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- The climate of the Common Era off the Iberian PeninsulaPublication . Abrantes, Fatima; Rodrigues, Teresa; Rufino, Marta; Salgueiro, Emilia; Oliveira, Dulce; Gomes, Sandra; Oliveira, Paulo; Costa, Ana; Mil-Homens, Mario; Drago, Teresa; Naughton, FilipaThe Mediterranean region is a climate hot spot, sensitive not only to global warming but also to water availability. In this work we document major temperature and precipitation changes in the Iberian Peninsula and margin during the last 2000 years and propose an interplay of the North Atlantic internal variability with the three atmospheric circulation modes (ACMs), (North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), east atlantic (EA) and Scandinavia (SCAND)) to explain the detected climate variability. We present reconstructions of sea surface temperature (SST derived from alkenones) and on-land precipitation (estimated from higher plant n-alkanes and pollen data) in sedimentary sequences recovered along the Iberian Margin between the south of Portugal (Algarve) and the northwest of Spain (Galiza) (36 to 42 degrees N). A clear long-term cooling trend, from 0 CE to the beginning of the 20th century, emerges in all SST records and is considered to be a reflection of the decrease in the Northern Hemisphere summer insolation that began after the Holocene optimum. Multi-decadal/centennial SST variability follows other records from Spain, Europe and the Northern Hemisphere. Warm SSTs throughout the first 1300 years encompass the Roman period (RP), the Dark Ages (DA) and the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA). A cooling initiated at 1300 CE leads to 4 centuries of colder SSTs contemporary with the Little Ice Age (LIA), while a climate warming at 1800 CE marks the beginning of the modern/Industrial Era. Novel results include two distinct phases in the MCA: an early period (900-1100 years) characterized by intense precipitation/flooding and warm winters but a cooler spring-fall season attributed to the interplay of internal oceanic variability with a positive phase in the three modes of atmospheric circulation (NAO, EA and SCAND). The late MCA is marked by cooler and relatively drier winters and a warmer spring-fall season consistent with a shift to a negative mode of the SCAND. The Industrial Era reveals a clear difference between the NW Iberia and the Algarve records. While off NW Iberia variability is low, the Algarve shows large-amplitude decadal variability with an inverse relationship between SST and river input. Such conditions suggest a shift in the EA mode, from negative between 1900 and 1970 CE to positive after 1970, while NAO and SCAND remain in a positive phase. The particularly noticeable rise in SST at the Algarve site by the mid-20th century (+/- 1970), provides evidence for a regional response to the ongoing climate warming. The reported findings have implications for decadal-scale predictions of future climate change in the Iberian Peninsula.
- The Late Pleistocene-Holocene sedimentary evolution of the Sines Contourite Drift (SW Portuguese Margin): A multiproxy approachPublication . Teixeira, Manuel; Terrinha, Pedro; Roque, Cristina; Voelker, Antje; Silva, Pedro; Salgueiro, Emilia; Abrantes, Fatima; Naughton, Filipa; Mena, Anxo; Ercilla, Gemma; Casas, DavidThe Sines Contourite Drift (SCD), located in the Alentejo margin, southwest Iberian continental margin, has been through many depositional phases in result of dimatic variations and bottom current oscillations, which determined a variable depositional pattern and an irregular sedimentary evolution since the Late Pleistocene. The SCD, being in the main path of the Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW), which greatly constrains the sedimentary building of this drift, constitutes the distal part of the Gulf of Cadiz Contourite Depositional System and its sedimentary evolution therefore reflects the history of MOW variations. In order to investigate this, we report on a multiproxy analysis of grain-size, carbon content and physical, geochemical, and environmental-magnetic properties on the AMS C-14 dated 350-an long gravity core CO14-GC-07, retrieved in the SCD, at 1425 meters water depth (mwd). The main objective is to reconstruct the evolution of the sedimentary package of the SCD from >43 cal kyr BP to Present and bring new insights about the impact of bottom currents' activity on the morphosedimentary evolution of the margin. Results show the existence of four distinct depositional phases in response to climate variations and bottom current oscillations during the Late Pleistocene-Holocene. Phase 1 (350-322 cm: >42.9 cal kyr BP) occurred in Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 and presents silty-muddy sediments with presence of shell fragments and moderate bioturbation. Phase 2 (322-176 cm: >42.9-similar to 30.5 cal kyr BP), which lasted from middle MIS 3 to the onset of MIS 2, reveals sediment coarsening towards the top limit, suggesting climate cooling and strong bottom current winnowing. Phase 3 (176-144 cm: similar to 30.5-17.1 cal kyr BP) covers most of MIS 2 prior to the last deglaciation and shows the sharpest variations on all sediment properties and the coarsest sediment facies, with Fe-rich layers associated with the increase of lerrigenous input and sea-level regression that coincide with the enhancement of MOW. Phase 4 (144-0 cm: <17.1 cal kyr BP) is associated with the degladal sea-level rise and represents a calmer depositional environment with finer sediments and increasing contributions of biogenic material. The MOW is the most prominent bottom current and the most active seabed shaping agent in the study area, whose vertical shifting during glacial (similar to 800-2200 mwd) and interglacial (600-1500 mwd) periods is coincident with the most active morphosedimentary sector of the area, contributing to the development of landslide scars and sediment waves. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
