Antarctic Bottom Water variability during Super-Interglacial inferred from end-member modeling of the terrigenous fraction in Cape Darnley, East Antarctica

Abstract

Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) is a vast heat and CO₂ reservoir and is closely related to global climate change. However, the behavior of AABW formation during past interglacials remains unclear, making it challenging to predict its variation responding to future warming. Super-Interglacial periods (MIS5e and MIS11) were approximately 1°C to 2°C warmer than the Industrial Revolution, making them ideal analogs for a warming Earth. This study aims to reconstruct the variability of Cape Danley Bottom Water (CDBW) during the super-interglacial periods and to clarify what environmental factors may have caused the CDBW formation changes.