Dynamic behaviour of the East Antarctic ice sheet during Pliocene warmth

Carys P. Cook; Tina Van De Flierdt; Trevor Williams; Sidney R. Hemming; Masao Iwai; Munemasa Kobayashi; Francisco J. Jimenez-Espejo; Carlota Escutia; Jhon Jairo González; Boo Keun Khim; Robert M. McKay; Sandra Passchier; Steven M. Bohaty; Christina R. Riesselman; Lisa Tauxe; Saiko Sugisaki; Alberto Lopez Galindo; Molly O. Patterson; Francesca Sangiorgi; Elizabeth L. Pierce; Henk Brinkhuis; Adam Klaus; Annick Fehr; James Bendle; Peter K. Bijl; Stephanie A. Carr; Robert B. Dunbar; José Abel Flores; Travis G. Hayden; Kota Katsuki; Gee Soo Kong; Mutsumi Nakai; Matthew P. Olney; Stephen F. Pekar; Jörg Pross; Ursula Röhl; Toyosaburo Sakai; Prakash K. Shrivastava; Catherine E. Stickley; Shouting Tuo; Kevin Welsh; Masako Yamane

doi:10.1038/ngeo1889

Dynamic behaviour of the East Antarctic ice sheet during Pliocene warmth

Carys P. Cook, Tina Van De Flierdt, Trevor Williams, Sidney R. Hemming, Masao Iwai, Munemasa Kobayashi, Francisco J. Jimenez-Espejo, Carlota Escutia, Jhon Jairo González, Boo Keun Khim, Robert M. McKay, Sandra Passchier, Steven M. Bohaty, Christina R. Riesselman, Lisa Tauxe, Saiko Sugisaki, Alberto Lopez Galindo, Molly O. Patterson, Francesca Sangiorgi, Elizabeth L. PierceHenk Brinkhuis, Adam Klaus, Annick Fehr, James Bendle, Peter K. Bijl, Stephanie A. Carr, Robert B. Dunbar, José Abel Flores, Travis G. Hayden, Kota Katsuki, Gee Soo Kong, Mutsumi Nakai, Matthew P. Olney, Stephen F. Pekar, Jörg Pross, Ursula Röhl, Toyosaburo Sakai, Prakash K. Shrivastava, Catherine E. Stickley, Shouting Tuo, Kevin Welsh, Masako Yamane

Earth and Environmental Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

154 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Warm intervals within the Pliocene epoch (5.33-2.58 million years ago) were characterized by global temperatures comparable to those predicted for the end of this century and atmospheric CO 2 concentrations similar to today. Estimates for global sea level highstands during these times imply possible retreat of the East Antarctic ice sheet, but ice-proximal evidence from the Antarctic margin is scarce. Here we present new data from Pliocene marine sediments recovered offshore of Adélie Land, East Antarctica, that reveal dynamic behaviour of the East Antarctic ice sheet in the vicinity of the low-lying Wilkes Subglacial Basin during times of past climatic warmth. Sedimentary sequences deposited between 5.3 and 3.3 million years ago indicate increases in Southern Ocean surface water productivity, associated with elevated circum-Antarctic temperatures. The geochemical provenance of detrital material deposited during these warm intervals suggests active erosion of continental bedrock from within the Wilkes Subglacial Basin, an area today buried beneath the East Antarctic ice sheet. We interpret this erosion to be associated with retreat of the ice sheet margin several hundreds of kilometres inland and conclude that the East Antarctic ice sheet was sensitive to climatic warmth during the Pliocene.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	765-769
Number of pages	5
Journal	Nature Geoscience
Volume	6
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1889
Publication status	Published - Sept 2013

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Earth and Planetary Sciences

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1038/ngeo1889

A biomarker goldmine in Wilkes Land, Antarctica: nuggets from the Eocene Greenhouse (BIGWIG)
Bendle, J. (Principal Investigator)
Natural Environment Research Council
12/11/12 → 11/05/14
Project: Research Councils

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Cook, C. P., Van De Flierdt, T., Williams, T., Hemming, S. R., Iwai, M., Kobayashi, M., Jimenez-Espejo, F. J., Escutia, C., González, J. J., Khim, B. K., McKay, R. M., Passchier, S., Bohaty, S. M., Riesselman, C. R., Tauxe, L., Sugisaki, S., Galindo, A. L., Patterson, M. O., Sangiorgi, F., ... Yamane, M. (2013). Dynamic behaviour of the East Antarctic ice sheet during Pliocene warmth. Nature Geoscience, 6(9), 765-769. https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1889

