Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-sxzjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T10:30:07.252Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A Comparison of Deep Antarctic Ice Cores and Their Implications for Climate Between 65,000 and 15,000 Years Ago

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

J. Jouzel
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Géochimie Isotopique, CEA/CEN Saclay, IRDI/DESICP, Département de Physico-Chimie, 91191 Gif sur Yvette cedex, France Laboratoire de Glaciologie et de Geophysique de l'Environnement, BP 96, 38402 St Martin d'Hères cedex, France
G. Raisbeck
Affiliation:
Laboratoire René Bernas, C.S.N.S.M, 91406 Orsay cedex, France
J.P. Benoist
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Glaciologie et de Geophysique de l'Environnement, BP 96, 38402 St Martin d'Hères cedex, France
F. Yiou
Affiliation:
Laboratoire René Bernas, C.S.N.S.M, 91406 Orsay cedex, France
C. Lorius
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Glaciologie et de Geophysique de l'Environnement, BP 96, 38402 St Martin d'Hères cedex, France
D. Raynaud
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Glaciologie et de Geophysique de l'Environnement, BP 96, 38402 St Martin d'Hères cedex, France
J.R. Petit
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Glaciologie et de Geophysique de l'Environnement, BP 96, 38402 St Martin d'Hères cedex, France
N.I. Barkov
Affiliation:
Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, Beringa Street 38, Leningrad 199226, USSR
Y.S. Korotkevitch
Affiliation:
Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, Beringa Street 38, Leningrad 199226, USSR
V.M. Kotlyakov
Affiliation:
Institute of Geography, Academy of Science of the USSR, Staromonetny 29, Moscow 109107, USSR

Abstract

Three ice cores drilled in the central part of the Antarctic continent extend back to the last glacial period: one from West Antarctica (Byrd) and two from East Antarctica (Vostok and Dome C). This period is also partly covered by a few cores from the coastal areas. In these cores, climatic information is mostly derived from the isotopic profiles (δD or δ18O) from which surface temperature and, more indirectly, precipitation rate can be estimated. The main objective has been to compare thoroughly the three deep ice cores for the main part of the last glacial period (from ca. 65,000–15,000 yr B.P.). The time scales have been examined in detail and a new 40,000 yr chronology for the Dome C core adopted. Special emphasis is placed on the link between the concentration of 10Be and past accumulation changes and on the use of peaks in the concentration of this cosmogenic isotope as stratigraphic markers. Elevation changes of the ice sheet, derived from gas content and isotopic data, bear directly on interpretations of past temperature and precipitation rate changes.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Barnola, J.M. Raynaud, D. Korotkevitch, Y.S. Lorius, C. Vostok ice core provides 160,000 year record of atmospheric CO2 Nature (London) 329 1987 408 414 Google Scholar
Benoist, J.P. Analyse spectrale de signaux glaciologiques: Etude des glaces sédimentaires déposées à Dome C, Morphologie du lit d'un glacier 1986 USMT Grenoble Google Scholar
Broccoli, A.J. Manabe, S. The influence of continental ice, atmospheric CO2, and land albedo on the climate of the Last Glacial Maximum Climate Dynamics 1 1987 87 99 Google Scholar
Budd, W.F. Morgan, V.I. Isotopes, climate and ice sheet dynamics from core studies on Law Dome, Antarctica Isotopes and Impurities in Snow and Ice International Association of Scientific Hydrology Publication 118 1977 312 321 Google Scholar
