Glacial reduction of AMOC strength and long term transition in weathering inputs into the Southern Ocean since the Mid Miocene: Evidence from radiogenic Nd and Hf isotopes

Combined seawater radiogenic hafnium (Hf) and neodymium (Nd) isotope compositions were extracted from bulk sediment leachates and foraminifera of Site 1088, ODP Leg 177, 2082 m water depth on the Agulhas Ridge. The new data provide a continuous reconstruction of long and short-term changes in ocean circulation and continental weathering inputs since the Mid-Miocene. Due to its intermediate water depth the sediments of this core sensitively recorded changes in admixture of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) to the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) as a function of the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Nd isotope compositions (εNd) range from -7 to -11 with glacial values generally 1 to 3 units more radiogenic than during the interglacials of the Quaternary. The data reveal episodes of significantly increased AMOC strength during late Miocene and Pliocene warm periods whereas peak radiogenic εNd values mark a strongly diminished AMOC during the major intensification of Northern Hemisphere Glaciation near 2.8 Ma and in the Pleistocene after 1.5 Ma. In contrast, the Hf isotope compositions (εHf) show an essentially continuous evolution from highly radiogenic values of up to +11 during the Miocene to less radiogenic present day values (+2 to +4) during the late Quaternary. The data document a long-term transition in dominant weathering inputs, where inputs from the South America are replaced by those from Southern Africa. Moreover, radiogenic peaks provide evidence for the supply of radiogenic Hf originating from Patagonian rocks to the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean via dust inputs

Peak Last Glacial weathering intensity on the North American continent recorded by the authigenic Hf isotope composition of North Atlantic deep-sea sediments

We have retrieved radiogenic hafnium (Hf) isotope compositions (ɛHf) from authigenic Fe–Mn oxyhydroxides of deep northwest Atlantic sediments deposited over the past 26 ka to investigate the oceanic evidence of changes in dissolved weathering inputs from NE America during the last deglaciation. The extraction of seawater-derived Hf isotopic compositions from Fe–Mn oxyhydroxides is not a standard procedure. Comparisons between the Al/Hf ratios and Hf isotopic compositions of the chemically extracted authigenic phase on the one hand, and those of the corresponding detrital fractions on the other, provide evidence that the composition of past seawater has been reliably obtained for most sampled depths with our leaching procedures. This is endorsed most strongly by data for a sediment core from 4250 m water depth at the deeper Blake Ridge, for which consistent replicates were produced throughout. The Hf isotopic composition of the most recent sample in this core also closely matches that of nearby present day central North Atlantic seawater. Comparison with previously published seawater Nd and Pb isotope compositions obtained on the same cores shows that both Hf and Pb were released incongruently during incipient chemical weathering, but responded differently to the deglacial retreat of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Hafnium was released more congruently during peak glacial conditions of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and changed to typical incongruent interglacial ɛHf signatures either during or shortly after the LGM. This indicates that some zircon-derived Hf was released to seawater during the LGM. Conversely, there is no clear evidence for an increase in the influence of weathering of Lu-rich mineral phases during deglaciation, possibly since relatively unradiogenic Hf contributions from feldspar weathering were superimposed. While the authigenic Pb isotope signal in the same marine sediment samples traced peak chemical weathering rates on continental North America during the transition to the Holocene a similar incongruent excursion is notably absent in the Hf isotope record. The early change towards more radiogenic ɛHf in relation to the LGM may provide direct evidence for the transition from a cold-based to a warm-based Laurentide Ice Sheet on the Atlantic sector of North America

Modelling global-scale climate impacts of the late Miocene Messinian Salinity Crisis

