Asynchronous climate change between New Zealand and the North Atlantic during the last deglaciation

Abstract

Climatic fluctuations recorded in Antarctica and Greenland during the last deglaciation (18–10 ka) differ markedly in their timing. It remains controversial whether local climate fluctuations recorded in southern mid-latitudes relate primarily to northern or southern polar records. We present multiproxy results from New Zealand that show strong evidence for a minor cooling or slowdown in the rate of warming at the time of the North Atlantic late glacial interstadial. The Younger Dryas chronozone in New Zealand was a period of resumed warming and increased westerly airflow. Differences between the hemispheres at this time were probably due to a reorganization of the thermohaline circulation system and associated changes in the meridional temperature gradient.