Rapid reorganization in ocean biogeochemistry off Peru towards the end of the Little Ice Age
Year: 2009
Type: article
Abstract: . Climate and ocean ecosystem variability has been well recognized during the twentieth century but it is unclear if modern ocean biogeochemistry is susceptible to the large, abrupt shifts that characterized the Late Quaternary. Time series from marine sediments off Peru show an abrupt centennial-scale biogeochemical regime shift in the early nineteenth century, of much greater magnitude and duration than present day multi-decadal variability. A rapid expansion of the subsurface nutrient-rich, oxygen-depleted waters resulted in the present-day higher biological productivity, including pelagic fish. The shift was likely driven by a northward migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone and the South Pacific Subtropical High to their present day locations, coupled with a strengthening of Walker circulation, towards the end of the Little Ice Age. These findings reveal the potential for large reorganizations in tropical Pacific climate with immediate effects on ocean biogeochemical cycling and ecosystem structure.
Source: Biogeosciences
Institutions: Instituto del Mar del Peru, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Laboratoire d'Océanographie et du Climat : Expérimentations et Approches Numériques, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Hawaii Pacific University, University of Chile, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Instituto Geológico Minero y Metalúrgico, Universidad de Antofagasta, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, Université d'Orléans, Institut des Sciences de la Terre d'Orléans
Language: English
Subfield: Atmospheric Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,628
OpenAlex ID: W2139190105