Kienast Markus

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Kienast
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Markus
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  • Article
    Near collapse of the meridional SST gradient in the eastern equatorial Pacific during Heinrich Stadial 1
    (John Wiley & Sons, 2013-11-25) Kienast, Stephanie S. ; Friedrich, Tobias ; Dubois, Nathalie ; Hill, Paul S. ; Timmermann, Axel ; Mix, Alan C. ; Kienast, Markus
    Sea surface temperatures (SST) and inorganic continental input over the last 25,000 years (25 ka) are reconstructed in the far eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) based on three cores stretching from the equatorial front (~0.01°N, ME0005-24JC) into the cold tongue region (~3.6°S; TR163-31P and V19-30). We revisit previously published alkenone-derived SST records for these sites and present a revised chronology for V19-30. Inorganic continental input is quantified at all three sites based on 230Th-normalized fluxes of the long-lived continental isotope thorium-232 and interpreted to be largely dust. Our data show a very weak meridional (cross-equatorial) SST gradient during Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1, 18–15 ka B.P.) and high dust input along with peak export production at and north of the equator. These findings are corroborated by an Earth system model experiment for HS1 that simulates intensified northeasterly trade winds in the EEP, stronger equatorial upwelling, and surface cooling. Furthermore, the related southward shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) during HS1 is also indicative of drier conditions in the typical source regions for dust.
  • Article
    Glacial-interglacial modulation of the marine nitrogen cycle by high-latitude O2 supply to the global thermocline
    (American Geophysical Union, 2004-10-16) Galbraith, Eric D. ; Kienast, Markus ; Pedersen, Thomas F. ; Calvert, Stephen E.
    An analysis of sedimentary nitrogen isotope records compiled from widely distributed marine environments emphasizes the global synchrony of denitrification changes and provides evidence for a strong temporal coupling of these variations to changes in nitrogen fixation as previously inferred. We explain the global coherence of these records by a simple physical control on the flux of dissolved oxygen to suboxic zones and the coupling to fixation via the supply of phosphorus to diazotrophs in suitable environments. According to our hypothesis, lower glacial-stage sea surface temperature increased oxygen solubility, while stronger winds in high-latitude regions enhanced the rate of thermocline ventilation. The resultant colder, rapidly flushed thermocline lessened the spatial extent of denitrification and, consequently, N fixation. During warm periods, sluggish circulation of warmer, less oxygen rich thermocline waters caused expansion of denitrification zones and a concomitant increase in N fixation. Local fluctuations in export productivity would have modulated this global signal.
  • Preprint
    Millennial-scale Atlantic/East Pacific sea surface temperature linkages during the last 100,000 years
    ( 2014-04) Dubois, Nathalie ; Kienast, Markus ; Kienast, Stephanie S. ; Timmermann, Axel
    Amplifying both internally generated variability and remote climate signals from the Atlantic Ocean via coupled air-sea instabilities, the eastern tropical Pacific (ETP) is well situated to detect past climate changes and variations in Central American wind systems that dynamically link the Atlantic and the Pacific. Here we compare new and previously published alkenone-based sea surface temperature (SST) reconstructions from diverse environments within the ETP, i.e. the Eastern Pacific Warm Pool (EPWP), the equatorial and the northern Peruvian Upwelling regions over the past 100,000 years. Over this time period, a fairly constant meridional temperature gradient across the region is observed, indicating similar hydrographic conditions during glacial and interglacial periods. The data further reveal that millennial- scale cold events associated with massive iceberg surges in the North Atlantic (Heinrich events) generate cooling in the ETP from ~8°N to ~2°S. Data from Heinrich event 1 however indicate that the response changes sign south of 2°S. These millennial-scale alterations of the SST pattern across diverse environments of the ETP support previous climate modeling experiments that suggested an Atlantic-Pacific connection caused by the intensification of the Central American gap winds, enhanced upwelling and mixing north of the equator and supported by positive air-sea feedbacks in the eastern tropical Pacific.
  • Article
    On the sedimentological origin of down-core variations of bulk sedimentary nitrogen isotope ratios
    (American Geophysical Union, 2005-05-27) Kienast, Markus ; Higginson, M. J. ; Mollenhauer, Gesine ; Eglinton, Timothy I. ; Chen, Min-Te ; Calvert, Stephen E.
