Timing of millennial-scale climate change in Antarctica and Greenland during the last glacial period

TY - JOUR

T1 - Timing of millennial-scale climate change in Antarctica and Greenland during the last glacial period

AU - Blunier, T

AU - Brook, E J

PY - 2001

Y1 - 2001

N2 - A precise relative chronology for Greenland and West Antarctic paleotemperature is extended to 90,000 years ago, based on correlation of atmospheric methane records from the Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 and Byrd ice cores. Over this period, the onset of seven major millennial-scale warmings in Antarctica preceded the onset of Greenland warmings by 1500 to 3000 years. In general, Antarctic temperatures increased gradually while Greenland temperatures were decreasing or constant, and the termination of Antarctic warming was apparently coincident with the onset of rapid warming in Greenland. This pattern provides further evidence for the operation of a "bipolar see-saw" in air temperatures and an oceanic teleconnection between the hemispheres on millennial time scales.

AB - A precise relative chronology for Greenland and West Antarctic paleotemperature is extended to 90,000 years ago, based on correlation of atmospheric methane records from the Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 and Byrd ice cores. Over this period, the onset of seven major millennial-scale warmings in Antarctica preceded the onset of Greenland warmings by 1500 to 3000 years. In general, Antarctic temperatures increased gradually while Greenland temperatures were decreasing or constant, and the termination of Antarctic warming was apparently coincident with the onset of rapid warming in Greenland. This pattern provides further evidence for the operation of a "bipolar see-saw" in air temperatures and an oceanic teleconnection between the hemispheres on millennial time scales.

U2 - 10.1126/science.291.5501.109

DO - 10.1126/science.291.5501.109

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 11141558

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 291

SP - 109

EP - 112

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 5501

ER -