Budd, W.F. Young, N. Application of modeling techniques to measured profiles of temperature and isotopes Robin, G.de Q. The Climate Record in Polar Ice Sheets 1983 Cambridge Univ. Press Cambridge 150 177 Google Scholar
Chappel, J. Shackleton, J.J. Pleistocene sea levels and the oxygen isotope record: A reconciliation Nature (London) 324 1986 137 140 Google Scholar
CLIMAP project members Seasonal reconstruction of the Earth's surface at the Last Glacial Maximum Cline, R. Geol. Soc. Amer. Map and Charts Series, MC 36 1981 Google Scholar
Cragin, J.H. Herron, M.M. Langway, C.C. Jr. Klouda, G. Interhemispheric comparison of changes in the composition of atmospheric precipitation during the late Cenozoic area Dunbar, M.J. Polar Oceans 1977 Arctic Institute of North America Calgary 617 631 Google Scholar
Dansgaard, W. Clausen, H.B. Gundestrup, N. Hammer, C.U. Johnsen, S.J. Kristinsdottir, P. Reeh, N. A new Greenland deep ice core Science 218 1982 1273 1277 Google Scholar
Dansgaard, W. Johnsen, S.J. Clausen, H.B. Gunderstrup, N. Stable isotope glaciology Meddeleser Φm Greenland 2 1973 1 53 Google Scholar
Dansgaard, W. Johnsen, S.J. Clausen, H.B. Langway, C.C. Climatic record revealed by the Camp Century ice core Turekian, K.K. Late Cenozoic Glacial Ages 1971 Yale Univ. Press New Haven, CT Google Scholar
De Angelis, M. Barkov, N.I. Petrov, V.N. Aerosol concentrations over the last climatic cycle (160 kyr) from an Antarctic ice core Nature (London) 325 1987 318 321 Google Scholar
Delmas, R.J. Ascencio, J.M. Legrand, M. Polar ice evidence that atmospheric CO2 20,000 yr B.P. was 50% of the present Nature (London) 284 1980 155 157 Google Scholar
Duval, P. Lorius, C. Crystal size and climatic record down to the last ice age from Antarctic ice Earth and Planetary Science Letters 48 1980 59 64 Google Scholar
Epstein, S. Sharp, R.P. Gow, A.J. Antarctic ice sheet: Stable isotope analyses of Byrd station cores and interhemispheric climatic implications Science 168 1970 1570 1572 Google Scholar
Gates, W.L. Modeling the ice-age climate Science 191 1976 1138 1144 Google Scholar
Grootes, P.M. Stuiver, M. Ross Ice Shelf oxygen isotopes and West Antarctic climate history Quaternary Research 26 1986 49 67 Google Scholar
Grootes, P.M. Stuiver, M. Ice sheet elevation changes from isotope profiles The Physical Basis of Ice Sheet Modeling. Proceedings, Vancouver Symp. August 1987 IAHS Publ. No. 170 1987 Google Scholar
Hammer, C.U. Clausen, H.B. Langway, C.C. The Byrd ice core: Continuous acidity mesurements and solid electrical measurements Annals of Glaciology 7 1985 214 Google Scholar
Hansen, J. Lacis, A. Rind, D. Russell, G. Stone, P. Fung, I. Ruedy, R. Lerner, J. Climate sensitivity: Analysis of feedback mechanisms Hansen, J.E. Takahashi, T. Climate Processes and Climate Sensitivity Geophysical Monograph 29, Maurice Ewing Vol. 5 1984 American Geophysical Union Washington, DC 130 163 Google Scholar
Jenssen, D. Elevation and climatic changes from total gas content and stable isotopic measurements Robin, G.de Q. The Climatic Record in Polar Ice Sheets 1983 Cambridge Univ. Press Cambridge 138 144 Google Scholar
Johnsen, S.J. Stable isotope homogenization of polar firn and ice Isotopes and Impurities in Ice. Proceedings Grenoble Symp. August/September 1975 1977 IAHS 211 220 No. 118 Google Scholar
