Major Northern Hemisphere deglaciation caused by a moisture deficit 140 ka

Journal Article · Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Geology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1991)019<0686:MNHDCB>2.3.CO;2· OSTI ID:5877425

Johnson, R G ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis (United States)

A variety of marine evidence indicates that much of the deglacial activity that ended the Illinoian glaciation occurred under cold climate conditions prior to the glacial termination 2 warming at 127 ka in the {delta}{sup 18}O deep-sea core record. This anomalous deglaciation is explained by a reduction of water-vapor input to the ice sheets caused by weaker summer atmospheric circulation due to a known smaller latitudinal insolation gradient associated with Earth's orbital variations. A major factor in the eventual marine and atmospheric warming of termination 2 was the formation of unusually warm deep water in the eastern North Atlantic and its circulation to Antarctica, with the probable consequence that the marine-based West Antarctic ice sheet melted, resulting in a eustatic sea level 6 m higher than present.

• OSTI ID: 5877425
• Journal Information: Geology; (United States), Vol. 19:7, Issue 7; ISSN 0091-7613
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
PALEOCLIMATOLOGY
QUATERNARY PERIOD
SEA LEVEL
VARIATIONS
ANTARCTICA
ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
EARTH PLANET
GLACIERS
ICE CAPS
INSOLATION
LOSSES
ORBITS
OXYGEN 18
WATER VAPOR
ANTARCTIC REGIONS
CENOZOIC ERA
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FLUIDS
GASES
GEOLOGIC AGES
ICE
ISOTOPES
LEVELS
LIGHT NUCLEI
NUCLEI
OXYGEN ISOTOPES
PALEONTOLOGY
PLANETS
POLAR REGIONS
STABLE ISOTOPES
VAPORS
580000* - Geosciences
540110
540310 - Environment
Aquatic- Basic Studies- (1990-)