Holocene thinning of the Greenland ice sheet

B. M. Vinther; S. L. Buchardt; H. B. Clausen; D. Dahl-Jensen; S. J. Johnsen; D. A. Fisher; R. M. Koerner; D. Raynaud; V. Lipenkov; Katrine Krogh Andersen; T. Blunier; S. O. Rasmussen; J. P. Steffensen; A. M. Svensson

doi:10.1038/nature08355

Holocene thinning of the Greenland ice sheet

B. M. Vinther, S. L. Buchardt, H. B. Clausen, D. Dahl-Jensen, S. J. Johnsen, D. A. Fisher, R. M. Koerner, D. Raynaud, V. Lipenkov, Katrine Krogh Andersen, T. Blunier, S. O. Rasmussen, J. P. Steffensen, A. M. Svensson

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

On entering an era of global warming, the stability of the Greenland ice sheet (GIS) is an important concern¹, especially in the light of new evidence of rapidly changing flow and melt conditions at the GIS margins². Studying the response of the GIS to past climatic change may help to advance our understanding of GIS dynamics. The previous interpretation of evidence from stable isotopes (δ¹⁸O) in water from GIS ice cores was that Holocene climate variability on the GIS differed spatially³ and that a consistent Holocene climate optimum-the unusually warm period from about 9,000 to 6,000 years ago found in many northern-latitude palaeoclimate records⁴-did not exist. Here we extract both the Greenland Holocene temperature history and the evolution of GIS surface elevation at four GIS locations. We achieve this by comparing delta O-18 from GIS ice cores(3,5) with δ¹⁸O from ice cores from small marginal icecaps. Contrary to the earlier interpretation of δ¹⁸O evidence from ice cores^3,6, our new temperature history reveals a pronounced Holocene climatic optimum in Greenland coinciding with maximum thinning near the GIS margins. Our δ¹⁸O-based results are corroborated by the air content of ice cores, a proxy for surface elevation⁷. State-of-the-art ice sheet models are generally found to be underestimating the extent and changes in GIS elevation and area; our findings may help to improve the ability of models to reproduce the GIS response to Holocene climate.

Original language	English
Journal	Nature
Volume	461
Issue number	7262
Pages (from-to)	385-388
Number of pages	4
ISSN	0028-0836
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08355
Publication status	Published - 2009
Externally published	Yes

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Vinther, B. M., Buchardt, S. L., Clausen, H. B., Dahl-Jensen, D., Johnsen, S. J., Fisher, D. A., Koerner, R. M., Raynaud, D., Lipenkov, V., Andersen, K. K., Blunier, T., Rasmussen, S. O., Steffensen, J. P., & Svensson, A. M. (2009). Holocene thinning of the Greenland ice sheet. Nature, 461(7262), 385-388. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08355

@article{6dd1eb049c124550a25c21d04c9448a8,

title = "Holocene thinning of the Greenland ice sheet",

abstract = "On entering an era of global warming, the stability of the Greenland ice sheet (GIS) is an important concern1, especially in the light of new evidence of rapidly changing flow and melt conditions at the GIS margins2. Studying the response of the GIS to past climatic change may help to advance our understanding of GIS dynamics. The previous interpretation of evidence from stable isotopes (δ18O) in water from GIS ice cores was that Holocene climate variability on the GIS differed spatially3 and that a consistent Holocene climate optimum-the unusually warm period from about 9,000 to 6,000 years ago found in many northern-latitude palaeoclimate records4-did not exist. Here we extract both the Greenland Holocene temperature history and the evolution of GIS surface elevation at four GIS locations. We achieve this by comparing delta O-18 from GIS ice cores(3,5) with δ18O from ice cores from small marginal icecaps. Contrary to the earlier interpretation of δ18O evidence from ice cores3,6, our new temperature history reveals a pronounced Holocene climatic optimum in Greenland coinciding with maximum thinning near the GIS margins. Our δ18O-based results are corroborated by the air content of ice cores, a proxy for surface elevation7. State-of-the-art ice sheet models are generally found to be underestimating the extent and changes in GIS elevation and area; our findings may help to improve the ability of models to reproduce the GIS response to Holocene climate.",

