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Ice volume and sea level during the last interglacial.
1Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, 1 Mills Road, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia. adutton@ufl.edu
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|July 17, 2012
Summary
Global sea levels were significantly higher during the last interglacial period, indicating greater ice sheet sensitivity to climate change. This suggests even small warming could cause substantial sea-level rise.
Area of Science:
- Paleoclimatology
- Glaciology
- Sea-level research
Background:
- Sea level was substantially higher during the last interglacial period (~125,000 years ago).
- There is ongoing interest in West Antarctic ice sheet dynamics during this period.
- Geographically diverse sites show variability in peak sea level observations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess last interglacial sea-level observations.
- To provide an internally consistent database of coral U-Th ages.
- To evaluate sea-level data in the context of isostatic modeling and stratigraphic evidence.
Main Methods:
- Compilation of coral U-Th ages.
- Isostatic modeling.
- Analysis of stratigraphic evidence.
Main Results:
- Global sea level peaked 5.5 to 9 meters above present levels.
- Smaller ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are inferred compared to today.
- Sea level shows high sensitivity to radiative forcing changes.
Conclusions:
- The West Antarctic ice sheet likely did not collapse entirely during the last interglacial period.
- Past sea-level rise indicates significant ice sheet response to climate forcing.
- Understanding past sea-level changes is crucial for predicting future ice-sheet behavior and sea-level rise.
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