Influence of northwest Pacific productivity on North Pacific Intermediate Water oxygen concentrations during the Bølling-Ållerød interval (14.7–12.9 ka)

• DOI: 10.1130/g20508.1
• Publication Date: 2004-06-24T13:53:10Z
• Authors: John Crusius; Thomas F. Pedersen; Stephanie Kienast; Lloyd Keigwin; Laurent Labeyrie
• Keywords: 13. Climate action; 14. Life underwater; 16. Peace & justice; 01 natural sciences; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

Elevated productivity in the northwest Pacific is suggested as a new possible control driving past intervals of low-O2 intermediate water along the western continental margin of North America. According to this mechanism, O2 consumption would occur near the site of formation of North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW), due to increased respiration of organic carbon in response to a high-productivity event. Evidence is provided for such a productivity increase during the Bolling-Allerod interval (14.7–12.9 ka), a time when laminated sediments were deposited along the northern California margin. By this mechanism, low-O2 events in intermediate waters off the western North American margin could occur without significant changes in the rate of NPIW ventilation.