Late Miocene tectonic changes in Mediterranean–Atlantic connectivity and climatic changes caused Mediterranean salinity to fluctuate dramatically, including a ten-fold increase and near-freshening. Recent proxy- and model-based evidence suggests that at times during this Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC, 5.96–5.33 Ma), highly saline and highly fresh Mediterranean water flowed into the North Atlantic Ocean, whilst at others, no Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW) reached the Atlantic. By running extreme, sensitivity-type experiments with a fully coupled ocean–atmosphere general circulation model, we investigate the potential of these various MSC MOW scenarios to impact global-scale climate. The simulations suggest that although the effect remains relatively small, MOW had a greater influence on North Atlantic Ocean circulation and climate than it does today. We also find that depending on the presence, strength and salinity of MOW, the MSC could have been capable of cooling mid–high northern latitudes by a few degrees, with the greatest cooling taking place in the Labrador, Greenland–Iceland–Norwegian and Barents seas. With hypersaline MOW, a component of North Atlantic Deep Water formation shifts to the Mediterranean, strengthening the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) south of 35° N by 1.5–6 Sv. With hyposaline MOW, AMOC completely shuts down, inducing a bipolar climate anomaly with strong cooling in the north (mainly −1 to −3 °C, but up to −8 °C) and weaker warming in the south (up to +0.5 to +2.7 °C). These simulations identify key target regions and climate variables for future proxy reconstructions to provide the best and most robust test cases for (a) assessing Messinian model performance, (b) evaluating Mediterranean–Atlantic connectivity during the MSC and (c) establishing whether or not the MSC could ever have affected global-scale climate

Arctic drainage of Laurentide Ice Sheet meltwater throughout the past 14,700 years

© The Author(s), 2022. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Sufke, F., Gutjahr, M., Keigwin, L. D., Reilly, B., Giosan, L., & Lippold, J. Arctic drainage of Laurentide Ice Sheet meltwater throughout the past 14,700 years. Communications Earth & Environment, 3(1), (2022): 98, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00428-3.During the last deglaciation substantial volumes of meltwater from the decaying Laurentide Ice Sheet were supplied to the Arctic, Gulf of Mexico and North Atlantic along different drainage routes, sometimes as catastrophic flood events. These events are suggested to have impacted global climate, for example initiating the Younger Dryas cold period. Here we analyze the authigenic Pb isotopic composition of sediments in front of the Arctic Mackenzie Delta, a sensitive tracer for elevated freshwater runoff of the retreating Laurentide Ice Sheet. Our data reveal continuous meltwater supply to the Arctic along the Mackenzie River since the onset of the Bølling–Allerød. The strongest Lake Agassiz outflow event is observed at the end of the Bølling–Allerød close to the onset of the Younger Dryas. In context of deglacial North American runoff records from the southern and eastern outlets, our findings provide a detailed reconstruction of the deglacial drainage chronology of the disintegrating Laurentide Ice Sheet.Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL

Differential inhibition of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) by toll-like receptor ligands mediated by interferon-beta in human foreskin fibroblasts and cervical tissue

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can be acquired sexually and is shed from the genital tract. Cross-sectional studies in women show that changes in genital tract microbial flora affect HCMV infection and/or shedding. Since genital microbial flora may affect HCMV infection or replication by stimulating cells through Toll-like receptors (TLR), we assessed the effects of defined TLR-ligands on HCMV replication in foreskin fibroblasts and ectocervical tissue. Poly I:C (a TLR3-ligand) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS, a TLR4-ligand) inhibited HCMV and induced secretion of IL-8 and Interferon-beta (IFNβ) in both foreskin fibroblasts and ectocervical tissue. The anti-HCMV effect was reversed by antibody to IFNβ. CpG (TLR9 ligand) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA, TLR2 ligand) also inhibited HCMV infection in ectocervical tissue and this anti-HCMV effect was also reversed by anti-IFNβ antibody. In contrast, LTA and CpG did not inhibit HCMV infection in foreskin fibroblasts. This study shows that TLR ligands induce an HCMV-antiviral effect that is mediated by IFNβ suggesting that changes in genital tract flora may affect HCMV infection or shedding by stimulating TLR. This study also contrasts the utility of two models that can be used for assessing the interaction of microbial flora with HCMV in the genital tract. Clear differences in the response to different TLR ligands suggests the explant model more closely reflects in vivo responses to genital infections

