Labrador current variability over the last 2000 years

M.-A. Sicre; K. Weckström; M.-S. Seidenkrantz; A. Kuijpers; M. Benetti; G. Masse; U. Ezat; S. Schmidt; I. Bouloubassi; J. Olsen; M. Khodri; J. Mignot

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2014.05.016

Labrador current variability over the last 2000 years

M.-A. Sicre, K. Weckström, M.-S. Seidenkrantz, A. Kuijpers, M. Benetti, G. Masse, U. Ezat, S. Schmidt, I. Bouloubassi, J. Olsen, M. Khodri, J. Mignot

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43 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The ice-loaded Labrador Current (LC) is an important component of the western North Atlantic circulation that influences the position and strength of the northern limb of the North Atlantic Current (NAC). This flow of cold and fresh Polar Waters originating from the Arctic has a marked impact on the North Atlantic climate, yet little is known about its variability beyond the instrumental period. In this study, we present the first sub-decadal alkenone-based 2000-year long sea-surface temperature (SST) records from the western Labrador Sea, a climatically crucial region at the boundary between the LC and the NAC. Our results show a clear link between the LC strength and the Northern Annular Mode (NAM), with a stronger NAM and a more vigorous LC during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA). This suggests enhanced LC activity upon future global warming with implications for the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC).

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	26-32
Number of pages	7
Journal	Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Volume	400
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2014.05.016
Publication status	Published - 15 Aug 2014

Keywords

Labrador Sea
Last millennia
Newfoundland
Northern Annular Mode
Ocean variability
Temperature proxy

Programme Area

Programme Area 5: Nature and Climate

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.epsl.2014.05.016

Cite this

@article{1927d0827f664299879aa7aabe932401,

title = "Labrador current variability over the last 2000 years",

abstract = "The ice-loaded Labrador Current (LC) is an important component of the western North Atlantic circulation that influences the position and strength of the northern limb of the North Atlantic Current (NAC). This flow of cold and fresh Polar Waters originating from the Arctic has a marked impact on the North Atlantic climate, yet little is known about its variability beyond the instrumental period. In this study, we present the first sub-decadal alkenone-based 2000-year long sea-surface temperature (SST) records from the western Labrador Sea, a climatically crucial region at the boundary between the LC and the NAC. Our results show a clear link between the LC strength and the Northern Annular Mode (NAM), with a stronger NAM and a more vigorous LC during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA). This suggests enhanced LC activity upon future global warming with implications for the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC).",

keywords = "Labrador Sea, Last millennia, Newfoundland, Northern Annular Mode, Ocean variability, Temperature proxy",

author = "M.-A. Sicre and K. Weckstr{\"o}m and M.-S. Seidenkrantz and A. Kuijpers and M. Benetti and G. Masse and U. Ezat and S. Schmidt and I. Bouloubassi and J. Olsen and M. Khodri and J. Mignot",

note = "Funding Information: The research presented here was supported by the French LEFE/INSU NAIV project (CNRS/INSU) and the ERC 203441 starting grant ICEPROXY project. K.W. was funded via a Marie Curie IEF grant (agreement No. 236678 ). M.-S.S. and A.K. received funding via the TROPOLINK and OCEANHEAT projects supported by the Danish Council for Independent Research Natural Science (FNU Grants 09-069833 and 12-126709 ). The cruise was funded by the Danish Council for Independent Research, Natural Science (project No. 272-06-0604/FNU ) and carried out within the Danish–Russian collaboration project {\textquoteleft}Joint paleoceanographic investigations in the Labrador Sea region{\textquoteright}. This work is a contribution to the EU FP7 project {\textquoteleft}Past4Future{\textquoteright} (project No. 243908).",

year = "2014",

month = aug,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1016/j.epsl.2014.05.016",

language = "English",

volume = "400",

pages = "26--32",

journal = "Earth and Planetary Science Letters",

issn = "0012-821X",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Labrador current variability over the last 2000 years

AU - Sicre, M.-A.

AU - Weckström, K.

AU - Seidenkrantz, M.-S.

AU - Kuijpers, A.

AU - Benetti, M.

AU - Masse, G.

AU - Ezat, U.

AU - Schmidt, S.

AU - Bouloubassi, I.

AU - Olsen, J.

AU - Khodri, M.

AU - Mignot, J.

N1 - Funding Information: The research presented here was supported by the French LEFE/INSU NAIV project (CNRS/INSU) and the ERC 203441 starting grant ICEPROXY project. K.W. was funded via a Marie Curie IEF grant (agreement No. 236678 ). M.-S.S. and A.K. received funding via the TROPOLINK and OCEANHEAT projects supported by the Danish Council for Independent Research Natural Science (FNU Grants 09-069833 and 12-126709 ). The cruise was funded by the Danish Council for Independent Research, Natural Science (project No. 272-06-0604/FNU ) and carried out within the Danish–Russian collaboration project ‘Joint paleoceanographic investigations in the Labrador Sea region’. This work is a contribution to the EU FP7 project ‘Past4Future’ (project No. 243908).

PY - 2014/8/15

Y1 - 2014/8/15

N2 - The ice-loaded Labrador Current (LC) is an important component of the western North Atlantic circulation that influences the position and strength of the northern limb of the North Atlantic Current (NAC). This flow of cold and fresh Polar Waters originating from the Arctic has a marked impact on the North Atlantic climate, yet little is known about its variability beyond the instrumental period. In this study, we present the first sub-decadal alkenone-based 2000-year long sea-surface temperature (SST) records from the western Labrador Sea, a climatically crucial region at the boundary between the LC and the NAC. Our results show a clear link between the LC strength and the Northern Annular Mode (NAM), with a stronger NAM and a more vigorous LC during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA). This suggests enhanced LC activity upon future global warming with implications for the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC).

AB - The ice-loaded Labrador Current (LC) is an important component of the western North Atlantic circulation that influences the position and strength of the northern limb of the North Atlantic Current (NAC). This flow of cold and fresh Polar Waters originating from the Arctic has a marked impact on the North Atlantic climate, yet little is known about its variability beyond the instrumental period. In this study, we present the first sub-decadal alkenone-based 2000-year long sea-surface temperature (SST) records from the western Labrador Sea, a climatically crucial region at the boundary between the LC and the NAC. Our results show a clear link between the LC strength and the Northern Annular Mode (NAM), with a stronger NAM and a more vigorous LC during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA). This suggests enhanced LC activity upon future global warming with implications for the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC).

KW - Labrador Sea

KW - Last millennia

KW - Newfoundland

KW - Northern Annular Mode

KW - Ocean variability

KW - Temperature proxy

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84901494575&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.epsl.2014.05.016

DO - 10.1016/j.epsl.2014.05.016

M3 - Article

SN - 0012-821X

VL - 400

SP - 26

EP - 32

JO - Earth and Planetary Science Letters

JF - Earth and Planetary Science Letters

ER -

Labrador current variability over the last 2000 years

Abstract

Keywords

Programme Area

UN SDGs

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