Greenland temperature response to climate forcing during the last deglaciation

TY - JOUR

T1 - Greenland temperature response to climate forcing during the last deglaciation

AU - Buizert, Christo

AU - Gkinis, Vasileios

AU - Severinghaus, J.P.

AU - He, Feng

AU - Lecavalier, B.S.

AU - Kindler, P.

AU - Leuenberger, M.

AU - Carlson, A.E.

AU - Vinther, Bo Møllesøe

AU - Masson-Delmotte, V.

AU - White, J.W.C.

AU - Liu, Z.Y.

AU - Otte-Bliesner, B.

AU - Brook, E.J.

PY - 2014/9/5

Y1 - 2014/9/5

N2 - Greenland ice core water isotopic composition (δ18O) provides detailed evidence for abrupt climate changes but is by itself insufficient for quantitative reconstruction of past temperatures and their spatial patterns. We investigate Greenland temperature evolution during the last deglaciation using independent reconstructions from three ice cores and simulations with a coupled ocean-atmosphere climate model. Contrary to the traditional δ18O interpretation, the Younger Dryas period was 4.5° ± 2°C warmer than the Oldest Dryas, due to increased carbon dioxide forcing and summer insolation. The magnitude of abrupt temperature changes is larger in central Greenland (9° to 14°C) than in the northwest (5° to 9°C), fingerprinting a North Atlantic origin. Simulated changes in temperature seasonality closely track changes in the Atlantic overturning strength and support the hypothesis that abrupt climate change is mostly a winter phenomenon.

AB - Greenland ice core water isotopic composition (δ18O) provides detailed evidence for abrupt climate changes but is by itself insufficient for quantitative reconstruction of past temperatures and their spatial patterns. We investigate Greenland temperature evolution during the last deglaciation using independent reconstructions from three ice cores and simulations with a coupled ocean-atmosphere climate model. Contrary to the traditional δ18O interpretation, the Younger Dryas period was 4.5° ± 2°C warmer than the Oldest Dryas, due to increased carbon dioxide forcing and summer insolation. The magnitude of abrupt temperature changes is larger in central Greenland (9° to 14°C) than in the northwest (5° to 9°C), fingerprinting a North Atlantic origin. Simulated changes in temperature seasonality closely track changes in the Atlantic overturning strength and support the hypothesis that abrupt climate change is mostly a winter phenomenon.

U2 - 10.1126/science.1254961

DO - 10.1126/science.1254961

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 25190795

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 345

SP - 1177

EP - 1180

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6201

ER -