Post-glacial regional climate variability along the East Antarctic coastal margin—Evidence from shallow marine and coastal terrestrial records

We review the post-glacial climate variability along the East Antarctic coastline using terrestrial and shallow marine geological records and compare these reconstructions with data from elsewhere. Nearly all East Antarctic records show a near-synchronous Early Holocene climate optimum (11.5–9 ka BP), coinciding with the deglaciation of currently ice-free regions and the optimum recorded in Antarctic ice and marine sediment cores. Shallow marine and coastal terrestrial climate anomalies appear to be out of phase after the Early Holocene warm period, and show complex regional patterns, but an overall trend of cooling in the terrestrial records. A Mid to Late Holocene warm period is present in many East Antarctic lake and shallow coastal marine records. Although there are some differences in the regional timing of this warm period, it typically occurs somewhere between 4.7 and 1 ka BP, which overlaps with a similar optimum found in Antarctic Peninsula terrestrial records. The differences in the timing of these sometimes abrupt warm events in different records and regions points to a number of mechanisms that we have yet to identify. Nearly all records show a neoglacial cooling from 2 ka BP onwards. There is no evidence along the East Antarctic coastline for an equivalent to the Northern Hemisphere Medieval Warm Period and there is only weak circumstantial evidence in a few places for a cool event crudely equivalent in time to the Northern Hemisphere's Little Ice Age. There is a need for well-dated, high resolution climate records in coastal East Antarctica and particularly in Terre Adélie, Dronning Maud Land and Enderby Land to fully understand the regional climate anomalies, the disparity between marine and terrestrial records, and to determine the significance of the heterogeneous temperature trends being measured in the Antarctic today.     

Late Quaternary deglaciation and climate history of the Larsemann Hills (East Antarctica)

The Late Quaternary climate history of the Larsemann Hills has been reconstructed using siliceous microfossils (diatoms, chrysophytes and silicoflagellates) in sediment cores extracted from three isolation lakes. Results show that the western peninsula, Stornes, and offshore islands were ice‐covered between 30 000 yr BP and 13 500 cal. yr BP. From 13 500 cal. yr BP (shortly after the Antarctic Cold Reversal) the coastal lakes of the Larsemann Hills were deglaciated and biogenic sedimentation commenced. Between 13 500 and 11 500 cal. yr BP conditions were warmer and wetter than during the preceding glacial period, but still colder than today. From 11 500 to 9500 cal. yr BP there is evidence for wet and warm conditions, which probably is related to the early Holocene climate optimum, recorded in Antarctic ice cores. Between 9500 and 7400 cal. yr BP dry and cold conditions are inferred from high lake‐water salinities, and low water levels and an extended duration of nearshore sea‐ice. A second climate optimum occurred between 7400 and 5230 cal. yr BP when stratified, open water conditions during spring and summer characterised the marine coast of Prydz Bay. From 5230 until 2750 cal. yr BP sea‐ice duration in Prydz Bay increased, with conditions similar to the present day. A short return to stratified, open water conditions and a reduction in nearshore winter sea‐ice extent is evident between 2750 and 2200 cal. yr BP. Simultaneously, reconstructions of lake water depth and salinity suggests relatively humid and warm conditions on land between 3000 and 2000 cal. yr BP, which corresponds to a Holocene Hypsithermal reported elsewhere in Antarctica. Finally, dry conditions are recorded around 2000, between 760 and 690, and between 280 and 140 cal. yr BP. These data are consistent with ice‐core records from Antarctica and support the hypothesis that lacustrine and marine sediments on land can be used to evaluate the effect of long‐term climate change on the terrestrial environment. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Holocene glacial history of Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic islands

A history of Holocene glaciation in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic affords insight into questions concerning present and future ice-sheet and mountain-glacier behavior and global climate and sea-level change. Existing records permit broad correlation of Holocene ice fluctuations within the region. In several areas, ice extent was less than at present in mid-Holocene time. An important exception to this is the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, which has undergone continued recession throughout the Holocene, probably in response to internal dynamics. The first Neoglacial ice advances occurred at 5.0 ka, although some sites (e.g., western Ross Sea) lack firm evidence for glacial expansion at that time. Glaciers in all areas underwent renewed growth in the past millennium, and most have subsequently undergone recession in the past 50 years, ranging from near-catastrophic in parts of the Antarctic Peninsula to minor in the western Ross Sea region and sections of East Antarctica. This magnitude difference likely reflects the much greater warming that is taking place in the Antarctic Peninsula region today as compared to East Antarctica.     

