Indonesian Throughflow drove Australian climate from humid Pliocene to arid Pleistocene
- Author(s)
- Beth A. Christensen, Willem Renema, Jorijntje Henderiks, David De Vleeschouwer, Jeroen Groeneveld, Isla S. Castañeda, Lars Reuning, Kara A. Bogus, Gerald Auer, Takeshige Ishiwa, Cecilia McHugh, Stephen J. Gallagher, Craig S. Fulthorpe, Shipboard Scientists Expedition 356, Eun Young Lee
- Abstract
Late Miocene to mid-Pleistocene sedimentary proxy records reveal that northwest Australia underwent an abrupt transition from dry to humid climate conditions at 5.5 million years (Ma), likely receiving year-round rainfall, but after ~3.3 Ma, climate shifted toward an increasingly seasonal precipitation regime. The progressive constriction of the Indonesian Throughflow likely decreased continental humidity and transferred control of northwest Australian climate from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean, leading to drier
conditions punctuated by monsoonal precipitation. The northwest dust pathway and fully established seasonal and orbitally controlled precipitation were in place by ~2.4 Ma, well after the intensification of Northern Hemisphere glaciation. The transition from humid to arid conditions was driven by changes in Pacific and Indian Ocean circulation and regional atmospheric moisture transport, influenced by the emerging Maritime Continent. We conclude that the Maritime Continent is the switchboard modulating teleconnections between tropical and high-latitude climate systems.- Organisation(s)
- Department of Geology
- External organisation(s)
- University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Adelphi University, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Uppsala University, Universität Bremen, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, International Ocean Discovery Program, Texas A&M University, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, National Institute of Polar Research, City University of New York, University of Melbourne, University of Texas, Austin
- Journal
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Volume
- 44
- Pages
- 6914-6925
- No. of pages
- 12
- ISSN
- 0094-8276
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/ 2017GL072977
- Publication date
- 2017
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 105123 Stratigraphy, 105205 Climate change
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geophysics, General Earth and Planetary Sciences
- Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 13 - Climate Action
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/0b633c0c-c6be-4b4c-b560-06d6e0b90572