@article{1e40dd6ec5c345f7b195c612a10ebfb3,

title = "Dynamic behaviour of the East Antarctic ice sheet during Pliocene warmth",

abstract = "Warm intervals within the Pliocene epoch (5.33-2.58 million years ago) were characterized by global temperatures comparable to those predicted for the end of this century and atmospheric CO 2 concentrations similar to today. Estimates for global sea level highstands during these times imply possible retreat of the East Antarctic ice sheet, but ice-proximal evidence from the Antarctic margin is scarce. Here we present new data from Pliocene marine sediments recovered offshore of Ad{\'e}lie Land, East Antarctica, that reveal dynamic behaviour of the East Antarctic ice sheet in the vicinity of the low-lying Wilkes Subglacial Basin during times of past climatic warmth. Sedimentary sequences deposited between 5.3 and 3.3 million years ago indicate increases in Southern Ocean surface water productivity, associated with elevated circum-Antarctic temperatures. The geochemical provenance of detrital material deposited during these warm intervals suggests active erosion of continental bedrock from within the Wilkes Subglacial Basin, an area today buried beneath the East Antarctic ice sheet. We interpret this erosion to be associated with retreat of the ice sheet margin several hundreds of kilometres inland and conclude that the East Antarctic ice sheet was sensitive to climatic warmth during the Pliocene.",

author = "Cook, {Carys P.} and {Van De Flierdt}, Tina and Trevor Williams and Hemming, {Sidney R.} and Masao Iwai and Munemasa Kobayashi and Jimenez-Espejo, {Francisco J.} and Carlota Escutia and Gonz{\'a}lez, {Jhon Jairo} and Khim, {Boo Keun} and McKay, {Robert M.} and Sandra Passchier and Bohaty, {Steven M.} and Riesselman, {Christina R.} and Lisa Tauxe and Saiko Sugisaki and Galindo, {Alberto Lopez} and Patterson, {Molly O.} and Francesca Sangiorgi and Pierce, {Elizabeth L.} and Henk Brinkhuis and Adam Klaus and Annick Fehr and James Bendle and Bijl, {Peter K.} and Carr, {Stephanie A.} and Dunbar, {Robert B.} and Flores, {Jos{\'e} Abel} and Hayden, {Travis G.} and Kota Katsuki and Kong, {Gee Soo} and Mutsumi Nakai and Olney, {Matthew P.} and Pekar, {Stephen F.} and J{\"o}rg Pross and Ursula R{\"o}hl and Toyosaburo Sakai and Shrivastava, {Prakash K.} and Stickley, {Catherine E.} and Shouting Tuo and Kevin Welsh and Masako Yamane",

year = "2013",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1038/ngeo1889",

language = "English",

volume = "6",

pages = "765--769",

journal = "Nature Geoscience",

issn = "1752-0894",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

number = "9",

}

Cook, CP, Van De Flierdt, T, Williams, T, Hemming, SR, Iwai, M, Kobayashi, M, Jimenez-Espejo, FJ, Escutia, C, González, JJ, Khim, BK, McKay, RM, Passchier, S, Bohaty, SM, Riesselman, CR, Tauxe, L, Sugisaki, S, Galindo, AL, Patterson, MO, Sangiorgi, F, Pierce, EL, Brinkhuis, H, Klaus, A, Fehr, A, Bendle, J, Bijl, PK, Carr, SA, Dunbar, RB, Flores, JA, Hayden, TG, Katsuki, K, Kong, GS, Nakai, M, Olney, MP, Pekar, SF, Pross, J, Röhl, U, Sakai, T, Shrivastava, PK, Stickley, CE, Tuo, S, Welsh, K & Yamane, M 2013, 'Dynamic behaviour of the East Antarctic ice sheet during Pliocene warmth', Nature Geoscience, vol. 6, no. 9, pp. 765-769. https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1889

TY - JOUR

T1 - Dynamic behaviour of the East Antarctic ice sheet during Pliocene warmth

AU - Cook, Carys P.

