Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 24, 2025

Laser-Induced Fluorescence Emission L.I.F.E. as Novel Non-Invasive Tool for In-Situ Measurements of Biomarkers in Cryospheric Habitats
Published on: October 26, 2019
Constraining the contribution of the Antarctic Ice Sheet to Last Interglacial sea level
Robert L Barnett1,2, Jacqueline Austermann3, Blake Dyer4
1Geography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
Abstract:
Polar temperatures during the Last Interglacial [LIG; ~129 to 116 thousand years (ka)] were warmer than today, making this time period an important testing ground to better understand how ice sheets respond to warming. However, it remains debated how much and when the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets changed during this period. Here, we present a combination of new and existing absolutely dated LIG sea-level observations from Britain, France, and Denmark. Because of glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA), the LIG Greenland ice melt contribution to sea-level change in this region is small, which allows us to constrain Antarctic ice change. We find that the Antarctic contribution to LIG global mean sea level peaked early in the interglacial (before 126 ka), with a maximum contribution of 5.7 m (50th percentile, 3.6 to 8.7 m central 68% probability) before declining. Our results support an asynchronous melt history over the LIG, with an early Antarctic contribution followed by later Greenland Ice Sheet mass loss.
Related Concept Videos
Global Climate Change
Influence of Earth's Curvature and Atmospheric Refraction on Leveling
Keystone Species
What is Climate?
Introduction and Methods of Leveling
Adhesion
Capillary action is a result of water’s adhesive tendencies. When a narrow...

