Modeling of Pleistocene European Ice Sheets: Some Experiments with Simple Mass-Balance Parameterizations
Abstract A vertically integrated ice-flow model suitable for use in climate studies is formulated. Large continental ice sheets may be characterized by two fundamental quantities: the height-to-width ratio, and the steepness of the edge. So it is natural to develop a model containing two parameters...
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1981
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crcambridgeupr:10.1016/0033-5894(81)90115-0 2024-06-09T07:45:55+00:00 Modeling of Pleistocene European Ice Sheets: Some Experiments with Simple Mass-Balance Parameterizations Oerlemans, J. 1981 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0033-5894(81)90115-0 http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:0033589481901150?httpAccept=text/xml http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:0033589481901150?httpAccept=text/plain https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0033589400015969 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Quaternary Research volume 15, issue 1, page 77-85 ISSN 0033-5894 1096-0287 journal-article 1981 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1016/0033-5894(81)90115-0 2024-05-15T13:13:03Z Abstract A vertically integrated ice-flow model suitable for use in climate studies is formulated. Large continental ice sheets may be characterized by two fundamental quantities: the height-to-width ratio, and the steepness of the edge. So it is natural to develop a model containing two parameters that can be chosen to give the right values of those characteristic quantities. The result is a model that is close to M. A. W. Mahaffy's ( Journal of Geophysical Research , 81 , 1059–1066 (1976)). The model is used to study glaciation in Europe. Dropping the level of zero mass balance creates small stable ice caps in the Alps and the Scandinavian mountains. If the drop exceeds 600 m (with respect to present-day conditions), the feedback between ice-sheet height and mass balance becomes dominating and the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet keeps growing. It does not reach an equilibrium state within 60,000 yr. An experiment simulating rapid onset of a glacial cycle shows that the growth of ice volume in Europe is smaller than that in northern America (J. T. Andrews and M. A. W. Mahaffy, Quaternary Research , 6 , 167–183 (1976)). After 10,000 yr, the volume of the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet (2 × 10 15 m 3 ) is about half the volume of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. This leaves the “observed” sea-level lowering in the period 125,000–115,000 yr B.P. (estimates center around 50 m) unexplained. Article in Journal/Newspaper Fennoscandian Ice Sheet Cambridge University Press Quaternary Research 15 1 77 85 |
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English |
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Abstract A vertically integrated ice-flow model suitable for use in climate studies is formulated. Large continental ice sheets may be characterized by two fundamental quantities: the height-to-width ratio, and the steepness of the edge. So it is natural to develop a model containing two parameters that can be chosen to give the right values of those characteristic quantities. The result is a model that is close to M. A. W. Mahaffy's ( Journal of Geophysical Research , 81 , 1059–1066 (1976)). The model is used to study glaciation in Europe. Dropping the level of zero mass balance creates small stable ice caps in the Alps and the Scandinavian mountains. If the drop exceeds 600 m (with respect to present-day conditions), the feedback between ice-sheet height and mass balance becomes dominating and the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet keeps growing. It does not reach an equilibrium state within 60,000 yr. An experiment simulating rapid onset of a glacial cycle shows that the growth of ice volume in Europe is smaller than that in northern America (J. T. Andrews and M. A. W. Mahaffy, Quaternary Research , 6 , 167–183 (1976)). After 10,000 yr, the volume of the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet (2 × 10 15 m 3 ) is about half the volume of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. This leaves the “observed” sea-level lowering in the period 125,000–115,000 yr B.P. (estimates center around 50 m) unexplained. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Oerlemans, J. |
spellingShingle |
Oerlemans, J. Modeling of Pleistocene European Ice Sheets: Some Experiments with Simple Mass-Balance Parameterizations |
author_facet |
Oerlemans, J. |
author_sort |
Oerlemans, J. |
title |
Modeling of Pleistocene European Ice Sheets: Some Experiments with Simple Mass-Balance Parameterizations |
title_short |
Modeling of Pleistocene European Ice Sheets: Some Experiments with Simple Mass-Balance Parameterizations |
title_full |
Modeling of Pleistocene European Ice Sheets: Some Experiments with Simple Mass-Balance Parameterizations |
title_fullStr |
Modeling of Pleistocene European Ice Sheets: Some Experiments with Simple Mass-Balance Parameterizations |
title_full_unstemmed |
Modeling of Pleistocene European Ice Sheets: Some Experiments with Simple Mass-Balance Parameterizations |
title_sort |
modeling of pleistocene european ice sheets: some experiments with simple mass-balance parameterizations |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
1981 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0033-5894(81)90115-0 http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:0033589481901150?httpAccept=text/xml http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:0033589481901150?httpAccept=text/plain https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0033589400015969 |
genre |
Fennoscandian Ice Sheet |
genre_facet |
Fennoscandian Ice Sheet |
op_source |
Quaternary Research volume 15, issue 1, page 77-85 ISSN 0033-5894 1096-0287 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/0033-5894(81)90115-0 |
container_title |
Quaternary Research |
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15 |
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1 |
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77 |
op_container_end_page |
85 |
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1801375572122664960 |