Comparison between Holocene and Marine Isotope Stage-11 sea-level histories
Comparison between Holocene and Marine Isotope Stage-11 sea-level histories
The exceptionally long interglacial warm period known as Marine Isotope Stage 11 (MIS-11; 428–397 ky ago vs. ky vs. kyr) is often considered as a potential analogue for future climate development in the absence of human influence. We use a new high-resolution sea-level record—a globally integrated ice-volume signal—to compare MIS-11 and the current interglacial (Holocene). It is found that sea-level rise into both interglacials started over similar timescales relative to the respective insolation increases, and progressed up to ? 50 m at similar rates of 1.0–1.2 m per century. Subsequent weak insolation changes anomalously prolonged the MIS-11 deglaciation over more than 20 ky. The main sea-level highstand was achieved at the second MIS-11 insolation maximum, with a timing closely equivalent to that of the Holocene highstand compared to its single insolation maximum. Consequently, while MIS-11 was an exceptionally long period of interglacial warmth, its ice-volume minimum/sea-level highstand lasted less than 10 ky, which is similar to the duration of other major interglacials. Comparison of the ends of MIS-11 and the Holocene based on timings relative to their respective maxima in mean 21 June insolation at 65°N suggests that the end of Holocene conditions might have been expected 2.0–2.5 ky ago. Instead, interglacial conditions have continued, with CO2, temperature, and sea level remaining high or increasing. This apparent discrepancy highlights the need to consider that: (a) comparisons may need to focus on other orbital control indices, in which case the discrepancy can vanish; and/or (b) the feedback mechanisms that dominate the planetary energy balance may have become decoupled from insolation during the past 2 millennia.
97-105
Rohling, E.J.
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Braun, K.
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Grant, K.
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Kucera, M.
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Roberts, A.P.
4497b436-ef02-428d-a46e-65a22094ba52
Siddall, M.
9c045dd5-498b-488b-9c67-23e24d90ebcc
Trommer, G.
1fbe6fe9-f95c-4217-8932-8f038b9e2aa0
2010
Rohling, E.J.
a2a27ef2-fcce-4c71-907b-e692b5ecc685
Braun, K.
40ed292d-388f-428a-85c2-23bafd8d2680
Grant, K.
f9d9fa1b-62f3-4e90-a6f0-b46bc213fdb2
Kucera, M.
1dfd204d-24e1-4e03-b465-c60bb4ac74f7
Roberts, A.P.
4497b436-ef02-428d-a46e-65a22094ba52
Siddall, M.
9c045dd5-498b-488b-9c67-23e24d90ebcc
Trommer, G.
1fbe6fe9-f95c-4217-8932-8f038b9e2aa0
Rohling, E.J., Braun, K., Grant, K., Kucera, M., Roberts, A.P., Siddall, M. and Trommer, G.
(2010)
Comparison between Holocene and Marine Isotope Stage-11 sea-level histories.
Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 291, .
(doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2009.12.054).
Abstract
The exceptionally long interglacial warm period known as Marine Isotope Stage 11 (MIS-11; 428–397 ky ago vs. ky vs. kyr) is often considered as a potential analogue for future climate development in the absence of human influence. We use a new high-resolution sea-level record—a globally integrated ice-volume signal—to compare MIS-11 and the current interglacial (Holocene). It is found that sea-level rise into both interglacials started over similar timescales relative to the respective insolation increases, and progressed up to ? 50 m at similar rates of 1.0–1.2 m per century. Subsequent weak insolation changes anomalously prolonged the MIS-11 deglaciation over more than 20 ky. The main sea-level highstand was achieved at the second MIS-11 insolation maximum, with a timing closely equivalent to that of the Holocene highstand compared to its single insolation maximum. Consequently, while MIS-11 was an exceptionally long period of interglacial warmth, its ice-volume minimum/sea-level highstand lasted less than 10 ky, which is similar to the duration of other major interglacials. Comparison of the ends of MIS-11 and the Holocene based on timings relative to their respective maxima in mean 21 June insolation at 65°N suggests that the end of Holocene conditions might have been expected 2.0–2.5 ky ago. Instead, interglacial conditions have continued, with CO2, temperature, and sea level remaining high or increasing. This apparent discrepancy highlights the need to consider that: (a) comparisons may need to focus on other orbital control indices, in which case the discrepancy can vanish; and/or (b) the feedback mechanisms that dominate the planetary energy balance may have become decoupled from insolation during the past 2 millennia.
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Published date: 2010
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Local EPrints ID: 72313
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/72313
ISSN: 0012-821X
PURE UUID: 6ae94eab-7ec6-4199-a694-c14a702706e6
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Date deposited: 05 Feb 2010
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:37
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Author:
K. Braun
Author:
K. Grant
Author:
M. Kucera
Author:
A.P. Roberts
Author:
M. Siddall
Author:
G. Trommer
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