Late Quaternary paleoceanography of the northwestern Pacific: Results from IMAGES program

摘要

The North Pacific with its marginal seas is an important player in the global climate system. The Subarctic Pacific with its marginal Bering and Okhotsk Seas is a region of high productivity and hence plays a significant role in the global carbon cycle. It is also a primary site of intermediate water formation, which is the main ventilation mode of the North Pacific Ocean and its effect extends as far east as the California continental margins. Effects of surface water exchange between the marginal seas and the open ocean extend, however, beyond their contribution to deepwater properties. Modern observations suggest strong interactions between sea surface conditions in the northwestern Pacific and atmospheric conditions.