North Atlantic climatic changes reflected in the Late Quaternary foraminiferal abundance record of the Andaman Sea, north-eastern Indian Ocean

Here, we present planktonic foraminiferal, benthic foraminiferal and other proxy profiles from well-dated sediment cores in the Andaman Sea showing changes in climate and oceanography at Dansgaard-Oeschger (D/O) and Heinrich scales. The large temporal variations in the abundances of total benthic foraminifera, Globigerina rubescens and Neogloboquadrina dutertrei suggest substantial changes in the surface to bottom hydrography of the Andaman Sea. G. rubescens abundance minima during the last glacial cycle correspond to warm interstadials (D/O events 1 to 14) while maxima correspond to Heinrich events (H1 to H4), the last glacial maximum (LGM) and the Younger Dryas. D/O events are marked by very low G. rubescens and high N. dutertrei abundances which indicate freshened surface water related to increased direct precipitation (over evaporation) and strengthened Irrawaddy outflow. Lower abundance of N. dutertrei (and higher abundance of G. rubescens) during North Atlantic Heinrich events, the deglacial, the YD and the mid- to late-Holocene reflect reduced influx of fresh water as a result of weakened summer monsoon freshwater input. The timing of these Andaman Sea monsoonal changes indicate a strong teleconnection to North Atlantic climate change.