Sea-ice switches and abrupt climate change

Hezi Gildor; Eli Tziperman; P. W. Nienow; J. G. Shepherd; R. B. Alley; J. H. Lawton; A. Mahadevan; T. M. Lenton

doi:10.1098/rsta.2003.1244

Sea-ice switches and abrupt climate change

Hezi Gildor, Eli Tziperman, P. W. Nienow, J. G. Shepherd, R. B. Alley, J. H. Lawton, A. Mahadevan, T. M. Lenton

Geosciences

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Abstract

We propose that past abrupt climate changes were probably a result of rapid and extensive variations in sea-ice cover. We explain why this seems a perhaps more likely explanation than a purely thermohaline circulation mechanism. We emphasize that because of the significant influence of sea ice on the climate system, it seems that high priority should be given to developing ways for reconstructing high-resolution (in space and time) sea-ice extent for past climate-change events. If proxy data can confirm that sea ice was indeed the major player in past abrupt climate-change events, it seems less likely that such dramatic abrupt changes will occur due to global warming, when extensive sea-ice cover will not be present.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1935-1944
Number of pages	10
Journal	Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
Volume	361
Issue number	1810
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2003.1244
State	Published - Sep 15 2003

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Mathematics
General Engineering
General Physics and Astronomy

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10.1098/rsta.2003.1244

Cite this

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AU - Tziperman, Eli

AU - Nienow, P. W.

AU - Shepherd, J. G.

AU - Alley, R. B.

AU - Lawton, J. H.

AU - Mahadevan, A.

AU - Lenton, T. M.

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Sea-ice switches and abrupt climate change

Abstract

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