[1] Using a coupled model of intermediate complexity the sensitivity of the last glacial maximum (LGM) Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) to the strength of surface wind-stress is investigated. A threshold is found below which North Atlantic deep water formation (DWF) takes place south of Greenland and the AMOC is relatively weak. Above this threshold, DWF occurs north of the Gr...

The influence of ocean circulation changes on atmospheric CO2 hinges primarily on the ability to alter the ocean interior's respired nutrient inventory. Here we investigate the Atlantic overturning circulation at the Last Glacial Maximum and its impact on respired carbon storage using radiocarbon and stable carbon isotope data from the Brazil and Iberian Margins. The data demonstrate the existe...

The history of glaciations on Southern Hemisphere sub-polar islands is unclear. Debate surrounds the extent and timing of the last glacial advance and termination on sub-Antarctic South Georgia in particular. Here, using sea-floor geophysical data and marine sediment cores, we resolve the record of glaciation offshore of South Georgia through the transition from the Last Glacial Maximum to Holo...

[1] We simulate three-dimensional ice temperature fields to examine spatial-temporal history of the subglacial thermal environment during the last glacial cycle. Model results suggest that 60–80% of the Laurentide Ice Sheet was coldbased (frozen to the bed) at the LGM, and therefore unable to undergo large-scale basal flow. The fraction of warm-based ice increases significantly through the ensu...

The glacial episodes of the Quaternary (2.6 million years ago-present) were a major factor in shaping the present-day distributions of extant flora and fauna, with expansions and contractions of the ice sheets rendering large areas uninhabitable for most species. Fossil records suggest that many species survived glacial maxima by retreating to refugia, usually at lower latitudes. Recently, phyl...

[1] Variations to the global wetland CH4 source strength in response to changes in orbital insolation patterns and atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]a) are hypothesized to play an important role in determining glacial-interglacial variations in atmospheric CH4 concentration ([CH4]a). Here the interactive effects of temperature, a major controlling variable determining wetland CH4 flux, and th...

Marine sediment records suggest that episodes of major atmospheric CO2 drawdown during the last glacial period were linked to iron (Fe) fertilization of subantarctic surface waters. The principal source of this Fe is thought to be dust transported from southern mid-latitude deserts. However, uncertainty exists over contributions to CO2 sequestration from complementary Fe sources, such as the An...

[1] The ocean thermohaline circulation is important for transports of heat and the carbon cycle.We present results from PMIP2 coupled atmosphere-ocean simulations with four climate models that are also being used for future assessments. These models give very different glacial thermohaline circulations even with comparable circulations for present. An integrated approach using results from thes...

The role of the tropics in triggering, transmitting, and amplifying interhemispheric climate signals remains a key debate in paleoclimatology. Tropical glacier fluctuations provide important insight on regional paleoclimatic trends and forcings, but robust chronologies are scarce. Here, we report precise moraine ages from the Cordillera Vilcabamba (13 degrees 20'S) of southern Peru that indicat...