Peruvian Titanium Records of ENSO During Deglaciation (G14 and M77/2-005-3 cores)

The last deglaciation provides experimental conditions to assess El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in a period of rapid warming, and disruptions to the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). We present a reconstruction of ENSO activity using finely laminated sediments from the Peruvian margin. A high-resolution record of titanium, a proxy for riverine discharge in this strongly teleconnected region, shows that the frequency of extreme Eastern Pacific (EP) El Niño events and the amplitude of ENSO, were higher during the deglaciation and peaked during episodes of massive iceberg discharge into the North Atlantic. The maximum occurred in the early phase of Heinrich event 1 (H1), at ~17.3–16.7 kyr BP, associated with a two-fold increase in ENSO amplitude. This proxy evidence of the link between ENSO and the North Atlantic suggests a possible increase in the frequency of EP catastrophic events with future AMOC weakening.