The Taylor Dome Antarctic O Record and Globally Synchronous Changes in Climate

The ¹⁸O/¹⁶O profile of a 554-m long ice core through Taylor Dome, Antarctica, shows the climate variability of the last glacial–interglacial cycle in detail and extends at least another full cycle. Taylor Dome shares the main features of the Vostok record, including the early climatic optimum with later cool phase of the last interglacial period in Antarctica. Taylor Dome δ¹⁸O fluctuations are more abrupt and larger than those at Vostok and Byrd Station, although still less pronounced than those of the Greenland GISP2 and GRIP records. The influence of the Atlantic thermohaline circulation on regional ocean heat transport explains the partly “North Atlantic” character of this Antarctic record. Under full glacial climate (marine isotope stage 4, late stage 3, and stage 2), this marine influence diminished and Taylor Dome became more like Vostok. Varying degrees of marine influence produce climate heterogeneity within Antarctica, which may account for conflicting evidence regarding the relative phasing of Northern and Southern Hemisphere climate change.     

Towards a climate event stratigraphy for New Zealand over the past 30 000 years (NZ‐INTIMATE project)

It is widely recognised that the acquisition of high‐resolution palaeoclimate records from southern mid‐latitude sites is essential for establishing a coherent picture of inter‐hemispheric climate change and for better understanding of the role of Antarctic climate dynamics in the global climate system. New Zealand is considered to be a sensitive monitor of climate change because it is one of a few sizeable landmasses in the Southern Hemisphere westerly circulation zone, a critical transition zone between subtropical and Antarctic influences. New Zealand has mountainous axial ranges that amplify the climate signals and, consequently, the environmental gradients are highly sensitive to subtle changes in atmospheric and oceanic conditions. Since 1995, INTIMATE has, through a series of international workshops, sought ways to improve procedures for establishing the precise ages of climate events, and to correlate them with high precision, for the last 30 000 calendar years. The NZ‐INTIMATE project commenced in late 2003, and has involved virtually the entire New Zealand palaeoclimate community. Its aim is to develop an event stratigraphy for the New Zealand region over the past 30 000 years, and to reconcile these events against the established climatostratigraphy of the last glacial cycle which has largely been developed from Northern Hemisphere records (e.g. Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), Termination I, Younger Dryas). An initial outcome of NZ‐INTIMATE has been the identification of a series of well‐dated, high‐resolution onshore and offshore proxy records from a variety of latitudes and elevations on a common calendar timescale from 30 000 cal. yr BP to the present day. High‐resolution records for the last glacial coldest period (LGCP) (including the LGM sensu stricto) and last glacial–interglacial transition (LGIT) from Auckland maars, Kaipo and Otamangakau wetlands on eastern and central North Island, marine core MD97‐2121 east of southern North Island, speleothems on northwest South Island, Okarito wetland on southwestern South Island, are presented. Discontinuous (fragmentary) records comprising compilations of glacial sequences, fluvial sequences, loess accumulation, and aeolian quartz accumulation in an andesitic terrain are described. Comparisons with ice‐core records from Antarctica (EPICA Dome C) and Greenland (GISP2) are discussed. A major advantage immediately evident from these records apart from the speleothem record, is that they are linked precisely by one or more tephra layers. Based on these New Zealand terrestrial and marine records, a reasonably coherent, regionally applicable, sequence of climatically linked stratigraphic events over the past 30 000 cal. yr is emerging. Three major climate events are recognised: (1) LGCP beginning at ca. 28 000 cal. yr BP, ending at Termination I, ca. 18 000 cal. yr BP, and including a warmer and more variable phase between ca. 27 000 and 21 000 cal. yr BP, (2) LGIT between ca. 18 000 and 11 600 cal. yr BP, including a Lateglacial warm period from ca. 14 800 to 13 500 cal. yr BP and a Lateglacial climate reversal between ca. 13 500 and 11 600 cal. yr BP, and (3) Holocene interglacial conditions, with two phases of greatest warmth between ca. 11 600 and 10 800 cal. yr BP and from ca. 6 800 to 6 500 cal. yr BP. Some key boundaries coincide with volcanic tephras. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Aeolian dust in the Talos Dome ice core (East Antarctica,Pacific/Ross Sea sector): Victoria Land versus remote sources over the last two climate cycles

A new ice core (TALDICE) drilled at Talos Dome (East Antarctica, Ross Sea sector) preserves a ca. 250 ka long record of palaeoclimate and atmospheric history. We investigate dust variability and provenance at the site during glacial periods and the Holocene through the Sr–Nd isotopic composition of ice core dust and potential source areas (PSA). We provide new isotopic data on dust sources from Victoria Land such as regoliths, glacial drifts, aeolian sands and beach deposits. Some of these sources are located at high altitude and are known to have been ice free throughout the Pleistocene. The major features of the TALDICE dust record are very similar to those from central East Antarctica. During glacial times, South America was the dominant dust supplier for Talos Dome as well as for the entire East Antarctic plateau. Conversely, during the Holocene the principal input of mineral dust at Talos Dome probably derives from proximal sources which are the ice‐free areas of northern Victoria Land, located at similar altitude with respect to the drilling site. Atmospheric mobilisation of dust from these neighbouring areas and transport inland to Talos Dome can be ultimately associated with advection of maritime air masses from the Pacific/Ross Sea region. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Glacio-isostasy and Glacial Ice Load at Law Dome, Wilkes Land, East Antarctica

The Holocene sea-level high stand or “marine limit” in Wilkes Land, East Antarctica, reached 30 m above present sea level at a few dispersed sites. The most detailed marine limit data have been recorded for the Windmill Islands and Budd Coast at the margin of the Law Dome ice cap, a dome of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS). Relative sea-level lowering of 30 m and the associated emergence of the Windmill Islands have occurred since 6900 ¹⁴C (corr.) yr B.P. Numerical modeling of the Earth's rheology is used to determine the glacio-isostatic component of the observed relative sea-level lowering. Glaciological evidence suggests that most of EAIS thickening occurred around its margin, with expansion onto the continental shelf. Consequently, a regional ice history for the last glacial maximum (LGM) was applied in the glacio-isostatic modeling to test whether the observed relative sea-level lowering was primarily produced by regional ice-sheet changes. The results of the modeling indicate that the postglacial (13,000 to 8000 ¹⁴C yr B.P) removal of an ice load of between 770 and 1000 m from around the margin of the Law Dome and adjacent EAIS have produced the observed relative sea-level lowering. Such an additional ice load would have been associated with a 40- to 65-km expansion of the Law Dome to near the continental shelf break, together with a few hundred meters of ice thickening on the adjoining coastal slope of the EAIS up to 2000 m elevation. Whereas the observed changes in relative sea level are shown to be strongly influenced by regional ice sheet changes, the glacio-isostatic response at the Windmill Islands results from a combination of regional and, to a lesser extent, Antarctic-wide effects. The correspondence between the Holocene relative sea-level lowering interpreted at the margin of the Law Dome and the lowering interpreted along the remainder of the Wilkes Land and Oates Land coasts (105°–160° E) suggests that a similar ice load of up to 1000 m existed along the EAIS margin between Wilkes Land and Oates Land.     

Oxygen isotope and palaeotemperature records from six Greenland ice‐core stations: Camp Century,Dye‐3, GRIP,GISP2, Renland and NorthGRIP

Oxygen isotope variations spanning the last glacial cycle and the Holocene derived from ice‐core records for six sites in Greenland (Camp Century, Dye‐3, GRIP, GISP2, Renland and NorthGRIP) show strong similarities. This suggests that the dominant influence on oxygen isotope variations reflected in the ice‐sheet records was regional climatic change. Differences in detail between the records probably reflect the effects of basal deformation in the ice as well as geographical gradients in atmospheric isotope ratios. Palaeotemperature estimates have been obtained from the records using three approaches: (i) inferences based on the measured relationship between mean annual δ¹⁸O of snow and of mean annual surface temperature over Greenland; (ii) modelled inversion of the borehole temperature profile constrained either by the dated isotopic profile, or (iii) by using Monte Carlo simulation techniques. The third of these approaches was adopted to reconstruct Holocene temperature variations for the Dye 3 and GRIP temperature profiles, which yields remarkably compatible results. A new record of Holocene isotope variations obtained from the NorthGRIP ice‐core matches the GRIP short‐term isotope record, and also shows similar long‐term trends to the Dye‐3 and GRIP inverted temperature data. The NorthGRIP isotope record reflects: (i) a generally stronger isotopic signal than is found in the GRIP record; (ii) several short‐lived temperature fluctuations during the first 1500 yr of the Holocene; (iii) a marked cold event at ca. 8.2 ka (the ‘8.2 ka event’); (iv) optimum temperatures for the Holocene between ca. 8.6 and 4.3 ka, a signal that is 0.6‰ stronger than for the GRIP profile; (v) a clear signal for the Little Ice Age; and (vi) a clear signal of climate warming during the last century. These data suggest that the NorthGRIP stable isotope record responded in a sensitive manner to temperature fluctuations during the Holocene. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Magnetostratigraphy and paleoenvironmental significance of sediments from ANT29-P7-09 core in Prydz Bay,Antarctica

