Atlantic Ocean circulation during the Younger Dryas: Insights from a new Cd/Ca record from the western subtropical South Atlantic

[1] Benthic foraminiferal Cd/ Ca from an intermediate depth, western South Atlantic core documents the history of southward penetration of North Atlantic Intermediate Water ( NAIW). Cd seawater estimates ( Cd-W) for the last glacial are consistent with the production of NAIW and its export into the South Atlantic. At similar to 14.5 ka concurrently with the onset of the Bolling- Allerod to Younger Dryas cooling, the NAIW contribution to the South Atlantic began to decrease, marking the transition from a glacial circulation pattern to a Younger Dryas circulation. High Cd-W in both the deep North Atlantic and the intermediate South Atlantic imply reduced export of deep and intermediate water during the Younger Dryas and a significant decrease in northward oceanic heat transport. A modern circulation was achieved at similar to 9 ka, concurrently with the establishment of Holocene warmth in the North Atlantic region, further supporting a close linkage between deepwater variability and North Atlantic climate.