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Instability of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream over the last 45,000 years

Author

Listed:
  • Nicolaj K. Larsen

    (Aarhus University
    University of Copenhagen)

  • Laura B. Levy

    (Humboldt State University)

  • Anders E. Carlson

    (Oregon State University)

  • Christo Buizert

    (Oregon State University)

  • Jesper Olsen

    (Aarhus University)

  • Astrid Strunk

    (Aarhus University)

  • Anders A. Bjørk

    (University of Copenhagen
    University of California)

  • Daniel S. Skov

    (Aarhus University)

Abstract

The sensitivity of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream (NEGIS) to prolonged warm periods is largely unknown and geological records documenting such long-term changes are needed to place current observations in perspective. Here we use cosmogenic surface exposure and radiocarbon ages to determine the magnitude of NEGIS margin fluctuations over the last 45 kyr (thousand years). We find that the NEGIS experienced slow early Holocene ice-margin retreat of 30–40 m a−1, likely as a result of the buttressing effect of sea-ice or shelf-ice. The NEGIS was ~20–70 km behind its present ice-extent ~41–26 ka and ~7.8–1.2 ka; both periods of high orbital precession index and/or summer temperatures within the projected warming for the end of this century. We show that the NEGIS was smaller than present for approximately half of the last ~45 kyr and is susceptible to subtle changes in climate, which has implications for future stability of this ice stream.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicolaj K. Larsen & Laura B. Levy & Anders E. Carlson & Christo Buizert & Jesper Olsen & Astrid Strunk & Anders A. Bjørk & Daniel S. Skov, 2018. "Instability of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream over the last 45,000 years," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-04312-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04312-7
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    Cited by:

    1. Aslak Grinsted & Christine S. Hvidberg & David A. Lilien & Nicholas M. Rathmann & Nanna B. Karlsson & Tamara Gerber & Helle Astrid Kjær & Paul Vallelonga & Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, 2022. "Accelerating ice flow at the onset of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-4, December.
    2. Ilaria Tabone & Alexander Robinson & Marisa Montoya & Jorge Alvarez-Solas, 2024. "Holocene thinning in central Greenland controlled by the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Daniela Jansen & Steven Franke & Catherine C. Bauer & Tobias Binder & Dorthe Dahl-Jensen & Jan Eichler & Olaf Eisen & Yuanbang Hu & Johanna Kerch & Maria-Gema Llorens & Heinrich Miller & Niklas Neckel, 2024. "Shear margins in upper half of Northeast Greenland Ice Stream were established two millennia ago," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Kyle S. Mattingly & Jenny V. Turton & Jonathan D. Wille & Brice Noël & Xavier Fettweis & Åsa K. Rennermalm & Thomas L. Mote, 2023. "Increasing extreme melt in northeast Greenland linked to foehn winds and atmospheric rivers," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.

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