Evidence for warmer interglacials in East Antarctic ice cores

L. C. Sime (), E. W. Wolff, K. I. C. Oliver and J. C. Tindall
Additional contact information
L. C. Sime: British Antarctic Survey
E. W. Wolff: British Antarctic Survey
K. I. C. Oliver: The Open University
J. C. Tindall: School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, University Road

Nature, 2009, vol. 462, issue 7271, 342-345

Abstract: Interglacials get warmer Reconstructions of temperature variations from Antarctic ice cores rely on the assumption that the relationship between hydrogen and oxygen isotopic ratios and temperature are stable in space and time. Sime et al. analyse three 340,000-year-old ice cores from East Antarctica and use an isotope-enabled general circulation model to show that instead, the relationship is nonlinear. During warm periods, the ratios are less sensitive to temperature, so previous estimates of interglacial temperatures are likely to be about 3 °C too low. This is consistent with peak Antarctic interglacial temperatures at least 6 °C higher than today. This work suggests that there are serious deficiencies in our understanding of climates that are warmer than today's.

Date: 2009
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DOI: 10.1038/nature08564

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