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Interhemispheric Ice-Sheet Synchronicity During the Last Glacial Maximum

Michael E. Weber [email protected], Peter U. Clark, Werner Ricken, Jerry X. Mitrovica, Steven W. Hostetler, and Gerhard Kuhn
Science • 2 Dec 2011 • Vol 334, Issue 6060 • pp. 1265-1269 • DOI: 10.1126/science.1209299
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Abstract

The timing of the last maximum extent of the Antarctic ice sheets relative to those in the Northern Hemisphere remains poorly understood. We develop a chronology for the Weddell Sea sector of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet that, combined with ages from other Antarctic ice-sheet sectors, indicates that the advance to and retreat from their maximum extent was within dating uncertainties synchronous with most sectors of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets. Surface climate forcing of Antarctic mass balance would probably cause an opposite response, whereby a warming climate would increase accumulation but not surface melting. Our new data support teleconnections involving sea-level forcing from Northern Hemisphere ice sheets and changes in North Atlantic deep-water formation and attendant heat flux to Antarctic grounding lines to synchronize the hemispheric ice sheets.
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Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Science
Volume 334 | Issue 6060
2 December 2011

Copyright

Copyright © 2011, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Submission history

Received: 3 June 2011
Accepted: 18 October 2011
Published in print: 2 December 2011

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (grants WE2039/8-1, RI525/17-1, KU683/9-1, and KU683/12-1) and the U.S. NSF Paleoclimate Program for financial support, the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research for logistic support, J. Rethemeyer for conducting part of the AMS 14C measurements, B. Weninger for discussing the 14C data, D. Sprenk for assisting with the graphics, and A. Holzapfel for editorial work (all from Univ. of Cologne).

Authors

Affiliations

Michael E. Weber* [email protected]
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Strasse 49a, 50674 Cologne, Germany.
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Peter U. Clark
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
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Werner Ricken
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Strasse 49a, 50674 Cologne, Germany.
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Jerry X. Mitrovica
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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Steven W. Hostetler
U.S. Geological Survey, College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
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Gerhard Kuhn
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Helmholtz Association, Am Alten Hafen 26, 27568 Bremerhaven, Germany.
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Notes

*To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: [email protected]

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