctic but less markedly towards the Arctic, indicating that ecological factors play a minor role in determining the diversity of Antarctic photobiont populations. Richness estimators calculated for the four geographical regions suggest that the low genetic diversity of Antarctic populations is not a sampling artefact. Cetraria aculeata appears to have diversified in the Arctic and subsequently expanded its range into the Southern Hemisphere. The reduced genetic diversity in the Antarctic is most likely due to founder effects during long-distance colonization.
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Igneous rocks from the Philippine tectonic plate recovered on Deep Sea Drilling Project Legs 31, 58 and 59 have been analyzed for Sr, Nd and Pb isotope ratios. Samples include rocks from the West Philippine Basin, Daito Basin and Benham Rise (40-60 m.y.), the Palau-Kyushu Ridge (29-44 m.y.) and the Parece Vela and Shikoku basins (17-30 m.y.). Samples from the West Philippine, Parece Vela and Shikoku basins are MORB (mid-ocean ridge basalt)-like with 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7026 - 0.7032, 143Nd/144Nd = 0.51300 - 0.51315, and 206Pb/204Pb = 17.8 - 18.1. Samples from the Daito Basin and Benham Rise are OIB (oceanic island basalt)-like with 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7038 - 0.7040, 143Nd/144Nd = 0.51285 - 0.51291 and 206Pb/204Pb = 18.8 - 19.2. All of these rocks have elevated 207Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/204Pb compared to the Northern Hemisphere Regression Line (NHRL) and have delta207Pb values of 0 to +6 and delta208Pb values of +32 to +65. Lavas from the Palau-Kyushu Ridge, a remnant island arc, have 87Sr/86Sr = 7032 - 0.7035, 143Nd/144Nd = 0.51308 - 0.51310 and 206Pb/204Pb = 18.4 - 18.5. Unlike the basin magmas erupted before and after them, these lavas plot along the NHRL and have Pb-isotope ratios similar to modern Pacific plate MORB's. This characteristic is shared by other Palau-Kyushu Arc volcanic rocks that have been sampled from submerged and subaerial portions of the Mariana fore-arc. At least four geochemically distinct magma sources are required for these Philippine plate magmas. The basin magmas tap Source 1, a MORB-mantle source that was contaminated by EMI (enriched mantle component 1 (Hart, 1988, doi:10.1016/0012-821X(88)90131-8)) and Source 2, an OIB-like mantle source with some characteristics of EMII (enriched mantle component 2 (Hart, 1988)). The arc lavas are derived from Source 3, a MORB-source or residue mantle including Sr and Pb from the subducted oceanic crust, and Source 4, MORB-source or residue mantle including a component with characteristics of HIMU (mantle component with high U/Pb (Hart, 1988)). These same sources can account for many of the isotopic characteristics of recent Philippine plate arc and basin lavas. The enriched components in these sources which are associated with the DUPAL anomaly were probably introduced into the asthenosphere from the deep mantle when the Philippine plate was located in the Southern Hemisphere 60 m.y.b.p.
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The provenance of eolian dust supplied to deep-sea sediments has the potential to offer insights into changes in past atmospheric circulation. Specifically, measuring temporal changes in dust provenance can shed light on changes in the mean position of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), a region acting as a barrier separating wind-blown material derived from northern versus southern hemisphere sources. Here we have analyzed Nd, Sr, and Pb isotope ratios in the operationally-defined detrital component extracted from deep-sea sediments in the eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) along a meridional transect at 110°W from 3°S to 7°N (ODP Leg 138, sites 848-853). Sr isotope results show that barite Sr has a significant influence on 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios of samples in the upwelling zone of the EEP. However, sites located >3° or more away from the equator (sites 852 and 853) are believed to not be affected by barite Sr and provide useful detrital Sr signals. 208Pb/206Pb and 207Pb/206Pb ratios in all cores fall into the Pb-isotope space of five potential dust sources (Asia, North and Central/South America, Sahara, and Australia), with no distinct isotopic fingerprinting of the dominant source(s). epsilon-Nd values were most valuable for discerning detrital source provenance, and their values at all sites, ranging from ~5.46 to ~3.25, were more unradiogenic for sediments deposited during the last glacial than for those deposited during the Holocene. There are distinct latitudinal trends in the epsilon-Nd values, with more radiogenic values further south and less radiogenic values further north, excluding site 848. This distinction holds true for both Holocene and last glacial periods. For the most southerly site, 848, we invoke, for the first time, a distinct southern hemisphere Australian source as being responsible for the unradiogenic Nd isotope ratios. Both average last glacial and Holocene epsilon-Nd values show similar sharp gradients along the transect between 5.29°N and 2.77°N, suggesting little movement of the glacial ITCZ in the EEP. However, during the deglacial, this gradient is stronger and shifted further north between 5.29°N and 7.21°N, suggesting a more northerly, possibly stronger, deglacial ITCZ.
