The Spatial Structure of the 128 ka Antarctic Sea Ice Minimum
We compare multi-ice core data with δ 18 O model output for the early last interglacial Antarctic sea ice minimum. The spatial pattern of δ 18 O across Antarctica is sensitive to the spatial pattern of sea ice retreat. Local sea ice retreat increases the proportion of winter precipitation, depleting...
Published in: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
2017
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1983/921e9cdc-ffdb-415b-ae06-83ba1b3df80a https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/921e9cdc-ffdb-415b-ae06-83ba1b3df80a https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074594 https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/ws/files/155637495/Holloway_et_al_2017_Geophysical_Research_Letters.pdf http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85033565208&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
Summary: | We compare multi-ice core data with δ 18 O model output for the early last interglacial Antarctic sea ice minimum. The spatial pattern of δ 18 O across Antarctica is sensitive to the spatial pattern of sea ice retreat. Local sea ice retreat increases the proportion of winter precipitation, depleting δ 18 O at ice core sites. However, retreat also enriches δ 18 O because of the reduced source-to-site distance for atmospheric vapor. The joint overall effect is for δ 18 O to increase as sea ice is reduced. Our data-model comparison indicates a winter sea ice retreat of 67, 59, and 43% relative to preindustrial in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific sectors of the Southern Ocean. A compilation of Southern Ocean sea ice proxy data provides weak support for this reconstruction. However, most published marine core sites are located too far north of the 128,000 years B.P. sea ice edge, preventing independent corroboration for this sea ice reconstruction. |
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