Antarctic ice sheet paleo-constraint database

By Benoit Lecavalier1, Lev Tarasov1, Greg Balco2, Perry Spector2, Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand3, Christo Buizert4, Catherine Ritz5, Marion Leduc-Leballeur6, Robert Mulvaney3, Pippa L. Whitehouse7, Michael J. Bentley7, Jonathan Bamber8

1. Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography, Memorial University, St. John’s, Canada 2. Berkeley Geochronology Center, Berkeley, California, USA 3. British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK 4. College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis OR, USA 5. Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, IGE, Grenoble, France 6. Institute of Applied Physics National Research Council, Florence, Italy 7. Department of Geography, Durham University, Durham, UK 8. Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK

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Abstract

We present a database of observational constraints on past Antarctic ice sheet changes during the last glacial cycle intended to consolidate the observations that represent our understanding of past Antarctic changes, for state-space estimation, and paleo-model calibrations. The database is a major expansion of the initial work of Briggs and Tarasov (2013). It includes new data types and multi-tier data quality assessment. The updated constraint database “AntICE2” consists of observations of past grounded and floating ice sheet extent, past ice thickness, past relative sea level, borehole temperature profiles, and present-day bedrock displacement rates. In addition to paleo-observations, the present-day ice sheet geometry and surface ice velocities are incorporated to constrain the present-day ice sheet configuration. The method by which the data is curated using explicitly defined criteria is detailed. Moreover, the observational uncertainties are specified. The methodology by which the constraint database can be applied to evaluate a given ice sheet reconstruction is discussed. The implementation of the “AntICE2” database for Antarctic ice sheet model calibrations will improve Antarctic ice sheet predictions during past warm and cold periods and yield more robust paleo model spin ups for forecasting future ice sheet changes. 

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Researchers should cite this work as follows:

  • Benoit Lecavalier; Lev Tarasov; Greg Balco; Perry Spector; Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand; Christo Buizert; Catherine Ritz; Marion Leduc-Leballeur; Robert Mulvaney; Pippa L. Whitehouse; Michael J. Bentley; Jonathan Bamber (2022), "Antarctic ice sheet paleo-constraint database," https://theghub.org/resources/4884.

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Tags

  1. Antarctica
  2. ice sheet history
  3. ice sheet models
  4. paleoenvironments