Antarctic last interglacial isotope peak in response to sea ice retreat not ice-sheet collapse

Holloway, Max D. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0709-3644; Sime, Louise C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9093-7926; Singarayer, Joy S.; Tindall, Julia C.; Bunch, Pete; Valdes, Paul J.. 2016 Antarctic last interglacial isotope peak in response to sea ice retreat not ice-sheet collapse. Nature Communications, 7, 12293. 9, pp. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12293

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Abstract/Summary

Several studies have suggested that sea-level rise during the last interglacial implies retreat of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). The prevalent hypothesis is that the retreat coincided with the peak Antarctic temperature and stable water isotope values from 128,000 years ago (128 ka); very early in the last interglacial. Here, by analysing climate model simulations of last interglacial WAIS loss featuring water isotopes, we show instead that the isotopic response to WAIS loss is in opposition to the isotopic evidence at 128 ka. Instead, a reduction in winter sea ice area of 65±7% fully explains the 128 ka ice core evidence. Our finding of a marked retreat of the sea ice at 128 ka demonstrates the sensitivity of Antarctic sea ice extent to climate warming.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12293
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > BAS Programmes 2015 > Ice Dynamics and Palaeoclimate
ISSN:	2041-1723
Date made live:	23 Aug 2016 13:06 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/514324

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