Evidence for general instability of past climate from a 250-KYR ice-core record

Sigfus Johann Johnsen; Henrik Brink Clausen; Dorthe Dahl-Jensen; Claus Uffe Hammer; Christine Schøtt Hvidberg; Jørgen Peder Steffensen; W. Dansgaard; NS. Gundestrup; AE Sveinbjornsdottir; J. Jouzel; G. Bond

doi:10.1038/364218a0

Evidence for general instability of past climate from a 250-KYR ice-core record

Sigfus Johann Johnsen, Henrik Brink Clausen, Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, Claus Uffe Hammer, Christine Schøtt Hvidberg, Jørgen Peder Steffensen, W. Dansgaard, NS. Gundestrup, AE Sveinbjornsdottir, J. Jouzel, G. Bond

3359 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

results^1,2 from two ice cores drilled in central Greenland have revealed large, abrupt climate changes of at least regional extent during the late stages of the last glaciation, suggesting that climate in the North Atlantic region is able to reorganize itself rapidly, perhaps even within a few decades. Here we present a detailed stable-isotope record for the full length of the Greenland Ice-core Project Summit ice core, extending over the past 250 kyr according to a calculated timescale. We find that climate instability was not confined to the last glaciation, but appears also to have been marked during the last interglacial (as explored more fully in a companion paper³) and during the previous Saale-Holstein glacial cycle. This is in contrast with the extreme stability of the Holocene, suggesting that recent climate stability may be the exception rather than the rule. The last interglacial seems to have lasted longer than is implied by the deep-sea SPECMAP record⁴, in agreement with other land-based observations^5,6. We suggest that climate instability in the early part of the last interglacial may have delayed the melting of the Saalean ice sheets in America and Eurasia, perhaps accounting for this discrepancy
Udgivelsesdato: 15 juli

Original language	English
Journal	Nature
Volume	364
Pages (from-to)	218-220
ISSN	0028-0836
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/364218a0
Publication status	Published - 1993

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@article{f7c2e9b0ed4711ddbf70000ea68e967b,

title = "Evidence for general instability of past climate from a 250-KYR ice-core record",

abstract = " results1,2 from two ice cores drilled in central Greenland have revealed large, abrupt climate changes of at least regional extent during the late stages of the last glaciation, suggesting that climate in the North Atlantic region is able to reorganize itself rapidly, perhaps even within a few decades. Here we present a detailed stable-isotope record for the full length of the Greenland Ice-core Project Summit ice core, extending over the past 250 kyr according to a calculated timescale. We find that climate instability was not confined to the last glaciation, but appears also to have been marked during the last interglacial (as explored more fully in a companion paper3) and during the previous Saale-Holstein glacial cycle. This is in contrast with the extreme stability of the Holocene, suggesting that recent climate stability may be the exception rather than the rule. The last interglacial seems to have lasted longer than is implied by the deep-sea SPECMAP record4, in agreement with other land-based observations5,6. We suggest that climate instability in the early part of the last interglacial may have delayed the melting of the Saalean ice sheets in America and Eurasia, perhaps accounting for this discrepancy Udgivelsesdato: 15 juli",

author = "Johnsen, {Sigfus Johann} and Clausen, {Henrik Brink} and Dorthe Dahl-Jensen and Hammer, {Claus Uffe} and Hvidberg, {Christine Sch{\o}tt} and Steffensen, {J{\o}rgen Peder} and W. Dansgaard and NS. Gundestrup and AE Sveinbjornsdottir and J. Jouzel and G. Bond",

year = "1993",

doi = "10.1038/364218a0",

language = "English",

volume = "364",

pages = "218--220",

journal = "Nature",

issn = "0028-0836",

publisher = "nature publishing group",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Evidence for general instability of past climate from a 250-KYR ice-core record

AU - Johnsen, Sigfus Johann

AU - Clausen, Henrik Brink

AU - Dahl-Jensen, Dorthe

AU - Hammer, Claus Uffe

AU - Hvidberg, Christine Schøtt

AU - Steffensen, Jørgen Peder

AU - Dansgaard, W.

AU - Gundestrup, NS.

AU - Sveinbjornsdottir, AE

AU - Jouzel, J.

AU - Bond, G.

PY - 1993

Y1 - 1993

N2 - results1,2 from two ice cores drilled in central Greenland have revealed large, abrupt climate changes of at least regional extent during the late stages of the last glaciation, suggesting that climate in the North Atlantic region is able to reorganize itself rapidly, perhaps even within a few decades. Here we present a detailed stable-isotope record for the full length of the Greenland Ice-core Project Summit ice core, extending over the past 250 kyr according to a calculated timescale. We find that climate instability was not confined to the last glaciation, but appears also to have been marked during the last interglacial (as explored more fully in a companion paper3) and during the previous Saale-Holstein glacial cycle. This is in contrast with the extreme stability of the Holocene, suggesting that recent climate stability may be the exception rather than the rule. The last interglacial seems to have lasted longer than is implied by the deep-sea SPECMAP record4, in agreement with other land-based observations5,6. We suggest that climate instability in the early part of the last interglacial may have delayed the melting of the Saalean ice sheets in America and Eurasia, perhaps accounting for this discrepancy Udgivelsesdato: 15 juli

AB - results1,2 from two ice cores drilled in central Greenland have revealed large, abrupt climate changes of at least regional extent during the late stages of the last glaciation, suggesting that climate in the North Atlantic region is able to reorganize itself rapidly, perhaps even within a few decades. Here we present a detailed stable-isotope record for the full length of the Greenland Ice-core Project Summit ice core, extending over the past 250 kyr according to a calculated timescale. We find that climate instability was not confined to the last glaciation, but appears also to have been marked during the last interglacial (as explored more fully in a companion paper3) and during the previous Saale-Holstein glacial cycle. This is in contrast with the extreme stability of the Holocene, suggesting that recent climate stability may be the exception rather than the rule. The last interglacial seems to have lasted longer than is implied by the deep-sea SPECMAP record4, in agreement with other land-based observations5,6. We suggest that climate instability in the early part of the last interglacial may have delayed the melting of the Saalean ice sheets in America and Eurasia, perhaps accounting for this discrepancy Udgivelsesdato: 15 juli

U2 - 10.1038/364218a0

DO - 10.1038/364218a0

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0028-0836

VL - 364

SP - 218

EP - 220

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

ER -