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High-resolution records of alkenone-derived sea surface temperatures and elemental Ti/Ca ratios from a sediment core retrieved off northeastern Brazil (4° S) reveal short-term climate variability throughout the past 63,000 a. Large pulses of terrigenous sediment discharge, caused by increased precipitation in the Brazilian hinterland, coincide with Heinrich events and the Younger Dryas period. Terrigenous input maxima related to Heinrich events H6-H2 are characterized by rapid cooling of surface water ranging between 0.5 and 2° C. This signature is consistent with a climate model experiment where a reduction of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) and related North Atlantic cooling causes intensification of NE trade winds and a southward movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone, resulting in enhanced precipitation off northeastern Brazil. During deglaciation the surface temperature evolution at the core site predominantly followed the Antarctic warming trend, including a cooling, prior to the Younger Dryas period. An abrupt temperature rise preceding the onset of the Bølling/Allerød transition agrees with model experiments suggesting a Southern Hemisphere origin for the abrupt resumption of the AMOC during deglaciation caused by Southern Ocean warming and associated with northward flow anomalies of the South Atlantic western boundary current.
Resumo:
The Southern Hemisphere Westerly Winds (SWW) have been suggested to exert a critical influence on global climate through wind-driven upwelling of deep water in the Southern Ocean and the potentially resulting atmospheric CO2 variations. The investigation of the temporal and spatial evolution of the SWW along with forcings and feedbacks remains a significant challenge in climate research. In this study, the evolution of the SWW under orbital forcing from the early Holocene (9 kyr BP) to pre-industrial modern times is examined with transient experiments using the comprehensive coupled global climate model CCSM3. Analyses of the model results suggest that the annual and seasonal mean SWW were subject to an overall strengthening and poleward shifting trend during the course of the early-to-late Holocene under the influence of orbital forcing, except for the austral spring season, where the SWW exhibited an opposite trend of shifting towards the equator.
Resumo:
Variations in the strength of coastal upwelling in the South East Atlantic Ocean and summer monsoonal rains over South Africa are controlled by the regional atmospheric circulation regime. Although information about these parameters exists for the last glacial period, little detailed information exists for older time periods. New information from ODP Site 1085 for Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 12-10 shows that glacial-interglacial productivity trends linked to upwelling variability followed a pattern similar to the last glacial cycle, with maximums shortly before glacial maxima, and minimums shortly before glacial terminations. During the MIS-11/10 transition, several periodic oscillations in productivity and monsoonal proxies are best explained by southwards shifts in the southern sub-tropical high-pressure cells followed by abrupt northwards shifts. Comparison to coeval sea-surface temperature measurements suggests that these monsoonal cycles were tightly coupled to anti-phased hemispheric climate change, with an intensified summer monsoon during periods of Northern (Southern) Hemisphere cooling (warming). The timing of these events suggests a pacing by insolation over precession periods. A lack of similar regional circulation shifts during the MIS-13/12 transition is likely due to the large equatorwards shift in the tropical convection zone that occurred during this extreme glaciation.
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Sediments in the southeast Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean were cored during Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 177 to study the paleoceanographic history of the Antarctic region on short (millennial) to long (Cenozoic) timescales. Seven sites were drilled along a north-south transect across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) from 41° to 53°S. The general goals of Leg 177 were twofold: (1) to document the biostratigraphic, biogeographic, and paleoceanographic history of the Paleogene and early Neogene, a period marked by the establishment of the Antarctic cryosphere and the ACC, and (2) to target expanded sections of late Neogene sediments, which can be used to resolve the timing of Southern Hemisphere climatic events on orbital and suborbital time scales (Gersonde, Hodell, Blum, et al., 1999, doi:10.2973/odp.proc.ir.177.1999). Closely spaced measurements of sedimentary physical properties were obtained from all cores recovered during Leg 177 using the ODP whole-round multisensor track. In addition, high-resolution diffuse color reflectance and resistivity measurements were collected on the Oregon State University Split Core Analysis Track. These whole-core and split-core measurements provide high-resolution proxy data sets for the estimation of biogenic and terrigenous mineralogy and mass flux. To assist investigators in calibrating these proxy data sets from sites located within the circum-Antarctic opal belt, samples from Sites 1093 (50°S) and 1094 (53°S) were analyzed for biogenic opal content.
