Global change over the last climatic cycle from the vostok ice core record (Antarctica)

doi:10.1016/1040-6182(89)90017-7

Quaternary International

Volume 2, 1989, Pages 15-24

https://doi.org/10.1016/1040-6182(89)90017-7 Get rights and content

Abstract

The study of ice cores provides the opportunity of access to numerous parameters which are related to climate or environmental changes. Many of these variables are of regional or even global geographical significance. There are now several ice cores which penetrate into ice which has formed at the surface of polar ice sheets during the last ice age and the recently obtained Vostok (Antarctica) record provides detailed information over the last climatic cycle (160 ka).

In comparison with current Holocene conditions, the Last Glacial Maximum (20 ka BP) is characterized by much colder conditions (up to 10°C) and reduced precipitation (× $12$ ). A large increase of continental and marine aerosols is explained by a more vigorous large scale atmospheric circulation associated with changing continental deserts and shelves as well as changes in sea ice extent. The drastic climatic change occurring at the last glacial termination is correlated with a large increase of atmospheric CO₂ (from about 200 to 270 ppmv).

The isotopic temperature record from the Vostok ice core depicts two drastic glacial-interglacial terminations (around 15 and 140 ka BP) and a long glacial period (110-15 ka BP) which includes two interstadials. Full glacial stages are characterized by larger aerosol loadings. The CO₂ record of global significance is well correlated with the isotope temperature profile with high (270 ppmv) during interglacials and low (200 ppmv) during full glacial conditions.

Spectral analysis of the Yostok temperature record supports the existence of a relationship between the Pleistocene climate and orbital forcing. On the other hand, the existence of a CO₂-climate correlation suggests that CO₂ changes have had an important climatic role in amplifying the relatively weak orbital forcing.

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Global change over the last climatic cycle from the vostok ice core record (Antarctica)

Abstract

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research

Progress in Oceanography

Earth and Planetary Sciences Letters

Quaternary Research

Atmospheric Environment

Long-term variations of daily insolation and Quaternary climatic changes

Journal of Atmospheric Sciences

Milankovitch theory and climate

Review of Geophysics

The analysis of ice cores from Vostok Station (Antarctica) to a depth of 950 m

Vostok ice core provides 160,000 year record of atmospheric CO2

Nature

Temporal variations in the 10Be concentration levels found in the Dye 3 core, Greenland

Annals of Glaciology

Isotopic composition of atmospheric O2 in ice linked with deglaciation and primary productivity

Nature

Late glacial input of eolian continental dust in the Dome C ice core: additional evidence from individual microparticle analysis

Annals of Glaciology

The influence of continental ice, atmospheric CO2 and land albedo on the climate of the Last Glacial Maximum

Climate Dynamics

Glacial to interglacial changes in the operation of the global carbon cycle

Radiocarbon

The importance of the polar regions for the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations

Oceanic phytoplankton, atmospheric sulfur, cloud albedo and climate

Nature

Seasonal reconstructions of the Earth's surface at the Last Glacial Maximum

The Geological Society of America, Map and Chart Series

Stable isotopes in precipitation

Tellus

Climatic record revealed by the Camp Century ice core

A new Greenland deep ice core

Science

Aerosol concentrations over the last climatic cycle (160 kyr) from an Antarctic ice core

Nature

Polar ice evidence that atmospheric CO2 20,000 year BP was 50% of the present

Nature

Mecanisme d'amplification du cycle climatique global: l'effet de couvercle de la glace de mer contrôle le CO2 atmosphérique

Comptes Rendus, Académie de Sciences

13C12C ratios in CO2 extracted from Antarctic ice

Geophysics Research Letters

Modeling the ice-age climate

Science

The numerical simulations of ice-age climate with a global general circulation model

Journal of Atmospheric Sciences

Vostok ice core: climatic response to CO2 and orbital forcing changes over the last climatic cycle

Nature

Reconstruction of the last climatic cycle based on pollen data from Les Echets and La Grande Pile (France)

Green-land ice sheet evidence of post-glacial volcanism and its climatic impact

Nature

Ice-core dating of the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary applied to a calibration of the 14C time scale

Radiocarbon

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Geophysical Monograph

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Science

Variations in the Earth orbit: pacemaker of the ice ages

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Inpurities sources F−, Cl−, NO3− and SO42− Greenland and Antarctic precipitation

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Vostok ice core provides 160,000 year record of atmospheric CO₂

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Isotopic composition of atmospheric O₂ in ice linked with deglaciation and primary productivity

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Polar ice evidence that atmospheric CO₂ 20,000 year BP was 50% of the present

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$^{13} C^{12} C$ ratios in CO₂ extracted from Antarctic ice

Vostok ice core: climatic response to CO₂ and orbital forcing changes over the last climatic cycle

Ice-core dating of the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary applied to a calibration of the ¹⁴C time scale

Inpurities sources F⁻, Cl⁻, NO₃⁻ and SO₄²⁻ Greenland and Antarctic precipitation

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