Eemian interglacial reconstructed from a Greenland folded ice core

publisher:http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v493/n7433/full/nature11789.html

Eemian interglacial reconstructed from a Greenland folded ice core

Dahl-Jensen, D, Albert, MR, Aldahan, A, Azuma, N, Balslev-Clausen, D, Baumgartner, M, Berggren, AM, Bigler, M, Binder, T, Blunier, T, Bourgeois, JC, Brook, EJ, Buchardt, SL, Buizert, C, Capron, E, Chappellaz, J, Chung, J, Clausen, HB, Cvijanovic, I, Davies, SM, Ditlevsen, P, Eicher, O, Fischer, H, Fisher, DA, Fleet, LG, Gfeller, G, Gkinis, V, Gogineni, S, Goto-Azuma, K, Grinsted, A, Gudlaugsdottir, H, Guillevic, M, Hansen, SB, Hansson, M, Hirabayashi, M, Hong, S, Hur, SD, Huybrechts, P, Hvidberg, CS, Iizuka, Y, Jenk, T, Johnsen, SJ, Jones, TR, Jouzel, J, Karlsson, NB, Kawamura, K, Keegan, K, Kettner, E, Kipfstuhl, S, Kjær, HA, Koutnik, M, Kuramoto, T, Köhler, P, Laepple, T, Landais, A, Langen, PL, Larsen, LB, Leuenberger, D, Leuenberger, M, Leuschen, C, Li, J, Lipenkov, V, Martinerie, P, Maselli, OJ, Masson-Delmotte, V, McConnell, JR, Miller, H, Mini, O, Miyamoto, A, Montagnat-Rentier, M, Mulvaney, R, Muscheler, R, Orsi, AJ, Paden, J, Panton, C, Pattyn, F, Petit, JR, Pol, K, Popp, T, Possnert, G, Prié, F, Prokopiou, M, Quiquet, A, Rasmussen, SO, Raynaud, D, Ren, J, Reutenauer, C, Ritz, C, Röckmann, T, Rosen, JL, Rubino, M, Rybak, O, Samyn, D, Sapart, CJ, Schilt, A, Schmidt, AMZ, Schwander, J, Schüpbach, S, Seierstad, I and Severinghaus, JP ;

Contact

Peter.Koehler [ at ] awi.de

Abstract

Efforts to extract a Greenland ice core with a complete record of the Eemian interglacial (130,000 to 115,000 years ago) have until now been unsuccessful. The response of the Greenland ice sheet to the warmer-than-present climate of the Eemian has thus remained unclear. Here we present the new North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling ('NEEM') ice core and show only a modest ice-sheet response to the strong warming in the early Eemian. We reconstructed the Eemian record from folded ice using globally homogeneous parameters known from dated Greenland and Antarctic ice-core records. On the basis of water stable isotopes, NEEM surface temperatures after the onset of the Eemian (126,000 years ago) peaked at 8 ± 4 degrees Celsius above the mean of the past millennium, followed by a gradual cooling that was probably driven by the decreasing summer insolation. Between 128,000 and 122,000 years ago, the thickness of the northwest Greenland ice sheet decreased by 400 ± 250 metres, reaching surface elevations 122,000 years ago of 130 ± 300 metres lower than the present. Extensive surface melt occurred at the NEEM site during the Eemian, a phenomenon witnessed when melt layers formed again at NEEM during the exceptional heat of July 2012. With additional warming, surface melt might become more common in the future. © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

Item Type

Article

Authors

Divisions

AWI Organizations > Geosciences > Glaciology
AWI Organizations > Geosciences > Permafrost Research
AWI Organizations > Climate Sciences > Paleo-climate Dynamics

Primary Division

Organizations > AWI Organizations > Geosciences

Programs

Helmholtz Research Programs > PACES I (2009-2013) > TOPIC 3: Lessons from the Past > WP 3.1: Past Polar Climate and inter-hemispheric Coupling

Primary Topic

Helmholtz Programs > Helmholtz Research Programs > PACES I (2009-2013) > TOPIC 3: Lessons from the Past

Peer revision

ISI/Scopus peer-reviewed

Publication Status

Published

Eprint ID

32047

DOI https://www.doi.org/10.1038/nature11789

Cite as

Dahl-Jensen, D. , Albert, M. , Aldahan, A. , Azuma, N. , Balslev-Clausen, D. , Baumgartner, M. , Berggren, A. , Bigler, M. , Binder, T. , Blunier, T. , Bourgeois, J. , Brook, E. , Buchardt, S. , Buizert, C. , Capron, E. , Chappellaz, J. , Chung, J. , Clausen, H. , Cvijanovic, I. , Davies, S. , Ditlevsen, P. , Eicher, O. , Fischer, H. , Fisher, D. , Fleet, L. , Gfeller, G. , Gkinis, V. , Gogineni, S. , Goto-Azuma, K. , Grinsted, A. , Gudlaugsdottir, H. , Guillevic, M. , Hansen, S. , Hansson, M. , Hirabayashi, M. , Hong, S. , Hur, S. , Huybrechts, P. , Hvidberg, C. , Iizuka, Y. , Jenk, T. , Johnsen, S. , Jones, T. , Jouzel, J. , Karlsson, N. , Kawamura, K. , Keegan, K. , Kettner, E. , Kipfstuhl, S. , Kjær, H. , Koutnik, M. , Kuramoto, T. , Köhler, P. , Laepple, T. , Landais, A. , Langen, P. , Larsen, L. , Leuenberger, D. , Leuenberger, M. , Leuschen, C. , Li, J. , Lipenkov, V. , Martinerie, P. , Maselli, O. , Masson-Delmotte, V. , McConnell, J. , Miller, H. , Mini, O. , Miyamoto, A. , Montagnat-Rentier, M. , Mulvaney, R. , Muscheler, R. , Orsi, A. , Paden, J. , Panton, C. , Pattyn, F. , Petit, J. , Pol, K. , Popp, T. , Possnert, G. , Prié, F. , Prokopiou, M. , Quiquet, A. , Rasmussen, S. , Raynaud, D. , Ren, J. , Reutenauer, C. , Ritz, C. , Röckmann, T. , Rosen, J. , Rubino, M. , Rybak, O. , Samyn, D. , Sapart, C. , Schilt, A. , Schmidt, A. , Schwander, J. , Schüpbach, S. , Seierstad, I. and Severinghaus, J. , NEEM community members (2013): Eemian interglacial reconstructed from a Greenland folded ice core , Nature, 493 (7433), pp. 489-494 . doi: https://www.doi.org/10.1038/nature11789

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