The configuration of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets through the Quaternary

• Main Authors: Christine L Batchelor, Martin Margold, Mario Krapp, Della K Murton, April S Dalton, Philip L Gibbard, Chris R Stokes, Julian Murton, Andrea Manica
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: Uncategorised value; Ice Sheet
• Online Access: https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/The_configuration_of_Northern_Hemisphere_ice_sheets_through_the_Quaternary/23306564

Our understanding of how global climatic changes are translated into ice-sheet fluctuations and sea-level change is currently limited by a lack of knowledge of the configuration of ice sheets prior to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Here, we compile a synthesis of empirical data and numerical modelling results related to pre-LGM ice sheets to produce new hypotheses regarding their extent in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) at 17 time-slices that span the Quaternary. Our reconstructions illustrate pronounced ice-sheet asymmetry within the last glacial cycle and significant variations in ice-marginal positions between older 26 glacial cycles. We find support for a significant reduction in the extent of the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) during MIS 3, implying that global sea levels may have been 30–40 m higher than most previous estimates. Our ice-sheet reconstructions illustrate the current state-of-the-art knowledge of pre-LGM ice sheets and provide a conceptual framework to interpret NH 30 landscape evolution.