Palaeotemperature reconstructions of the European permafrost zone during marine oxygen isotope Stage 3 compared with climate model results

• Published in: Journal of Quaternary Science
• Main Authors: van Huissteden, Ko, Vandenberghe, Jef, Pollard, David
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2003
• Subjects: Ice; permafrost; wedge*
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jqs.766; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fjqs.766; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/jqs.766

Abstract A palaeotemperature reconstruction based on periglacial phenomena in Europe north of approximately 51 °N, is compared with high‐resolution regional climate model simulations of the marine oxygen isotope Stage 3 (Stage 3) palaeoclimate. The experiments represent Stage 3 warm (interstadial), Stage 3 cold (stadial) and Last Glacial Maximum climatic conditions. The palaeotemperature reconstruction deviates considerably for the Stage 3 cold climate experiments, with mismatches up to 11 °C for the mean annual air temperature and up to 15 °C for the winter temperature. However, in this reconstruction various factors linking climate and permafrost have not been taken into account. In particular a relatively thin snow cover and high climatic variability of the glacial climate could have influenced temperature limits for ice‐wedge growth. Based on modelling the 0 °C mean annual ground temperature proves to be an appropriate upper temperature limit. Using this limit, mismatches with the Stage 3 cold climate experiments have been reduced but still remain. We therefore assume that the Stage 3 ice wedges were generated during short (decadal time‐scale) intervals of extreme cold climate, below the mean temperatures indicated by the Stage 3 cold climate model simulations. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.