Trends in South Pole Particle Concentrations Imply Holocene Westerly Wind Strengthening

Abstract. The Southern Hemisphere Westerly Winds (SHWW) play an important role in global climate and Antarctic ice sheet dynamics; however, high-resolution proxy reconstructions are sparse. Dust microparticles preserved in Antarctic ice cores provide valuable paleo-perspectives on SHWW behavior. We present South Pole Ice Core (SPC14) dust records spanning the Holocene. Dust concentrations decrease through the Holocene by ~20 particles mL^-1 kyr^-1, while the coarse particle percentage (CPP) increases by ~0.10 % kyr^-1. Dust trends, CMIP6-PMIP4 model results, and SH proxy records are consistent with an increase in wind speed south of the SHWW core (>~51° S) across the mid-Holocene. The decrease in dust concentration may reflect weakening winds coupled with precipitation and/or vegetation changes over mid-latitude dust source regions, while the CPP increase may indicate strengthening of the SHWW south of the core and activation of Antarctic dust sources. Our findings suggest that following a stable early Holocene, the SHWW began contracting towards Antarctica ~7–6 ka.