A contracting Intertropical Convergence Zone during the Early Heinrich Stadial 1

Summary, in English

Despite the fact that the response of tropical hydroclimate to North Atlantic cooling events during the Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1) has been extensively studied in African, South American and Indonesia, the nature of such responses remains debated. Here we investigate the tropical hydroclimate pattern over the Indo-Asian-Australian monsoon region during the HS1 by integrating hydroclimatic records, and examining a δ¹⁸O_seawater record from Globigerinoides ruber (white) in the tropical Indian Ocean. Our findings indicate that tropical hydrological conditions were synchronously arid in both hemispheres during the early HS1 (~18.3-16.3 ka) in the Indo-Asian-Australian monsoon region, except for a narrow, wet hydrological belt in northern low latitudes, suggesting the existence of a contracted tropical precipitation belt at that time. This study reveals that the meltwater discharge and resulting changes in global temperatures and El Niño exerted a profound influence on the tropical hydroclimate in the Indo-Asian-Australian monsoon region during the early HS1.

• Author: Yiping Yang; Lanlan Zhang; Liang Yi; Fuchang Zhong; Zhengyao Lu; Sui Wan; Yan Du; Rong Xiang
• Department/s: BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate; MERGE: ModElling the Regional and Global Earth system; Dept of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science
• Publishing year: 2023-12
• Language: English
• Publication/Series: Nature Communications
• Volume: 14
• Issue: 1
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40377-9
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Topic: Climate Research
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 2041-1723