Sea-ice switches and abrupt climate change

We propose that past abrupt climate changes were probably a result of rapid and extensive variations in sea-ice cover.

We explain why this seems a perhaps more likely explanation than a purely thermohaline circulation mechanism. We emphasize that because of the significant influence of sea ice on the climate system, it seems that high priority should be given to developing ways for reconstructing high-resolution (in space and time) sea-ice extent for past climate-change events.

If proxy data can confirm that sea ice was indeed the major player in past abrupt climate-change events, it seems less likely that such dramatic abrupt changes will occur due to global warming, when extensive sea-ice cover will not be present. Source

RELATED LINKS

• Multiple sea-ice states and abrupt MOC transitions in a general circulation ocean model
• Arctic sea ice minimum 2012
• Abrupt Climate Change | by Peter Schwartz and Doug Randall