Abstract
Temperature signals in ice core data Greenland ice core data can be used to derive information on past climatic conditions in the Greenland area. Recently, Vinther et al. (2010) demonstrated a high correlation between δ18O data and Greenland coastal temperature observations even on seasonal timescales, reaffirming the ability of ice core δ18O to capture local temperatures, first proposed by Dansgaard (1954). The Vinther et al. (2010) analysis of the seasonal ice core δ18O data showed that the winter δ18O contains the strongest temperature signal, and that even annual average Greenland temperatures are more accurately captured in the winter δ18O rather than annual average δ18O data. This surprising fact is partly explained by the observation that Greenland winter temperatures are much more variable than summer temperatures and thus dominate the annual average variability (Vinther et al., 2010). Past Greenland climatic conditions can also be derived directly from Greenland ice core borehole temperature observations, by solving the equation of heat conduction in moving ice and firn (Dahl-Jensen et al., 1998). Using a Monte Carlo inversion technique, Dahl-Jensen et al. (1998) derived temperature histories from both southern and central Greenland from high precision borehole temperature measurements obtained at the DYE-3 and GRIP ice core drill sites. A third way of estimating past Greenland temperature conditions is to measure isotopes on nitrogen and argon trapped in air-bubbles within the ice (Severinghaus et al., 1998). These gases undergo a temperature dependent mass fractionation in the snow column before the air-bubbles are formed in the ice, thus retaining a retrievable temperature signal.
Highlights
0.5 the winter δ18O contains the strongest temperature signal, and that even annual average Greenland temperatures are more accurately captured in the winter δ18O rather than annual average δ18O data
Using the gas from both southern and central Greenland noteworthy difference between the DYE- fractionation technique on ice cores, they from high precision borehole temperature 3 and GRIP temperature inversions is the found that peak Greenland temperature measurements obtained at the DYE-3 and amplitude of the most recent temperature conditions in the in the 12th century were
The air-bubbles are formed in the ice, In the bottom panel of Figure 1, winter δ18O drill site did hamper the inversion of this retaining a retrievable temperature signal. records from three Greenland ice cores all recent short-lived climatic warming
Summary
Greenland ice core data can be used to derive information on past climatic conditions Vinther et al (2010) demonstrated a high correlation between δ18O data and Greenland coastal temperature observations even on seasonal timescales, reaffirming the ability of ice core δ18O to capture local temperatures, first proposed by Dansgaard (1954). Observation that Greenland winter temperatures are much more variable than
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