Dust-climate couplings over the past 800,000 years from the EPICA Dome C ice core

Lambert, F.; Delmonte, B.; Petit, J.R.; Bigler, M.; Kaufmann, P.R.; Hutterli, Manuel A.; Stocker, T.F.; Ruth, U.; Steffensen, J.P.; Maggi, V.. 2008 Dust-climate couplings over the past 800,000 years from the EPICA Dome C ice core. Nature, 452 (7187). 616-619. 10.1038/nature06763

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Abstract/Summary

Dust can affect the radiative balance of the atmosphere by absorbing or reflecting incoming solar radiation(1); it can also be a source of micronutrients, such as iron, to the ocean(2). It has been suggested that production, transport and deposition of dust is influenced by climatic changes on glacial-interglacial timescales(3-6). Here we present a high- resolution record of aeolian dust from the EPICA Dome C ice core in East Antarctica, which provides an undisturbed climate sequence over the past eight climatic cycles(7,8). We find that there is a significant correlation between dust flux and temperature records during glacial periods that is absent during interglacial periods. Our data suggest that dust flux is increasingly correlated with Antarctic temperature as the climate becomes colder. We interpret this as progressive coupling of the climates of Antarctic and lower latitudes. Limited changes in glacial-interglacial atmospheric transport time(4,9,10) suggest that the sources and lifetime of dust are the main factors controlling the high glacial dust input. We propose that the observed similar to 25-fold increase in glacial dust flux over all eight glacial periods can be attributed to a strengthening of South American dust sources, together with a longer lifetime for atmospheric dust particles in the upper troposphere resulting from a reduced hydrological cycle during the ice ages.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1038/nature06763
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > Global Science in the Antarctic Context (2005-2009) > Climate and Chemistry - Forcings and Phasings in the Earth System
ISSN:	0028-0836
NORA Subject Terms:	Meteorology and Climatology Glaciology
Date made live:	17 Jan 2011 14:28 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/11548

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1038/nature06763

Programmes:

BAS Programmes > Global Science in the Antarctic Context (2005-2009) > Climate and Chemistry - Forcings and Phasings in the Earth System

ISSN:

0028-0836

NORA Subject Terms:

Meteorology and Climatology
Glaciology

Date made live:

17 Jan 2011 14:28 +0 (UTC)