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Published Online March 27, 2003
Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1080796

Reports

Submitted on November 25, 2002
Accepted on March 18, 2003

A 23,000-Year Record of Surface Water pH and pCO2 in the Western Equatorial Pacific Ocean

M. R. Palmer 1 P. N. Pearson 2

1 School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Southampton Oceanography Centre, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK.
2 Department of Earth Sciences, Cardiff University, Main Building, Post Office Box 914, Cardiff, CF10 3YE, UK.

The oceans play a major role in defining atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels and although the geographical distribution of CO2 uptake and release in the modern ocean is understood, little is known about past distributions. Boron isotope studies of planktonic foraminifera from the western equatorial Pacific show that this area was a strong source of CO2 to the atmosphere between ~13.8-15.6 ka. This observation is most compatible with increased frequency of La Niña conditions during this interval. Hence, increased upwelling in the eastern equatorial Pacific may have played a significant role in the rise in atmospheric CO2 during the last deglaciation.


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