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Controls on the East Asian monsoon during the last glacial cycle, based on comparison between Hulu Cave and polar ice-core records

Controls on the East Asian monsoon during the last glacial cycle, based on comparison between Hulu Cave and polar ice-core records
Controls on the East Asian monsoon during the last glacial cycle, based on comparison between Hulu Cave and polar ice-core records
Previous studies have suggested a sound chronological correlation between the Hulu Cave record (East Asian monsoon) and Greenland ice-core records, which implies a dominant control of northern hemisphere climate processes on monsoon intensity. We present an objective, straightforward statistical evaluation that challenges this generally accepted paradigm for sub-orbital variability. We propose a more flexible, global interpretation, which takes into account a broad range of variability in the signal structures in the Hulu Cave and polar ice-core records, rather than a limited number of major transitions. Our analysis employs the layer-counted Greenland Ice-Core Chronology 2005 (GICC05), which was developed for Greenland records and has since been applied – via methane synchronisation – to the high-resolution ?18Oice series from EPICA Dronning Maud Land (EDML). The GICC05 chronology allows these ice-core records to be compared to the U–Th dated Hulu Cave record within relatively narrow (3%) bounds of age uncertainty. Following previous suggestions, our proposed interpretation suggests that the East Asian monsoon is influenced by a combination of northern hemisphere ‘pull’ (which is more intense during boreal warm periods), and southern hemisphere ‘push’ (which is more intense monsoon during austral cold periods). Our analysis strongly suggests a dominant control on millennial-scale monsoon variability by southern hemisphere climate changes during glacial times when the monsoon is weak overall, and control by northern hemisphere climate changes during deglacial and interglacial times when the monsoon is strong. The deduced temporally variable relationship with southern hemisphere climate records offers a statistically more plausible reason for the apparent coincidence of major East Asian monsoon transitions with northern hemisphere (Dansgaard–Oeschger, DO) climate events during glacial times, than the traditional a priori interpretation of strict northern hemisphere control.

0277-3791
3294-3302
Rohling, E.J.
a2a27ef2-fcce-4c71-907b-e692b5ecc685
Liu, Q.S.
9890d7f1-dde6-4842-ba93-5895b0f7520b
Roberts, A.P.
4497b436-ef02-428d-a46e-65a22094ba52
Stanford, J.D.
ec911ce0-c35d-4fd8-9479-b142dfaf1c2e
Rasmussen, S.O.
f0465bed-5fe6-4339-a2e9-39803541925d
Langen, P.L.
c5334cee-1f55-482c-9c15-a890c5dc0d77
Siddall, M.
9c045dd5-498b-488b-9c67-23e24d90ebcc
Rohling, E.J.
a2a27ef2-fcce-4c71-907b-e692b5ecc685
Liu, Q.S.
9890d7f1-dde6-4842-ba93-5895b0f7520b
Roberts, A.P.
4497b436-ef02-428d-a46e-65a22094ba52
Stanford, J.D.
ec911ce0-c35d-4fd8-9479-b142dfaf1c2e
Rasmussen, S.O.
f0465bed-5fe6-4339-a2e9-39803541925d
Langen, P.L.
c5334cee-1f55-482c-9c15-a890c5dc0d77
Siddall, M.
9c045dd5-498b-488b-9c67-23e24d90ebcc

Rohling, E.J., Liu, Q.S., Roberts, A.P., Stanford, J.D., Rasmussen, S.O., Langen, P.L. and Siddall, M. (2009) Controls on the East Asian monsoon during the last glacial cycle, based on comparison between Hulu Cave and polar ice-core records. Quaternary Science Reviews, 28 (27-28), 3294-3302. (doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2009.09.007).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Previous studies have suggested a sound chronological correlation between the Hulu Cave record (East Asian monsoon) and Greenland ice-core records, which implies a dominant control of northern hemisphere climate processes on monsoon intensity. We present an objective, straightforward statistical evaluation that challenges this generally accepted paradigm for sub-orbital variability. We propose a more flexible, global interpretation, which takes into account a broad range of variability in the signal structures in the Hulu Cave and polar ice-core records, rather than a limited number of major transitions. Our analysis employs the layer-counted Greenland Ice-Core Chronology 2005 (GICC05), which was developed for Greenland records and has since been applied – via methane synchronisation – to the high-resolution ?18Oice series from EPICA Dronning Maud Land (EDML). The GICC05 chronology allows these ice-core records to be compared to the U–Th dated Hulu Cave record within relatively narrow (3%) bounds of age uncertainty. Following previous suggestions, our proposed interpretation suggests that the East Asian monsoon is influenced by a combination of northern hemisphere ‘pull’ (which is more intense during boreal warm periods), and southern hemisphere ‘push’ (which is more intense monsoon during austral cold periods). Our analysis strongly suggests a dominant control on millennial-scale monsoon variability by southern hemisphere climate changes during glacial times when the monsoon is weak overall, and control by northern hemisphere climate changes during deglacial and interglacial times when the monsoon is strong. The deduced temporally variable relationship with southern hemisphere climate records offers a statistically more plausible reason for the apparent coincidence of major East Asian monsoon transitions with northern hemisphere (Dansgaard–Oeschger, DO) climate events during glacial times, than the traditional a priori interpretation of strict northern hemisphere control.

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Published date: December 2009

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 73008
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/73008
ISSN: 0277-3791
PURE UUID: 0c520316-ef35-4de2-9205-232d2e8ceeb9
ORCID for E.J. Rohling: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-5349-2158

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Date deposited: 25 Feb 2010
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:37

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Contributors

Author: E.J. Rohling ORCID iD
Author: Q.S. Liu
Author: A.P. Roberts
Author: J.D. Stanford
Author: S.O. Rasmussen
Author: P.L. Langen
Author: M. Siddall

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