Climatic and oceanographic variations on the California continental margin during the last 160 kyr

Organic matter in sediment samples from three ODP sites (Ocean Drilling Program Leg 167) that form a south-north transect was investigated to reconstruct the paleoclimatic and oceanographic conditions on the California continental margin during the last 160 kyr. Alkenone-derived paleosea surface tem...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Organic geochemistry 2000-09, Vol.31 (9), p.829-846
Main Authors: MANGELSDORF, Kai, GÜNTNER, Ute, RULLKÖTTER, Jürgen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Circulation
Climate
Coastal environments
Coastlines
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Geochemistry
Isotope geochemistry
Isotope geochemistry. Geochronology
Joints
Marine
Marine and continental quaternary
Mixing
Nutrients
Oceans
Sediments
Surface temperature
Surficial geology
Variations
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Summary:Organic matter in sediment samples from three ODP sites (Ocean Drilling Program Leg 167) that form a south-north transect was investigated to reconstruct the paleoclimatic and oceanographic conditions on the California continental margin during the last 160 kyr. Alkenone-derived paleosea surface temperatures (SST) are 3 to 6 degree C colder in glacial stages and reveal a clear relationship with global climate changes; the differences are greater in the north. Latitudinal SST comparison exhibits water mixing of the colder California Current with warmer waters from the south, particularly in the southern central California borderland area. Organic matter accumulation on the California continental margin indicates an interplay between climatic and atmospheric glacial-interglacial variations and spatially and temporally changing nutrient availability along the California coastline. Climatic and atmospheric dependent circulations apparently caused variations in the intensity of coastal upwelling along the southern central California margin and this suggests, due to the close connection of the California Current to the local wind patterns, that the California Current was weaker during glacial and stronger during interglacial periods.
ISSN:0146-6380
1873-5290
DOI:10.1016/s0146-6380(00)00066-8