Younger Dryas ice margin retreat triggered by ocean surface warming in central-eastern Baffin Bay

Mimmi Oksman (), Kaarina Weckström, Arto Miettinen, Stephen Juggins, Dmitry V. Divine, Rebecca Jackson, Richard Telford, Niels J. Korsgaard and Michal Kucera
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Mimmi Oksman: University of Helsinki
Kaarina Weckström: Department of Glaciology and Climate, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS)
Arto Miettinen: Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre
Stephen Juggins: Newcastle University
Dmitry V. Divine: Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre
Rebecca Jackson: University of Bremen
Richard Telford: Department of Biology, University of Bergen
Niels J. Korsgaard: University of Iceland
Michal Kucera: University of Bremen

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract The transition from the last ice age to the present-day interglacial was interrupted by the Younger Dryas (YD) cold period. While many studies exist on this climate event, only few include high-resolution marine records that span the YD. In order to better understand the interactions between ocean, atmosphere and ice sheet stability during the YD, more high-resolution proxy records from the Arctic, located proximal to ice sheet outlet glaciers, are required. Here we present the first diatom-based high-resolution quantitative reconstruction of sea surface conditions from central-eastern Baffin Bay, covering the period 14.0–10.2 kyr BP. Our record reveals warmer sea surface conditions and strong interactions between the ocean and the West Greenland ice margin during the YD. These warmer conditions were caused by increased Atlantic-sourced water inflow combined with amplified seasonality. Our results emphasize the importance of the ocean for ice sheet stability under the current changing climate.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01155-6

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