Millennial-scale iceberg discharges in the Irminger Basin during the last glacial period: Relationship with the Heinrich events and environmental settings

Publication Status is "Submitted" Or "In Press: 
LDEO Publication: 
Publication Type: 
Year of Publication: 
1998
Editor: 
Journal Title: 
Paleoceanography
Journal Date: 
Oct
Place Published: 
Tertiary Title: 
Volume: 
13
Issue: 
5
Pages: 
433-446
Section / Start page: 
Publisher: 
ISBN Number: 
0883-8305
ISSN Number: 
Edition: 
Short Title: 
Accession Number: 
ISI:000076402300002
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Abstract: 

High-resolution records of coarse lithic content and oxygen isotope have been obtained in a piston core from the irminger Basin. The last glacial period is characterized by numerous periods of increased iceberg discharges originating partly from Iceland and corresponding to millennial-scale instabilities of the coastal ice sheets and ice shelves in the Nordic area. A comparison with midlatitude sediment cores shows that ice-rafted material corresponding to the Heinrich events was deposited synchronously from 40 degrees to 60 degrees N. There are thus two oscillating systems: every 5-10 kyr massive iceberg armadas are released from large continental ice caps, whereas more frequent instabilities of the coastal ice sheets in the high latitude regions occur every 1.2-3.8 kyr. At the time of the Heinrich events the synchroneity of the response from all the northern hemisphere ice sheets attests the existence of strong interactions between the two systems.

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128JHTimes Cited:122Cited References Count:46

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