The abrupt termination of the Younger Dryas climate event (original) (raw)

Nature volume 339, pages 532–534 (1989)Cite this article

Abstract

PREVIOUS studies on two deep Greenland ice cores have shown that a long series of climate oscillations characterized the late Weichselian glaciation in the North Atlantic region1, and that the last glacial cold period, the Younger Dryas, ended abruptly 10,700 years ago2. Here we further focus on this epoch-defining event, and present detailed heavy-isotope and dust-concentration profiles which suggest that, in less than 20 years, the climate in the North Atlantic region turned into a milder and less stormy regime, as a consequence of a rapid retreat of the sea-ice cover. A warming of 7 °C in South Greenland was completed in about 50 years.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 51 print issues and online access

$199.00 per year

only $3.90 per issue

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Additional access options:

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Dansgaard, W. et al. M. Ewing Symp. 5, (eds Hansen, J. E. & Takahashi, T.) Am. geophys. Un. geophys. Monogr. 29, 288–298 (1984).
    Google Scholar
  2. Hammer, C. U., Clausen, H. B. & Tauber, H. Radiocarbon 28, 284–291 (1986).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  3. Ruddiman, W. F. & Mclntyre, A. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 35, 145–214 (1981).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  4. Johnsen, S. J., Dansgaard, W. & White, J. Tellus 41B(4) (in the press).
  5. Herron, M. M. & Langway, C. C. in Greenland Ice Core (eds Langway, C. C, Oeschger. H. & Dansgaard, W.) Am. geophys. Un. geophys. Monogr. 33, 77–84 (1985).
    Google Scholar
  6. Hammer, C. U. et al. in Greenland Ice Core (eds Langway, C. C., Oeschger, H. & Dansgaard, W.) Am. geophys. Un. geophys. Monogr. 33, 77–84 (1985).
    Google Scholar
  7. Oeschger, H. et al. M. Ewing Symp. 5 (eds Hansen, J. E. & Takahashi, T.) Am. geophys. Un. geophys. Monogr. 29, 299–306 (1984).
    Google Scholar
  8. Greenland Ice Core (eds Langway, C. C., Oeschger, H. & Dansgaard, W.) Am. geophys. Un. geophys. Monogr. 33 (1985).
  9. Dansgaard, W. & Oeschger, H. in The Environmental Record in Glaciers and Ice Sheets (eds Oeschger, H. & Langway, C. C.) Dahlem Workshop 8, 287–317 (Wiley, New York, 1989).
    Google Scholar
  10. Dahl-Jensen, D. & Johnsen, S. J. Nature 320, 250–252 (1986).
    Article ADS Google Scholar
  11. Jouzel, J. & Merlivat, L. J. geophys. Res. 89, 11749–11757 (1984).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  12. White, J. W. C., Johnsen, S. J. & Dansgaard, W. Ann. Glaciol. 10, 219–220 (1988).
    Article ADS Google Scholar
  13. CLIMAP Project Members Science 191, 1131–1137 (1976).
  14. Bard, E. et al. Nature 328, 791–794 (1987).
    Article ADS Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geophysical Institute, University of Copenhagen, Haraldsgade 6, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
    W. Dansgaard
  2. Center for Geochronological Research, INSTAAR, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309-0450, USA
    J. W. C. White
  3. Science Institute, University of Iceland, Dunhaga 3, IS-107, Reykjavik, Iceland
    S. J. Johnsen

Authors

  1. W. Dansgaard
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
  2. J. W. C. White
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
  3. S. J. Johnsen
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dansgaard, W., White, J. & Johnsen, S. The abrupt termination of the Younger Dryas climate event.Nature 339, 532–534 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1038/339532a0

Download citation

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.