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Ice loss from the East Antarctic Ice Sheet during late Pleistocene interglacials

Author

Listed:
  • David J. Wilson

    (Imperial College London
    Grantham Institute - Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London)

  • Rachel A. Bertram

    (Imperial College London
    Grantham Institute - Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London)

  • Emma F. Needham

    (Imperial College London)

  • Tina van de Flierdt

    (Imperial College London
    Grantham Institute - Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London)

  • Kevin J. Welsh

    (University of Queensland)

  • Robert M. McKay

    (Victoria University of Wellington)

  • Anannya Mazumder

    (University of Queensland)

  • Christina R. Riesselman

    (University of Otago
    University of Otago)

  • Francisco J. Jimenez-Espejo

    (JAMSTEC
    CSIC and Universidad de Granada)

  • Carlota Escutia

    (CSIC and Universidad de Granada)

Abstract

Understanding ice sheet behaviour in the geological past is essential for evaluating the role of the cryosphere in the climate system and for projecting rates and magnitudes of sea level rise in future warming scenarios1–4. Although both geological data5–7 and ice sheet models3,8 indicate that marine-based sectors of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet were unstable during Pliocene warm intervals, the ice sheet dynamics during late Pleistocene interglacial intervals are highly uncertain3,9,10. Here we provide evidence from marine sedimentological and geochemical records for ice margin retreat or thinning in the vicinity of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin of East Antarctica during warm late Pleistocene interglacial intervals. The most extreme changes in sediment provenance, recording changes in the locus of glacial erosion, occurred during marine isotope stages 5, 9, and 11, when Antarctic air temperatures11 were at least two degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial temperatures for 2,500 years or more. Hence, our study indicates a close link between extended Antarctic warmth and ice loss from the Wilkes Subglacial Basin, providing ice-proximal data to support a contribution to sea level from a reduced East Antarctic Ice Sheet during warm interglacial intervals. While the behaviour of other regions of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet remains to be assessed, it appears that modest future warming may be sufficient to cause ice loss from the Wilkes Subglacial Basin.

Suggested Citation

  • David J. Wilson & Rachel A. Bertram & Emma F. Needham & Tina van de Flierdt & Kevin J. Welsh & Robert M. McKay & Anannya Mazumder & Christina R. Riesselman & Francisco J. Jimenez-Espejo & Carlota Escu, 2018. "Ice loss from the East Antarctic Ice Sheet during late Pleistocene interglacials," Nature, Nature, vol. 561(7723), pages 383-386, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:561:y:2018:i:7723:d:10.1038_s41586-018-0501-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0501-8
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. David K. Hutchinson & Laurie Menviel & Katrin J. Meissner & Andrew McC. Hogg, 2024. "East Antarctic warming forced by ice loss during the Last Interglacial," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Stewart S. R. Jamieson & Neil Ross & Guy J. G. Paxman & Fiona J. Clubb & Duncan A. Young & Shuai Yan & Jamin Greenbaum & Donald D. Blankenship & Martin J. Siegert, 2023. "An ancient river landscape preserved beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Mutsumi Iizuka & Osamu Seki & David J. Wilson & Yusuke Suganuma & Keiji Horikawa & Tina Flierdt & Minoru Ikehara & Takuya Itaki & Tomohisa Irino & Masanobu Yamamoto & Motohiro Hirabayashi & Hiroyuki M, 2023. "Multiple episodes of ice loss from the Wilkes Subglacial Basin during the Last Interglacial," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Ilaria Crotti & Aurélien Quiquet & Amaelle Landais & Barbara Stenni & David J. Wilson & Mirko Severi & Robert Mulvaney & Frank Wilhelms & Carlo Barbante & Massimo Frezzotti, 2022. "Wilkes subglacial basin ice sheet response to Southern Ocean warming during late Pleistocene interglacials," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    5. Gavin Piccione & Terrence Blackburn & Slawek Tulaczyk & E. Troy Rasbury & Mathis P. Hain & Daniel E. Ibarra & Katharina Methner & Chloe Tinglof & Brandon Cheney & Paul Northrup & Kathy Licht, 2022. "Subglacial precipitates record Antarctic ice sheet response to late Pleistocene millennial climate cycles," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.
    6. Michael E. Weber & Ian Bailey & Sidney R. Hemming & Yasmina M. Martos & Brendan T. Reilly & Thomas A. Ronge & Stefanie Brachfeld & Trevor Williams & Maureen Raymo & Simon T. Belt & Lukas Smik & Hendri, 2022. "Antiphased dust deposition and productivity in the Antarctic Zone over 1.5 million years," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-18, December.

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