Past Antarctica: Paleoclimatology and Climate Change

Front Matter
Copyright
Contributors
About the editors
Foreword
Preface
Introduction to Past Antarctica
Long-term climate evolution based on ice core records
	Introduction
	Water stable isotopes
	Deep ice cores in Antarctica
		The long-term records
		The climate variability during the Last Glacial Cycle
		The present and the last interglacial
	Conclusions and perspectives
	References
	Further reading
Antarctic air bubbles and the long-term ice core record of CO2 and other greenhouse gases*
	Introduction: Ice cores are archives of the past and a window to the present and the future
	Air trapping in ice
		How air bubbles form
		Processes involved in the firn column
		Processes involved below the firn-ice transition
	The ice core record of atmospheric greenhouse gases
		How precisely does the ice core record mirror past changes in greenhouse gases?
		Antarctica: A location of choice for hosting past atmospheric CO2 records
			From Svante Arrhenius prediction to the ice record of atmospheric CO2
			Antarctica: The place to go for the best ice core record of past atmospheric CO2
	The ice core record of greenhouse gases over the last 800,000years
		Ice core records of atmospheric greenhouse gases
			Vostok ice core, the cornucopia, and the four last ice age cycles
			More information on CH4, CH4, N2O, and on the carbon isotopic ratio (13C/12C) of CO2
			Extension of the record back to 800,000years ago
				Interglacial diversity
		Phase relationship (leads and lags) between atmospheric CO2 and temperature in the ice core record
			Why calculate leads and lags?
			How to calculate leads and lags?
			A history of leads and lags results during the last deglaciation
			New results from WAIS Divide
	Conclusions
		The carbon cycle and climate: Lesson from the ice core record of CO2 and other greenhouse gases
		The enigma of the Mid-Pleistocene Transition: A stimulating project
	Acknowledgments
	References
	Further reading
Holocene environmental changes inferred from Antarctic lake sediments
	Introduction
	Holocene Antarctic lake formation
	Holocene environmental evolution
	Conclusions and future challenges
	Acknowledgments
	References
	Further reading
The role of volcanism in the making of Antarctica
	The Proterozoic and Paleozoic foundation: Influence of ancient tectonics
	Gondwana supercontinent breakup volcanism
	Pacific-margin subduction-related volcanism
	Postsubduction slab window volcanism
	Continental-scale rifting and intraplate volcanism (West Antarctic Rift System)
	Cenozoic volcanism and evolution of the Antarctic Ice Sheet
	The relationship between volcanism in Antarctica and Life on Earth
	Summary
	References
Tracing the deglaciation since the Last Glacial Maximum
	Introduction
	East Antarctica
	West Antarctica
	Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands
	Conclusions and perspectives
	References
	Further reading
Relative sea level changes in the Antarctic coastal zone
	Introduction
	Processes driving RSL change
	Geomorphological and biological evidence of RSL around Antarctica
		Raised beaches and deltas
		Isolation basins
	Regional summaries of RSL changes in Antarctica
		East Antarctica
			Enderby Land
			Princess Elisabeth Land
			Wilkes Land
			Victoria Land
		Antarctic Peninsula and the Maritime Antarctic islands
	Applications of RSL data and future research priorities
		RSL curves to constrain ice-sheet history and glacio-isostatic adjustment
		RSL changes and biological communities in the coastal zone
		Future research priorities
	References
Past geomorphic processes: The role of permafrost and periglacial processes in ice-free environments
	Introduction
	Periglacial landforms in Antarctica
		Patterned ground
		Frost creep, solifluction, and gelifluction lobes and terracettes
		Block streams, slopes, and fields
	Permafrost
		Permafrost distribution
		Ice content
		Temperature and active layer thickness
	Permafrost related features
		Frost mounds
		Rock glaciers and protalus ramparts
	Conclusions and future perspectives
	References
	Further reading
Soils of Antarctica: A key to past environments
	Introduction
	Setting
	Approach
	Early Miocene soils
	Middle Miocene soils
		Soils from overriding till(s)
		Soils on Asgard and Sessrumnir drifts
		Soils on silt-rich drifts
	Late Miocene soils
	Pliocene soils
	Early Pleistocene soils
	Late-middle Pleistocene soils
	Late Pleistocene soils
	Last Glacial Maximum soils
	Early Holocene soils
	Late Holocene soils
	Surface boulder weathering, desert pavement development, and soil weathering during the Neogene and Quaternary periods
		Surface boulder weathering
		Desert pavement development
		Soil weathering
	Soil modification during the Anthropocene
	Surficial geologic and soil-forming processes
	Summary and wider implications
	Acknowledgments
	References
Past changes on fauna and flora distribution
	Introduction
	Paleozoic era
	Mesozoic era
	Cenozoic era
	Conclusions
	References
Refuges of Antarctic diversity
	Introduction
	Evidence for the history of Antarctic biota
	Contemporary Antarctic terrestrial biodiversity and biogeography
	The need for refugia
		Long-term ice-free areas
		Nunataks
		Geothermal areas
		Glacier surface and glacier mice
		Subglacial habitats
		Cryptobiosis
	Overview and future research priorities
	References
Geoecological responses
	Introduction
	Geoecological responses to past climatic changes until the late Pleistocene
	Geoecological responses since the Last Glacial Maximum
		Vegetation succession
		Moss peat banks
		Vegetation, soils, and animal input
			Recent geoecological response
	References
Connections with middle and low latitudes
	Introduction
	The Southern Annular Mode
		Characteristics of the Southern Annular Mode
		The forcing of the SAM
		The active season of the SAM: Connections with the stratosphere
		The climate impacts of the SAM
		Long-term variability of the SAM from reconstructions
	Tropical teleconnections to Antarctica
		Mechanisms generating tropical teleconnections
		Tropical influences on Antarctic climate
		Changes in patterns of tropical variability
		Decadal scale tropical variability and its connection to Antarctic climate
		Intraseasonal tropical variability and Antarctic climate
		ENSO/SAM relationships
		Long-term connections of tropical variability with Antarctic climate
	Summary
	References
Recent climate trends
	Introduction
	Atmospheric circulation
	Air temperature
	Precipitation
	Ocean and sea ice
	Summary
	Acknowledgments
	References
Exploring and exploiting Antarctica: The early human interactions
	Conceptualizing and ``finding´´ Antarctica
	Humans come to Antarctica
	Occupation of the mainland: 1897-1917
	Conclusion
	References
Humans in Antarctica: Science and policy
	Early expeditions and the Heroic Age
	Geopolitics and scientific interest
		The International Polar Years
		Birth of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research and the Antarctic Treaty
		Evolution of SCAR and the Antarctic Treaty
		Protocol on Environmental Protection
		Science and environmental policy under the Antarctic Treaty System
	Future perspectives
	Concluding remarks
	References
Index
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