Onset of strong Iceland-Scotland overflow water 3.6 million years ago

Matthias Sinnesael; Boris Theofanis Karatsolis; Paul N. Pearson; Anne Briais; Sidney R. Hemming; Leah J. LeVay; Tom Dunkley Jones; Ying Cui; Anita Di Chiara; Justin P. Dodd; Deepa Dwyer; Deborah E. Eason; Sarah A. Friedman; Emma Hanson; Katharina Hochmuth; Halima E. Ibrahim; Claire E. Jasper; Saran Lee-Takeda; Danielle E. LeBlanc; Melody R. Lindsay; David D. McNamara; Sevasti E. Modestou; Margaret A. Morris; Bramley J. Murton; Suzanne OConnell; Gabriel Pasquet; Sheng Ping Qian; Yair Rosenthal; Sara Satolli; Takuma Suzuki; Thena Thulasi; Bridget S. Wade; Nicholas J. White; Tao Wu; Alexandra Y. Yang; Ross E. Parnell-Turner

doi:10.1038/s41467-025-59265-5

Onset of strong Iceland-Scotland overflow water 3.6 million years ago

Matthias Sinnesael, Boris Theofanis Karatsolis, Paul N. Pearson, Anne Briais, Sidney R. Hemming, Leah J. LeVay, Tom Dunkley Jones, Ying Cui, Anita Di Chiara, Justin P. Dodd, Deepa Dwyer, Deborah E. Eason, Sarah A. Friedman, Emma Hanson, Katharina Hochmuth, Halima E. Ibrahim, Claire E. Jasper, Saran Lee-Takeda, Danielle E. LeBlanc, Melody R. LindsayDavid D. McNamara, Sevasti E. Modestou, Margaret A. Morris, Bramley J. Murton, Suzanne OConnell, Gabriel Pasquet, Sheng Ping Qian, Yair Rosenthal, Sara Satolli, Takuma Suzuki, Thena Thulasi, Bridget S. Wade, Nicholas J. White, Tao Wu, Alexandra Y. Yang, Ross E. Parnell-Turner

Earth and Environmental Studies

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW), the return flow component of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), is a major inter-hemispheric ocean water mass with strong climate effects but the evolution of its source components on million-year timescales is poorly known. Today, two major NADW components that flow southward over volcanic ridges to the east and west of Iceland are associated with distinct contourite drift systems that are forming off the coast of Greenland and on the eastern flank of the Reykjanes (mid-Atlantic) Ridge. Here we provide direct records of the early history of this drift sedimentation based on cores collected during International Ocean Discovery Programme (IODP) Expeditions 395C and 395. We find rapid acceleration of drift deposition linked to the eastern component of NADW, known as Iceland–Scotland Overflow Water at 3.6 million years ago (Ma). In contrast, the Denmark Strait Overflow Water feeding the western Eirik Drift has been persistent since the Late Miocene. These observations constrain the long-term evolution of the two NADW components, revealing their contrasting independent histories and allowing their links with climatic events such as Northern Hemisphere cooling at 3.6 Ma, to be assessed.

Original language	English
Article number	4323
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	16
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59265-5
State	Published - Dec 2025

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Sinnesael, M., Karatsolis, B. T., Pearson, P. N., Briais, A., Hemming, S. R., LeVay, L. J., Dunkley Jones, T., Cui, Y., Di Chiara, A., Dodd, J. P., Dwyer, D., Eason, D. E., Friedman, S. A., Hanson, E., Hochmuth, K., Ibrahim, H. E., Jasper, C. E., Lee-Takeda, S., LeBlanc, D. E., ... Parnell-Turner, R. E. (2025). Onset of strong Iceland-Scotland overflow water 3.6 million years ago. Nature Communications, 16(1), Article 4323. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59265-5

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title = "Onset of strong Iceland-Scotland overflow water 3.6 million years ago",

abstract = "North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW), the return flow component of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), is a major inter-hemispheric ocean water mass with strong climate effects but the evolution of its source components on million-year timescales is poorly known. Today, two major NADW components that flow southward over volcanic ridges to the east and west of Iceland are associated with distinct contourite drift systems that are forming off the coast of Greenland and on the eastern flank of the Reykjanes (mid-Atlantic) Ridge. Here we provide direct records of the early history of this drift sedimentation based on cores collected during International Ocean Discovery Programme (IODP) Expeditions 395C and 395. We find rapid acceleration of drift deposition linked to the eastern component of NADW, known as Iceland–Scotland Overflow Water at 3.6 million years ago (Ma). In contrast, the Denmark Strait Overflow Water feeding the western Eirik Drift has been persistent since the Late Miocene. These observations constrain the long-term evolution of the two NADW components, revealing their contrasting independent histories and allowing their links with climatic events such as Northern Hemisphere cooling at 3.6 Ma, to be assessed.",

