Asynchronous Antarctic and Greenland ice-volume contributions to the last interglacial sea-level highstand

Eelco J. Rohling; Fiona D. Hibbert; Katharine M. Grant; Eirik V. Galaasen; Nil Irvalı; Helga F. Kleiven; Gianluca Marino; Ulysses Ninnemann; Andrew P. Roberts; Yair Rosenthal; Hartmut Schulz; Felicity H. Williams; Jimin Yu

doi:10.1038/s41467-019-12874-3

Asynchronous Antarctic and Greenland ice-volume contributions to the last interglacial sea-level highstand

Eelco J. Rohling^*, Fiona D. Hibbert, Katharine M. Grant, Eirik V. Galaasen, Nil Irvalı, Helga F. Kleiven, Gianluca Marino, Ulysses Ninnemann, Andrew P. Roberts, Yair Rosenthal, Hartmut Schulz, Felicity H. Williams, Jimin Yu

^*Corresponding author for this work

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

62 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The last interglacial (LIG; ~130 to ~118 thousand years ago, ka) was the last time global sea level rose well above the present level. Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) contributions were insufficient to explain the highstand, so that substantial Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) reduction is implied. However, the nature and drivers of GrIS and AIS reductions remain enigmatic, even though they may be critical for understanding future sea-level rise. Here we complement existing records with new data, and reveal that the LIG contained an AIS-derived highstand from ~129.5 to ~125 ka, a lowstand centred on 125–124 ka, and joint AIS + GrIS contributions from ~123.5 to ~118 ka. Moreover, a dual substructure within the first highstand suggests temporal variability in the AIS contributions. Implied rates of sea-level rise are high (up to several meters per century; m c⁻¹), and lend credibility to high rates inferred by ice modelling under certain ice-shelf instability parameterisations.

Original language	English
Article number	5040
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	10
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12874-3
Publication status	Published - 1 Dec 2019

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Rohling, E. J., Hibbert, F. D., Grant, K. M., Galaasen, E. V., Irvalı, N., Kleiven, H. F., Marino, G., Ninnemann, U., Roberts, A. P., Rosenthal, Y., Schulz, H., Williams, F. H., & Yu, J. (2019). Asynchronous Antarctic and Greenland ice-volume contributions to the last interglacial sea-level highstand. Nature Communications, 10(1), Article 5040. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12874-3

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abstract = "The last interglacial (LIG; ~130 to ~118 thousand years ago, ka) was the last time global sea level rose well above the present level. Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) contributions were insufficient to explain the highstand, so that substantial Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) reduction is implied. However, the nature and drivers of GrIS and AIS reductions remain enigmatic, even though they may be critical for understanding future sea-level rise. Here we complement existing records with new data, and reveal that the LIG contained an AIS-derived highstand from ~129.5 to ~125 ka, a lowstand centred on 125–124 ka, and joint AIS + GrIS contributions from ~123.5 to ~118 ka. Moreover, a dual substructure within the first highstand suggests temporal variability in the AIS contributions. Implied rates of sea-level rise are high (up to several meters per century; m c−1), and lend credibility to high rates inferred by ice modelling under certain ice-shelf instability parameterisations.",

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AU - Galaasen, Eirik V.

AU - Irvalı, Nil

AU - Kleiven, Helga F.

AU - Marino, Gianluca

AU - Ninnemann, Ulysses

AU - Roberts, Andrew P.

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AU - Schulz, Hartmut

AU - Williams, Felicity H.

AU - Yu, Jimin

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N2 - The last interglacial (LIG; ~130 to ~118 thousand years ago, ka) was the last time global sea level rose well above the present level. Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) contributions were insufficient to explain the highstand, so that substantial Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) reduction is implied. However, the nature and drivers of GrIS and AIS reductions remain enigmatic, even though they may be critical for understanding future sea-level rise. Here we complement existing records with new data, and reveal that the LIG contained an AIS-derived highstand from ~129.5 to ~125 ka, a lowstand centred on 125–124 ka, and joint AIS + GrIS contributions from ~123.5 to ~118 ka. Moreover, a dual substructure within the first highstand suggests temporal variability in the AIS contributions. Implied rates of sea-level rise are high (up to several meters per century; m c−1), and lend credibility to high rates inferred by ice modelling under certain ice-shelf instability parameterisations.

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Asynchronous Antarctic and Greenland ice-volume contributions to the last interglacial sea-level highstand

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