Resumo:
We carried out oxygen and carbon isotope studies on monospecific foraminifer samples from DSDP Sites 522, 523, and 524 of Leg 73 in the central South Atlantic Ocean. The oxygen isotope ratios show a warming of 2 to 3 °C in bottom water and 5°C in surface water during the Paleocene and early Eocene. The carbon isotope values indicate strong upwelling during the early Eocene. The 1% increase in the d18O values of benthic and planktonic foraminifers at Site 523 in the later middle Eocene we ascribe to changes in the pattern of the evaporation and precipitation. The changes may be due to the worldwide Lutetian transgression. The oxygen ratios for the benthic and planktonic foraminifers indicate a cooling at the Eocene/Oligocene transition. The maximum temperature drop (5°C for benthic and 3°C for planktonic foraminifers) is recorded slightly beyond the Eocene/Oligocene boundary and took place over an interval of about 100,000 yr. The pattern of currents in the Southern Hemisphere was mainly structured by a precursor of the subtropical convergence during the Paleocene to late Eocene. The cooling at the Eocene/Oligocene transition led to drastic changes in the circulation pattern, and a precursor of the Antarctic convergence evolved.
Resumo:
We studied the stable isotopic and carbonate stratigraphy of ODP Hole 704A to reconstruct the paleoceanographic evolution of the eastern subantarctic sector of the South Atlantic Ocean. Site 704 is well positioned with respect to latitude (46°52.8'S, 7°25.3'E) and bathymetry (2532 m) to monitor past migrations in the position of Polar Front Zone (PFZ) and changes in deep-water circulation during the late Pliocene-Pleistocene. Several important changes occurred in proxy paleoceanographic indicators across the Gauss/Matuyama boundary at 2.47 Ma: (1) accumulation rates of biogenic sedimentary components increased by an order of magnitude (Froelich et al., this volume); (2) planktonic d1 8O values increased by an average of 0.5 per mil; (3) the amplitude of the benthic d18O signal increased; (4) the accumulation rate of ice-rafted detritus increased several fold (Warnke and Allen, this volume); and (5) carbon isotopic ratios of benthic foraminifers decreased by 0.5 per mil, as did the d13C of the fine-fraction carbonate by 1.5 per mil (Mead et al., 1991, doi:10.2973/odp.proc.sr.114.152.1991), but no change occurred in planktonic foraminiferal d13C values. Most of these changes are consistent with more frequent expansions and contractions of the PFZ over Site 704 after 2.47 Ma, bringing cold, nutrient-rich waters to 47°S that stimulated both carbonate and siliceous productivity. The synchronous increase in d18O values and ice-rafted detritus accumulation in Hole 704A indicates that the 2.4 Ma paleoceanographic event included ice volume growth on both Antarctica and Northern Hemisphere continents. The decrease in benthic d13C values indicates that the ventilation rate of Southern Ocean deep water decreased and the nutrient content increased during glacial events after 2.5 Ma. At the Gauss/Matuyama boundary, benthic d13C values of the Southern Ocean shifted toward those of the Pacific end member, indicating a decrease in the relative mixing ratio of Northern Component Water and Circumpolar Deep Water. During the early Matuyama (~2.3 to 1.7 Ma), the PFZ generally occupied a southerly position with respect to Site 704 and carbonate productivity prevailed. Exceptions to these general conditions occurred during strong glacial events of the early Matuyama (e.g., isotopic stages 82, 78, 74, and 70), when the PFZ migrated to the north and opal sedimentation predominated at Site 704. At 1.7 Ma, the PFZ migrated toward the equator and occupied a more northerly position for a prolonged interval between ~1.7 and 1.5 Ma. Beginning at ~1.5-1.4 Ma, surface and bottom water parameters (d18O, d13C, %CaCO3, and %opal) in the subantarctic South Atlantic became highly correlated such that glacial events (d18O maxima) corresponded to d13C and carbonate minima and opal maxima. This pattern is typical of the correlation found during the latest Pleistocene in the Southern Ocean (Charles and Fairbanks, in press). This event coincided with increased suppression of Northern Component Water during glacial events after 1.5 Ma (Raymo et al., 1990, doi:10.1016/0012-821X(90)90051-X), which may have influenced the climatology of the Southern Hemisphere by altering the flux of heat and salt to the Southern Ocean).
Resumo:
Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) undertake extensive seasonal migrations from summer feeding areas in high latitudes to winter mating and calving grounds in tropical waters (Clapham and Mead 1999, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3504352). In the Southern Hemisphere, seven populations are recognized by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). In this study, we report the movements of seven whales satellite-tagged in the Cook Islands, including the first documented migration to an antarctic feeding ground. In September 2006 and 2007 we attached Argos satellite-monitored tags to eight humpback whales of various sex and behavioral classes. All whales were tagged in the nearshore waters of Rarotonga (the largest island in the Cooks group).
