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Abstract Reconstructing the strength and depth boundary of oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) in the glacial ocean advances our understanding of how OMZs respond to climate changes. While many efforts have inferred better oxygenation of the glacial Arabian Sea OMZ from qualitative indices, oxygenation and vertical extent of the glacial OMZ is not well quantified. Here we present glacial‐Holocene oxygen reconstructions in a depth transect of Arabian Sea cores ranging from 600 to 3,650 m water depths. We estimate glacial oxygen concentrations using benthic foraminiferal surface porosity and benthic carbon isotope gradient reconstructions. Compared to the modern Arabian Sea, glacial oxygen concentrations were approximately 10–15 μmol/kg higher in the shallow OMZ (<1,000 m), and 5–80 μmol/kg lower at greater depths (1,500–3,650 m). Our results suggest that the OMZ in the glacial Arabian Sea was slightly better oxygenated but remained in the upper 1,000 m. We propose that the small increase in oxygenation of the Arabian Sea OMZ during the last glacial period was due to weaker upper ocean stratification induced by stronger winter monsoon winds coupled with an increase in oxygen solubility due to lower temperatures, counteracting the effects of more oxygen consumption resulting from higher primary productivity. Large‐scale changes in ocean circulation may have also contributed to better ventilation of the glacial Arabian Sea OMZ.
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This content will become publicly available on June 1, 2026
Ocean Oxygenation Changes in the Arabian Sea Oxygen Minimum Zone During the Penultimate Glacial Cycle
Abstract Reconstructing past oxygen fluctuations in oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) is crucial for understanding their response to climate change. Numerous studies suggest better oxygenation in the Arabian Sea OMZ during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) compared to the Holocene. However, bottom water oxygen (BWO) variability during the Penultimate Glacial Cycle (Marine Isotope Stage [MIS] 6 to MIS 5e, ∼140–115 ka B.P.) remains poorly constrained. This study reconstructs BWO variations during this period from sediment core TN041‐8JPC in the western Arabian Sea OMZ, utilizing proxies including benthic foraminiferal surface porosity, redox‐sensitive trace metal enrichment factors (e.g., UEF), and U/Ba ratios. Bottom water oxygen concentrations were 24.4 ± 5.9 μmol/kg during MIS 6 and 16.8 ± 6.5 μmol/kg during MIS 5e, with all proxies indicating higher BWO in MIS 6 than in MIS 5e. However, these proxies show different patterns within MIS 5e, indicating that UEFand U/Ba ratios may be limited to recording average BWO in glacial and interglacial (quasi)steady states. We propose that the intensified OMZ during MIS 5e, relative to MIS 6, was driven by higher productivity, temperature‐induced reductions in oxygen solubility, and reduced delivery of Southern‐sourced intermediate waters. In contrast, the intensified OMZ during the Holocene, compared to the LGM, was likely influenced by lower oxygen solubility, reduced Southern water delivery, and winter convective mixing rather than productivity. This study highlights a general trend of weaker OMZs in glacial than interglacial periods, though the mechanisms may not be identical, offering insights into OMZ dynamics under climate change in the past.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2310174
- PAR ID:
- 10612368
- Publisher / Repository:
- American Geophysical Union
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology
- Volume:
- 40
- Issue:
- 6
- ISSN:
- 2572-4517
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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