Productivity evolution in the antarctic Weddell Sea and its paleoceanographic implication since MIS 5

WANG Tong; HU Yihao; JIA Qi; GUO Jingteng; TANG Zheng; XIONG Zhifang; LI Tiegang

doi:10.16562/j.cnki.0256-1492.2022112302

2023 Vol. 43, No. 3

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Article navigation > Marine Geology & Quaternary Geology > 2023 > 43(3): 144-156

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WANG Tong, HU Yihao, JIA Qi, GUO Jingteng, TANG Zheng, XIONG Zhifang, LI Tiegang. Productivity evolution in the antarctic Weddell Sea and its paleoceanographic implication since MIS 5[J]. Marine Geology & Quaternary Geology, 2023, 43(3): 144-156. doi: 10.16562/j.cnki.0256-1492.2022112302

Citation:

WANG Tong, HU Yihao, JIA Qi, GUO Jingteng, TANG Zheng, XIONG Zhifang, LI Tiegang. Productivity evolution in the antarctic Weddell Sea and its paleoceanographic implication since MIS 5[J]. Marine Geology & Quaternary Geology, 2023, 43(3): 144-156. doi: 10.16562/j.cnki.0256-1492.2022112302

Productivity evolution in the antarctic Weddell Sea and its paleoceanographic implication since MIS 5

1.
Marine Geology and Geophysics, First Institute of Oceanography, Qingdao 266061, China
2.
Laboratory for Marine Geology, Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao 266237, China

More Information

Corresponding authors: XIONG Zhifang, zhfxiong@fio.org.cn ; LI Tiegang, tgli@fio.org.cn

Received Date: 23 November 2022

Revised Date: 26 December 2022

Accepted Date: 26 December 2022

Publish Date: 28 June 2023

Abstract

Abstract

The latest hypothesis on the mechanism of glacial/interglacial variation in atmospheric partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO_2-atm) in the Southern Ocean suggests that the decrease of pCO_2-atm during glaciation can be satisfactorily explained by CO₂ sequestration via the reduced deep ventilation indicated by the decrease in the Antarctic zone productivity, and the CO₂ fixation by the increase in the subantarctic zone productivity. Obviously, verifying the mirror-image relation between productivity evolution in the Antarctic zone and the subantarctic zone in glacial cycles is the key to examine this hypothesis. The productivity evolution in the Weddell Sea (in Antarctic Zone) since MIS 5 was reconstructed based on the biogenic opal content from sediment cores. The results indicate that the productivity in the Weddell Sea showed glacial-interglacial variations, with high productivity during warm periods (MIS 5 and 3) and low productivity during cold periods (MIS 4 and 2), and a long-term decreasing trend was also observed. By combining our productivity records with those of other areas in the Southern Ocean, the mirror-image model of productivity evolution in the Antarctic and subantarctic zones was confirmed. Furthermore, comparison between the productivity records and potential environmental influence factors indicated that the meridional movement of Westerlies as well as the expansion and retreat of sea ice controlled the nutrient availability from deep water into surface by affecting deep convection, and ultimately drove glacial-interglacial and long-term variations of productivity in the Weddell Sea since MIS 5. The sequestration and release of CO₂ due to variation of deep convection in the Weddell Sea probably contributed to the long-term trend and glacial-interglacial cycles of pCO_2-atm since MIS 5. This research confirms that the above hypothesis about the mechanism for glacial-interglacial pCO_2-atm cycles in the Southern Ocean is reasonable, indicating that the Southern Ocean plays an important role in global climate evolution.
- biogenic opal /
- pCO_2-atm /
- deep ocean ventilation /
- sea ice /
- Westerlies /
- Antarctic Zone

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References

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