Palaeoclimate articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Traditional precipitation isotope archives (e.g., ice cores) are fundamental to our knowledge of past climate but limited to glaciated locales. Here the authors show that pore ice in relict permafrost holds equal promise as a proxy and use it to provide insights on the Holocene summer climate history of northwestern Canada.

    • Trevor J. Porter
    • , Spruce W. Schoenemann
    •  & Duane G. Froese

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The response time of North Atlantic climate to changes in high-latitude deep-water formation during the last deglaciation is still unclear. Here the authors show that gradual changes in Nordic Seas deep-water circulation systematically lead ahead of abrupt regional climate shifts by ~400 years.

    • Francesco Muschitiello
    • , William J. D’Andrea
    •  & Trond M. Dokken

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The role of the Pacific Ocean during the last deglacial is less well known. Here the authors used a complex Earth System Model and found that enhanced intermediate-to-deep ocean stratification, and an isolated carbon pool in the deep North Pacific during the last deglaciation when considered alongside proxy records.

    • X. Gong
    • , L. Lembke-Jene
    •  & X. F. Shi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The exact freshwater scenario that caused the 8.2 ka cold event is still debated. This study presents new evidence for a severe Labrador shelfwater freshening 8500 years ago that was caused by the Hudson Bay Ice Saddle collapse following a warming in subsurface waters.

    • Annalena Antonia Lochte
    • , Janne Repschläger
    •  & Ralph Schneider

  • Review Article
    | Open Access

    The evolution of the Antarctic Ice Sheet is driven by a combination of climate forcing and non-climatic feedbacks. In this review, the authors focus on feedbacks between the Antarctic Ice Sheet and the solid Earth, and the role of these feedbacks in shaping the response of the ice sheet to past and future climate changes.

    • Pippa L. Whitehouse
    • , Natalya Gomez
    •  & Douglas A. Wiens

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Isotopic thermometry of carbonate minerals postulates that their composition reflects thermodynamic equilibrium constants. Here the authors constrain equilibrium relationships between temperature, 18O/16O and clumped isotopes and find that most natural calcites form out of isotopic equilibrium.

    • M. Daëron
    • , R. N. Drysdale
    •  & G. Zanchetta

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Shrinking Arctic Canada ice caps are revealing preserved landscapes containing a record of past glacier activity. Here the authors show that 14C ages of plants and cosmogenic 14C concentrations from these landscapes indicate that recently exposed landscapes have been continuously ice covered for > 40,000 years.

    • Simon L. Pendleton
    • , Gifford H. Miller
    •  & Robert S. Anderson

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The continental record of the end Permian mass extinction is limited, especially from high paleolatitudes. Here, Fielding et al. report a multi-proxy Permo-Triassic record from Australia, resolving the timing of local terrestrial plant extinction and the relationship with environmental changes.

    • Christopher R. Fielding
    • , Tracy D. Frank
    •  & James L. Crowley

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The mid-Pleistocene transition is recognized as a shift in paleoclimatic periodicity from 41- to 100-kyr cycles. Here the authors present a unique mid-Pleistocene transition of coupled monsoon-vegetation changes from 23- to 100-kyr cycles, which indicates varied sensitivity of past climate to astronomical and ice/CO2 forcing.

    • Youbin Sun
    • , Qiuzhen Yin
    •  & Zhisheng An

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The causes of Mid-Pleistocene Transition global cooling 1 million years ago are still unknown. Here, the authors find the subarctic North Pacific became stratified during these glaciations due to closure of the Bering Strait, which would have removed CO2 from the atmosphere and caused global cooling.

    • Sev Kender
    • , Ana Christina Ravelo
    •  & Ian R. Hall

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mid-Holocene climate was characterized by strong summer solar heating that decreased Arctic sea ice cover. Here the authors show that this sea ice loss had profound effects on the climate system, distinct from direct effects of solar heating, over North America, northern Asia, and the North Atlantic.

    • Hyo-Seok Park
    • , Seong-Joong Kim
    •  & Seok-Woo Son

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The GEOCARBSULF model provides the most detailed reconstructions of Phanerozoic O2, but its predictions are not supported by geochemical data. Here, a GEOCARBSULF model rebuilt from first principles, with the addition of an amended sulphur cycle and the latest isotope records, supports a Paleozoic Oxygenation Event.

