Dust-Induced Albedo Changes of Polar Ice Sheets and Glacierization

• Published in: Journal of Glaciology
• Main Author: Bloch, M. R.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1964
• Subjects: Earth-Surface Processes; Antarctic; Antarc*; Journal of Glaciology
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000028823; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000028823

Abstract The custatic changes of the ocean in prehistoric and historical times are linked with the fate of the ocean-based salt industry, and are recognized as erratic. An hypothesis is proposed to explain these erratic changes with albedo changes of the polar ice sheets, caused in turn by erratic volcanic dust fall-out. Ash layers in Antarctic ice cores are connected with historical dislocations of maritime civilizations. Albedo changes associated with the dusting of ice sheets are considered to be the cause of the decline of periods of glacierization generally. Such albedo changes are connected with volcanic activity on the one hand, and loess formation on the other, caused in turn by the growth of the ice sheets.