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Solar-forced shifts of the Southern Hemisphere Westerlies during the Holocene
V. Varma1, M. Prange1,2, F. Lamy2,3, U. Merkel2, and M. Schulz1,2
1Department of Geosciences, University of Bremen, 28334 Bremen, Germany
2MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Leobener Strasse, 28359 Bremen, Germany
3Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, 27568 Bremerhaven, Germany
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Abstract. The Southern Hemisphere Westerly Winds (SWW) constitute an important zonal
circulation that influences large-scale precipitation patterns and ocean
circulation. Variations in their intensity and latitudinal position have
been suggested to exert a strong influence on the CO2 budget in the
Southern Ocean, thus making them a potential factor affecting the global
climate. In the present study, the possible influence of solar forcing on
SWW variability during the Holocene is addressed. It is shown that a
high-resolution iron record from the Chilean continental slope (41° S),
which is interpreted to reflect changes in the position of the SWW, is
significantly correlated with reconstructed solar activity during the past
3000 years. In addition, solar sensitivity experiments with a comprehensive
global climate model (CCSM3) were carried out to study the response of SWW to
solar variability. Taken together, the proxy and model results suggest that
centennial-scale periods of lower (higher) solar activity caused equatorward
(southward) shifts of the annual mean SWW.
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Citation: Varma, V., Prange, M., Lamy, F., Merkel, U., and Schulz, M.: Solar-forced shifts of the Southern Hemisphere Westerlies during the Holocene, Clim. Past, 7, 339-347, doi:10.5194/cp-7-339-2011, 2011. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager XML
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