Sea surface temperature and sea ice variability in the subpolar North Atlantic from explosive volcanism of the late thirteenth century

Type Article
Date 2013-10
Language English
Author(s) Sicre M. -A.1, Khodri M.2, Mignot J.2, 3, Eiriksson J.4, 5, Knudsen K. -L.6, Ezat U.1, Closset I.2, Nogues P.1, Masse G.2, 7
Affiliation(s) 1 : Domaine CNRS, IPSL, LSCE, FR-91191 Gif Sur Yvette, France.
2 : Univ Paris 06, IPSL, LOCEAN, Paris, France.
3 : Univ Bern, Inst Phys, Bern, Switzerland.
4 : Univ Iceland, Inst Earth Sci, Reykjavik, Iceland.
5 : Univ Copenhagen, Nat Hist Museum Denmark, Ctr GeoGenet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
6 : Aarhus Univ, Dept Geosci, Aarhus C, Denmark.
7 : TAKUVIK, UMI 3376, Quebec City, PQ, Canada.
Source Geophysical Research Letters (0094-8276) (Amer Geophysical Union), 2013-10 , Vol. 40 , N. 20 , P. 5526-5530
DOI 10.1002/2013GL057282
WOS© Times Cited 12
Abstract In this study, we use IP25 and alkenone biomarker proxies to document the subdecadal variations of sea ice and sea surface temperature in the subpolar North Atlantic induced by the decadally paced explosive tropical volcanic eruptions of the second half of the thirteenth century. The short-and long-term evolutions of both variables were investigated by cross analysis with a simulation of the IPSL-CM5A LR model. Our results show short-term ocean cooling and sea ice expansion in response to each volcanic eruption. They also highlight that the long response time of the ocean leads to cumulative surface cooling and subsurface heat buildup due to sea ice capping. As volcanic forcing relaxes, the surface ocean rapidly warms, likely amplified by subsurface heat, and remains almost ice free for several decades.
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Sicre M. -A., Khodri M., Mignot J., Eiriksson J., Knudsen K. -L., Ezat U., Closset I., Nogues P., Masse G. (2013). Sea surface temperature and sea ice variability in the subpolar North Atlantic from explosive volcanism of the late thirteenth century. Geophysical Research Letters, 40(20), 5526-5530. Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.1002/2013GL057282 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00264/37475/