@article{StephTiedemannPrangeetal.2010, author = {Steph, Silke and Tiedemann, Ralph and Prange, Matthias and Groeneveld, J{\"u}rgen and Schulz, Michael Karl and Timmermann, Axel and N{\"u}rnberg, Dirk and R{\"u}hlemann, Carsten and Saukel, Cornelia and Haug, Gerald H.}, title = {Early Pliocene increase in thermohaline overturning : a precondition for the development of the modern equatorial Pacific cold tongue}, issn = {0883-8305}, doi = {10.1029/2008pa001645}, year = {2010}, abstract = {Unraveling the processes responsible for Earth's climate transition from an "El Nino-like state" during the warm early Pliocene into a modern-like "La Nina-dominated state" currently challenges the scientific community. Recently, the Pliocene climate switch has been linked to oceanic thermocline shoaling at similar to 3 million years ago along with Earth's final transition into a bipolar icehouse world. Here we present Pliocene proxy data and climate model results, which suggest an earlier timing of the Pliocene climate switch and a different chain of forcing mechanisms. We show that the increase in North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation between 4.8 and 4.0 million years ago, initiated by the progressive closure of the Central American Seaway, triggered overall shoaling of the tropical thermocline. This preconditioned the turnaround from a warm eastern equatorial Pacific to the modern equatorial cold tongue state about 1 million years earlier than previously assumed. Since similar to 3.6-3.5 million years ago, the intensification of Northern Hemisphere glaciation resulted in a strengthening of the trade winds, thereby amplifying upwelling and biogenic productivity at low latitudes.}, language = {en} } @article{WeldeabRuehlemannBookhagenetal.2019, author = {Weldeab, Syee and R{\"u}hlemann, Carsten and Bookhagen, Bodo and Pausata, Francesco S. R. and Perez-Lua, Fabiola M.}, title = {Enhanced Himalayan glacial melting during YD and H1 recorded in the Northern Bay of Bengal}, series = {Geochemistry, geophysics, geosystems}, volume = {20}, journal = {Geochemistry, geophysics, geosystems}, number = {5}, publisher = {American Geophysical Union}, address = {Washington}, issn = {1525-2027}, doi = {10.1029/2018GC008065}, pages = {2449 -- 2461}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Ocean-land thermal feedback mechanisms in the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) domain are an important but not well understood component of regional climate dynamics. Here we present a O-18 record analyzed in the mixed-layer dwelling planktonic foraminifer Globigerinoides ruber (sensu stricto) from the northernmost Bay of Bengal (BoB). The O-18 time series provides a spatially integrated measure of monsoonal precipitation and Himalayan meltwater runoff into the northern BoB and reveals two brief episodes of anomalously low O-18 values between 16.30.4 and 160.5 and 12.60.4 and 12.30.4 thousand years before present. The timing of these events is centered at Heinrich event 1 and the Younger Dryas, well-known phases of weak northern hemisphere monsoon systems. Numerical climate model experiments, simulating Heinrich event-like conditions, suggest a surface warming over the monsoon-dominated Himalaya and foreland in response to ISM weakening. Corroborating the simulation results, our analysis of published moraine exposure ages in the monsoon-dominated Himalaya indicates enhanced glacier retreats that, considering age model uncertainties, coincide and overlap with the episodes of anomalously low O-18 values in the northernmost BoB. Our climate proxy and simulation results provide insights into past regional climate dynamics, suggesting reduced cloud cover, increased solar radiation, and air warming of the Himalaya and foreland areas and, as a result, glacier mass losses in response to weakened ISM. Plain Language Summary Indian Summer Monsoon rainfall and Himalayan glacier/snow melts constitute the main water source for the densely populated Indian subcontinent. Better understanding of how future climate changes will affect the monsoon rainfall and Himalayan glaciers requires a long climate record. In this study, we create a 13,000-year-long climate record that allows us to better understand the response of Indian Summer Monsoon rainfall and Himalayan glaciers to past climate changes. The focus of our study is the time window between 9,000 and 22,000 years ago, an episode where the global climate experienced large and rapid changes. Our sediment record from the northern Bay of Bengal and climate change simulation indicate that during episodes of weak monsoon, the melting of the Himalayan glaciers increases substantially significantly. This is because the weakening of the monsoon results in less cloud cover and, as a result, the surface receives more sunlight and causes glacier melting.}, language = {en} }