Due to the unique geographical location and sensitive response to global climate changes, the Antarctic region plays an important role in paleoclimate researches, and attracts great attentions from various scholars. One 324 cm long sediment core (ANT29-P7-09) was obtained from Prydz Bay, Antarctica, during the 29th Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition. Based on sediment particle size, TOC, δ¹³C analyses and magnetism data, the authors show that the dominant magnetic minerals are ferrimagnetic pseudo single domain (PSD)-multi domain (MD) magnetite. Variations in the paleoenvironmental records allow us to define 4 zones in the core. These zones outline the climatic variations in the region since the late Early Pleistocene, including a warm period, a transitional period, and a cold period. The magnetic particle assemblage varies with glacial-interglacial cycles. Abrupt changes in particle size, TOC content, and geomagnetism occur at 102–90 cm deep in the core, indicating a sudden warming in the Antarctic region, signaling the onset of the Holocene. The authors identified 3 additional climatic signals in the middle part of the core (232–162 cm) that show unexpected cooling events during the warm period in Prydz Bay, Antarctica.     

Tephrochronology of the Siple Dome ice core,West Antarctica: correlations and sources

A total of 24 tephra-bearing volcanic layers have been recognized between 550 and 987 m depth in the Siple Dome A (SDM-A) ice core, in addition to a number already recognized tephra in the upper 550 m (Dunbar et al., 2003, Kurbatov et al., 2006). The uniform composition and distinctive morphological of the particles composing these tephra layers suggest deposition as a result of explosive volcanic eruptions and that the layers therefore represent time-stratigraphic markers in the ice core. Despite the very fine grain size of these tephra (mostly less than 20 microns), robust geochemical compositions were determined by electron microprobe analysis. The source volcanoes for these tephra layers are largely found within the Antarctic plate. Statistical geochemical correlations tie nine of the tephra layers to known eruptions from Mt. Berlin, a West Antarctic volcano that has been very active for the past 100,000 years. Previous correlations were made to an eruption of Mt. Takahe, another West Antarctic volcano, and one to Mt. Hudson, located in South America (Kurbatov et al., 2006). The lowest tephra layer in the ice core, located at 986.21 m depth, is correlated to a source eruption with an age of 118.1 ± 1.3 ka, suggesting a chronological pinning point for the lower ice. An episode of anomalously high volcanic activity in the ice in the SDM-A core between 18 and 35 ka (Gow and Meese, 2007) appears to be related to eruptive activity of Mt. Berlin volcano. At least some of the tephra layers found in the SDM-A core appear to be the result of very explosive eruptions that spread ash across large parts of West Antarctica, off the West Antarctic coast, as well as also being recognized in East Antarctica (Basile et al., 2001, Narcisi et al., 2005, Narcisi et al., 2006). Some of these layers would be expected to should be found in other deep Antarctic ice cores, particularly ones drilled in West Antarctica, providing correlative markers between different cores. The analysis of the tephra layers in the Siple Dome core, along with other Antarctic cores, provides a timing framework for the relatively proximal Antarctic and South American volcanic eruptive events, allowing these to be distinguished from the tropical eruptions that may play a greater role in climate forcing.     