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During the middle Miocene, Earth's climate transitioned from a relatively warm phase (Miocene climatic optimum) into a colder mode with re-establishment of permanent ice sheets on Antarctica, thus marking a fundamental step in Cenozoic cooling. Carbon sequestration and atmospheric CO2 drawdown through increased terrestrial and/or marine productivity have been proposed as the main drivers of this fundamental transition. We integrate high-resolution (1-3 k.y.) benthic stable isotope data with XRF-scanner derived biogenic silica and carbonate accumulation estimates in an exceptionally well-preserved sedimentary archive, recovered at Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Site U1338, to reconstruct eastern equatorial Pacific productivity variations and to investigate temporal linkages between high- and low-latitude climate change over the interval 16-13 Ma. Our records show that the climatic optimum (16.8-14.7 Ma) was characterized by high amplitude climate variations, marked by intense perturbations of the carbon cycle. Episodes of peak warmth at (southern hemisphere) insolation maxima coincided with transient shoaling of the carbonate compensation depth and enhanced carbonate dissolution in the deep ocean. A switch to obliquity-paced climate variability after 14.7 Ma concurred with a general improvement in carbonate preservation and the onset of stepwise global cooling, culminating with extensive ice growth over Antarctica at ~13.8 Ma. We find that two massive increases in opal accumulation at ~14.0 and ~13.8 Ma occurred just before and during the final and most prominent cooling step, supporting the hypothesis that enhanced siliceous productivity in the eastern equatorial Pacific contributed to CO2 drawdown.
Resumo:
Planktonic foraminiferal assemblages and artificial neural network estimates of sea-surface temperature (SST) at ODP Site 1123 (41°47.2'S, 171°29.9'W; 3290 m deep), east of New Zealand, reveal a high-resolution history of glacial-interglacial (G-I) variability at the Subtropical Front (STF) for the last 1.2 million years, including the Mid-Pleistocene climate transition (MPT). Most G-I cycles of ~100 kyr duration have short periods of cold glacial and warm deglacial climate centred on glacial terminations, followed by long temperate interglacial periods. During glacial-deglacial transitions, maximum abundances of subantarctic and subtropical taxa coincide with SST minima and maxima, and lead ice volume by up to 8 kyrs. Such relationships reflect the competing influence of subantarctic and subtropical surface inflows during glacial and deglacial periods, respectively, suggesting alternate polar and tropical forcing of southern mid-latitude ocean climate. The lead of SSTs and subtropical inflow over ice volume points to tropical forcing of southern mid-latitude ocean-climate during deglacial warming. This contrasts with the established hypothesis that southern hemisphere ocean climate is driven by the influence of continental glaciations. Based on wholesale changes in subantarctic and subtropical faunas, the last 1.2 million years are subdivided into 4-distinct periods of ocean climate. 1) The pre-MPT (1185-870 ka) has high amplitude 41-kyr fluctuations in SST, superimposed on a general cooling trend and heightened productivity, reflecting long-term strengthening of subantarctic inflow under an invigorated Antarctic Circumpolar Current. 2) The early MPT (870-620 ka) is marked by abrupt warming during MIS 21, followed by a period of unstable periodicities within the 40-100 kyr orbital bands, decreasing SST amplitudes, and long intervals of temperate interglacial climate punctuated by short glacial and deglacial phases, reflecting lower meridional temperature gradients. 3) The late MPT (620-435 ka) encompasses an abrupt decrease in the subantarctic inflow during MIS 15, followed by a period of warm equable climate. Poorly defined, low amplitude G-I variations in SSTs during this interval are consistent with a relatively stable STF and evenly balanced subantarctic and subtropical inflows, possibly in response to smaller, less dynamic polar icesheets. 4) The post-MPT (435-0 ka) is marked by a major climatic deterioration during MIS 12, and a return to higher amplitude 100 kyr-frequency SST variations, superimposed on a long term trend towards cooler SSTs and increased mixed-layer productivity as the subantarctic inflow strengthened and polar icesheets expanded.
