Global ice-sheet system interlocked by sea level

Auteurs :
DENTON, G. H.
HUGHES, T. J.
KARLEN, W.

Description :
It is postulated that variations in atmospheric carbon dioxide acted through an Antarctic ice shelf linked to the grounded ice sheet to produce and terminate Southern Hemisphere ice-age climate. It is further postulated that Milankovitch summer insolation combined with a warm high-frequency oscillation caused marked recession of Northern Hemisphere ice-sheet melting margins and the North Atlantic polar front about 14,000 14 C yr B.P. This permitted renewed formation of North Atlantic Deep Water, which could well have controlled atmospheric carbon dioxide (W. S. Broecker, D. M. Peteet, and D. Rind, 1985 Nature (London) 315, 21-26). Combined melting and consequent sea-level rise from the three warming factors initiated irreversible collapse of the interlocked global ice-sheet system, which was at its largest but most vulnerable configuration.


Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Quaternary research, 1986, vol. 26, n°. 1, p. 3-26, Références bibliographiques : 89 réf.

Date :
1986