Johnsen, S.J. Dansgaard, W. Clausen, H.B. Langway, C.C. Oxygen isotope profiles through the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets Nature (London) 235 1972 429 434 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, P.D. Raper, S.C.B. Wigley, T.M.L. Southern Hemisphere surface air temperature variations: 1851–1985 Journal of Climate and Applied Meteorology 25 1986 1213 1230 Google Scholar
Joussaume, S. Jouzel, J. Sadourny, R. Water isotope cycles in the atmosphere: First simulation using a general circulation model Nature (London) 311 1984 24 29 Google Scholar
Joussaume, S. Jouzel, J. Simulations of paleoclimatic tracers using atmospheric general circulation models Berger, W.H. Labeyrie, L.D. Abrupt Climatic Changes: Evidence and Implications 1987 Reidel Dordrecht 360 381 Google Scholar
Jouzel, J. Merlivat, L. Deuterium and oxygen 18 in precipitation: Modeling of the isotopic effects during snow formation Journal of Geophysical Research 89 1984 11,749 11,757 Google Scholar
Jouzel, J. Merlivat, L. Lorius, C. Deuterium excess in an East Antarctic ice core suggests higher relative humidity at the oceanic surface during the Last Glacial Maximum Nature (London) 299 1982 688 691 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jouzel, J. Lorius, C. Merlivat, L. Petit, J.R. Abrupt climatic changes: The Antarctic ice record during the late Pleistocene Berger, W.H. Labeyrie, L.D. Abrupt Climatic changes: Evidence and Implications 1987 Reidel Dordrecht 235 245 Google Scholar
Jouzel, J. Lorius, C. Petit, J.R. Genthon, C. Barkov, N.I. Kotlyakov, V.M. Petrov, V.M. Vostok ice core: A continuous isotope temperature record over the last climatic cycle (160,000 years) Nature (London) 329 1987 403 408 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jouzel, J. Russell, G.L. Suozzo, R.J. Koster, R.D. White, J.W.C. Broecker, W.S. Simulations of the HDO and H2 18O atmospheric cycles using the NASA/GISS general circulation model: The seasonal cycle for present day conditions Journal of Geophysical Research 92 1987 14,739 14,760 Google Scholar
Labeyrie, L.D. Duplessy, J.C. Blanc, P.L. Variation of mode of formation and temperature of oceanic deep waters over the past 125,000 years Nature (London) 327 1987 477 482 Google Scholar
Legrand, M. Delmas, R.J. A 220-year continuous record of volcanic H2SO4 in the Antarctic ice sheet Nature (London) 327 1987 671 676 Google Scholar
Legrand, M.R. Lorius, C. Barkov, N.I. Petrov, V.N. Vostok (Antarctic ice core): atmospheric chemistry changes over the last climatic cycle (160,000 years) Atmospheric Environment 22 1988 317 331 Google Scholar
Le Treut, H. Portes, J. Jouzel, J., and Ghil, M. (in press). Isotopic modeling of climatic oscillations: Implications for a comparative study of marine and ice-core records. Journal of Geophysical Research .Google Scholar
Lliboutry, L. A critical review of analytical approximate solution for steady-state velocities and temperatures in cold ice-sheets Zeitchrift für Glestscherkunde und Glazialgeologie 15 1979 135 148 Google Scholar
Lorius, C. Jouzel, J. Ritz, C. Merlivat, L. Barkov, N.I. Korotkevich, Y.S. Kotlyakov, V.M. A 150,000 year climatic record from Antarctic ice Nature (London) 316 1985 591 596 Google Scholar
Lorius, C. Merlivat, L. Distribution of mean surface stable isotope values in East Antarctica. Observed changes with depth in a coastal area Isotopes and Impurities in Snow and Ice. Proceedings, Grenoble Symp August/September 1985 1977 IAHS 127 137 No. 118 Google Scholar
Lorius, C. Merlivat, L. Jouzel, J. Pourchet, M. A 30,000 yr isotope climatic record from Antarctic ice Nature (London) 280 1979 644 648 Google Scholar