author = "Matthias Sinnesael and Karatsolis, {Boris Theofanis} and Pearson, {Paul N.} and Anne Briais and Hemming, {Sidney R.} and LeVay, {Leah J.} and {Dunkley Jones}, Tom and Ying Cui and {Di Chiara}, Anita and Dodd, {Justin P.} and Deepa Dwyer and Eason, {Deborah E.} and Friedman, {Sarah A.} and Emma Hanson and Katharina Hochmuth and Ibrahim, {Halima E.} and Jasper, {Claire E.} and Saran Lee-Takeda and LeBlanc, {Danielle E.} and Lindsay, {Melody R.} and McNamara, {David D.} and Modestou, {Sevasti E.} and Morris, {Margaret A.} and Murton, {Bramley J.} and Suzanne OConnell and Gabriel Pasquet and Qian, {Sheng Ping} and Yair Rosenthal and Sara Satolli and Takuma Suzuki and Thena Thulasi and Wade, {Bridget S.} and White, {Nicholas J.} and Tao Wu and Yang, {Alexandra Y.} and Parnell-Turner, {Ross E.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2025.",

year = "2025",

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doi = "10.1038/s41467-025-59265-5",

language = "English",

volume = "16",

journal = "Nature Communications",

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Sinnesael, M, Karatsolis, BT, Pearson, PN, Briais, A, Hemming, SR, LeVay, LJ, Dunkley Jones, T, Cui, Y, Di Chiara, A, Dodd, JP, Dwyer, D, Eason, DE, Friedman, SA, Hanson, E, Hochmuth, K, Ibrahim, HE, Jasper, CE, Lee-Takeda, S, LeBlanc, DE, Lindsay, MR, McNamara, DD, Modestou, SE, Morris, MA, Murton, BJ, OConnell, S, Pasquet, G, Qian, SP, Rosenthal, Y, Satolli, S, Suzuki, T, Thulasi, T, Wade, BS, White, NJ, Wu, T, Yang, AY & Parnell-Turner, RE 2025, 'Onset of strong Iceland-Scotland overflow water 3.6 million years ago', Nature Communications, vol. 16, no. 1, 4323. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59265-5

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T1 - Onset of strong Iceland-Scotland overflow water 3.6 million years ago

AU - Sinnesael, Matthias

AU - Karatsolis, Boris Theofanis

AU - Pearson, Paul N.

AU - Briais, Anne

AU - Hemming, Sidney R.

AU - LeVay, Leah J.

AU - Dunkley Jones, Tom

AU - Cui, Ying

AU - Di Chiara, Anita

AU - Dodd, Justin P.

AU - Dwyer, Deepa

AU - Eason, Deborah E.

AU - Friedman, Sarah A.

AU - Hanson, Emma

AU - Hochmuth, Katharina

AU - Ibrahim, Halima E.

AU - Jasper, Claire E.

AU - Lee-Takeda, Saran

AU - LeBlanc, Danielle E.

AU - Lindsay, Melody R.

AU - McNamara, David D.

AU - Modestou, Sevasti E.

AU - Morris, Margaret A.

AU - Murton, Bramley J.

AU - OConnell, Suzanne

AU - Pasquet, Gabriel

AU - Qian, Sheng Ping

AU - Rosenthal, Yair

AU - Satolli, Sara

AU - Suzuki, Takuma

AU - Thulasi, Thena

AU - Wade, Bridget S.

AU - White, Nicholas J.

AU - Wu, Tao

AU - Yang, Alexandra Y.

AU - Parnell-Turner, Ross E.

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW), the return flow component of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), is a major inter-hemispheric ocean water mass with strong climate effects but the evolution of its source components on million-year timescales is poorly known. Today, two major NADW components that flow southward over volcanic ridges to the east and west of Iceland are associated with distinct contourite drift systems that are forming off the coast of Greenland and on the eastern flank of the Reykjanes (mid-Atlantic) Ridge. Here we provide direct records of the early history of this drift sedimentation based on cores collected during International Ocean Discovery Programme (IODP) Expeditions 395C and 395. We find rapid acceleration of drift deposition linked to the eastern component of NADW, known as Iceland–Scotland Overflow Water at 3.6 million years ago (Ma). In contrast, the Denmark Strait Overflow Water feeding the western Eirik Drift has been persistent since the Late Miocene. These observations constrain the long-term evolution of the two NADW components, revealing their contrasting independent histories and allowing their links with climatic events such as Northern Hemisphere cooling at 3.6 Ma, to be assessed.

AB - North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW), the return flow component of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), is a major inter-hemispheric ocean water mass with strong climate effects but the evolution of its source components on million-year timescales is poorly known. Today, two major NADW components that flow southward over volcanic ridges to the east and west of Iceland are associated with distinct contourite drift systems that are forming off the coast of Greenland and on the eastern flank of the Reykjanes (mid-Atlantic) Ridge. Here we provide direct records of the early history of this drift sedimentation based on cores collected during International Ocean Discovery Programme (IODP) Expeditions 395C and 395. We find rapid acceleration of drift deposition linked to the eastern component of NADW, known as Iceland–Scotland Overflow Water at 3.6 million years ago (Ma). In contrast, the Denmark Strait Overflow Water feeding the western Eirik Drift has been persistent since the Late Miocene. These observations constrain the long-term evolution of the two NADW components, revealing their contrasting independent histories and allowing their links with climatic events such as Northern Hemisphere cooling at 3.6 Ma, to be assessed.

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DO - 10.1038/s41467-025-59265-5

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VL - 16

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

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ER -

Onset of strong Iceland-Scotland overflow water 3.6 million years ago

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