The rate of formation of deep water in the North Atlantic has a major effect on the overturning circulation of the Atlantic Ocean, which in turn affects global climate. A great deal of information about ocean overturning circulation can be had by determining the amount of radiocarbon throughout the water column. Thornalley et al. (p. 202; see the Perspective by Sarnthein) provide radiocarbon records from five deepwater sites in the North Atlantic, spanning the interval from 22 to 10 thousand years ago, to reconstruct the history of North Atlantic deepwater formation. The data suggest connections between the strength of overturning circulation, the origins of different water masses, and patterns of atmospheric circulation, which have a strong influence on land temperatures and global climate.
展开▼
