Deep North Atlantic Last Glacial Maximum Salinity Reconstruction

Abstract We reconstruct deep water‐mass salinities and spatial distributions in the western North Atlantic during Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 19–26 ka), a period when atmospheric CO 2 was significantly lower than it is today. A reversal LGM meridional bottom water salinity gradient has been hypothesized for several reconstructions. Such potential to influence climate, ocean circulation, by increasing thermal energy carbon storage capacity of ocean. To test this hypothesis, we reconstructed based on sedimentary porewater chloride profiles north‐south transect piston cores collected from Atlantic. determined density‐based method 3.41–3.99 ± 0.15% higher modern values at these sites. This increase consistent with: (a) 3.6% global average change expected eustatic sea level rise, (b) northward expansion southern sourced water, (c) shoaling northern (d) Atlantic's LGM.