Regional and global benthic δ18O stacks for the last glacial cycle

Abstract

Although detailed age models exist for some marine sediment records of the last glacial cycle (0–150 ka), age models for many cores rely on the stratigraphic correlation of benthic δ18O, which measures ice volume and deep ocean temperature change. The large amount of data available for the last glacial cycle offers the opportunity to improve upon previous benthic δ18O compilations, such as the “LR04” global stack. Not only are the age constraints for the LR04 stack now outdated but a single global alignment target neglects regional differences of several thousand years in the timing of benthic δ18O change during glacial terminations. Here we present regional stacks that characterize mean benthic δ18O change for 8 ocean regions and a volume-weighted global stack of data from 263 cores. Age models for these stacks are based on radiocarbon data from 0 to 40 ka, correlation to a layer-counted Greenland ice core from 40 to 56 ka, and correlation to radiometrically dated speleothems from 56 to 150 ka. The regional δ18O stacks offer better stratigraphic alignment targets than the LR04 global stack and, furthermore, suggest that the LR04 stack is biased 1–2 kyr too young throughout the Pleistocene. Finally, we compare global and regional benthic δ18O responses with sea level estimates for the last glacial cycle.