- Surface and deep water variability in the Western Mediterranean (ODP Site 975) during insolation cycle 74: high-resolution calcareous plankton and molecular biomarker signalsPublication . Quivelli, Ornella; Marino, Maria; Rodrigues, Teresa; Girone, Angela; Maiorano, Patrizia; Abrantes, Fatima; Salgueiro, Emilia; Bassinot, FrankWe reconstructed changes in productivity and surface/subsurface and deep-water dynamics in the Western Mediterranean through a multi-proxy study of Ocean Drilling Program Site 975 between late Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 20 and early interglacial MIS 19. Our high-resolution study (down to similar to 200-year resolution) combines calcareous plankton assemblages (coccolithophores and foraminifera), biomarkers (C-37-alkenones, n-alkanes, n-alcohols) and elemental proxies (total organic carbon, total nitrogen, calcium carbonate). Surface water conditions are derived (i) from high-resolution delta O-18 and delta C-13 records obtained from the planktonic foraminifer Globigerina bulloides, and (ii) from summer and winter, foraminifera-based sea surface temperature reconstructions (SSTJAS-foram, SSTJFM-foram) achieved through transfer function. The integration of the whole dataset makes it possible to identify in the Balearic Sea, and to accurately characterize for the first time, an Organic Rich Layer (ORL) during latest MIS 20-early MIS 19, close to i-cycle 74. Its presence is marked firstly by higher values of total nitrogen (TN) and an increase of total C-37-alkenone and total organic carbon (TOC) preserved in the sediments. The multi-proxy approach reveals that the deglacial phase played a prominent role for ORL formation that was characterized by centennial scale phases. The alcohol preservation index (API) suggests that the shoaling of the circulation, which boosted marine productivity, started in the deglaciation and, in combination with freshening by Atlantic water inflow/riverine input and surface water buoyancy during sea level rising, culminated during the ORL event. At this time calcareous plankton proliferated on subsurface-surface waters, benefiting from ameliorating conditions, which promoted maximum marine productivity and higher organic matter preservation on the seafloor.
- Diatoms as a paleoproductivity proxy in the NW Iberian coastal upwelling system (NE Atlantic)Publication . Zuniga, Diana; Santos, Célia; Frojan, Maria; Salgueiro, Emilia; Rufino, Marta; De la Granda, Francisco; Figueiras, Francisco G.; Castro, Carmen G.; Abrantes, FatimaThe objective of the current work is to improve our understanding of how water column diatom's abundance and assemblage composition is seasonally transferred from the photic zone to seafloor sediments. To address this, we used a dataset derived from water column, sediment trap and surface sediment samples recovered in the NW Iberian coastal upwelling system. Diatom fluxes (2.2 (+/- 5.6) 10(6) valves m(-2) d(-1)) represented the majority of the siliceous microorganisms sinking out from the photic zone during all studied years and showed seasonal variability. Contrasting results between water column and sediment trap diatom abundances were found during downwelling periods, as shown by the unexpectedly high diatom export signals when diatom- derived primary production achieved their minimum levels. They were principally related to surface sediment remobilization and intense Minho and Douro river discharge that constitute an additional source of particulate matter to the inner continental shelf. In fact, contributions of allochthonous particles to the sinking material were confirmed by the significant increase of both benthic and freshwater diatoms in the sediment trap assemblage. In contrast, we found that most of the living diatom species blooming during highly productive upwelling periods were dissolved during sinking, and only those resistant to dissolution and the Chaetoceros and Leptocylindrus spp. resting spores were susceptible to being exported and buried. Fur-thermore, Chaetoceros spp. dominate during spring-early summer, when persistent northerly winds lead to the upwelling of nutrient-rich waters on the shelf, while Leptocylindrus spp. appear associated with late-summer upwelling relaxation, characterized by water column stratification and nutrient depletion. These findings evidence that the contributions of these diatom genera to the sediment's total marine diatom assemblage should allow for the reconstruction of different past upwelling regimes.
