Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Molecular record of secular sea surface temperature changes on 100-year timescales for glacial terminations I, II and IV

Nature volume 356, pages 423–426 (1992)Cite this article

Abstract

HIGH-RESOLUTION palaeoclimate records based on oxygen isotope data have provided important insights into climate variability and rates of natural climate change on about a thousand-year timescale1–3. Little is known4, however, about the variation of climate and of palaeoceanographic conditions throughout the Quaternary on timescales of less than 1,000 years (at frequencies far greater than those of the Milankovitch orbital cycles). Here we show that such high time resolution is possible from molecular stratigraphic studies based on 'biomarker' organic molecules (alkenones). We have sampled alkenone stratigraphic records at 70- to 200-yr intervals across glacial terminations I, II and IV in sediment cores from OOP site 658, off northwest Africa5. Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) derived from the alkenone (Uk37) index6–8vary rapidly beyond the range of analytical noise by up to 2.5 °C in 300 yr, showing hitherto unknown cycles with about 600-yr periodicities. Some of the changes parallel similar events in the oxygen isotope stratigraphy. SST oscillations may be linked, in part, to abrupt breakdowns in Atlantic deep-water ventilation resulting from meltwater events of Quaternary glacial terminations3,9,10.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Martinson, D. G. et al. Quat. Res. 27, 1–29 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Paterne, M., Guichard, F., Labeyrie, L., Gillot, P. Y. & Duplessey, J.-C. Mar. geol. 72, 259–286 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Sarnthein, M. & Tiedemann, R. Paleoceanography 6, 1041–1055 (1990).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Jouzel, J. et al. Nature 329, 403–408 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Ruddiman, W. et al. Proc. Init. Rep. (A) Ocean Drilling Project 108, 1–1073 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Volkman, J. K., Eglinton, G., Comer, E. D. S. & Sargent, J. R. in Advances in Organic Geochemistry (eds Douglas. A. G. & Maxwell, J. R.) 219–227 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Brassell, S. C., Eglinton, G., Marlowe, I. T., Sarnthein, M. & Pflaumann, U. Nature 320, 129–133 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Prahl, F. G. & Wakeham, S. G. Nature 330, 367–369 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Broecker, W. S. et al. Paleoceanography 3, 1–19 (1988).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Berger, W. H. & Vincent, E. Nature 324, 53–55 (1986).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Van Camp, L., Nykjaer, L., Mittelstaed, E. & Schlittenhardt, P. Prog. Oceanogr. 26, 357–402 (1991).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Sarnthein, M. & Tiedemann, R. in Proc. Ocean Drilling Project Leg 108, Vol. B (eds Ruddiman, W. et al.) 167–186 (US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 1989).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Berger, B. & Johnson, R. F. Earth planet Sci. Lett 41, 223–227 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Jones, G. A. & Ruddiman, W. F. Quat. Res. 17, 148–172 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Schiffelbein, P. thesis, Univ. of California (1984).

  16. Pflaumann, U. Meteor. Forsch. Erg. C23, 1–46 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  17. Tiedemann, R. thesis. Univ. of Kiel (1991).

  18. Poynter, J. & Eglinton, G. Fresenius J. analyt. Chem. 339, 725–731 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Sikes, E. L., Farrington, J. W. & Keigwin, L. D. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 104, 36–47 (1991).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Niebler, H. S. thesis, Univ. of Kiel (1990).

  21. Hutson, W. H. Science 207, 64–66 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Speth, P., Detlefsen, H. & Sierts, H.-W. D. Hydrogr. Z 31(3), 95–104 (1978).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. CLIMAP Project Members Quat. Res. 21(2), 123–224 (1984).

  24. Keigwin, L. D., Jones, G. A., Lehman, S. J. & Boyle, E. A. J. geophys. Res. 96, 16811–16826 (1991).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. Vogelsang, E. thesis, Univ. of Kiel (1990).

  26. Fairbanks, R. G. Nature 342, 637–642 (1989).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  27. Sarnthein, M. et al. in Proc. NATO Adv. Res. Workshop Erice, Italy (eds Bard, E. & Broecker, W. S.) 22 (in the press).

  28. Savitzky, A. & Golay, M. J. E. Analyt. Chem. 36, 1627–1639 (1964).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Bard, E., Hamelin, B. & Fairbanks, R. G. Nature 346, 456–458 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Jenkins, G. M. & Watts, D. G. Spectral Analysis and its Applications (Holden Day, San Francisco, 1968).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  31. Blackman, R. B. & Tukey, J. W. The Measurement of Power Spectra from the Point of Communications Engineering (Dover, Mineola, 1958).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  32. Mclntyre, A., Ruddiman, W. F., Karlin, K. & Mix, A. C. Paleoceanography 4, 19–55 (1989).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Organic Geochemistry Unit, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 ITS, UK

    Geoffrey Eglinton, Stuart. Bradshaw & Antoni Resell

  2. Geologisch-Paläontologisches Institut, University of Kiel, Kiel, D2300, Germany

    Michael Sarnthein, Uwe Pflaumann & Ralf Tiedemann

Authors
  1. Geoffrey Eglinton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Stuart. Bradshaw
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Antoni Resell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Michael Sarnthein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Uwe Pflaumann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ralf Tiedemann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Eglinton, G., Bradshaw, S., Resell, A. et al. Molecular record of secular sea surface temperature changes on 100-year timescales for glacial terminations I, II and IV. Nature 356, 423–426 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1038/356423a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/356423a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing