Pelagic-benthic coupling within an upwelling system of the subtropical northeast Atlantic over the last 35kaBP

C. L. McKay; H. L. Filipsson; O. E. Romero; J. B.W. Stuut; B. Donner

doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2014.04.027

Pelagic-benthic coupling within an upwelling system of the subtropical northeast Atlantic over the last 35kaBP

C. L. McKay^*
, H. L. Filipsson
, O. E. Romero
, J. B.W. Stuut
, B. Donner

^*Corresponding author for this work

Earth and Climate

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

We present a high resolution, multiproxy study of the relationship between pelagic and benthic environments of a coastal upwelling system in the subtropical NE Atlantic Ocean. Marine sediments corresponding to late MIS3 to the Holocene in the radiocarbon dated core GeoB7926, retrieved off Mauritania (21°N) were analysed to reconstruct productivity in surface waters and its linkage to deep waters during the last 35kaBP. High latitude cold events and changes in atmospheric and oceanographic dynamics influenced upwelling intensity over this time period. Subsequently, this caused changes in primary productivity off this low-latitude coastal upwelling locality. The benthic foraminiferal fauna displays four main community shifts corresponding to fundamental climatic events, first of all during late MIS3 (35-28kaBP), secondly from 28 to 19kaBP (including Heinrich event 2 and the LGM), thirdly within Heinrich event 1, the Bølling Allerød and the Younger Dryas (18-11.5kaBP) and finally during the Holocene (11.5-0kaBP). In particular, strong pelagic-benthic coupling is apparent in MIS 3, as demonstrated by increased primary productivity, indicated by moderate DAR and the dominance of benthic foraminiferal species which prefer fresh phytodetritus. A decline in upwelling intensity and nutrient availability follows, which resulted in a proportionately larger amount of older, degraded matter, provoking a shift in the benthic foraminifera fauna composition. This rapid response of the benthic environment continues with a progressive increase in upwelling intensity due to sea level and oceanographic changes and according high surface production during the LGM. During Heinrich event 1 and the Younger Dryas, extreme levels of primary production actually hindered benthic environment through the development of low oxygen conditions. After this period, a final change in benthic foraminiferal community composition occurs which indicates a return to more oxygenated conditions during the Holocene.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	299-315
Number of pages	17
Journal	Quaternary Science Reviews
Volume	106
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2014.04.027
Publication status	Published - 15 Dec 2014

Funding

We would like to acknowledge interesting discussions with E. Alve, W. Austin, S. Björck, T.E. Cropper, K.L. Knudsen, J. Murray, R. Muscheler, M.-S. Seidenkranz. Also J.-H. Kim for the revised age model and C. Alwmark for assistance with the SEMs. We also thank two anonymous reviewers for their constructive feedback. This research was supported by the Crafoord Foundation ( 20100547 ), the Lund University Centre for Studies of Carbon Cycle and Climate Interactions (LUCCI), Kungl. Fysiografiska Sällskapet i Lund and ClimBEco Graduate Research School, Lund University . HLF acknowledges support from the Swedish Research Council VR ( 621-2005-4265 & 621-2011-5090 ). OER acknowledges support from the German Science Foundation (DFG). Data has been submitted to PANGAEA. Appendix Plate 1 1. Bulimina aculeata d'Orbigny, 1826 2. Eubuliminella exilis ( Brady, 1884 ) 3. Cassidella bradyi (Cushman, 1922) 4. Uvigerina peregrina Cushman, 1923 5. Cassidulina laevigata d'Orbigny 1826 6. Cibicides wuellerstorfi ( Schwager, 1866 ) 7. Elphidium macellum (Fichtel and Moll, 1798); Knudsen (1973) : p. 287, pl. 2, fig. 7. 8. Melonis pompilioides (Fichtel and Moll, 1798); Eberwein (2006) : p. 103, pl. 2, fig. 3. 9. Melonis barleeanum (Williamson, 1858); Eberwein (2006) : p 103, pl. 2, fig. 2. 10. Nonionella iridea Heron-Allen and Earland, 1932 11. Tosaia hanzawai Takayanagi, 1953 12. Quinqueloculina seminulum (Linnaeus, 1758); Ingle et al. (1980) : p. 142, pl. 9, figs. 14–15. 13. Pyrgo murrhina ( Schwager, 1866 ) 14. Triloculina tricarinata d'Orbigny, 1826 SEM images of common, recurrent and transported ( E. macellum and T. hanzawai ) benthic foraminiferal species in >150 μm fraction within the GeoB7926 record. Each scale bar represents 100 μm.

UN SDGs

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

SDG 14 Life Below Water

Keywords

Benthic foraminifera
Palaeoproductivity
Pelagic-benthic
Subtropical NE Atlantic
Upwelling