Shelf-to-basin iron shuttle in the Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California

Enrichments of highly reactive iron (Fe) (sum of Fe (oxyhydr)oxide, carbonate and sulfide minerals) in marine sediments and sedimentary rocks are commonly interpreted as an indication of anoxic conditions in the bottom water at the time of deposition. The model system for this proxy rationale is the semi-restricted Black Sea, where sediments underneath the anoxic and sulfidic (i.e., euxinic) deep-water are enriched in reactive Fe, which was mobilized from the surrounding shelf areas. To test whether such a shelf-to-basin Fe shuttle can operate in semi-restricted basins without euxinic deep water, we investigated sedimentary Fe speciation and Fe isotope compositions in sediments of the Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California. Sediments on the slope underneath the eastern equatorial Pacific oxygen minimum zone and sediments within the oxic deep basin are both enriched in reactive Fe, with reactive Fe making up 45 ± 11 % of the total Fe pool. The following mechanisms may contribute to these Fe enrichments: (1) Release of dissolved Fe from anoxic shelf and slope sediments followed by lateral transport of dissolved and/or particulate Fe in the water column; (2) preferential transport of fine-grained, terrigenous particles with a high reactive Fe content into the basin; (3) microbially mediated conversion of non-reactive silicate minerals to reactive Fe minerals during transport; (4) hydrothermal venting and lateral Fe transport within the deep water. The first process can explain reactive Fe enrichments in slope sediments, whereas all processes may contribute to sedimentary Fe enrichments in the deeper basin. The δ56Fe value of sediments increases from shelf to slope and decreases from the slope into the basin. This lateral pattern of δ56Fe, as well as the pattern of Fe enrichment, is similar to that observed in other marine systems with a Fe shuttle. However, the size of the Fe enrichment, and the range in δ56Fe (-0.06 to +0.16‰) is smaller. This difference is due to higher terrigenous sedimentation rates in the Guaymas Basin and, therefore, more intense dilution of shuttle-derived reactive Fe. We argue that, depending on the extent of bathymetric restriction and terrigenous background sedimentation, reactive Fe enrichments can form under a broad range of redox conditions and in diverse sedimentary environments. The concepts applied in this study can be used to identify those circumstances in the paleo-record

Southern Ocean and Weddell Sea bottom water Pb isotope compositions trace ice sheet dynamics and regional circulation patterns today and during the past 140 ka