- Consistently dated Atlantic sediment cores over the last 40 thousand yearsPublication . Waelbroeck, Claire; Lougheed, Bryan C.; Vazquez Riveiros, Natalia; Missiaen, Lise; Pedro, Joel; Dokken, Trond; Hajdas, Irka; Wacker, Lukas; Abbott, Peter; Dumoulin, Jean-Pascal; Thil, François; Eynaud, Frédérique; Rossignol, Linda; Fersi, Wiem; Albuquerque, Ana Luiza; Arz, Helge; Austin, William E. N.; Came, Rosemarie; Carlson, Anders E.; Collins, James A.; Dennielou, Bernard; Desprat, Stéphanie; Dickson, Alex; Elliot, Mary; Farmer, Christa; Giraudeau, Jacques; Gottschalk, Julia; Henderiks, Jorijntje; Hughen, Konrad; Jung, Simon; Knutz, Paul; Lebreiro, Susana; Lund, David C.; Lynch-Stieglitz, Jean; Malaizé, Bruno; Marchitto, Thomas; Martínez-Méndez, Gema; Mollenhauer, Gesine; Naughton, Filipa; Nave, Silvia; Nürnberg, Dirk; Oppo, Delia; Peck, Victoria; Peeters, Frank J. C.; Penaud, Aurélie; Portilho-Ramos, Rodrigo da Costa; Repschläger, Janne; Roberts, Jenny; Rühlemann, Carsten; Salgueiro, Emilia; Sanchez Goni, Maria Fernanda; Schönfeld, Joachim; Scussolini, Paolo; Skinner, Luke C.; Skonieczny, Charlotte; Thornalley, David; Toucanne, Samuel; Rooij, David Van; Vidal, Laurence; Voelker, Antje; Wary, Mélanie; Weldeab, Syee; Ziegler, MartinRapid changes in ocean circulation and climate have been observed in marine-sediment and ice cores over the last glacial period and deglaciation, highlighting the non-linear character of the climate system and underlining the possibility of rapid climate shifts in response to anthropogenic greenhouse gas forcing. To date, these rapid changes in climate and ocean circulation are still not fully explained. One obstacle hindering progress in our understanding of the interactions between past ocean circulation and climate changes is the difficulty of accurately dating marine cores. Here, we present a set of 92 marine sediment cores from the Atlantic Ocean for which we have established age-depth models that are consistent with the Greenland GICC05 ice core chronology, and computed the associated dating uncertainties, using a new deposition modeling technique. This is the first set of consistently dated marine sediment cores enabling paleoclimate scientists to evaluate leads/lags between circulation and climate changes over vast regions of the Atlantic Ocean. Moreover, this data set is of direct use in paleoclimate modeling studies.