Abrupt Climatic Changes during the Last Glaciation Based on Pollen Analysis of the Abric Romani, Catalonia, Spain

The Abric Romani continental pollen record provides evidence of abrupt climate variations during the last glaciation. The pollen record reveals a pattern of high-frequency variations similar to that in ice cores as shown by oxygen isotopes or dust content. Analyses of 14 travertine samples yield coherent U-series ages in correct stratigraphic order, ranging from 40,000 to 70,000 yr. According to changes in the composition and structure of the vegetation, five paleoclimatic phases have been differentiated; the oldest, ranging from 70,200 to 65,500 yr ago, records thermophilous taxa which correspond to the last warm events of isotopic stage 5. The next phase, from 65,500 to 56,800 yr, records a cold, humid climate that correlates with isotope stage 4. During the third phase, from 56,800 to 49,500 yr, relatively warm and cold events alternate. The fourth phase, from 49,500 to 46,200 yr, records a cold, dry climate. The fifth phase, ranging from 46,200 to 40,800 yr, records a milder phase that is similar in appearance to the beginning of the Holocene.     

Stomatal evidence for a decline in atmospheric CO2 concentration during the Younger Dryas stadial: a comparison with Antarctic ice core records

A recent high‐resolution record of Late‐glacial CO₂ change from Dome Concordia in Antarctica reveals a trend of increasing CO₂ across the Younger Dryas stadial (GS‐1). These results are in good agreement with previous Antarctic ice‐core records. However, they contrast markedly with a proxy CO₂ record based on the stomatal approach to CO₂ reconstruction, which records a ca. 70 ppm mean CO₂ decline at the onset of GS‐1. To address these apparent discrepancies we tested the validity of the stomatal‐based CO₂ reconstructions from Kråkenes by obtaining further proxy CO₂ records based on a similar approach using fossil leaves from two independent lakes in Atlantic Canada. Our Late‐glacial CO₂ reconstructions reveal an abrupt ca. 77 ppm decrease in atmospheric CO₂ at the onset of the Younger Dryas stadial, which lagged climatic cooling by ca. 130 yr. Furthermore, the trends recorded in the most accurate high‐resolution ice‐core record of CO₂, from Dome Concordia, can be reproduced from our stomatal‐based CO₂ records, when time‐averaged by the mean age distribution of air contained within Dome Concordia ice (200 to 550 yr). If correct, our results indicate an abrupt drawdown of atmospheric CO₂ within two centuries at the onset of GS‐1, suggesting that some re‐evaluation of the behaviour of atmospheric CO₂ sinks and sources during times of rapid climatic change, such as the Late‐glacial, may be required. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Late quaternary glacial history of George VI Sound area, West Antarctica

During the last glacial maximum in West Antarctica separate ice caps developed on Alexander Island and on Palmer Land, became confluent in George VI Sound, and discharged northward from latitude 72° S. Radiocarbon (>32,000 yr) and amino acid (approximately 120,000 yr) age determinations on shell fragments (Hiatella solida) found in basal till suggest a Wisconsin age for the glaciation that incorporated them. The pattern of ice flow differed from that deduced for this area in the CLIMAP reconstruction. Following the maximum stage, there was a stadial event when outlet valley glaciers flowed from smaller ice caps into George VI Sound. More widespread recession permitted the George VI ice shelf to deposit Palmer Land erratics on eastern Alexander Island before isostatic recovery raised them to final elevations of about 82 m. The ice shelf may have been absent at about 6500 yr B.P., when large barnacles (Bathylasma corolliforme) were living in the sound. Small glaciers readvanced to form at least two terminal moraines before the ice shelf re-formed and incorporated the barnacle shells into its moraine on Alexander Island. The shells gave a ¹⁴C age (corrected for Antarctic conditions) of about 6500 yr B.P. and an amino acid ratio consistent with a Holocene age. Valley glaciers readvanced over the ice-shelf moraine before oscillations of both valley glaciers and the ice shelf led to the formation of the present sequence of contiguous ice-cored moraines, probably during the Little Ice Age. Such oscillations may represent a climatic control not yet observed in the dry valleys of Victoria Land, the only other part of Antarctica studied in detail for glacier fluctuations.     

