Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Paleoceanography

Rights and Access Note

This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the rights-holder(s) for educational uses. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Publication Date

1-22-2004

Issue Number

1

Publication Number

PA1004

Volume Number

19

Abstract/ Summary

Heinrich layers of the glacial North Atlantic record abrupt widespread iceberg rafting of detrital carbonate and other lithic material at the extreme-cold culminations of Bond climate cycles. Both internal (glaciologic) and external ( climate) forcings have been proposed. Here we suggest an explanation for the iceberg release that encompasses external climate forcing on the basis of a new glaciological process recently witnessed along the Antarctic Peninsula: rapid disintegrations of fringing ice shelves induced by climate-controlled meltwater infilling of surface crevasses. We postulate that peripheral ice shelves, formed along the eastern Canadian seaboard during extreme cold conditions, would be vulnerable to sudden climate-driven disintegration during any climate amelioration. Ice shelf disintegration then would be the source of Heinrich event icebergs.

Citation/Publisher Attribution

Hulbe, CL, Macayeal., DR, Denton, GH, Kleman, J, and Lowell, TV, 2004, Catastrophic Ice Shelf Breakup as the Source of Heinrich Event Icebergs: Paleoceanography, v. 19, PA1004. To view the published open abstract, go to http://dx.doi.org and enter the DOI.

Publisher Statement

© Copyright 2004 American Geophysical Union

DOI

10.1029/2003PA000890

Version

publisher's version of the published document

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Rights Statement

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted.