Asian summer monsoon variability across Termination II and implications for ice age terminations
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The detailed anatomy of Termination I (TI) is well depicted, but whether changes across Termination II (TII) resemble TI remains controversial. Here we present high-resolution Asian monsoon records covering TII using Shima Cave stalagmites from China. Correlating marine and ice-core records to our U/Th-dated records via millennial-scale variabilities, we find an initial CO2 rise from 139 ± 1 ka BP concordant with boreal summer insolation increase, which was followed by a major rise phase of CO2 between 135.7 ± 1 and 129 ± 1 ka BP. The major rise phases of CO2 were comparable during TI and TII, but the initial CO2 rise before TII was distinct from CO2 behavior before TI, likely forced by the Earth’s internal variabilities, in particular an ice-sheet collapse event and a 50% reduction in southern hemisphere dust flux. Here, we show that ~4000–5000-year-long gradual changes in CO2, along with insolation rise, preconditioned glacial terminations, supporting the “tipping point” theory.
Source: Nature Communications
Authors: Yijia Liang, Kan Zhao, Yongjin Wang, Shitao Chen, Tyler E. Huth, Bin Zhao, Quan Wang, Zhenqiu Zhang, Qingfeng Shao, Hai Cheng, R. Lawrence Edwards
Institutions: Nanjing Normal University, Nantong University, Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Michigan, Ningbo Polytechnic, Xi'an Jiaotong University, University of Minnesota
Language: English
Subfield: Atmospheric Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $6,990
OpenAlex ID: W4410894886