Mid-Pleistocene climate transition triggered by Antarctic Ice Sheet growth

Zhisheng An; Weijian Zhou; Zeke Zhang; Xu Zhang; Zhonghui Liu; Youbin Sun; Steven C. Clemens; Lixin Wu; Jiaju Zhao; Zhengguo Shi; Xiaolin Ma; Hong Yan; Gaojun Li; Yanjun Cai; Jimin Yu; Yuchen Sun; Siqi Li; Yu'ao Zhang; Christian Stepanek; Gerrit Lohmann; Guocheng Dong; Hai Cheng; Yu Liu; Zhangdong Jin; Tao Li; Yifei Hao; Jing Lei; Wenju Cai

doi:10.1126/science.abn4861

Mid-Pleistocene climate transition triggered by Antarctic Ice Sheet growth

Zhisheng An, Weijian Zhou, Zeke Zhang, Xu Zhang, Zhonghui Liu, Youbin Sun, Steven C. Clemens, Lixin Wu, Jiaju Zhao, Zhengguo Shi, Xiaolin Ma, Hong Yan, Gaojun Li, Yanjun Cai, Jimin Yu, Yuchen Sun, Siqi Li, Yu'ao Zhang, Christian Stepanek, Gerrit LohmannGuocheng Dong, Hai Cheng, Yu Liu, Zhangdong Jin, Tao Li, Yifei Hao, Jing Lei, Wenju Cai

Research School of Earth Sciences

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

19 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Despite extensive investigation, the nature and causes of the Mid-Pleistocene Transition remain enigmatic. In this work, we assess its linkage to asynchronous development of bipolar ice sheets by synthesizing Pleistocene mid- to high-latitude proxy records linked to hemispheric ice sheet evolution. Our results indicate substantial growth of the Antarctic Ice Sheets (AISs) at 2.0 to 1.25 million years ago, preceding the rapid expansion of Northern Hemisphere Ice Sheets after ~1.25 million years ago. Proxy-model comparisons suggest that AIS and associated Southern Ocean sea ice expansion can induce northern high-latitude cooling and enhanced moisture transport to the Northern Hemisphere, thus triggering the Mid-Pleistocene Transition. The dynamic processes involved are crucial for assessing modern global warming that is already inducing asynchronous bipolar melting of ice sheets.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	560-565
Number of pages	6
Journal	Science (New York, N.Y.)
Volume	385
Issue number	6708
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abn4861
Publication status	Published - Aug 2024

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title = "Mid-Pleistocene climate transition triggered by Antarctic Ice Sheet growth",

abstract = "Despite extensive investigation, the nature and causes of the Mid-Pleistocene Transition remain enigmatic. In this work, we assess its linkage to asynchronous development of bipolar ice sheets by synthesizing Pleistocene mid- to high-latitude proxy records linked to hemispheric ice sheet evolution. Our results indicate substantial growth of the Antarctic Ice Sheets (AISs) at 2.0 to 1.25 million years ago, preceding the rapid expansion of Northern Hemisphere Ice Sheets after ~1.25 million years ago. Proxy-model comparisons suggest that AIS and associated Southern Ocean sea ice expansion can induce northern high-latitude cooling and enhanced moisture transport to the Northern Hemisphere, thus triggering the Mid-Pleistocene Transition. The dynamic processes involved are crucial for assessing modern global warming that is already inducing asynchronous bipolar melting of ice sheets.",

author = "Zhisheng An and Weijian Zhou and Zeke Zhang and Xu Zhang and Zhonghui Liu and Youbin Sun and Clemens, {Steven C.} and Lixin Wu and Jiaju Zhao and Zhengguo Shi and Xiaolin Ma and Hong Yan and Gaojun Li and Yanjun Cai and Jimin Yu and Yuchen Sun and Siqi Li and Yu'ao Zhang and Christian Stepanek and Gerrit Lohmann and Guocheng Dong and Hai Cheng and Yu Liu and Zhangdong Jin and Tao Li and Yifei Hao and Jing Lei and Wenju Cai",

year = "2024",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1126/science.abn4861",

language = "English",

volume = "385",

pages = "560--565",

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An, Z, Zhou, W, Zhang, Z, Zhang, X, Liu, Z, Sun, Y, Clemens, SC, Wu, L, Zhao, J, Shi, Z, Ma, X, Yan, H, Li, G, Cai, Y, Yu, J, Sun, Y, Li, S, Zhang, Y, Stepanek, C, Lohmann, G, Dong, G, Cheng, H, Liu, Y, Jin, Z, Li, T, Hao, Y, Lei, J & Cai, W 2024, 'Mid-Pleistocene climate transition triggered by Antarctic Ice Sheet growth', Science (New York, N.Y.), vol. 385, no. 6708, pp. 560-565. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abn4861

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T1 - Mid-Pleistocene climate transition triggered by Antarctic Ice Sheet growth

AU - An, Zhisheng

AU - Zhou, Weijian

AU - Zhang, Zeke

AU - Zhang, Xu

AU - Liu, Zhonghui

AU - Sun, Youbin

AU - Clemens, Steven C.

AU - Wu, Lixin

AU - Zhao, Jiaju

AU - Shi, Zhengguo

AU - Ma, Xiaolin

AU - Yan, Hong

AU - Li, Gaojun

AU - Cai, Yanjun

AU - Yu, Jimin

AU - Sun, Yuchen

AU - Li, Siqi

AU - Zhang, Yu'ao

AU - Stepanek, Christian

AU - Lohmann, Gerrit

AU - Dong, Guocheng

AU - Cheng, Hai

AU - Liu, Yu

AU - Jin, Zhangdong

AU - Li, Tao

AU - Hao, Yifei

AU - Lei, Jing

AU - Cai, Wenju

PY - 2024/8

Y1 - 2024/8

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AB - Despite extensive investigation, the nature and causes of the Mid-Pleistocene Transition remain enigmatic. In this work, we assess its linkage to asynchronous development of bipolar ice sheets by synthesizing Pleistocene mid- to high-latitude proxy records linked to hemispheric ice sheet evolution. Our results indicate substantial growth of the Antarctic Ice Sheets (AISs) at 2.0 to 1.25 million years ago, preceding the rapid expansion of Northern Hemisphere Ice Sheets after ~1.25 million years ago. Proxy-model comparisons suggest that AIS and associated Southern Ocean sea ice expansion can induce northern high-latitude cooling and enhanced moisture transport to the Northern Hemisphere, thus triggering the Mid-Pleistocene Transition. The dynamic processes involved are crucial for assessing modern global warming that is already inducing asynchronous bipolar melting of ice sheets.

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Mid-Pleistocene climate transition triggered by Antarctic Ice Sheet growth

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