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Seasonal climate variations in the Baltic Sea during the Last Interglacial based on foraminiferal geochemistry

Ni, S. LU ; Quintana Krupinski, N. B. LU ; Chonewicz, J. ; Groeneveld, J. LU ; Knudsen, K. L. ; Seidenkrantz, M. S. and Filipsson, H. L. LU orcid (2021) In Quaternary Science Reviews 272.
Abstract

Climate during the Last Interglacial period (LIG, Marine Isotope Stage 5e) was on average warmer than the present, with a higher global sea level but also more unstable conditions. Today, the Baltic Sea interacts strongly with conditions in the North Atlantic region, and this interaction was likely even stronger during the LIG. We here present a reconstruction of seawater conditions during the LIG based on benthic foraminiferal geochemistry (stable isotopes and trace elements) and compare these records with modern marine monitoring data to evaluate seasonal hydrographic conditions in the western and southern Baltic Sea during the first half of the LIG (130–123 ka BP). Our reconstructions reflect the evolution of seasonal temperature and... (More)

Climate during the Last Interglacial period (LIG, Marine Isotope Stage 5e) was on average warmer than the present, with a higher global sea level but also more unstable conditions. Today, the Baltic Sea interacts strongly with conditions in the North Atlantic region, and this interaction was likely even stronger during the LIG. We here present a reconstruction of seawater conditions during the LIG based on benthic foraminiferal geochemistry (stable isotopes and trace elements) and compare these records with modern marine monitoring data to evaluate seasonal hydrographic conditions in the western and southern Baltic Sea during the first half of the LIG (130–123 ka BP). Our reconstructions reflect the evolution of seasonal temperature and salinity, rather than annual mean conditions. The spring LIG bottom water temperatures in the Skagerrak and Kattegat were ∼2–3 °C higher compared to the modern spring bottom water temperatures. During the LIG, there was an increase in seasonality in bottom water temperature (progressively warmer summers and cooler springs) in the southern Baltic Sea, which can be linked to seasonal insolation changes. Moreover, our data suggest a decreased gradient of bottom water salinity along a transect through the Skagerrak-Kattegat-Danish Straits-southern Baltic Sea, supporting previous investigations inferring a stronger ocean-water influx into the Baltic Sea during the LIG than at present.

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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Benthic foraminifera, Hydrography, Seasonality, The Baltic Sea, The Last Interglacial, The Skagerrak
in
Quaternary Science Reviews
volume
272
article number
107220
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85116604885
ISSN
0277-3791
DOI
10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.107220
project
MERGE SP: Proxy-based reconstructions and model simulations of seasonal climate variations during the Last Interglacial in the Baltic Sea
Tracing marine hypoxic conditions during warm periods using a microanalytical approach
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors
id
b5324c8a-7103-4ed7-bbb5-b5ccbbe25939
date added to LUP
2021-10-19 14:02:37
date last changed
2025-04-04 15:46:58
@article{b5324c8a-7103-4ed7-bbb5-b5ccbbe25939,
  abstract     = {{<p>Climate during the Last Interglacial period (LIG, Marine Isotope Stage 5e) was on average warmer than the present, with a higher global sea level but also more unstable conditions. Today, the Baltic Sea interacts strongly with conditions in the North Atlantic region, and this interaction was likely even stronger during the LIG. We here present a reconstruction of seawater conditions during the LIG based on benthic foraminiferal geochemistry (stable isotopes and trace elements) and compare these records with modern marine monitoring data to evaluate seasonal hydrographic conditions in the western and southern Baltic Sea during the first half of the LIG (130–123 ka BP). Our reconstructions reflect the evolution of seasonal temperature and salinity, rather than annual mean conditions. The spring LIG bottom water temperatures in the Skagerrak and Kattegat were ∼2–3 °C higher compared to the modern spring bottom water temperatures. During the LIG, there was an increase in seasonality in bottom water temperature (progressively warmer summers and cooler springs) in the southern Baltic Sea, which can be linked to seasonal insolation changes. Moreover, our data suggest a decreased gradient of bottom water salinity along a transect through the Skagerrak-Kattegat-Danish Straits-southern Baltic Sea, supporting previous investigations inferring a stronger ocean-water influx into the Baltic Sea during the LIG than at present.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ni, S. and Quintana Krupinski, N. B. and Chonewicz, J. and Groeneveld, J. and Knudsen, K. L. and Seidenkrantz, M. S. and Filipsson, H. L.}},
  issn         = {{0277-3791}},
  keywords     = {{Benthic foraminifera; Hydrography; Seasonality; The Baltic Sea; The Last Interglacial; The Skagerrak}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{11}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Quaternary Science Reviews}},
  title        = {{Seasonal climate variations in the Baltic Sea during the Last Interglacial based on foraminiferal geochemistry}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.107220}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.107220}},
  volume       = {{272}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}