南极地区数百年来气候变化的冰芯记录对比研究

随着国际横穿南极科学考察计划的实施, 近年来开展了沿中山站-Dome A考察路线的冰芯研究, 获得了伊丽莎白公主地250 a来气候环境变化的高分辨率记录. 通过与Lambert冰川流域西侧有关研究结果的对比, 揭示了该冰川谷地为东南极洲重要气候分界线的特征. 综合南极地区其它地点冰芯记录和冰盖变化研究结果, 发现以小冰期为代表的寒冷期在东南极洲较为明显, 在西南极洲则不明显, 甚或恰好相反, 表现为温暖阶段. 就东南极洲来说, 也存在明显的区域差异: 以Lambert冰川谷地为界, 东部地区, 如Wilkes Land (Law Dome), Victoria Land北部(Hercules Neve)等地, 小冰期冷期比较突出;西部地区, 如Dronning Maud Land和Mizuho高原, 情况不是很明确. Lambert冰川流域是非常特殊的地方, 虽然小冰期冷期也存在, 但1850年前后的显著高温和近100多年来的降温与南极洲其它地方都不一样, 而与南极半岛北侧一冰芯所给出的400 a温度变化记录极为相似, 我们尚不能解释为何如此遥远的两个地点具有很好的一致性而与其它地方则不一致.     

Holocene glacier and deep water dynamics,Adélie Land region,East Antarctica

This study presents a high-resolution multi-proxy investigation of sediment core MD03-2601 and documents major glacier oscillations and deep water activity during the Holocene in the Adélie Land region, East Antarctica. A comparison with surface ocean conditions reveals synchronous changes of glaciers, sea ice and deep water formation at Milankovitch and sub-Milankovitch time scales. We report (1) a deglaciation of the Adélie Land continental shelf from 11 to 8.5 cal ka BP, which occurred in two phases of effective glacier grounding-line retreat at 10.6 and 9 cal ka BP, associated with active deep water formation; (2) a rapid glacier and sea ice readvance centred around 7.7 cal ka BP; and (3) five rapid expansions of the glacier–sea ice systems, during the Mid to Late Holocene, associated to a long-term increase of deep water formation. At Milankovich time scales, we show that the precessionnal component of insolation at high and low latitudes explains the major trend of the glacier–sea ice–ocean system throughout the Holocene, in the Adélie Land region. In addition, the orbitally-forced seasonality seems to control the coastal deep water formation via the sea ice–ocean coupling, which could lead to opposite patterns between north and south high latitudes during the Mid to Late Holocene. At sub-Milankovitch time scales, there are eight events of glacier–sea ice retreat and expansion that occurred during atmospheric cooling events over East Antarctica. Comparisons of our results with other peri-Antarctic records and model simulations from high southern latitudes may suggest that our interpretation on glacier–sea ice–ocean interactions and their Holocene evolutions reflect a more global Antarctic Holocene pattern.     

东南极冰盖中山站－DOme A断面路线考察的初步结果

1996年以来，中国国家南极考察队连续3次进行了南极冰盖内陆考察，最远点距海岸1100km,海拔3900米，沿考察路线对冰盖表面地形，表面雪层特征，雪积累速率，冰体厚度和运动速度等进行现场观测，采集0．6－3．3米深度雪坑样品，在4个地点钻取50－100m，深度冰芯5支，部分资料和样品的初步分析表明，由于研究区域毗邻Lambert冰川和格罗夫山，冰面地形较多起伏，中段很大区域坡面朝向Lambert冰川，自中山站向内陆460km积累速率为46－210kg.m^-2.a^-1(相当于12－60厘米厚度雪层），表面1米深度雪的密度为350－450kg/m^-3，雪变成冰的深度（密度达830kg.m^-3)在几个冰芯钻取地点大约为60米，说明研究区域内雪的变质过程基本相同，300km处50米冰芯初步分析显示，过去几十年积累速率和温度均呈上升趋势，这虽然与南极地区其他针点的结果相一致，但却和毗邻的Lambert冰川西侧研究结果相反。     

Solar activity during the last 1000 yr inferred from radionuclide records

Identification of the causes of past climate change requires detailed knowledge of one of the most important natural factors—solar forcing. Prior to the period of direct solar observations, radionuclide abundances in natural archives provide the best-known proxies for changes in solar activity. Here we present two independent reconstructions of changes in solar activity during the last 1000 yr, which are inferred from ¹⁰Be and ¹⁴C records. We analyse the tree-ring ¹⁴C data (SHCal, IntCal04 from 1000 to 1510 AD and annual data from 1511 to 1950 AD) and four ¹⁰Be records from Greenland ice cores (Camp Century, GRIP, Milcent and Dye3) together with two ¹⁰Be records from Antarctic ice cores (Dome Concordia and South Pole). In general, the ¹⁰Be and ¹⁴C records exhibit good agreement that allows us to obtain reliable estimates of past solar magnetic modulation of the radionuclide production rates. Differences between ¹⁰Be records from Antarctica and Greenland indicate that climatic changes have influenced the deposition of ¹⁰Be during some periods of the last 1000 yr. The radionuclide-based reconstructions of past changes in solar activity do not always agree with the sunspot record, which indicates that the coupling between those proxies is not as close as has been sometimes assumed. The tree-ring ¹⁴C record and ¹⁰Be from Antarctica indicate that recent solar activity is high but not exceptional with respect to the last 1000 yr.     

