OZR backup mandate: DOMINO - Drivers Of Mid-pleIstoceNe glaciatiOn? Novel multi- proxy approach to track oceanic-atmospheric-cryospheric-tectonic controls on climate responses

The ongoing climate changes prediction requires to discriminate the natural drivers (orbital, cryosphere…) of the Earth’s system from human activities. To do so the climate variability of analogues similar to today in terms of orbital configuration must be examined in detail. The Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT +/- 1 Ma ago) is a key climate period: it led to the climate as we know it today and some interglacials (IG) had similar orbital configuration as today. However, the MPT natural drivers are still debated. DOMINO proposes to deliver key climate data to identify these drivers, with a zoom on the
analogue IG MIS19. A novel approach is developed by combining the powerful clumped-isotope thermometer with elemental method in fossils to reconstruct temperatures, ice sheet and atmospheric [CO2] changes. DOMINO tracks the changes in weathering by testing the unique combination of Os and Sr isotopes in Quaternary sediment. This methodologic approach is very promising to accurately reconstruct the key climatic parameters across the MPT. A selected sediment core in the North Atlantic Ocean examines oceanic, atmospheric and cryospheric interactions. Then, a second core in the Bay of Bengal documents the potential role of Himalayan tectonic. The results provide an overview to define the driver’s actions and comparing our current climate to IG MIS19. DOMINO significantly improves the application of the unique multiproxy approach and our understanding of the Earth’s climatic system.