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title = "Pelagic-benthic coupling within an upwelling system of the subtropical northeast Atlantic over the last 35kaBP",

abstract = "We present a high resolution, multiproxy study of the relationship between pelagic and benthic environments of a coastal upwelling system in the subtropical NE Atlantic Ocean. Marine sediments corresponding to late MIS3 to the Holocene in the radiocarbon dated core GeoB7926, retrieved off Mauritania (21°N) were analysed to reconstruct productivity in surface waters and its linkage to deep waters during the last 35kaBP. High latitude cold events and changes in atmospheric and oceanographic dynamics influenced upwelling intensity over this time period. Subsequently, this caused changes in primary productivity off this low-latitude coastal upwelling locality. The benthic foraminiferal fauna displays four main community shifts corresponding to fundamental climatic events, first of all during late MIS3 (35-28kaBP), secondly from 28 to 19kaBP (including Heinrich event 2 and the LGM), thirdly within Heinrich event 1, the B{\o}lling Aller{\o}d and the Younger Dryas (18-11.5kaBP) and finally during the Holocene (11.5-0kaBP). In particular, strong pelagic-benthic coupling is apparent in MIS 3, as demonstrated by increased primary productivity, indicated by moderate DAR and the dominance of benthic foraminiferal species which prefer fresh phytodetritus. A decline in upwelling intensity and nutrient availability follows, which resulted in a proportionately larger amount of older, degraded matter, provoking a shift in the benthic foraminifera fauna composition. This rapid response of the benthic environment continues with a progressive increase in upwelling intensity due to sea level and oceanographic changes and according high surface production during the LGM. During Heinrich event 1 and the Younger Dryas, extreme levels of primary production actually hindered benthic environment through the development of low oxygen conditions. After this period, a final change in benthic foraminiferal community composition occurs which indicates a return to more oxygenated conditions during the Holocene.",

keywords = "Benthic foraminifera, Palaeoproductivity, Pelagic-benthic, Subtropical NE Atlantic, Upwelling",

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T1 - Pelagic-benthic coupling within an upwelling system of the subtropical northeast Atlantic over the last 35kaBP

AU - McKay, C. L.

AU - Filipsson, H. L.

AU - Romero, O. E.

AU - Stuut, J. B.W.

AU - Donner, B.

PY - 2014/12/15

Y1 - 2014/12/15

N2 - We present a high resolution, multiproxy study of the relationship between pelagic and benthic environments of a coastal upwelling system in the subtropical NE Atlantic Ocean. Marine sediments corresponding to late MIS3 to the Holocene in the radiocarbon dated core GeoB7926, retrieved off Mauritania (21°N) were analysed to reconstruct productivity in surface waters and its linkage to deep waters during the last 35kaBP. High latitude cold events and changes in atmospheric and oceanographic dynamics influenced upwelling intensity over this time period. Subsequently, this caused changes in primary productivity off this low-latitude coastal upwelling locality. The benthic foraminiferal fauna displays four main community shifts corresponding to fundamental climatic events, first of all during late MIS3 (35-28kaBP), secondly from 28 to 19kaBP (including Heinrich event 2 and the LGM), thirdly within Heinrich event 1, the Bølling Allerød and the Younger Dryas (18-11.5kaBP) and finally during the Holocene (11.5-0kaBP). In particular, strong pelagic-benthic coupling is apparent in MIS 3, as demonstrated by increased primary productivity, indicated by moderate DAR and the dominance of benthic foraminiferal species which prefer fresh phytodetritus. A decline in upwelling intensity and nutrient availability follows, which resulted in a proportionately larger amount of older, degraded matter, provoking a shift in the benthic foraminifera fauna composition. This rapid response of the benthic environment continues with a progressive increase in upwelling intensity due to sea level and oceanographic changes and according high surface production during the LGM. During Heinrich event 1 and the Younger Dryas, extreme levels of primary production actually hindered benthic environment through the development of low oxygen conditions. After this period, a final change in benthic foraminiferal community composition occurs which indicates a return to more oxygenated conditions during the Holocene.

AB - We present a high resolution, multiproxy study of the relationship between pelagic and benthic environments of a coastal upwelling system in the subtropical NE Atlantic Ocean. Marine sediments corresponding to late MIS3 to the Holocene in the radiocarbon dated core GeoB7926, retrieved off Mauritania (21°N) were analysed to reconstruct productivity in surface waters and its linkage to deep waters during the last 35kaBP. High latitude cold events and changes in atmospheric and oceanographic dynamics influenced upwelling intensity over this time period. Subsequently, this caused changes in primary productivity off this low-latitude coastal upwelling locality. The benthic foraminiferal fauna displays four main community shifts corresponding to fundamental climatic events, first of all during late MIS3 (35-28kaBP), secondly from 28 to 19kaBP (including Heinrich event 2 and the LGM), thirdly within Heinrich event 1, the Bølling Allerød and the Younger Dryas (18-11.5kaBP) and finally during the Holocene (11.5-0kaBP). In particular, strong pelagic-benthic coupling is apparent in MIS 3, as demonstrated by increased primary productivity, indicated by moderate DAR and the dominance of benthic foraminiferal species which prefer fresh phytodetritus. A decline in upwelling intensity and nutrient availability follows, which resulted in a proportionately larger amount of older, degraded matter, provoking a shift in the benthic foraminifera fauna composition. This rapid response of the benthic environment continues with a progressive increase in upwelling intensity due to sea level and oceanographic changes and according high surface production during the LGM. During Heinrich event 1 and the Younger Dryas, extreme levels of primary production actually hindered benthic environment through the development of low oxygen conditions. After this period, a final change in benthic foraminiferal community composition occurs which indicates a return to more oxygenated conditions during the Holocene.

KW - Benthic foraminifera

KW - Palaeoproductivity

KW - Pelagic-benthic

KW - Subtropical NE Atlantic

KW - Upwelling

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DO - 10.1016/j.quascirev.2014.04.027

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AN - SCOPUS:85027922070

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JO - Quaternary Science Reviews

JF - Quaternary Science Reviews

ER -

Pelagic-benthic coupling within an upwelling system of the subtropical northeast Atlantic over the last 35kaBP

Abstract

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UN SDGs

Keywords

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