Experiment: Organic matter exudation by Emiliania huxleyi under simulated future ocean conditions

Emiliania huxleyi (strain B 92/11) was exposed to different nutrient supply, CO2 and temperature conditions in phosphorus controlled chemostats to investigate effects on organic carbon exudation and partitioning between the pools of particulate organic carbon (POC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). 14C incubation measurements for primary production (PP) and extracellular release (ER) were performed. Chemical analysis included the amount and composition of high molecular weight (>1 kDa) dissolved combined carbohydrates (HMW-dCCHO), particulate combined carbohydrates (pCCHO) and the carbon content of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP-C). Applied CO2 and temperature conditions were 300, 550 and 900 µatm pCO2 at 14 °C, and additionally 900 µatm pCO2 at 18 °C simulating a greenhouse ocean scenario. Enhanced nutrient stress by reducing the dilution rate (D) from D = 0.3 /d to D = 0.1 /d (D = µ) induced the strongest response in E. huxleyi. At µ = 0.3 /d, PP was significantly higher at elevated CO2 and temperature and DO14C production correlated to PO14C production in all treatments, resulting in similar percentages of extracellular release (PER; (DO14C production/PP) × 100) averaging 3.74 ± 0.94%. At µ = 0.1 /d, PO14C production decreased significantly, while exudation of DO14C increased. Thus, indicating a stronger partitioning from the particulate to the dissolved pool. Maximum PER of 16.3 ± 2.3% were observed at µ = 0.1 /d at elevated CO2 and temperature. While cell densities remained constant within each treatment and throughout the experiment, concentrations of HMW-dCCHO, pCCHO and TEP were generally higher under enhanced nutrient stress. At µ= 0.3 /d, pCCHO concentration increased significantly with elevated CO2 and temperature. At µ = 0.1 /d, the contribution (mol % C) of HMW-dCCHO to DOC was lower at elevated CO2 and temperature while pCCHO and TEP concentrations were higher. This was most pronounced under greenhouse conditions. Our findings suggest a stronger transformation of primary produced DOC into POC by coagulation of exudates under nutrient limitation. Our results further imply that elevated CO2 and temperature will increase exudation by E. huxleyi and may affect organic carbon partitioning in the ocean due to an enhanced transfer of HMW-dCCHO to TEP by aggregation processes.

(Figure 2) Organic carbon content, stable isotope ratios, TEX86 index and sea surface temperature reconstruction for the early Aptian of ODP Hole 198-1207B

The Cretaceous has long been recognized as a time when greenhouse conditions were fueled by elevated atmospheric CO2 and accompanied by perturbations of the global carbon cycle described as oceanic anoxic events (OAEs). Yet, the magnitude and frequency of temperature change during this interval of warm and equable climate are poorly constrained. Here we present a high-resolution record of sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) reconstructed using the TEX86 paleothermometer for a sequence of early Aptian organic-rich sediments deposited during the first Cretaceous OAE (OAE1a) at Shatsky Rise in the tropical Pacific. SSTs range from ~30 to ~36 °C and include two prominent cooling episodes of ~4 °C. The cooler temperatures reflect significant temperature instability in the tropics likely triggered by changes in carbon cycling induced by enhanced burial of organic matter. SST instability recorded during the early Aptian in the Pacific is comparable to that reported for the late Albian-early Cenomanian in the Atlantic, suggesting that such climate perturbations may have recurred during the Cretaceous with concomitant consequences for biota and the marine environment.

Investigations on fossil bivalves and wood from Seymour Island, Antarctica

Quasi-periodic variation in sea-surface temperature, precipitation, and sea-level pressure in the equatorial Pacific known as the El Niño - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is an important mode of interannual variability in global climate. A collapse of the tropical Pacific onto a state resembling a so-called 'permanent El Niño', with a preferentially warmed eastern equatorial Pacific, flatter thermocline, and reduced interannual variability, in a warmer world is predicted by prevailing ENSO theory. If correct, future warming will be accompanied by a shift toward persistent conditions resembling El Niño years today, with major implications for global hydrological cycles and consequent impacts on socioeconomic and ecological systems. However, much uncertainty remains about how interannual variability will be affected. Here, we present multi-annual records of climate derived from growth increment widths in fossil bivalves and co-occurring driftwood from the Antarctic peninsula that demonstrate significant variability in the quasi-biennial and 3-6 year bands consistent with ENSO, despite early Eocene (~50 Mya) greenhouse conditions with global average temperature -10 degrees higher than today. A coupled climate model suggests an ENSO signal and teleconnections to this region during the Eocene, much like today. The presence of ENSO variation during this markedly warmer interval argues for the persistence of robust interannual variability in our future greenhouse world.