    • Alexander J. Krause
    • , Benjamin J. W. Mills
    •  & Simon W. Poulton

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Climate deterioration towards desertification in North Africa following the African Humid Period has previously been associated with the emergence of pastoralism. Here, using a climate-vegetation model, the authors show that pastoralism in fact likely slowed the deterioration of orbitally-driven climate change.

    • Chris Brierley
    • , Katie Manning
    •  & Mark Maslin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Polynyas potentially played a role in sustaining marine life during the last glacial, yet their presence and importance remains equivocal. This multi-proxy study reconstructs a corridor of polynyas in the Nordic Seas during the last glacial maximum, and reveals a strong association with biological productivity.

    • Jochen Knies
    • , Denizcan Köseoğlu
    •  & Simon T. Belt

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The Cretaceous Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 represents one of the warmest episodes in the last 250 million years. Here, the authors present spore-pollen data and temperature estimates (TEX86) across an expanded stratigraphic section illustrating the dynamic response of vegetation during this exceptionally warm interval.

    • Ulrich Heimhofer
    • , Nina Wucherpfennig
    •  & Ariane Kujau

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Despite their extensive use, the absolute dating of tree-ring chronologies has not hitherto been independently validated at the global scale. Here, the identification of distinct 14C excursions in 484 individual tree rings, enable the authors to confirm the dating of 44 dendrochronologies from five continents.

    • Ulf Büntgen
    • , Lukas Wacker
    •  & Giles H. F. Young

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The underlying mechanisms driving the variability of the East Asia Monsoon during the late Pleistocene remain unclear. Here, the authors present a record of local precipitation and runoff from the East Chain Sea, which indicates strong sensitivity to greenhouse gases and high latitude ice sheet forcing.

    • S. C. Clemens
    • , A. Holbourn
    •  & B. Fox-Kemper

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Studying the PETM, a past period of rapid warming ~56 Ma, could provide insights into ecosystem response under future warming conditions. Here, the authors present stable nitrogen isotope data that reveal a dramatic change in the marine nitrogen cycle and the emergence of anoxic conditions.

    • Christopher K. Junium
    • , Alexander J. Dickson
    •  & Benjamin T. Uveges

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Ice sheets are vulnerable to changes in the environment where ice discharges into the ocean. Here, the authors show that, in spite of widespread retreat following the last glacial maximum, a sub-sector of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet in the Ross Sea underwent sustained readvance.

    • Sarah L. Greenwood
    • , Lauren M. Simkins
    •  & John B. Anderson

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Chronological assumptions in marine sediment records can result in uncertainties in paleoenvironmental reconstructions. Here, using computed tomography to identify in situ woody debris, the authors construct a robust 14C chronology and reassess ventilation ages in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific during the LGM.

    • Ning Zhao
    •  & Lloyd D. Keigwin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The exact timing and magnitude of past changes in Atlantic Ocean circulation, and its relation to abrupt climate changes remains elusive. Here, the authors show a spatially coherent picture of western Atlantic circulation changes, which reveals a two-step AMOC slowdown at the beginning of the deglacial period.

    • Hong Chin Ng
    • , Laura F. Robinson
    •  & Tianyu Chen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Silicate rock weathering represents a negative feedback mechanism that regulates atmospheric CO2 levels on geological timescales. Here, the authors show that a diminished silicate weathering feedback may have set the stage for greenhouse warming and ocean acidification during the Middle Eocene, ~40 million years ago.

    • Robin van der Ploeg
    • , David Selby
    •  & Appy Sluijs

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The Eemian period (120 ka) is considered a past analogue for future climatic warming, yet data from the high latitudes remains sparse. Here, the authors show that in Northern Europe, the Eemian saw dramatic climatic shifts, linked to changes in Earth’s orbit and North Atlantic oceanic circulation.

    • J. Sakari Salonen
    • , Karin F. Helmens
    •  & Miska Luoto

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Ice sheet models forced by climate model output indicate ice-sheet retreat during the Pliocene, yet concerns remain regarding potential model bias. Here, the authors present results from the Pliocene Ice-sheet Modelling Intercomparison Project, and show that results are highly dependent on the model forcing used.

    • Aisling M. Dolan
    • , Bas de Boer
    •  & Alan M. Haywood

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Quantifying the vulnerability of tidal marsh ecosystems to relative sea-level rise (RSLR) is essential if the threat is to be mitigated. Here, the authors analyze the response of Great Britain’s tidal marshes to RSLR during the Holocene and predict an almost inevitable loss of this ecosystem by 2100 under rapid RSLR scenarios.

