Late Pleistocene variations in Antarctic sea ice I: effect of orbital insolation changes

The effect of orbitally induced insolation changes on Antarctic sea-ice cover are examined by means of a dynamic-thermodynamic seaice model. Results are compared with modified CLIMAP 18 000 B.P. sea-ice reconstructions. Calculations suggest that changes in insolation receipt had only a minor influence on Pleistocene sea-ice distributions. The small response can be explained by a number of factors: albedo effects reduce the insolation perturbation at the surface; some of the shortwave radiation entering the ocean contributes to bottom ablation rather than lateral melting; the radiation perturbation at the upper surface of the ice must go to warming the surface to the melting point before melting ensues; and, finally, the relatively high heat capacity of open water dampens the surface temperature response to altered seasonal insolation perturbations.