The study, led by Dr. Andres Castillo-Llarena of MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences and the University of Bremen's Geosciences Department, reconstructs the evolution of the Patagonian ice sheet over the past 120,000 years. The researchers used sophisticated computer simulations to investigate how climate variations on both orbital and millennial timescales drove changes in glacier behavior.
Their findings challenge the long-held notion of a uniform glacial history. Instead, the simulations show that the Patagonian ice sheet expanded and contracted in pulses, with two major advances - one around 71,000 years ago and another near 35,000 years ago - separated by a significant retreat about 60,000 years ago. These oscillations correspond to changes in the Earth's tilt that altered the duration and intensity of summer sunlight, known as "integrated summer energy."
"We suspect that this integrated summer energy modulated not only the behavior of the Patagonian ice sheet, but also that of other ice masses across the southern mid-latitudes," said Castillo-Llarena. The research also revealed shorter, millennial-scale fluctuations linked to abrupt climate shifts in the Northern Hemisphere.
Co-author Dr. Matthias Prange emphasized the broader importance of the results: "These findings are particularly significant because there are relatively few data on past climate fluctuations from the southern hemisphere. Understanding how the hemispheres influence one another is essential for improving future climate predictions."
The study was conducted within the Cluster of Excellence "The Ocean Floor - Earth's Uncharted Interface" at MARUM.
Research Report:Orbital and millennial-scale forcing of the Patagonian Ice Sheet throughout the Last Glacial Cycle
Related Links
Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen
Beyond the Ice Age
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