Interglacial Periods in Antarctica Warmer than Initially Thought
19.11.2009 - Atmosphere & Space, Water & Oceans, Land & Geology, Ice & Snow, Antarctic
A new study published in Nature by scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), the Open University, and the University of Bristol shows that temperatures during the warmer periods in between ice ages (inaterglacials) which occur approximately every 100,000 years may have been higher than previously thought. Based on a new analysis of ice cores, the researchers believe that Antarctica was approximately 6°C warmer than it is today.
While previous research conducted on ice cores has showed the climate alternated between ice ages and interglacial periods, the new study shows that the temperatures spiked during some interglacial periods over the last 340,000 years. This suggests that Antarctic temperatures are highly sensitive when changes in greenhouse gas levels reach levels like those we are seeing today.
Although unexpected, the warmer temperatures in past times indicate that the climate in Antarctica might have experienced fast changes at high rates of CO2. During the last one of these periods, some 125,000 years ago, sea level was about 5 meters higher than current levels.
If scientists are able to get a better idea of how much large ice sheets will contribute to sea level rise.
