georefid:2011-102548SEDIS Publication Catalogueana.macario@awi.dehttp://sedis.iodp.org/pub-catalogue/informationpointOfContact2013-07-08T00:00:00Zhttp://sedis.iodp.org/pub-catalogue/index.php?id=10.1016/j.epsl.2011.04.016<gco:CharacterString>A 4-Ma record of thermal evolution in the tropical Western Pacific and its implications on climate change</gco:CharacterString>2011-01-01publicationgeorefid:2011-102548doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2011.04.016Li LiTongji University, State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Shanghai, ChinaauthorLi QianyuChinaauthorTian JunauthorWang PinxianauthorWang HuiauthorLiu ZhonghuiauthorElsevier, Amsterdam, NetherlandspublisherdocumentHardcopyEarth and Planetary Science Letters309 (1-2)10-20Orbital resolution thermal histories over the last 4 Ma at ODP Site 1143 in the tropical western Pacific are reconstructed using alkenone paleothermometry. The temperature profile is characterized by a steady state of approximately 29 degrees C with fluctuations <1 degrees C before 2.7 Ma and by a strong oscillating state from 2.7 Ma, largely due to cooling by up to 4 degrees C from approximately 29 degrees C in interglacial to 26 degrees C in glacial intervals. This implies a relatively warm and stable surface hydrography during the early and mid Pliocene in this region, influenced by the warm pool before temperature decreases in responding to global cooling and the formation of the distinct glacial stages since the late Pliocene. Therefore, the smaller SST gradient between tropical eastern and western Pacific and between southern and northern South China Sea before the late Pliocene indicates a super-sized Pliocene Pacific warm pool, while the larger SST gradient since then marks progressive intensification of the zonal Walker circulation and meridional Hadley circulation, representing the monsoon circulations in the region. The intensification of the Walker and Hadley circulations over the tropical Pacific may also have helped the onset of glaciations and subsequent deglaciations during the late Pliocene and Pleistocene.completedStratigraphyalkenonesatmospheric circulationcarbon dioxideCenozoicclimate changedeglaciationgeologic thermometryglacial environmentice sheetsinterglacial environmentisotope ratiosisotopesketonesLeg 184marine sedimentsmonsoonsNeogeneNorth PacificNorthwest PacificO-18/O-16Ocean Drilling ProgramODP Site 1143organic compoundsoxygenPacific OceanPleistocenePlioceneQuaternarysea-surface temperaturesedimentsSouth China Seastable isotopesTertiarythermal historytropical environmentWest Pacificurn:org.iodp:exp:184urnlargerWorkCitationcampaignurn:org.iodp:exp:184:site:1143urnlargerWorkCitationstudyurn:org.iodp:exp:184urnlargerWorkCitationcampaignEnglishgeoscientificInformation113.1707113.17079.21439.2143Supplementary data available in online version