Deepwater variability in the Holocene epoch

Evidence has indicated that the conversion of surface water to deep water in the North Atlantic causes heat to be released from the ocean to the atmosphere. These phenomena may have amplified millennial-scale climate variability during periods of glaciation and may be responsible for the relatively mild climate of the past 11,700 years. Findings are reported from a study evaluating changes in the carbon-isotope composition of benthic foraminifera throughout the Holocene epoch. Results from the analysis indicated that deep-water production has varied on a centennial-millennial timescale. The relationship between the observed phenomena and surface atmospheric events that may suggest a contribution to climate change trends is discussed.