Abstract
New records of iceberg-rafted debris from the Scotia Sea reveal episodic retreat of the Antarctic Ice Sheet since the peak of the last glacial period, in step with changes in climate and global sea level. See Letter p.134 Global sea levels have risen by more than 100 metres since the last glacial maximum around 20,000 years ago, with several meltwater pulses of several metres or more. In the most dramatic of these — meltwater pulse 1A — sea level rose by about 16 metres at 14,600 years ago. This magnitude of sea level rise strongly suggests major Antarctica contributions, but to date there has been no firm physical evidence. Now Michael Weber and colleagues present a record of iceberg rafted debris from the Scotia Sea and show clear signals of pulsed iceberg release from Antarctica as early as 19,000 years ago. The largest iceberg release occurred during meltwater pulse 1A, providing the long-sought confirmation of Antarctic contributions to this major jump in sea-level rise.
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