Rohling, Eelco J.; Marsh, Robert; Wells, Neil C.; Siddall, Mark and Edwards, Neil R.
(2004).
| DOI (Digital Object Identifier) Link: | http://doi.org/10.1038/nature02859 |
|---|---|
| Google Scholar: | Look up in Google Scholar |
Abstract
The period between 75,000 and 20,000 years ago was characterized by high variability in climate1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and sea level13, 14. Southern Ocean records of ice-rafted debris15 suggest a significant contribution to the sea level changes from melt water of Antarctic origin, in addition to likely contributions from northern ice sheets, but the relative volumes of melt water from northern and southern sources have yet to be established. Here we simulate the first-order impact of a range of relative meltwater releases from the two polar regions on the distribution of marine oxygen isotopes, using an intermediate complexity model. By comparing our simulations with oxygen isotope data from sediment cores, we infer that the contributions from Antarctica and the northern ice sheets to the documented sea level rises between 65,000 and 35,000 years ago13 were approximately equal, each accounting for a rise of about 15 m. The reductions in Antarctic ice volume implied by our analysis are comparable to that inferred previously for the Antarctic contribution to meltwater pulse 1A (refs 16, 17), which occurred about 14,200 years ago, during the last deglaciation.
| Item Type: | Journal Article |
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| ISSN: | 0028-0836 |
| Academic Unit/Department: | Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) > Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) |
| Interdisciplinary Research Centre: | Centre for Earth, Planetary, Space and Astronomical Research (CEPSAR) |
| Item ID: | 6822 |
| Depositing User: | Users 2315 not found. |
| Date Deposited: | 15 Feb 2007 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Aug 2016 13:04 |
| URI: | http://oro.open.ac.uk/id/eprint/6822 |
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