Investigating Labrador Sea warmth during the mid-Pliocene optimum with Eirik Drift sediments

As anthropogenic CO₂ emissions continue to rise, the mid-Pliocene Optimum (3.3-3.0 Ma) is the most relevant analog to the present because it was the last time that atmospheric CO₂ may have reached ~400 ppm. Proxy records suggest global warming in response to this atmospheric CO₂ forcing, which is generally simulated by climate models. Unfortunately, no temperature estimates exist at present from the Labrador Sea for the mid-Pliocene. Here we create the first δ¹⁸O record of the Labrador Sea during the Pliocene, including the mid-Pliocene Optimum, using the planktonic foraminiferal species Globigerina bulloides in order to reconstruct paleotemperature. Changes in G. bulloides δ¹⁸O relative to Holocene δ¹⁸O will provide the first insight into the response of the Labrador Sea to mid-Pliocene Optimum CO₂ concentrations. Our preliminary analysis of G. bulloides δ¹⁸O finds only 0-1° C of warming during the mid-Pliocene Optimum relative to the Holocene.