Transient Response of Southern Ocean Ecosystems During Heinrich Stadials

Abstract

Antarctic ice core records suggest that atmospheric CO2 increased by 15–20 ppm during Heinrich stadials (HS). These periods of abrupt CO2 increase are associated with a significant weakening of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), and a warming at high southern latitudes. As such, modeling studies have explored the link between changes in AMOC, high southern latitude climate and atmospheric CO2. While proxy records suggest that the aeolian iron input to the Southern Ocean decreased significantly during HS, the potential impact on CO2 of reduced iron input combined with oceanic circulation changes has not been studied in detail. Here, we quantify the respective and combined..