Foraminiferal oxygen and carbon isotope data for DSDP Sites 32-305 and 62-463 and ODP Sites 171-1049 and 171-1050

Oxygen isotope analyses of well-preserved foraminifera from Blake Nose (30°N paleolatitude, North Atlantic) and globally distributed deep-sea sites provide a long-term paleotemperature record for the late Albian-Maastrichtian interval that is difficult to reconcile with the existence of significant Cretaceous ice sheets. Given reasonable assumptions about the isotopic composition of Cretaceous seawater, our results suggest that middle bathyal water temperatures at Blake Nose increased from ~12°C in the late Albian through middle Cenomanian to a maximum of 20°C during the latest Cenomanian and earliest Turonian. Bottom waters were again ~12°C during the middle Campanian and cooled to a minimum of 9°C during the Maastrichtian. Correlative middle bathyal foraminifera from other ocean basins yield paleotemperature estimates that are very similar to those from Blake Nose. Comparison of global bottom-water temperatures and latitudinal thermal gradients suggests that global climate changed from a warm greenhouse state during the late Albian through late Cenomanian to a hot greenhouse phase during the latest Cenomanian through early Campanian, then to cool greenhouse conditions during the mid-Campanian through Maastrichtian.

Enhancement of photosynthetic carbon assimilation efficiency by phytoplankton in the future coastal ocean

A mesocosm experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of future climate conditions on photosynthesis and productivity of coastal phytoplankton. Natural phytoplankton assemblages were incubated in field mesocosms under the ambient condition (present condition: ca. 400 ppmv CO2 and ambient temp.), and two future climate conditions (acidification condition: ca. 900 ppmv CO2 and ambient temp.; greenhouse condition: ca. 900 ppmv CO2 and 3 °C warmer than ambient). Photosynthetic parameters of steady-state light responses curves (LCs; measured by PAM fluorometer) and photosynthesis-irradiance curves (P-I curves; estimated by in situ incorporation of 14C) were compared to three conditions during the experiment period. Under acidification, electron transport efficiency (alpha LC) and photosynthetic 14C assimilation efficiency (alpha) were 10% higher than those of the present condition, but maximum rates of relative electron transport (rETRm,LC) and photosynthetic 14C assimilation (PBmax) were lower than the present condition by about 19% and 7%, respectively. In addition, rETRm,LC and alpha LC were not significantly different between and greenhouse conditions, but PBmax and alpha of greenhouse conditions were higher than those of the present condition by about 9% and 30%, respectively. In particular, the greenhouse condition has drastically higher PBmax and alpha than the present condition more than 60% during the post-bloom period. According to these results, two future ocean conditions have major positive effects on the photosynthesis in terms of energy utilization efficiency for organic carbon fixation through the inorganic carbon assimilation. Despite phytoplankton taking an advantage on photosynthesis, primary production of phytoplankton was not stimulated by future conditions. In particular, biomass of phytoplankton was depressed under both acidification and greenhouse conditions after the the pre-bloom period, and more research is required to suggest that some factors such as grazing activity could be important for regulating phytoplankton bloom in the future ocean.

(Table 1) Chemical and isotopic compositions of rudist aragonite and magnesian calcite cements from ODP Hole 144-877A

The classic paleotemperature record based on d18O data from pelagic foraminiferal calcite suggests that equatorial sea-surface temperatures during the Maastrichtian (~12-20°C) were much cooler than today (~27-29°C). Such cool equatorial temperatures contradict basic theories of tropical atmospheric and ocean dynamics. We report d18O data from remarkably well preserved rudist aragonite and magnesian calcite cements of Maastrichtian age (~69+/-1 Ma) from the carbonate platform of Wodejebato guyot in the western Pacific. These data suggest that equatorial sea-surface temperatures in the Maastrichtian (best estimate ~27-32°C) were at least as warm as today. This finding helps reconcile the geologic d18O record with ocean-atmospheric dynamic theory and implies a reduction in the poleward heat flux required by global climate simulations of greenhouse conditions.

Pollen abundances, and temperature and precipitation reconstruction for the Eocene to Oligocene transition in northern high latitudes

