Indian Ocean sedimentary calcium carbonate distribution and its implications for the glacial deep ocean circulation

Abstract

The ocean plays a critical role in the global climate by modulating atmospheric CO2 via carbon exchange between the atmosphere and the ocean, a process tightly linked to ocean circulation changes. Ocean circulation transports atmospheric CO2 to the deep ocean via deep water formation and then transfers it with respired CO2, which regulate CaCO3 accumulation in marine sediments on seafloor. Compared to studies on the Atlantic and Pacific, much less has been done on past circulation changes in the Indian Ocean. This is partly due to the lack of systematic investigation on sub-basinal scales calcium carbonate (CaCO3) distributions and limited understanding of their controlling mechanisms in the Indian Ocean. Based on an extensive data compilation and a simple carbonate accumulation model, here we show that CaCO3 distributions in various basins of the Indian Ocean are mainly controlled by ocean circulation changes with productivity only playing a secondary role. Comparison of CaCO3 distributions between the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the late Holocene suggests little change in deep water acidity between these times. If the source-water acidity remains unchanged through time, this finding suggests a vigorous ventilation of the deep Indian Ocean during the LGM. Given that the glacial oceans were likely more alkaline, the stability of deep Indian acidity must suggest greater storage of carbon (mainly as bicarbonate ion) during the LGM. Additionally, we find a very corrosive LGM deep water in the Southwest Indian Basin which may be attributed to intrusion of the Pacific Deep Water.