Global patterns of oceanic dust deposition during Pliocene-Pleistocene transitions.

There is a mounting evidence that global emissions of dust were significantly higher during glacials than interglacials periods of the Pleistocene, and probably the Pliocene epochs. This pattern is observed in records from the low and high latitudes, albeit with a varying degree of amplitude. During these time periods spanning 5 million years, the Earth climate underwent major transitions, such as the initiation of the Northern Hemisphere Glaciations and the Mid Pleistocene Transition. In parallel, dust transport and deposition on the oceans might have underwent stepwise increases, mainly during glacials. However, it is not clear yet if such changes are representative of global or regional climate responses. Thus, dust records in marine sediments reflect changes in the different processes that drive the emission, transport and deposition of dust on the oceans. In here, we report a compilation of marine dust records spanning the Pliocene-Pleistocene from all the major ocean basins. The synthesis of dust records on a global scale allows the identification of common patterns of variability and drivers. We analyse the data to infer changes in the global atmospheric circulation on orbital time scales, and to assess its meridional and zonal response during major climate transitions since the Pliocene.