The Taylor dome antarctic O-18 record and globally synchronous changes in climate

The O-18/O-16 profile of a 554-m long ice core through Taylor Dome, Antarct ica, shows the climate variability of the last glacial-interglacial cycle i n detail and extends at least another full cycle. Taylor Dome shares the ma in features of the Vostok record, including the early climatic optimum with later cool phase of the last interglacial period in Antarctica. Taylor Dom e delta O-18 fluctuations are more abrupt and larger than those at Vostok a nd Byrd Station, although still less pronounced than those of the Greenland GISP2 and GRIP records. The influence of the Atlantic thermohaline circula tion on regional ocean heat transport explains the partly "North Atlantic" character of this Antarctic record. Under full glacial climate (marine isot ope stage 4, late stage 3, and stage 2), this marine influence diminished a nd Taylor Dome became more like Vostok. Varying degrees of marine influence produce climate heterogeneity within Antarctica, which may account for con flicting evidence regarding the relative phasing of Northern and Southern H emisphere climate change. (C) 2001 University of Washington.