Exploring Linkages Between Gulf of Mexico Sea Surface Conditions and North American Hydroclimate during the Holocene

Abstract:

The Gulf of Mexico is part of the Atlantic Warm Pool, a feature that drives oceanic moisture flux to the surrounding continent. It is connected to the North Atlantic Ocean via the loop current, which transports salt and heat from the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico poleward via the Gulf Stream. As such, variations in Gulf of Mexico sea surface temperature (SST) and salinity (SSS) are linked to changes in North Atlantic Ocean circulation and North American hydroclimate. Although SST and SSS variability in the Gulf of Mexico are well understood on inter-annual and glacial-interglacial timescales, little is known about centennial scale variability in these sea surface parameters through the Holocene. We present here the first continuous multi-decadal resolution time series of SST and SSS spanning the entire Holocene from the Gulf of Mexico. This proxy reconstruction is based on paired measurements of Mg/Ca and δ¹⁸O in the planktic foraminifer, Globigerinoides ruber (white variety) in the Garrison Basin. Using these data, in combination with additional Gulf of Mexico SST and SSS records from the late Holocene, we explore linkages between North American precipitation patterns and ocean circulation on centennial timescales.