IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-61793-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Low variability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation throughout the Holocene

Author

Listed:
  • Lukas Gerber

    (Heidelberg University)

  • Jörg Lippold

    (Heidelberg University)

  • Finn Süfke

    (Heidelberg University)

  • Ole Valk

    (Heidelberg University)

  • Pierre Testorf

    (University of Bern
    University of Bern)

  • Manuel Ehnis

    (Heidelberg University)

  • Saskia Tautenhahn

    (Heidelberg University)

  • Lars Max

    (University of Bremen)

  • Cristiano M. Chiessi

    (University of São Paulo)

  • Marcel Regelous

    (FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg)

  • Sönke Szidat

    (University of Bern
    University of Bern)

  • Oliver Friedrich

    (Heidelberg University)

  • Frerk Pöppelmeier

    (University of Bern
    University of Bern)

Abstract

Earth system models and paleo-reconstructions indicate that shifts in Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) strength profoundly impact global climate. While the last glacial termination experienced large AMOC variations, evidence of AMOC changes during the Holocene are poorly constrained. Here we present a Holocene AMOC reconstruction by quantifying mean bottom water advection strength in the deep North Atlantic. For this, we estimated volumetric flow rates from sedimentary 231Pa/230Th records with millennial resolution using the Bern3D model. We found that while during the Early Holocene the AMOC recovered from its weak deglacial state, it experienced a weakening between 9.2 to 8 ka BP, coinciding with North Atlantic meltwater pulses. From 6.5 ka BP onward, the AMOC strength stabilized, reaching its pre-industrial state around ~18 Sv. Hence, according to future projections, anthropogenic climate change may result in an AMOC slowdown unprecedented for most of the ongoing Holocene interglacial.

Suggested Citation

  • Lukas Gerber & Jörg Lippold & Finn Süfke & Ole Valk & Pierre Testorf & Manuel Ehnis & Saskia Tautenhahn & Lars Max & Cristiano M. Chiessi & Marcel Regelous & Sönke Szidat & Oliver Friedrich & Frerk Pö, 2025. "Low variability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation throughout the Holocene," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-61793-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-61793-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-61793-z
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-61793-z?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hong Chin Ng & Laura F. Robinson & Jerry F. McManus & Kais J. Mohamed & Allison W. Jacobel & Ruza F. Ivanovic & Lauren J. Gregoire & Tianyu Chen, 2018. "Coherent deglacial changes in western Atlantic Ocean circulation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. V. Jomelli & D. Swingedouw & M. Vuille & V. Favier & B. Goehring & J. Shakun & R. Braucher & I. Schimmelpfennig & L. Menviel & A. Rabatel & L. C. P. Martin & P.-H. Blard & T. Condom & M. Lupker & M. C, 2022. "In-phase millennial-scale glacier changes in the tropics and North Atlantic regions during the Holocene," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Feng He & Peter U. Clark, 2022. "Freshwater forcing of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation revisited," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 12(5), pages 449-454, May.
    4. Delia W. Oppo & Jerry F. McManus & James L. Cullen, 2003. "Deepwater variability in the Holocene epoch," Nature, Nature, vol. 422(6929), pages 277-277, March.
    5. Jess F. Adkins§ & Edward A. Boyle & Lloyd Keigwin & Elsa Cortijo, 1997. "Variability of the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation during the last interglacial period," Nature, Nature, vol. 390(6656), pages 154-156, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zhaoyang Song & Mojib Latif & Wonsun Park & Yuming Zhang, 2025. "Southern Ocean influence on Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation across climate states," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Yiping Yang & Lanlan Zhang & Liang Yi & Fuchang Zhong & Zhengyao Lu & Sui Wan & Yan Du & Rong Xiang, 2023. "A contracting Intertropical Convergence Zone during the Early Heinrich Stadial 1," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-8, December.
    3. Xuan Shan & Shantong Sun & Lixin Wu & Michael Spall, 2024. "Role of the Labrador Current in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation response to greenhouse warming," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.
    4. Daniel P. Lowry & Holly K. Han & Nicholas R. Golledge & Natalya Gomez & Katelyn M. Johnson & Robert M. McKay, 2024. "Ocean cavity regime shift reversed West Antarctic grounding line retreat in the late Holocene," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    5. Timothy M. Lenton & Jesse F. Abrams & Annett Bartsch & Sebastian Bathiany & Chris A. Boulton & Joshua E. Buxton & Alessandra Conversi & Andrew M. Cunliffe & Sophie Hebden & Thomas Lavergne & Benjamin , 2024. "Remotely sensing potential climate change tipping points across scales," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.
    6. Sofía Barragán-Montilla & Heather J. H. Johnstone & Stefan Mulitza & Dharma A. Reyes Macaya & Babette A. A. Hoogakker & Heiko Pälike, 2025. "Enhanced ventilation of Eastern North Atlantic Oxygen Minimum Zone with deglacial slowdown of Meridional Overturning," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-10, December.
    7. Yuxin Zhou & Jerry F. McManus & Celeste T. Pallone & Timothy C. Kenna & Gabriel A. Weinstein & Herman Garcia, 2025. "Abrupt weakening of deep Atlantic circulation at the last glacial inception," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-7, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-61793-z. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.