Dynamics of primary productivity in the northeastern Bay of Bengal over the last 26 000 years

Abstract

At present, variations of primary productivity (PP) in the Bay of Bengal (BoB) are driven by salinity-related stratification, which is controlled by the Indian summer monsoon (ISM). The relationships between PP, precipitation, and more generally climate in the past are not clearly understood. Here, we present a new record of PP based on the examination of coccolithophore assemblages in a 26 000-year sedimentary series retrieved in the northeastern BoB (core MD77-176). We compare our PP records to published climate and monsoon records, as well as outputs from numerical experiments obtained with the Earth system model IPSL-CM5A-LR, including the marine biogeochemical component PISCES, and with the transient climate simulation TraCE-21. Our results show that PP was most probably controlled by nutrient contents and distribution within the upper water column, which were predominantly influenced by (i) regional river systems between 26 and 19 ka, i.e. when sea level was relatively low and climate was relatively dry, and (ii) salinity-related stratification over the last 19 kyr, i.e. when sea level rose and more humid conditions prevailed. During that period, salinity and stratification were directly related to monsoon precipitation dynamics, which were chiefly forced by both insolation and Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) strength. During Heinrich Stadial 1 and the Younger Dryas, i.e. when the AMOC collapsed, weaker South Asian precipitation diminished stratification and enhanced PP. During Bølling–Allerød, i.e. when the AMOC recovered, stronger South Asian precipitation increased stratification and subdued PP. Similarly, the precipitation peak recorded around the middle–early Holocene is consistent with a stronger stratification that drives PP minima.