Abstract
MUCH of the evidence for climate-driven fluctuations in ocean circulation during the past 20,000 years has come from studies of the North Atlantic region1-6. The extent to which such interactions have occurred in other ocean basins, and any associated teleconnec-tions between basins, is poorly understood. Here we present high-resolution palaeoclimate and palaeoceanographic records from a 20,000-year sedimentary sequence from the Santa Barbara basin, on the eastern margin of the North Pacific Ocean. The sequence shows oscillations of the benthic environment between low-oxygen conditions (laminated sediments) during periods of warm climate, and higher-oxygen conditions (non-laminated, bioturbated sediments) during cool intervals. Age differences between coexisting benthic and planktonic foraminifers indicate climate-related changes in the age and source-and, hence, oxygen content-of basin bottom waters. Relatively young bottom waters are associated with the cooler intervals and are considered to reflect high proportions of intermediate waters derived from proximal sources. Conversely, older bottom waters are associated with the warmer intervals and were derived from more distal sources. These climate-driven variations in ocean circulation appear to be synchronous with the main ocean-climate fluctuations in the North Atlantic region1-6, suggesting that a tight coupling mechanism operates between the two basins.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Boyle, E. A. & Keigwin, L. D. Science 218, 784–787 (1982).
Curry, W. B. & Lohmann, G. P. Quat. Res. 18, 218–235 (1982).
Broecker, W. S., Peteet, D. M. & Rind, D. Nature 315, 21–26 (1985).
Boyle, E. A. & Keigwin, L. D. Nature 330, 35–40 (1987).
Keigwin, L. D., Jones, G. A., Lehman, S. J. & Boyle, E. A. J. geophys. Res. 96, 16811–16826 (1991).
Lehman, S. J. & Keigwin, L. D. Nature 356, 757–762 (1992).
Emery, K. O. The Sea Off Southern California: A Modern Habitat of Petroleum (Wiley, New York, 1962).
Kennett, J. P. et al. Init. Rep. ODP Leg 146, Part 2 (1994).
CalCOFI Data Report. Cruise 9401 and 9403 (Univ. California Scripps Institution of Oceanography Ref. 94-21, 1994).
Gardner, J. V. & Hemphill-Haley, E. Geology 14, 691–694 (1986).
Hemphill-Haley, E. & Gardner, J. V. Quat. Res. 41, 311–335 (1994).
Ingram, B. L. & Kennett, J. P. Proc. ODP Sci. Res. 146 (pt 2), 19–27 (1995).
Stuiver, M. & Braziunas, T. F. Radiocarbon 35, 137–189 (1993).
Bard, E., Hamelin, B., Fairbanks, R. G. & Zindler, A. Nature 345, 405–410 (1990).
Bard, E., Arnold, M., Fairbanks, R. G. & Hamelin, B. Radiocarbon 35, 191–199 (1993).
Kennett, J. P. Proc. ODP Sci. Res. 146 (pt 2), 3–18 (1995).
Kennett, J. P. & Venz, K. Proc. ODP Sci. Res. 146 (pt 2), 281–293 (1995).
Mangerud, J., Anderson, S. T., Berglund, B. E. & Donner, J. J. Boreas 3, 109–128 (1974).
Duplessy, J. C. in Global Changes of the Past (ed. Bradley, R. S.) 341–355 (Nat. Center Atmos. Res., Interdisc. Earth Stud., Boulder. CO. 1989).
Lehman, S. J. & Keigwin, L. D. Nature 356, 757–762 (1992).
Denton, G. H. & Hendy, C. H. Science 264, 1434–1437 (1994).
Alley, R. B. et al. Nature 362, 527–529 (1993).
Johnson, S. J. et al. Nature 359, 311 (1992).
Kennett, J. P. Paleoceanography 5, 891–895 (1990).
Kennett, J. P. & Ingram, B. L. Proc. ODP Sci. Res. 146 (pt 2), 309–325 (1995).
Behl, R. J. Proc. ODP Scient. Res. 146 (pt 2), 295–308 (1995).
Savrda, C. E., Bottjer, D. J. & Gorsline, D. S. Bull. Am. Ass. Petrol. Geol. 68, 1179–1192 (1984).
Fairbanks, R. G. Nature 342, 637–642 (1989).
Keigwin, L. D. & Jones, G. A. Paleoceanography 5, 1009–1023 (1990).
Hemphill-Haley, E. & Fourtanier, E. Proc. ODP Sci. Res. 146 (pt 2), 233–248 (1995).
Stein, R. & Rack, F. R. Proc ODP, Sci. Res. 146 (pt 2), 125–138 (1995).
Gardner, J. V. & Dartnell, P. Proc. ODP Sci. Res. 146 (pt 2), 103–124 (1995).
Ostlund, H. G. & Stuiver, M. Radiocarbon 22, 25–53 (1980).
Broecker, W. S. & Peng, T. H. Tracers in the Sea 690 (Lamont-Doherty Geol. Observ., Palisades, NY, 1982).
Rahmstorf, S. Nature 372, 82–85 (1994).
Boyle, E. & Weaver, A. Nature 372, 41–42 (1994).
Keigwin, L. D. Nature 330, 362–364 (1987).
Keigwin, L. D., Jones, G. A. & Froelich, P. N. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 111, 425–440 (1992).
Van Scoy, K. A., Olsen, D. B. & Fine, R. A. J. geophys. Res. 96, 16801–16810 (1991).
Van Scoy, K. A. & Druffel, E. R. M. J. geophys. Res. 98, 18083–18088 (1993).
Broecker, W. S. & Denton, G. H. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 53, 2465–2501 (1989).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kennett, J., Ingram, B. A 20,000-year record of ocean circulation and climate change from the Santa Barbara basin. Nature 377, 510–514 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/377510a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/377510a0
This article is cited by
-
An 800-year record of benthic foraminifer images and 2D morphometrics from the Santa Barbara Basin
Scientific Data (2024)
-
Population genetic structure of Thryssa kammalensis in the Chinese Seas inferred from control region sequences
Marine Biodiversity (2019)
-
Intensification of North Pacific intermediate water ventilation during the Younger Dryas
Geo-Marine Letters (2016)
-
Carbon dioxide release from the North Pacific abyss during the last deglaciation
Nature (2007)
-
Late-Glacial and Holocene Record of Lake Levels of Mathews Pond and Whitehead Lake, Northern Maine, USA
Journal of Paleolimnology (2005)
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.