- The nature of opal burial in the equatorial atlantic during the deglaciationPublication . Gil, Isabelle M.; McManus, J. F.; Rebotim, Andreia; Narciso, A.; Salgueiro, Emilia; Abrantes, FatimaRelatively high opal concentrations are measured in equatorial Atlantic sediments from the most recent deglaciation. To shed light on their causes, seven cores were analyzed for their content of siliceous (diatom, silicoflagellates, radiolarians, phytoliths, and sponge spicules) and calcareous (coccolithophores) microfossils. An early deglacial signal is detected at the time of rising boreal summer insolation ca. 18 ka by the coccolithophores. The surface freshening is likely due to the rain belt associated with the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), implying its southward shift relatively to its present-day average positioning. The diatom assemblages corresponding to the following increase in diatom abundances ca. 15.5 ka suggest the formation of a cold tongue of upwelled water associated with tropical instability waves propagating westward. Such conditions occur at present during boreal summer, when southerly trade winds are intensified, and the ITCZ shifts northward. The presence of the diatom Ethmodiscus rex (Wallich) Hendey and the coccolithophore Florisphera profunda indicates a deep thermocline and nutrient enrichment of the lower photic zone, revealing that Si-rich southern sourced water (SSW) likely contributed to enhanced primary productivity during this time interval. The discrepancies between the maximum opal concentrations and siliceous marine microfossils records evidence the contribution of freshwater diatoms and phytoliths, indicative of other processes. The definition of the nature of the opal record suggests successive productivity conditions associated with specific atmospheric settings determining the latitudinal ITCZ positioning and the development of oceanic processes; and major oceanic circulation changes permitting the contribution of SSW to marine productivity at this latitude.
- Data report: IODP Site U1387: the revised splice between Sections U1387B-18X-3 and U1387C-8R-3 (>171.6 mcd)Publication . Voelker, Antje; Jimenez-Espejo, F. J.; Bahr, A.; Rebotim, Andreia; Cavaleiro, Catarina; Salgueiro, Emilia; Röhl, U.; Stow, Dorrik A. V.; Hernández-Molina, F. J.; Alvarez Zarikian, Carlos A.; Expedition 339 ScientistsThe Expedition 339 shipboard splice of Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site U1387 deeper than ~155 meters composite depth (mcd) is based on a composite of the magnetic susceptibility and natural gamma radiation data. When generating high-resolution paleoceanographic reconstructions for the Mid-Pleistocene Transition and early Pleistocene sections of Site U1387, it quickly became obvious that proxy data misfits existed at several splice transitions. Thus, a revised splice was generated for Site U1387 below Core 339-U1387B-18X based on X-ray fluorescence– derived element records (e.g., ln[Fe/Ca]) and the stable isotope records obtained for planktonic and benthic foraminifers. Corrections were needed at most of the splice transitions below Core 339-U1387A-19X, with adjustments ranging from a few centimeters to several meters. In addition, Core 339-U1387A-33X and sections of Core 36X were integrated into the revised splice to replace Core 339-U1387C-2R and sections of Core 5R, respectively. The replacement of Core 339-U1387C-2R with Core 339-U1387A33X is an option for the intended paleoceanographic research and not essential for lower resolution studies. The splice tie point table, therefore, also includes an option for a splice that retains Core 339-U1387C-2R. The extensive revision of the shipboard splice reveals that making a splice for sediment sequences rich in contourite layers and coring disturbances (biscuiting in the extended core barrel cores) can be tricky and that data misfits at splice transitions are not necessarily a data problem but could indicate a splice problem.
- Ocean kinetic energy and photosynthetic biomass are important drivers of planktonic foraminifera diversity in the Atlantic OceanPublication . Rufino, Marta M.; Salgueiro, Emilia; H L Voelker, Antje; Polito, Paulo S.; Cermeño, Pedro A.; Abrantes, FatimaTo assess the anthropogenic effect on biodiversity, it is essential to understand the global diversity distribution of the major groups at the base of the food chain, ideally before global warming initiation (1850 Common Era CE). Since organisms in the plankton are highly interconnected and carbonate synthesizing species have a good preservation state in the Atlantic Ocean, the diversity distribution pattern of planktonic foraminifera from 1741 core-top surface sediment samples (expanded ForCenS database) provides a case study to comprehend centennial to decadal time-averaged diversity patterns at pre-1970 CE times, the tempo of the substantial increase in tropospheric warming. In this work, it is hypothesized and tested for the first time, that the large-scale diversity patterns of foraminifera communities are determined by sea surface temperature (SST, representing energy), Chl-a (a surrogate for photosynthetic biomass), and ocean kinetic energy (as EKE). Alpha diversity was estimated using species richness (S), Shannon Wiener index (H), and Simpson evenness (E), and mapped using geostatistical approaches. The three indices are significantly related to SST, Chl-a, and EKE (71-88% of the deviance in the generalized additive mixed model, including a spatial component). Beta diversity was studied through species turnover using gradient forest analysis (59% of the variation). The primary community thresholds of foraminifera species turnover were associated with 5-10 degrees C and 22-28 degrees C SST, 0.05-0.15 mg m-(3) Chl-a, and 1.2-2.0 cm(2) s-(2) log10 EKE energy, respectively. Six of the most important foraminifera species identified for the environmental thresholds of beta diversity are also fundamental in transfer functions, further reinforcing the approaches used. The geographic location of the transition between the four main biogeographic zones was redefined based on the results of beta diversity analysis and incorporating the new datasets, identifying the major marine latitudinal gradients, the most important upwelling areas (Benguela Current, Canary Current), the Equatorial divergence, and the subtropical fronts (Gulf Stream-North Atlantic Drift path in the north, and the South Atlantic current in the south). In conclusion, we provide statistical proof that energy (SST), food supply (Chl-a), and currents (EKE) are the main environmental drivers shaping planktonic foraminifera diversity in the Atlantic ocean and define the associated thresholds for species change on those variables.
