ESD Ideas: Why Are Glaciations Slower than Deglaciations?

• Main Authors: Ramadhin, Christine J, Yi, Chuixiang
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: CUNY Academic Works 2020
• Subjects: Quaternary period; glaciation; deglaciation; ice-albedo feedback; Glaciology; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/qc_pubs/384; https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1400&context=qc_pubs

The Earth’s climate during the Quaternary is dominated by short warm interglacials and longer cold glaciations paced by external forcings such as changes in insolation. Although not observed in the solar radiation changes, the time series of the cycles display asymmetry since transitions to full glacial conditions are slower than the termination of glaciations. Here an idea is proposed for the slower transition by identifying and describing two negative sea ice feedbacks dominant during the glaciation process that could serve as a control on the intermediate stage and decrease the pace of the process.