Scholarlink

<p>Accurate prediction of a West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) collapse and its impact on sea level in a future warmer climate remains uncertain. Here, we provide evidence for the transition from a smaller-sized WAIS during the warm Pliocene to an expanded ice sheet closer to its modern configuration during the Pleistocene based on geochemical records from the proximity to the current maximum ice loss in the Amundsen Sea. In contrast to Pliocene ice sheet dynamics, the WAIS exhibited a relatively muted response throughout the Pleistocene despite substantial glacial-interglacial variations in atmospheric CO₂ levels, temperature, and orbital forcing. Our data suggest that critical tipping points for WAIS growth occurred under atmospheric-oceanic conditions of the Pliocene–Pleistocene transition. These findings highlight the importance of the Pliocene–Pleistocene transition in establishing the modern configuration of the WAIS and its importance as a key interval for understanding ice sheet stability under the changing climate.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Late Pliocene growth of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to near-modern configuration

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2025年7月21日

查看全文
  • Waliur Rahaman,
  • Marcus Gutjahr,
  • Priyesh Prabhat

摘要

Accurate prediction of a West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) collapse and its impact on sea level in a future warmer climate remains uncertain. Here, we provide evidence for the transition from a smaller-sized WAIS during the warm Pliocene to an expanded ice sheet closer to its modern configuration during the Pleistocene based on geochemical records from the proximity to the current maximum ice loss in the Amundsen Sea. In contrast to Pliocene ice sheet dynamics, the WAIS exhibited a relatively muted response throughout the Pleistocene despite substantial glacial-interglacial variations in atmospheric CO₂ levels, temperature, and orbital forcing. Our data suggest that critical tipping points for WAIS growth occurred under atmospheric-oceanic conditions of the Pliocene–Pleistocene transition. These findings highlight the importance of the Pliocene–Pleistocene transition in establishing the modern configuration of the WAIS and its importance as a key interval for understanding ice sheet stability under the changing climate.