Resumo:
In 2014, UniDive (The University of Queensland Underwater Club) conducted an ecological assessment of the Point Lookout Dive sites for comparison with similar surveys conducted in 2001. Involvement in the project was voluntary. Members of UniDive who were marine experts conducted training for other club members who had no, or limited, experience in identifying marine organisms and mapping habitats. Since the 2001 detailed baseline study, no similar seasonal survey has been conducted. The 2014 data is particularly important given that numerous changes have taken place in relation to the management of, and potential impacts on, these reef sites. In 2009, Moreton Bay Marine Park was re-zoned, and Flat Rock was converted to a marine national park zone (Green zone) with no fishing or anchoring. In 2012, four permanent moorings were installed at Flat Rock. Additionally, the entire area was exposed to the potential effects of the 2011 and 2013 Queensland floods, including flood plumes which carried large quantities of sediment into Moreton Bay and surrounding waters. The population of South East Queensland has increased from 2.49 million in 2001 to 3.18 million in 2011 (BITRE, 2013). This rapidly expanding coastal population has increased the frequency and intensity of both commercial and recreational activities around Point Lookout dive sites (EPA 2008). Methodology used for the PLEA project was based on the 2001 survey protocols, Reef Check Australia protocols and Coral Watch methods. This hybrid methodology was used to monitor substrate and benthos, invertebrates, fish, and reef health impacts. Additional analyses were conducted with georeferenced photo transects. The PLEA marine surveys were conducted over six weekends in 2014 totaling 535 dives and 376 hours underwater. Two training weekends (February and March) were attended by 44 divers, whilst biological surveys were conducted on seasonal weekends (February, May, July and October). Three reefs were surveyed, with two semi-permanent transects at Flat Rock, two at Shag Rock, and one at Manta Ray Bommie. Each transect was sampled once every survey weekend, with the transect tapes deployed at a depth of 10 m below chart datum. Fish populations were assessed using a visual census along 3 x 20 m transects. Each transect was 5 m wide (2.5 m either side of the transect tape), 5 m high and 20 m in length. Fish families and species were chosen that are commonly targeted by recreational or commercial fishers, or targeted by aquarium collectors, and that were easily identified by their body shape. Rare or otherwise unusual species were also recorded. Target invertebrate populations were assessed using visual census along 3 x 20 m transects. Each transect was 5 m wide (2.5 m either side of the transect tape) and 20 m in length. The diver surveying invertebrates conducted a 'U-shaped' search pattern, covering 2.5 m on either side of the transect tape. Target impacts were assessed using a visual census along the 3 x 20 m transects. Each transect was 5 m wide (2.5 m either side of the transect tape) and 20 m in length. The transect was surveyed via a 'U-shaped' search pattern, covering 2.5 m on either side of the transect tape. Substrate surveys were conducted using the point sampling method, enabling percentage cover of substrate types and benthic organisms to be calculated. The substrate or benthos under the transect line was identified at 0.5m intervals, with a 5m gap between each of the three 20m segments. Categories recorded included various growth forms of hard and soft coral, key species/growth forms of algae, other living organisms (i.e. sponges), recently killed coral, and, non-living substrate types (i.e. bare rock, sand, rubble, silt/clay).
Resumo:
Sea-ice growth and decay in Antarctica is one of the biggest seasonal changes on Earth, expanding ice cover from 4x10**6 km**2 to a maximum of 19x10**6 km**2 during the austral winter. Analyses of six marine sediment cores from the Scotia Sea, SW Atlantic, yield records of sea-ice migration across the basin since the Lateglacial. The cores span nearly ten degrees of latitude from the modern seasonal sea-ice zone to the modern Polar Front. Surface sediments in the cores comprise predominantly diatomaceous oozes and muddy diatom oozes that reflect Holocene conditions. The cores exhibit similar down-core stratigraphies with decreasing diatom concentrations and increasing magnetic susceptibility from modern through to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Sediments in all cores contain sea-ice diatoms that preserve a signal of changing sea-ice cover and permit reconstruction of past sea-ice dynamics. The sea-ice records presented here are the first to document the position of both the summer and winter sea-ice cover at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in the Scotia Sea. Comparison of the LGM and Holocene sea-ice conditions shows that the average winter sea-ice extent was at least 5° further north at the LGM. Average summer sea-ice extent was south of the most southerly core site at the LGM, and suggests that sea-ice expanded from approximately 61°S to 52°S each season. Our data also suggest that the average summer sea-ice position at the LGM was not the maximum extent of summer sea-ice during the last glacial. Instead, the sediments contain evidence of a pre-LGM maximum extent of summer sea-ice between ab. 30 ka and 22 ka that extended to ab. 59°S, close to the modern average winter sea-ice limit. Based on our reconstruction we propose that the timing of the maximum extent of summer sea-ice and subsequent retreat by 22 ka, could be insolation controlled and that the strong links between sea-ice and bottom water formation provide a potential mechanism by which Southern Hemisphere regional sea-ice dynamics at the LGM could have a global impact and promote deglaciation.