Potential for Southern Hemisphere climate surprises

Climate model results suggest that future climate change in Antarctica will be accompanied by continued strengthening and poleward contraction of the Southern Ocean westerly wind belt. Paleoclimate records suggest past changes in the westerly winds can be abrupt and that healing of the Antarctic ozone hole could lead to poleward contraction of the westerlies and increased meridional atmospheric transport of warm air regionally into Antarctica. An abrupt shift to more meridional circulation could lead to notable changes in moisture availability for extra‐Antarctic regions, increased Antarctic ice sheet disintegration and more rapid sea‐level rise.     

No significant ice-sheet expansion beyond present ice margins during the past 4500 yr at Rauer Group, East Antarctica

The history of glacial advances and retreats of the East Antarctic ice sheet during the Holocene is not well-known, due to limited field evidence in both the marine and terrestrial realm. A 257-cm-long sediment core was recovered from a marine inlet in the Rauer Group, East Antarctica, 1.8 km in front of the present ice-sheet margin. Radiocarbon dating and lithological characteristics reveal that the core comprises a complete marine record since 4500 yr. A significant ice-sheet expansion beyond present ice margins therefore did not occur during this period.     

Volume of Antarctic Ice at the Last Glacial Maximum, and its impact on global sea level change

The volume of Antarctic ice at the Last Glacial Maximum is a key factor for calculating the past contribution of melting ice sheets to Late Pleistocene global sea level change. At present, there are large uncertainties in our knowledge of the extent and thickness of the formerly expanded Antarctic ice sheets, and in the timing of their release as meltwater into the world’s oceans. This paper reviews the four main approaches to determining former Antarctic ice volume, namely glacial geology, glacio-isostatic studies, glaciological modelling, and ice core analysis and attempts to reconcile these to give a ‘best estimate’ for ice volume. In the Ross Sea there was a major expansion of grounded ice at the Last Glacial Maximum, accounting for 2.3–3.2 m of global sea level. At some time in the Weddell Sea a large grounded ice sheet corresponding to c. 2.7 m of global sea level extended to the shelf break. However, this ice expansion has not yet been confidently dated and may not relate to the Last Glacial Maximum. Around East Antarctica there was thickening and advance offshore of ice in coastal regions. Ice core evidence suggests that the interior of East Antarctica was either close to its present elevation or thinner during the last glacial so the effect of East Antarctica on sea level depends on the net balance between marginal thickening and interior thinning. Suggested East Antarctic contributions vary from a 3–5.5 m lowering to a 0.64 m rise in global sea level. The Antarctic Peninsula ice sheet thickened and extended offshore at the Last Glacial Maximum, with a sea level equivalent contribution of c. 1.7 m. Thus, the Antarctic ice sheets accounted for between 6.1 and 13.1 m of global sea level fall at the Last Glacial Maximum. This is substantially less than has been suggested by most previous studies but the maximum figure matches well with one modelling estimate. The timing of Antarctic deglaciation is not well known. In the Ross Sea, terrestrial evidence suggests deglaciation may have begun at c. 13,000 yr BP¹ but that grounded ice persisted until c. 6,500 yr BP. Marine evidence suggests the western Ross Sea was deglaciated by c. 11,500 yr BP. Deglaciation of the Weddell Sea is poorly constrained. Grounded ice in the northern Antarctic Peninsula had retreated by c. 13,000 yr BP, and further south deglaciation occurred sometime prior to c. 6,000 yr BP. Many parts of coastal East Antarctica apparently escaped glaciation at the LGM, but in those areas that were ice-covered deglaciation was underway by 10,000 yr BP. With existing data, the timing of deglaciation shows no firm relation to northern hemisphere-driven sea level rise. This is probably due partly to lack of Antarctic dating evidence but also to the combined influence of several forcing mechanisms acting during deglaciation.