Formal definition and dating of the GSSP (Global Stratotype Section and Point) for the base of the Holocene using the Greenland NGRIP ice core, and selected auxiliary records

Mike Walker; Sigfus Johann Johnsen; Sune Olander Rasmussen; Trevor James Popp; Jørgen Peder Steffensen; Phil Gibbard; Wim Hoek; John Lowe; John Andrews; Svante Björck; Les C. Cwynar; Konrad Hughen; Peter Kershaw; Bernd Kromer; Thomas Litt; David J. Lowe; Takeshi Nakagawa; Rewi Newnham; Jakob Schwander

doi:10.1002/jqs.1227

Formal definition and dating of the GSSP (Global Stratotype Section and Point) for the base of the Holocene using the Greenland NGRIP ice core, and selected auxiliary records

Mike Walker, Sigfus Johann Johnsen, Sune Olander Rasmussen, Trevor James Popp, Jørgen Peder Steffensen, Phil Gibbard, Wim Hoek, John Lowe, John Andrews, Svante Björck, Les C. Cwynar, Konrad Hughen, Peter Kershaw, Bernd Kromer, Thomas Litt, David J. Lowe, Takeshi Nakagawa, Rewi Newnham, Jakob Schwander

Physics of Ice, Climate and Earth

406 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The Greenland ice core from NorthGRIP (NGRIP) contains a proxy climate record across the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary of unprecedented clarity and resolution. Analysis of an array of physical and chemical parameters within the ice enables the base of the Holocene, as reflected in the first signs of climatic warming at the end of the Younger Dryas/Greenland Stadial 1 cold phase, to be located with a high degree of precision. This climatic event is most clearly reflected in an abrupt shift in deuterium excess values, accompanied by more gradual changes in d¹⁸O, dust concentration, a range of chemical species, and annual layer thickness. A timescale based on multi-parameter annual layer counting provides an age of 11,700 calendar yr b2 k (before AD 2000) for the base of the Holocene, with a maximum counting error of 99 yr. A proposal that an archived core from this unique sequence should constitute the Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Holocene Series/Epoch (Quaternary System/Period) has been ratified by the International Union of Geological Sciences. Five auxiliary stratotypes for the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary have also been recognised.

Original language	English
Journal	Journal of Quaternary Science
Volume	24
Issue number	1
Pages (from-to)	3-17
Number of pages	15
ISSN	0267-8179
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.1227
Publication status	Published - 2009

Keywords

Faculty of Science

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Walker, M., Johnsen, S. J., Rasmussen, S. O., Popp, T. J., Steffensen, J. P., Gibbard, P., Hoek, W., Lowe, J., Andrews, J., Björck, S., Cwynar, L. C., Hughen, K., Kershaw, P., Kromer, B., Litt, T., Lowe, D. J., Nakagawa, T., Newnham, R., & Schwander, J. (2009). Formal definition and dating of the GSSP (Global Stratotype Section and Point) for the base of the Holocene using the Greenland NGRIP ice core, and selected auxiliary records. Journal of Quaternary Science, 24(1), 3-17. https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.1227

Formal definition and dating of the GSSP (Global Stratotype Section and Point) for the base of the Holocene using the Greenland NGRIP ice core, and selected auxiliary records. / Walker, Mike; Johnsen, Sigfus Johann; Rasmussen, Sune Olander et al.

In: Journal of Quaternary Science, Vol. 24, No. 1, 2009, p. 3-17.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Walker, M, Johnsen, SJ, Rasmussen, SO, Popp, TJ, Steffensen, JP, Gibbard, P, Hoek, W, Lowe, J, Andrews, J, Björck, S, Cwynar, LC, Hughen, K, Kershaw, P, Kromer, B, Litt, T, Lowe, DJ, Nakagawa, T, Newnham, R & Schwander, J 2009, 'Formal definition and dating of the GSSP (Global Stratotype Section and Point) for the base of the Holocene using the Greenland NGRIP ice core, and selected auxiliary records', Journal of Quaternary Science, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 3-17. https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.1227

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abstract = "The Greenland ice core from NorthGRIP (NGRIP) contains a proxy climate record across the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary of unprecedented clarity and resolution. Analysis of an array of physical and chemical parameters within the ice enables the base of the Holocene, as reflected in the first signs of climatic warming at the end of the Younger Dryas/Greenland Stadial 1 cold phase, to be located with a high degree of precision. This climatic event is most clearly reflected in an abrupt shift in deuterium excess values, accompanied by more gradual changes in d18O, dust concentration, a range of chemical species, and annual layer thickness. A timescale based on multi-parameter annual layer counting provides an age of 11,700 calendar yr b2 k (before AD 2000) for the base of the Holocene, with a maximum counting error of 99 yr. A proposal that an archived core from this unique sequence should constitute the Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Holocene Series/Epoch (Quaternary System/Period) has been ratified by the International Union of Geological Sciences. Five auxiliary stratotypes for the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary have also been recognised.",

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AU - Rasmussen, Sune Olander

AU - Popp, Trevor James

AU - Steffensen, Jørgen Peder

AU - Gibbard, Phil

AU - Hoek, Wim

AU - Lowe, John

AU - Andrews, John

AU - Björck, Svante

AU - Cwynar, Les C.

AU - Hughen, Konrad

AU - Kershaw, Peter

AU - Kromer, Bernd

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AU - Newnham, Rewi

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N2 - The Greenland ice core from NorthGRIP (NGRIP) contains a proxy climate record across the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary of unprecedented clarity and resolution. Analysis of an array of physical and chemical parameters within the ice enables the base of the Holocene, as reflected in the first signs of climatic warming at the end of the Younger Dryas/Greenland Stadial 1 cold phase, to be located with a high degree of precision. This climatic event is most clearly reflected in an abrupt shift in deuterium excess values, accompanied by more gradual changes in d18O, dust concentration, a range of chemical species, and annual layer thickness. A timescale based on multi-parameter annual layer counting provides an age of 11,700 calendar yr b2 k (before AD 2000) for the base of the Holocene, with a maximum counting error of 99 yr. A proposal that an archived core from this unique sequence should constitute the Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Holocene Series/Epoch (Quaternary System/Period) has been ratified by the International Union of Geological Sciences. Five auxiliary stratotypes for the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary have also been recognised.

AB - The Greenland ice core from NorthGRIP (NGRIP) contains a proxy climate record across the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary of unprecedented clarity and resolution. Analysis of an array of physical and chemical parameters within the ice enables the base of the Holocene, as reflected in the first signs of climatic warming at the end of the Younger Dryas/Greenland Stadial 1 cold phase, to be located with a high degree of precision. This climatic event is most clearly reflected in an abrupt shift in deuterium excess values, accompanied by more gradual changes in d18O, dust concentration, a range of chemical species, and annual layer thickness. A timescale based on multi-parameter annual layer counting provides an age of 11,700 calendar yr b2 k (before AD 2000) for the base of the Holocene, with a maximum counting error of 99 yr. A proposal that an archived core from this unique sequence should constitute the Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Holocene Series/Epoch (Quaternary System/Period) has been ratified by the International Union of Geological Sciences. Five auxiliary stratotypes for the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary have also been recognised.

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ER -

Formal definition and dating of the GSSP (Global Stratotype Section and Point) for the base of the Holocene using the Greenland NGRIP ice core, and selected auxiliary records

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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