Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2002
DOI
10.1029/2001pa000639
Publication Title
Paleoceanography
Volume
17
Issue
2
Pages
1025 (17 pages)
Abstract
Ice sheets in the North American Arctic and, to a lesser extent, those in northern Eurasia calved large quantities of icebergs that drifted through Fram Strait into the Greenland Sea several times during the late Pleistocene. These icebergs deposited Fe oxide grains (45-250 mum) and coarse lithic clasts >250 mum matched to specific circum-Arctic sources. Four massive Arctic iceberg export events are identified from the Laurentide and the Innuitian ice sheets, between 14 and 34 ka (calendar years) in a sediment core from Fram Strait. These relatively short duration (<1-4 kyr) events contain 3-5 times the background levels of Fe oxide grains. They began suddenly, as indicated by a steep rise in the number of grains matched to an ice sheet source, suggesting rapid purges of ice through Fram Strait, due perhaps to collapse of ice sheets. The larger events from the northwestern Laurentide ice sheet are preceded by events from the Innuitian ice sheet. Despite the chronological uncertainties, the Arctic export events appear to occur prior to Heinrich events.
Original Publication Citation
Darby, D. A., Bischof, J. F., Spielhagen, R. F., Marshall, S. A., & Herman, S. W. (2002). Arctic ice export events and their potential impact on global climate during the late Pleistocene. Paleoceanography, 17(2), 1025. doi:10.1029/2001pa000639
Repository Citation
Darby, Dennis A.; Bischof, Jens F.; Spielhagen, Robert F.; Marshall, Steven A.; and Herman, Stephen W., "Arctic Ice Export Events and Their Potential Impact on Global Climate During the Late Pleistocene" (2002). OES Faculty Publications. 308.
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/oeas_fac_pubs/308