Interhemispheric Ice-Sheet Synchronicity During the Last Glacial Maximum

Michael E. Weber; Peter U Clark; Werner Ricken; Jerry X. Mitrovica; Steven W. Hostetler; Gerhard Kuhn

doi:10.1126/science.1209299

Interhemispheric Ice-Sheet Synchronicity During the Last Glacial Maximum

Michael E. Weber, Peter U Clark, Werner Ricken, Jerry X. Mitrovica, Steven W. Hostetler, Gerhard Kuhn

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

58 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The timing of the last maximum extent of the Antarctic ice sheets relative to those in the Northern Hemisphere remains poorly understood. We develop a chronology for the Weddell Sea sector of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet that, combined with ages from other Antarctic ice-sheet sectors, indicates that the advance to and retreat from their maximum extent was within dating uncertainties synchronous with most sectors of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets. Surface climate forcing of Antarctic mass balance would probably cause an opposite response, whereby a warming climate would increase accumulation but not surface melting. Our new data support teleconnections involving sea-level forcing from Northern Hemisphere ice sheets and changes in North Atlantic deep-water formation and attendant heat flux to Antarctic grounding lines to synchronize the hemispheric ice sheets.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1265-1269
Journal	Science
Volume	334
Issue number	6060
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1209299
Publication status	Published (in print/issue) - Dec 2011

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title = "Interhemispheric Ice-Sheet Synchronicity During the Last Glacial Maximum",

abstract = "The timing of the last maximum extent of the Antarctic ice sheets relative to those in the Northern Hemisphere remains poorly understood. We develop a chronology for the Weddell Sea sector of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet that, combined with ages from other Antarctic ice-sheet sectors, indicates that the advance to and retreat from their maximum extent was within dating uncertainties synchronous with most sectors of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets. Surface climate forcing of Antarctic mass balance would probably cause an opposite response, whereby a warming climate would increase accumulation but not surface melting. Our new data support teleconnections involving sea-level forcing from Northern Hemisphere ice sheets and changes in North Atlantic deep-water formation and attendant heat flux to Antarctic grounding lines to synchronize the hemispheric ice sheets.",

author = "Weber, {Michael E.} and Clark, {Peter U} and Werner Ricken and Mitrovica, {Jerry X.} and Hostetler, {Steven W.} and Gerhard Kuhn",

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AU - Weber, Michael E.

AU - Clark, Peter U

AU - Ricken, Werner

AU - Mitrovica, Jerry X.

AU - Hostetler, Steven W.

AU - Kuhn, Gerhard

PY - 2011/12

Y1 - 2011/12

N2 - The timing of the last maximum extent of the Antarctic ice sheets relative to those in the Northern Hemisphere remains poorly understood. We develop a chronology for the Weddell Sea sector of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet that, combined with ages from other Antarctic ice-sheet sectors, indicates that the advance to and retreat from their maximum extent was within dating uncertainties synchronous with most sectors of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets. Surface climate forcing of Antarctic mass balance would probably cause an opposite response, whereby a warming climate would increase accumulation but not surface melting. Our new data support teleconnections involving sea-level forcing from Northern Hemisphere ice sheets and changes in North Atlantic deep-water formation and attendant heat flux to Antarctic grounding lines to synchronize the hemispheric ice sheets.

AB - The timing of the last maximum extent of the Antarctic ice sheets relative to those in the Northern Hemisphere remains poorly understood. We develop a chronology for the Weddell Sea sector of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet that, combined with ages from other Antarctic ice-sheet sectors, indicates that the advance to and retreat from their maximum extent was within dating uncertainties synchronous with most sectors of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets. Surface climate forcing of Antarctic mass balance would probably cause an opposite response, whereby a warming climate would increase accumulation but not surface melting. Our new data support teleconnections involving sea-level forcing from Northern Hemisphere ice sheets and changes in North Atlantic deep-water formation and attendant heat flux to Antarctic grounding lines to synchronize the hemispheric ice sheets.

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SP - 1265

EP - 1269

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6060

ER -

Interhemispheric Ice-Sheet Synchronicity During the Last Glacial Maximum

Abstract

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