Lorius, C. Raynaud, D. Petit, J.R. Jouzel, J. Merlivat, L. Late glacial maximum—Holocene atmospheric and ice thickness changes from Antarctic ice core studies Annals of Glaciology 5 1984 88 94 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Neftel, A. Oeschger, H. Schwander, J. Stauffer, B. Zumbrunn, R. Ice core sample measurements give atmospheric CO2 content during the past 40,000 years Nature (London) 295 1982 220 223 Google Scholar
Neftel, A. Oeschger, H. Staffelbach, T., and Stauffer, B. (in press). CO2 record in the Byrd core 50,000–5000 years B.P. Nature (London) .Google Scholar
Petit, J.R. Briat, M. Royer, A. Ice age aerosol content from East Antarctic ice core samples and past wind strength Nature (London) 293 1981 391 394 Google Scholar
Petit, J.R. Duval, P. Lorius, C. Long-term climatic changes indicated by crystal growth in polar ice Nature (London) 326 1987 62 64 Google Scholar
Petit, J.R. Lorius, C. Jouzel, J. Barkov, N.I. Korotkevitch, Y.S. Kotlyakov, V.M. Holocene Antarctic ice record INQUA Congress Ottawa, July 1987 1987 Google Scholar
Pourchet, M. Pinglot, F. Lorius, C. Some meteorological applications of radioactive fallout measurements in Antarctic snow Journal of Geophysical Research 88 1983 6013 6020 Google Scholar
Raisbeck, G.M. Yiou, F. 10Be in polar ice and atmosphere Annals of Glaciology 7 1985 138 140 Google Scholar
Raisbeck, G.M. Yiou, F. Bourles, D. Lorius, C. Jouzel, J. Barkov, N.I. Evidence for two intervals of enhanced 10Be deposition in Antarctic ice during the last glacial period Nature (London) 326 1987 273 277 Google Scholar
Raisbeck, G.M. Yiou, F. Fruneau, M. Loiseaux, J.M. Lieuvin, M. Ravel, J.C. Lorius, C. Cosmogenic 10Be concentrations in Antarctic ice during the past 30,000 years Nature (London) 292 1981 825 826 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raynaud, D. Lebel, Total gas content and surface elevation of polar icesheets Nature (London) 243 1979 283 284 Google Scholar
Raynaud, D. Lorius, C. Total gas content in polar ice: Rheological and climatic implications Isotopes and Impurities in Snow and Ice. Proceedings, Grenoble Symp. August/September 1975 1977 IASH 326 335 No. 118 Google Scholar
Raynaud, D. Lorius, C. Budd, W.F. Young, N.W. Ice flow along an IAGP flow line and interpretation of data from an ice core in Terre Adélie, Antarctica Journal of Glaciology 24 1979 103 115 Google Scholar
Raynaud, D. Whillans, I.M. Air content of the Byrd core and past changes in the West Antarctica Ice Sheet Annals of Glaciology 3 1982 269 273 Google Scholar
Raynaud, D. Chappelaz, J. Barnola, J.M. Korotkevich, Y.S. Lorius, C. Climatic and CH4 cycle implications of glacial-interglacial change in the Vostok ice core Nature (London) 333 1988 655 657 Google Scholar
Robin, G.de Q. Ice cores and climatic changes Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B 280 1977 143 168 Google Scholar
Robin, G.de Q. The climatic record from ice cores Robin, G.de Q. The Climate Record in Polar Ice Sheet 1983 Cambridge Univ. Press Cambridge 180 195 Google Scholar
Stauffer, B. Lochbronner, E. Oeschger, H., and Schwander, J. (in press). Methane concentration in the glacial atmosphere was only half that of the preindustrial Holocene value. Nature (London) .Google Scholar
Whillans, I.M. Reaction of the accumulation zone portions of glaciers to climatic change Journal of Geophysical Research 86 1981 4272 4282 Google Scholar
White, J.W.C. Johnsen, S.J. Dansgaard, W. The origin of Arctic precipitation as deduced from its deuterium excess Annals of Glaciology 10 1988 219 220 Google Scholar
Yiou, F. Raisbeck, G. Bourles, D. Lorius, C. Barkov, N.I. 10Be in ice at Vostok, Antarctica, during the last climatic cycle Nature (London) 316 1985 616 617 Google Scholar