A profound global climate shift took place at the Eocene-Oligocene transition (~33.5 million years ago) when Cretaceous/early Palaeogene greenhouse conditions gave way to icehouse conditions (Zachos et al., 2001, doi:10.1126/science.1059412; Coxall et al., 2005, doi:10.1038/nature03135; Lear et al., 2008, doi:10.1130/G24584A.1). During this interval, changes in the Earth's orbit and a long-term drop in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations (Pagani et al., 2005, doi:10.1126/science.1110063; Pearson and Palmer, 2000, doi:10.1038/35021000; DeConto and Pollard, 2003, doi:10.1038/nature01290) resulted in both the growth of Antarctic ice sheets to approximately their modern size (Coxall et al., 2005, doi:10.1038/nature03135; Lear et al., 2008, doi:10.1130/G24584A.1) and the appearance of Northern Hemisphere glacial ice (Eldrett et al., 2007, doi:10.1038/nature05591; Moran et al., 2006, doi:10.1038/nature04800). However, palaeoclimatic studies of this interval are contradictory: although some analyses indicate no major climatic changes (Kohn et al., 2004, doi:10.1130/G20442.1; Grimes et al., 2005, doi:10.1130/G21019.1), others imply cooler temperatures (Zanazzi et al., 2007, doi:10.1038/nature05551), increased seasonality (Ivany et al., 2000, doi:10.1038/35038044; Terry, 2001, doi:10.1016/S0031-0182(00)00248-0) and/or aridity (Ivany et al., 2000, doi:10.1038/35038044; Terry, 2001, doi:10.1016/S0031-0182(00)00248-0; Sheldon et al., 2002, doi:10.1086/342865; Dupont-Nivet et al., 2007, doi:10.1038/nature05516). Climatic conditions in high northern latitudes over this interval are particularly poorly known. Here we present northern high-latitude terrestrial climate estimates for the Eocene to Oligocene interval, based on bioclimatic analysis of terrestrially derived spore and pollen assemblages preserved in marine sediments from the Norwegian-Greenland Sea. Our data indicate a cooling of ~5 °C in cold-month (winter) mean temperatures to 0-2 °C, and a concomitant increased seasonality before the Oi-1 glaciation event. These data indicate that a cooling component is indeed incorporated in the d18O isotope shift across the Eocene-Oligocene transition. However, the relatively warm summer temperatures at that time mean that continental ice on East Greenland was probably restricted to alpine outlet glaciers.

(Table S1) Carbon and oxygen isotope values, and Mn and Sr concentrations of Early Jurassic sediments

For much of the Mesozoic record there has been an inconclusive debate on the possible global significance of isotopic proxies for environmental change and of sequence stratigraphic depositional sequences. We present a carbon and oxygen isotope and elemental record for part of the Early Jurassic based on marine benthic and nektobenthic molluscs and brachiopods from the shallow marine succession of the Cleveland Basin, UK. The invertebrate isotope record is supplemented with carbon isotope data from fossil wood, which samples atmospheric carbon. New data elucidate two major global carbon isotope events, a negative excursion of ~2 per mil at the Sinemurian-Pliensbachian boundary, and a positive excursion of ~2 per mil in the Late Pliensbachian. The Sinemurian-Pliensbachian boundary event is similar to the slightly younger Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event and is characterized by deposition of relatively deepwater organic-rich shale. The Late Pliensbachian strata by contrast are characterized by shallow marine deposition. Oxygen isotope data imply cooling locally for both events. However, because deeper water conditions characterize the Sinemurian-Pliensbachian boundary in the Cleveland Basin the temperature drop is likely of local significance; in contrast a cool Late Pliensbachian shallow seafloor agrees with previous inference of partial icehouse conditions. Both the large-scale, long-term and small-scale, short-duration isotopic cycles occurred in concert with relative sea level changes documented previously from sequence stratigraphy. Isotope events and the sea level cycles are concluded to reflect processes of global significance, supporting the idea of an Early Jurassic in which cyclic swings from icehouse to greenhouse and super greenhouse conditions occurred at timescales from 1 to 10 Ma.

Modeling the sensitivity of precipitation oxygen isotopes to the Last Glacial Maximum boundary conditions: A study using Community Atmosphere Model (CAM3.0)

To understand the validity of d18O proxy records as indicators of past temperature change, a series of experiments was conducted using an atmospheric general circulation model fitted with water isotope tracers (Community Atmosphere Model version 3.0, IsoCAM). A pre-industrial simulation was performed as the control experiment, as well as a simulation with all the boundary conditions set to Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) values. Results from the pre-industrial and LGM simulations were compared to experiments in which the influence of individual boundary conditions (greenhouse gases, ice sheet albedo and topography, sea surface temperature (SST), and orbital parameters) were changed each at a time to assess their individual impact. The experiments were designed in order to analyze the spatial variations of the oxygen isotopic composition of precipitation (d18Oprecip) in response to individual climate factors. The change in topography (due to the change in land ice cover) played a significant role in reducing the surface temperature and d18Oprecip over North America. Exposed shelf areas and the ice sheet albedo reduced the Northern Hemisphere surface temperature and d18Oprecip further. A global mean cooling of 4.1 °C was simulated with combined LGM boundary conditions compared to the control simulation, which was in agreement with previous experiments using the fully coupled Community Climate System Model (CCSM3). Large reductions in d18Oprecip over the LGM ice sheets were strongly linked to the temperature decrease over them. The SST and ice sheet topography changes were responsible for most of the changes in the climate and hence the d18Oprecip distribution among the simulations.