Dissolved lead (Pb) is mainly supplied to the oceans by physical and chemical weathering on the continents. The short residence time of Pb in seawater on the order of only a few decades makes its isotopic compositions an excellent tracer for local continental inputs. Lead was found to be incongruently released during early chemical weathering on the continents (Erel et al., 1994), often generating a more radiogenic runoff signal compared to the bulk rock compositions (Gutjahr et al., 2009; Kurzweil et al., 2010; Crocket et al., 2012; Crocket et al., 2013). In addition, the presence of abundant ice-rafted detrital material (IRD) may also release a highly radiogenic signature in high latitude settings (Kurzweil et al., 2010; Crocket et al., 2012). In the (sub-)Antarctic marine environment, authigenic Pb isotope records from core top sediments offer the possibility of assessing spatial seawater Pb isotopic variability of subglacial Antarctic runoff. Furthermore, palaeo-seawater Pb isotope records extracted from authigenic Fe-Mn oxyhydroxides will likely record periods of enhanced iceberg calving, freshwater input, and/or associated circulation changes. Since the leaching method for extracting authigenic Pb from Antarctic proximal bulk sediments has not been studied to date, we firstly evaluated and refined existing reductive leaching methods (Gutjahr et al., 2007; Blaser et al., 2016;) for efficient and reliable chemical extraction of bottom seawater Pb isotope signals from Weddell Sea and Southern Ocean core top sediment samples. We investigated the effects of (i) the MgCl2 pre-treatment, (ii) the effectiveness of chelates as well as (iii) exposure time of sediments to reducing reagents on the Pb isotopic signals. Chelate EDTA shows stronger complexation ability to Pb than DTPA and can significantly prevent Pb from readsorption back onto sediment surfaces during leaching as described in previous studies (Gutjahr et al., 2007). We also found that leaching without extended (>20 min) shaking, hence only agitating sediments for less than a minute on a vortex mixer to help sediment disperse into leaching solution, can extract quantities of Pb as extracted with via leaching for 20 minutes in a shaker. Using this short-term “vortexing” method, reproducible and in most cases accurate isotopic ratios identical or close to seawater signals can be obtained. Therefore we suggest using the vortexing method with EDTA and without MgCl2 pre-treatment to recover authigenic Pb from Antarctic ice shelf-proximal bulk sediments. Employing this new method, we present Pb isotope records from 90 core top sediment samples from the Weddell Sea and the Atlantic sector of Southern Ocean covering ~4000 km of the Weddell Sea Antarctic continental margin. Furthermore, first results are presented from IODP Site 1094 delineating the authigenic Pb isotopic evolution over the past 140 ka tracing Antarctic ice sheet dynamics and Southern Ocean circulation. References: Blaser, P., Lippold, J., Gutjahr, M., Frank, N., Link, J.M., Frank, M., 2016. Extracting foraminiferal seawater Nd isotope signatures from bulk deep sea sediment by chemical leaching. Chemical Geology 439, 189-204. Crocket, K.C., Foster, G.L., Vance, D., Richards, D.A., Tranter, M., 2013. A Pb isotope tracer of ocean-ice sheet interaction: the record from the NE Atlantic during the Last Glacial/Interglacial cycle. Quaternary Science Reviews 82, 133-144. Crocket, K.C., Vance, D., Foster, G.L., Richards, D.A., Tranter, M., 2012. Continental weathering fluxes during the last glacial/interglacial cycle: insights from the marine sedimentary Pb isotope record at Orphan Knoll, NW Atlantic. Quaternary Science Reviews 38, 89-99. Erel, Y., Harlavan, Y., Blum, J.D., 1994. Lead isotope systematics of granitoid weathering. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 58, 5299-5306. Gutjahr, M., Frank, M., Halliday, A.N., Keigwin, L.D., 2009. Retreat of the Laurentide ice sheet tracked by the isotopic composition of Pb in western North Atlantic seawater during termination 1. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 286, 546-555. Gutjahr, M., Frank, M., Stirling, C.H., Klemm, V., Flierdt, T., Halliday, A.N., 2007. Reliable extraction of a deepwater trace metal isotope signal from Fe-Mn oxyhydroxide coatings of marine sediments. Chemical Geology 242, 351-370. Kurzweil, F., Gutjahr, M., Vance, D., Keigwin, L., 2010. Authigenic Pb isotopes from the Laurentian Fan: Changes in chemical weathering and patterns of North American freshwater runoff during the last deglaciation. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 299, 458-465

Northern Sourced Water dominated the Atlantic Ocean during the Last Glacial Maximum

Increased carbon sequestration in the ocean subsurface is commonly assumed to have been one of the main causes responsible for lower glacial atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Remineralized carbon must have been stored away from the atmosphere for thousands of years, yet the water mass structure accommodating such increased carbon storage continues to be debated. Here, we present new sediment-derived bottom-water neodymium isotope records that allow fingerprinting of water masses and provide a more complete picture of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation geometry during the Last Glacial Maximum. These results suggest that the vertical and meridional structure of the Atlantic water mass distribution only experienced minor changes since the last ice age. In particular, we find no compelling evidence supporting glacial southern-sourced water substantially expanding to shallower depths and farther into the Northern Hemisphere than today, which had been previously inferred from stable carbon isotope (δ13C) reconstructions. We argue that depleted δ13C values observed in the deep Northwest Atlantic do not necessarily indicate the presence of southern-sourced water. Instead, these values may represent a northern-sourced water mass with lower than modern preformed δ13C values that were further modified downstream by increased sequestration of remineralized carbon, facilitated by a more sluggish glacial deep circulation, corroborating previous evidence