Similar rates of modern and last-glacial ocean thermohaline circulation inferred from radiochemical data

Today, the ocean thermohaline circulation transports half of the 231 Pa produced by radioactive decay in the Atlantic Ocean water column to the Southern Ocean. This export respectively imparts low and high 231 Pa/ 230 Th ratios to the surface sediments of these oceans. Ocean sediments from the Last...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature (London) 1996-02, Vol.379 (6567), p.689-694
Main Authors: Yu, Ein-Fen, Francois, Roger, Bacon, Michael P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Deep water
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Geological time
Humanities and Social Sciences
Intermediate water
Marine
Marine and continental quaternary
Marine geology
multidisciplinary
Ocean currents
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Sediments
Surficial geology
Thermohaline circulation
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Summary:Today, the ocean thermohaline circulation transports half of the 231 Pa produced by radioactive decay in the Atlantic Ocean water column to the Southern Ocean. This export respectively imparts low and high 231 Pa/ 230 Th ratios to the surface sediments of these oceans. Ocean sediments from the Last Glacial Maximum bear a similar isotopic fingerprint, implying that advection of North Atlantic Deep/Intermediate Water into the Circumpolar Deep Water of the Southern Ocean occurred at a similar—or slightly higher—rate during the last glacial period.
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/379689a0