author = "Vinther, {B. M.} and Buchardt, {S. L.} and Clausen, {H. B.} and D. Dahl-Jensen and Johnsen, {S. J.} and Fisher, {D. A.} and Koerner, {R. M.} and D. Raynaud and V. Lipenkov and Andersen, {Katrine Krogh} and T. Blunier and Rasmussen, {S. O.} and Steffensen, {J. P.} and Svensson, {A. M.}",

year = "2009",

doi = "10.1038/nature08355",

language = "English",

volume = "461",

pages = "385--388",

journal = "Nature",

issn = "0028-0836",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

number = "7262",

}

Holocene thinning of the Greenland ice sheet. / Vinther, B. M.; Buchardt, S. L.; Clausen, H. B.; Dahl-Jensen, D.; Johnsen, S. J.; Fisher, D. A.; Koerner, R. M.; Raynaud, D.; Lipenkov, V.; Andersen, Katrine Krogh; Blunier, T.; Rasmussen, S. O.; Steffensen, J. P.; Svensson, A. M.

In: Nature, Vol. 461, No. 7262, 2009, p. 385-388.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Holocene thinning of the Greenland ice sheet

AU - Vinther, B. M.

AU - Buchardt, S. L.

AU - Clausen, H. B.

AU - Dahl-Jensen, D.

AU - Johnsen, S. J.

AU - Fisher, D. A.

AU - Koerner, R. M.

AU - Raynaud, D.

AU - Lipenkov, V.

AU - Andersen, Katrine Krogh

AU - Blunier, T.

AU - Rasmussen, S. O.

AU - Steffensen, J. P.

AU - Svensson, A. M.

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - On entering an era of global warming, the stability of the Greenland ice sheet (GIS) is an important concern1, especially in the light of new evidence of rapidly changing flow and melt conditions at the GIS margins2. Studying the response of the GIS to past climatic change may help to advance our understanding of GIS dynamics. The previous interpretation of evidence from stable isotopes (δ18O) in water from GIS ice cores was that Holocene climate variability on the GIS differed spatially3 and that a consistent Holocene climate optimum-the unusually warm period from about 9,000 to 6,000 years ago found in many northern-latitude palaeoclimate records4-did not exist. Here we extract both the Greenland Holocene temperature history and the evolution of GIS surface elevation at four GIS locations. We achieve this by comparing delta O-18 from GIS ice cores(3,5) with δ18O from ice cores from small marginal icecaps. Contrary to the earlier interpretation of δ18O evidence from ice cores3,6, our new temperature history reveals a pronounced Holocene climatic optimum in Greenland coinciding with maximum thinning near the GIS margins. Our δ18O-based results are corroborated by the air content of ice cores, a proxy for surface elevation7. State-of-the-art ice sheet models are generally found to be underestimating the extent and changes in GIS elevation and area; our findings may help to improve the ability of models to reproduce the GIS response to Holocene climate.

AB - On entering an era of global warming, the stability of the Greenland ice sheet (GIS) is an important concern1, especially in the light of new evidence of rapidly changing flow and melt conditions at the GIS margins2. Studying the response of the GIS to past climatic change may help to advance our understanding of GIS dynamics. The previous interpretation of evidence from stable isotopes (δ18O) in water from GIS ice cores was that Holocene climate variability on the GIS differed spatially3 and that a consistent Holocene climate optimum-the unusually warm period from about 9,000 to 6,000 years ago found in many northern-latitude palaeoclimate records4-did not exist. Here we extract both the Greenland Holocene temperature history and the evolution of GIS surface elevation at four GIS locations. We achieve this by comparing delta O-18 from GIS ice cores(3,5) with δ18O from ice cores from small marginal icecaps. Contrary to the earlier interpretation of δ18O evidence from ice cores3,6, our new temperature history reveals a pronounced Holocene climatic optimum in Greenland coinciding with maximum thinning near the GIS margins. Our δ18O-based results are corroborated by the air content of ice cores, a proxy for surface elevation7. State-of-the-art ice sheet models are generally found to be underestimating the extent and changes in GIS elevation and area; our findings may help to improve the ability of models to reproduce the GIS response to Holocene climate.

U2 - 10.1038/nature08355

DO - 10.1038/nature08355

M3 - Journal article

VL - 461

SP - 385

EP - 388

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

SN - 0028-0836

IS - 7262

ER -