Fig. 2: Sea surface temperature (SST) reconstructions across the last glacial cycle.

a GDGT-based (TEXL86) SST reconstruction for core MD11-3357 (red) and core MD11-3353 (blue), compared to the EPICA Dome C (EDC) temperature change48 (gray). b SST difference (ΔSST) between the two cores, SST(MD11-3357) – SST(MD11-3353), interpolated on a 2.5 kyr time step. Blue bars indicate cold periods of MIS 2, 4, and 6 and pink bars indicate warm periods of MIS 5e and the early Holocene. Arrows on the y-axis indicate modern annual temperatures of the shallow subsurface (0–200 m)45. The map shows the location of the core sites with bathymetry in the Kerguelen region80. STF Subtropical Front, SAF Subantarctic Front, APF Antarctic Polar Front, after ref. 18.