- Mediterranean Outflow and surface water variability off southern Portugal during the early Pleistocene: A snapshot at Marine Isotope Stages 29 to 34 (1020-1135 ka)Publication . Voelker, Antje H. L.; Salgueiro, Emilia; Rodrigues, Teresa; Jiménez-Espejo, Francisco J.; Bahr, Andre; Alberto, Ana; Loureiro, Isabel; Padilha, Maria; Rebotim, Andreia; Roehl, UrsulaCentennial-to-millennial scale records from IODP Site U1387, drilled during IODP Expedition 339 into the Faro Drift at 558 m water depth, now allow evaluating the climatic history of the upper core of the Mediterranean Outflow (MOW) and of the surface waters in the northern Gulf of Cadiz during the early Pleistocene. This study focuses on the period from Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 29 to 34, i.e. the interval surrounding extreme interglacial MIS 31. Conditions in the upper MOW reflect obliquity, precession and millennial-scale variations. The benthic delta O-18 signal follows obliquity with the exception of an additional, smaller delta O-18 peak that marks the MIS 32/31 transition. Insolation maxima (precession minima) led to poor ventilation and a sluggish upper MOW core, whereas insolation minima were associated with enhanced ventilation and often also increased bottom current velocity. Millennial-scale periods of colder sea-surface temperatures (SST) were associated with short-term maxima in flow velocity and better ventilation, reminiscent of conditions known from MIS 3.A prominent contourite layer, coinciding with insolation cycle 100, was formed during MIS 31 and represents one of the few contourites developing within an interglacial period. MIS 31 surface water conditions were characterized by an extended period (1065-1091 ka) of warm SST, but SST were not much warmer than during MIS 33. Interglacial to glacial transitions experienced 2 to 3 stadial/interstadial cycles, just like their mid-to-late Pleistocene counterparts. Glacial MIS 30 and 32 recorded periods of extremely cold (<12 degrees C) SST that in their climatic impact were comparable with the Heinrich events of the mid and late Pleistocene. Glacial MIS 34, on the other hand, was a relative warm glacial period off southern Portugal. Overall, surface water and MOW conditions at Site U1387 show a strong congruence with Mediterranean climate, whereas millennial-scale variations are closely linked to North Atlantic circulation changes. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
- Offshore 1755 CE Lisbon Tsunami deposit in the southern portuguese continental shelfPublication . Kümmerer, Vincent; Drago, Teresa; Veiga-Pires, Cristina; Silva, Pedro; Lopes, Ana; Magalhães, Vitor; Roque, Cristina; Rodrigues, Ana Isabel; Terrinha, Pedro; Mena, Anxo; Francés, Guillermo; Kopf, Achim; Völker, David; Salgueiro, Emilia; Alberto, Ana; C. Lopes, Cristina; Costa, Pedro; Baptista, Maria AnaThe importance of tsunami hazard assessment is only possible if a complete dataset of events is available, allowing the determination of the recurrence intervals of the tsunamis adapted to local and regional conditions. One possible way to know these intervals is to study the offshore sedimentary record, looking for sediment remobilised and transported by the incoming tsunami waves and generated backwash currents. Even if these deposits are not of easy access (and not so well studied), the tsunami depositional signature has potential to be better preserved than those located onshore.