Incarbona, Alessandro; Martrat, Belén; Mortyn, P Graham; Sprovieri, Mario; Ziveri, Patrizia; Gogou, Alexandra; Jordà, Gabriel; Xoplaki, Elena; Luterbacher, Jürg; Langone, Leonardo; Marino, Gianluca; Rodriguez-Sanz, Laura; Triantaphyllou, Maria; Di Stefano, Enrico; Grimalt, Joan O; Tranchida, Giorgio; Sprovieri, Rodolfo; Mazzola, Salvatore (2016): Stable isotopes, radionuclides, and calculated sea surface temperature of two sediment cores in the Sicily Channel [dataset publication series]. PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.861974, Supplement to: Incarbona, A et al. (2016): Mediterranean circulation perturbations over the last five centuries: Relevance to past Eastern Mediterranean Transient-type events. Scientific Reports, https://doi.org/10.1038/srep29623
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Abstract:
The Eastern Mediterranean Transient (EMT) occurred in the Aegean Sea from 1988 to 1995 and is the most significant intermediate-to-deep Mediterranean overturning perturbation reported by instrumental records. The EMT was likely caused by accumulation of high salinity waters in the Levantine and enhanced heat loss in the Aegean Sea, coupled with surface water freshening in the Sicily Channel. It is still unknown whether similar transients occurred in the past and, if so, what their forcing processes were. In this study, sediments from the Sicily Channel document surface water freshening (SCFR) at 1910±12, 1812±18, 1725±25 and 1580±30 CE. A regional ocean hindcast links SCFR to enhanced deep-water production and in turn to strengthened Mediterranean thermohaline circulation. Independent evidence collected in the Aegean Sea supports this reconstruction, showing that enhanced bottom water ventilation in the Eastern Mediterranean was associated with each SCFR event. Comparison between the records and multi-decadal atmospheric circulation patterns and climatic external forcings indicates that Mediterranean circulation destabilisation occurs during positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and negative Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) phases, reduced solar activity and strong tropical volcanic eruptions. They may have recurrently produced favourable deep-water formation conditions, both increasing salinity and reducing temperature on multi-decadal time scales.
Project(s):
Funding:
Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), grant/award no. 243908: Climate Change: Learning from the past climate
Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), grant/award no. 265103: Mediterranean Sea Acidification in a Changing Climate
Coverage:
Median Latitude: 36.541650 * Median Longitude: 14.183350 * South-bound Latitude: 36.383300 * West-bound Longitude: 13.916700 * North-bound Latitude: 36.700000 * East-bound Longitude: 14.450000
License:
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC-BY-3.0)
Size:
2 datasets
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Datasets listed in this publication series
- Incarbona, A; Martrat, B; Mortyn, PG et al. (2016): Stable isotopes, radionuclides, and calculated sea surface temperature of sediment core ANSIC-03_342. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.861972
- Incarbona, A; Martrat, B; Mortyn, PG et al. (2016): Stable isotopes, radionuclides, and calculated sea surface temperature of sediment core ANSIC-03_407. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.861973