Monsoonal Forcing of European Ice‐Sheet Dynamics During the Late Quaternary
Langue
EN
Article de revue
Ce document a été publié dans
Geophysical Research Letters. 2018-07-24, vol. 45, n° 14, p. 7066-7074
Résumé en anglais
The dynamics of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets during Late Quaternary glacials have yet
been dominantly examined from a Laurentide Ice Sheet perspective, which helped shaping the idea of
moisture-starved glacials and ...Lire la suite >
The dynamics of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets during Late Quaternary glacials have yet
been dominantly examined from a Laurentide Ice Sheet perspective, which helped shaping the idea of
moisture-starved glacials and small-scale ice volume variability. However, the waxing and waning of the
European Ice Sheet (EIS) casts doubt on this perception. Understanding EIS dynamics under glacial boundary
conditions is crucial because its meltwater pulses influence global climate by weakening deepwater
formation in the North Atlantic Ocean. Here we show that the advection of subtropical water toward the
continental margin of western Europe lead to enhanced moisture availability on the continent and fueled the
growth of EIS lobes during glacials. This warm-water pooling was caused by monsoonally paced enhanced
Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW) entrainment that dragged subtropical surface waters toward the
European margin. This mechanism presents a yet unrecognized marine-terrestrial pathway that allows
low-latitude forcing to shape high-latitude glaciations.< Réduire