    • Benjamin P. Horton
    • , Ian Shennan
    •  & Timothy A. Shaw

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The Dansgaard-Oeschger events are remarkable examples of abrupt climate changes during the last ice age, yet a physical explanation remains debated. Here, Boers shows that these events are preceded by early-warning signals in the high-frequency variability, providing valuable constraints regarding physical causes.

    • Niklas Boers

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The contribution of the carbonate counter pump (CCP) to the last deglacial atmospheric CO2 rise has yet been largely ignored. Here, the authors show that an increased CCP in the Subantarctic Pacific along with high surface ocean fertility and [CO2aq], contributed in propelling the Earth out of the last ice age.

    • Stéphanie Duchamp-Alphonse
    • , Giuseppe Siani
    •  & Samuel L. Jaccard

  • Review Article
    | Open Access

    Understudied in the Antarctic system are the subsurface interfaces between ice-sheet, ocean and geological substrate. Here, the authors review our understanding of these components and propose new avenues of holistic dynamic modeling to achieve a unified understanding of past, present and future polar climate.

    • Florence Colleoni
    • , Laura De Santis
    •  & Martin J. Siegert

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The outlet glaciers that comprise the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream (NEGIS) have experienced accelerated retreat in recent years, yet their longterm stability remains unclear. Here, via cosmogenic surface exposure and radiocarbon ages, the authors investigate the stability of the NEGIS for the past 45 kyr.

    • Nicolaj K. Larsen
    • , Laura B. Levy
    •  & Daniel S. Skov

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In recent years, there has been an ongoing discussion about the hydroclimatic changes over Europe. Here, the authors show that since the beginning of the 20th century, hydroclimatic conditions have shifted to their millennial boundaries, remaining at these extreme levels for a period of unprecedented duration.

    • Y. Markonis
    • , M. Hanel
    •  & E. R. Cook

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mechanisms causing the Younger Dryas cold reversal have been questioned by inconsistencies between proxy and modelling results. Here, the authors show that the concept of a strong North Atlantic Ocean cooling event as major driver is consistent with warm European summers caused by intensified atmospheric blocking.

    • Frederik Schenk
    • , Minna Väliranta
    •  & Barbara Wohlfarth

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The late Miocene period allows investigation of climate-carbon cycle dynamics on a warmer-than-modern Earth. Here, the authors show that changes in the global carbon cycle drove climate cooling, culminating in ephemeral Northern Hemisphere glaciations and intensification of the Asian winter monsoon from 7 to 5.5 Ma.

    • Ann E. Holbourn
    • , Wolfgang Kuhnt
    •  & Nils Andersen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Ice grounding features discovered in the Arctic Basin, in water depths exceeding 1 km and dated to the penultimate glacial, suggest a past Arctic ice shelf. Here, the authors undertake numerical simulations that shed light on how such an ice shelf could have formed, its dynamics and most likely configuration.

    • Edward G. W. Gasson
    • , Robert M. DeConto
    •  & Chris D. Clark

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Uncertainty regarding the evolution of the oxygen isotopic composition of seawater casts doubt on past temperature reconstructions. Here, the authors present a new, precise δ18O value for the Neoproterozoic, and propose that ocean temperatures on the eve of the Sturtian glaciation were 15–30 °C warmer than present.

    • F. Hodel
    • , M. Macouin
    •  & P. Agrinier

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Periodic changes in the tilt of the Earth’s axis alter the distribution of incoming solar radiation. Here, the authors show that the temperature response to this forcing seemingly differs in models and Antarctic ice cores, with a better agreement reached if ice cores are recording a seasonally weighted signal.

    • Michael P. Erb
    • , Charles S. Jackson
    •  & Pedro N. DiNezio

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The origin of large, long-term sea-level oscillations during non-glacial times remains uncertain. Here, the authors develop geological evidence that reveals astronomically forced land–ocean water exchange as a potential missing link for reconciling geological records and models of sea-level change.

    • Mingsong Li
    • , Linda A. Hinnov
    •  & James G. Ogg

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A basic requirement for reconstructing past environmental change is accurate understanding of sediment age. Here, the authors show that the interpretation of a benchmark archive in China has been inaccurate, and that ice volume primarily controls desert dynamics, sediment preservation, and precipitation at the site.

    • T. Stevens
    • , J.-P. Buylaert
    •  & H. Lu

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