Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2021
DOI
10.1029/2020GL088592
Publication Title
Geophysical Research Letters
Volume
48
Issue
3
Pages
1-10
Abstract
Establishing tropical sea surface temperature (SST) during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) is important for constraining equilibrium climate sensitivity to radiative forcing. Until now, there has been little data from the central equatorial Pacific in global compilations, with foraminiferal assemblage‐based estimates suggesting the region was within 1°C of modern temperatures during the LGM. This is in stark contrast to multi‐proxy evidence from the eastern and western Pacific and model simulations which support larger cooling. Here we present the first estimates of glacial SST in the central equatorial Pacific from Mg/Ca in Globigerinoides ruber. Our results show that the central Pacific cooled by about 2.0°C during the LGM, in contrast with previous global compilations but in agreement with models. Our data support a larger magnitude of tropical LGM cooling, and thus a larger equilibrium climate sensitivity, than previous studies which relied on foraminiferal assemblages in the central tropical Pacific.
Rights
© 2021. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.
AGU allows the published version of record to be posted to an institutional repository six months after publication.
Data Availability
Article states: "All radiocarbon, Mg/Ca and oxygen isotope data presented in this study are included in the Supporting Information and are archived at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Centers for Environmental Information database (https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/29252)."
Original Publication Citation
Monteagudo, M. M., Lynch‐Stieglitz, J., Marchitto, T. M., & Schmidt, M. W. (2021). Central equatorial Pacific cooling during the last glacial maximum. Geophysical Research Letters, 48(3), 1-10, Article e2020GL088592. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL088592
Repository Citation
Monteagudo, Minda Moriah; Lynch-Stieglitz, Jean; Marchitto, Thomas M.; and Schmidt, Matthew W., "Central Equatorial Pacific Cooling During the Last Glacial Maximum" (2021). OES Faculty Publications. 399.
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/oeas_fac_pubs/399
ORCID
0000-0001-6362-7845 (Schmidt)