Multi-decadal to centennial hydro-climate variability and linkage to solar forcing in the Western Mediterranean during the last 1000 years

Yassine Ait Brahim, Jasper A. Wassenburg, Francisco W. Cruz, Abdelfettah Sifeddine, Denis Scholz, Lhoussaine Bouchaou, Emilie P. Dassié, Klaus P. Jochum, R. Lawrence Edwards, Hai Cheng

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34 Scopus citations

Abstract

Here we present a new composite record from two well-dated speleothem records from two caves in Northern Morocco. The high-resolution record covers the last millennium allowing to detect multi-decadal to centennial periodicities. Over the industrial period, δ18O values of our speleothems are shown to be dominated by the main mode of decadal variability in the North Atlantic region: the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Statistical analyses confirm the previously reported multi-decadal variability related to the influence of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) in the region. High power and persistent centennial-scale periodicities, similar to the Vries-Suess 200-year solar cycle, are observed as well. Indeed, comparison between solar activity reconstructions and our record confirms the in-phase relationship on centennial time-scales. Low δ18O values, and hence negative phases of NAO that bring precipitation towards the Western Mediterranean, are observed during well-known solar minima periods. The results are consistent with previous models which describe low irradiance as a trigger for southward shifts of precipitation-bearing westerlies during winter.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number17446
JournalScientific reports
Volume8
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2018

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© 2018, The Author(s).

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