Millennial scale coccolithophore paleoproductivity and surface water changes between 445 and 360 ka (Marine Isotope Stages 12/11) in the Northeast Atlantic

• Coccolithophore assemblages highlight paleoceanographic millennial-scale changes.
• The study allowed detecting abrupt events stadials/interstadials-type oscillations.
• Wavelet analysis results showed the control of half and fourth precession components.

A high resolution coccolithophore study was carried out in order to improve the understanding of the paleoceanographic evolution and changes in paleoproductivity occurring off the Iberian Margin (IM) between 445 and 360 ka, i.e. during late Marine Isotope Stage 12 to 11. Coccolithophore assemblages allowed reconstructing surface water changes characterized by millennial-scale oscillations (~ 1.5 kyr cycles) involving Portugal or Iberian Poleward Currents (PC and IPC) prevalence. Changes in paleoproductivity, possibly related to the upwelling of Eastern North Atlantic Central Waters (ENACW) – of sub-tropical (ENACWst) or sub-polar origin (ENACWsp) – were also recognized. This study also permitted detecting abrupt events (stadial/interstadial-type oscillations) and revealed that changes in paleoproductivity are related to opposite dynamics during glacial and interglacial stages, with the reversed setting being established during the deglaciation. Furthermore, a possible control of half and fourth precessional cycle components, on the occurrence of abrupt changes within the assemblages' structure, during the deglaciation, is proposed on the basis of wavelet analysis results applied to selected taxa.