    The bulk sedimentary nitrogen isotopic composition of two cores from nearby sites on the northern slope of the South China Sea (Site 17940 and Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1144) differs by up to >2‰ during the last glacial period. Given their close proximity, both core sites are located in the same biogeographic zone and nutrient regime, and it is thus unlikely that this offset is due to a true gradient in surface ocean conditions. In an attempt to resolve this offset, we have investigated the possible effects of two sedimentological parameters that can affect bulk sedimentary δ15N, namely, the variable contribution of inorganic N to bulk N in the sediment and the grain-size dependence of bulk δ15N. We find that neither effect, singly or in combination, is sufficient to explain the significant δ15N offset between the two down-core records. By elimination the most likely explanation for the observed discrepancy is a different origin of both the organic and inorganic nitrogen at each site. This study adds to the growing body of evidence highlighting the complex nature and origin of the sedimentary components in sediment drifts, such as ODP Site 1144.
  • Article
    An evaluation of 14C age relationships between co-occurring foraminifera, alkenones, and total organic carbon in continental margin sediments
    (American Geophysical Union, 2005-01-25) Mollenhauer, Gesine ; Kienast, Markus ; Lamy, Frank ; Meggers, Helge ; Schneider, Ralph R. ; Hayes, John M. ; Eglinton, Timothy I.
    Radiocarbon age relationships between co-occurring planktic foraminifera, alkenones and total organic carbon in sediments from the continental margins of Southern Chile, Northwest Africa and the South China Sea were compared with published results from the Namibian margin. Age relationships between the sediment components are site-specific and relatively constant over time. Similar to the Namibian slope, where alkenones have been reported to be 1000 to 4500 years older than co-occurring foraminifera, alkenones were significantly (~1000 yrs) older than co-occurring foraminifera in the Chilean margin sediments. In contrast, alkenones and foraminifera were of similar age (within 2σ error or better) in the NW African and South China Sea sediments. Total-organic-matter and alkenone ages were similar off Namibia (age difference TOC-alkenones: 200-700 years), Chile (100-450 years), and NW Africa (360-770 years), suggesting minor contributions of pre-aged terrigenous material. In the South China Sea total organic carbon is significantly (2000-3000 yrs) older due to greater inputs of pre-aged terrigenous material. Age offsets between alkenones and planktic foraminifera are attributed to lateral advection of organic matter. Physical characteristics of the depositional setting, such as sea-floor morphology, shelf width, and sediment composition, may control the age of co-occurring 2 sediment components. In particular, offsets between alkenones and foraminifera appear to be greatest in deposition centers in morphologic depressions. Aging of organic matter is promoted by transport. Age offsets are correlated with organic richness, suggesting that formation of organic aggregate is a key process.
  • Article
    Origin of the deep Bering Sea nitrate deficit : constraints from the nitrogen and oxygen isotopic composition of water column nitrate and benthic nitrate fluxes
    (American Geophysical Union, 2005-10-12) Lehmann, Moritz F. ; Sigman, Daniel M. ; McCorkle, Daniel C. ; Brunelle, Brigitte G. ; Hoffmann, Sharon S. ; Kienast, Markus ; Cane, Greg ; Clement, Jaclyn
    On the basis of the normalization to phosphate, a significant amount of nitrate is missing from the deep Bering Sea (BS). Benthic denitrification has been suggested previously to be the dominant cause for the BS nitrate deficit. We measured water column nitrate 15N/14N and 18O/16O as integrative tracers of microbial denitrification, together with pore water-derived benthic nitrate fluxes in the deep BS basin, in order to gain new constraints on the mechanism of fixed nitrogen loss in the BS. The lack of any nitrate isotope enrichment into the deep part of the BS supports the benthic denitrification hypothesis. On the basis of the nitrate deficit in the water column with respect to the adjacent North Pacific and a radiocarbon-derived ventilation age of ∼50 years, we calculate an average deep BS (>2000 m water depth) sedimentary denitrification rate of ∼230 μmol N m−2 d−1 (or 1.27 Tg N yr−1), more than 3 times higher than high-end estimates of the average global sedimentary denitrification rate for the same depth interval. Pore water-derived estimates of benthic denitrification were variable, and uncertainties in estimates were large. A very high denitrification rate measured from the base of the steep northern slope of the basin suggests that the elevated average sedimentary denitrification rate of the deep Bering calculated from the nitrate deficit is driven by organic matter supply to the base of the continental slope, owing to a combination of high primary productivity in the surface waters along the shelf break and efficient down-slope sediment focusing along the steep continental slopes that characterize the BS.