AU - Van De Flierdt, Tina

AU - Williams, Trevor

AU - Hemming, Sidney R.

AU - Iwai, Masao

AU - Kobayashi, Munemasa

AU - Jimenez-Espejo, Francisco J.

AU - Escutia, Carlota

AU - González, Jhon Jairo

AU - Khim, Boo Keun

AU - McKay, Robert M.

AU - Passchier, Sandra

AU - Bohaty, Steven M.

AU - Riesselman, Christina R.

AU - Tauxe, Lisa

AU - Sugisaki, Saiko

AU - Galindo, Alberto Lopez

AU - Patterson, Molly O.

AU - Sangiorgi, Francesca

AU - Pierce, Elizabeth L.

AU - Brinkhuis, Henk

AU - Klaus, Adam

AU - Fehr, Annick

AU - Bendle, James

AU - Bijl, Peter K.

AU - Carr, Stephanie A.

AU - Dunbar, Robert B.

AU - Flores, José Abel

AU - Hayden, Travis G.

AU - Katsuki, Kota

AU - Kong, Gee Soo

AU - Nakai, Mutsumi

AU - Olney, Matthew P.

AU - Pekar, Stephen F.

AU - Pross, Jörg

AU - Röhl, Ursula

AU - Sakai, Toyosaburo

AU - Shrivastava, Prakash K.

AU - Stickley, Catherine E.

AU - Tuo, Shouting

AU - Welsh, Kevin

AU - Yamane, Masako

PY - 2013/9

Y1 - 2013/9

N2 - Warm intervals within the Pliocene epoch (5.33-2.58 million years ago) were characterized by global temperatures comparable to those predicted for the end of this century and atmospheric CO 2 concentrations similar to today. Estimates for global sea level highstands during these times imply possible retreat of the East Antarctic ice sheet, but ice-proximal evidence from the Antarctic margin is scarce. Here we present new data from Pliocene marine sediments recovered offshore of Adélie Land, East Antarctica, that reveal dynamic behaviour of the East Antarctic ice sheet in the vicinity of the low-lying Wilkes Subglacial Basin during times of past climatic warmth. Sedimentary sequences deposited between 5.3 and 3.3 million years ago indicate increases in Southern Ocean surface water productivity, associated with elevated circum-Antarctic temperatures. The geochemical provenance of detrital material deposited during these warm intervals suggests active erosion of continental bedrock from within the Wilkes Subglacial Basin, an area today buried beneath the East Antarctic ice sheet. We interpret this erosion to be associated with retreat of the ice sheet margin several hundreds of kilometres inland and conclude that the East Antarctic ice sheet was sensitive to climatic warmth during the Pliocene.

AB - Warm intervals within the Pliocene epoch (5.33-2.58 million years ago) were characterized by global temperatures comparable to those predicted for the end of this century and atmospheric CO 2 concentrations similar to today. Estimates for global sea level highstands during these times imply possible retreat of the East Antarctic ice sheet, but ice-proximal evidence from the Antarctic margin is scarce. Here we present new data from Pliocene marine sediments recovered offshore of Adélie Land, East Antarctica, that reveal dynamic behaviour of the East Antarctic ice sheet in the vicinity of the low-lying Wilkes Subglacial Basin during times of past climatic warmth. Sedimentary sequences deposited between 5.3 and 3.3 million years ago indicate increases in Southern Ocean surface water productivity, associated with elevated circum-Antarctic temperatures. The geochemical provenance of detrital material deposited during these warm intervals suggests active erosion of continental bedrock from within the Wilkes Subglacial Basin, an area today buried beneath the East Antarctic ice sheet. We interpret this erosion to be associated with retreat of the ice sheet margin several hundreds of kilometres inland and conclude that the East Antarctic ice sheet was sensitive to climatic warmth during the Pliocene.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84889234641&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/ngeo1889

DO - 10.1038/ngeo1889

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84889234641

SN - 1752-0894

VL - 6

SP - 765

EP - 769

JO - Nature Geoscience

JF - Nature Geoscience

IS - 9

ER -

Dynamic behaviour of the East Antarctic ice sheet during Pliocene warmth

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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A biomarker goldmine in Wilkes Land, Antarctica: nuggets from the Eocene Greenhouse (BIGWIG)

Cite this