D-O

These temperature increases occurred during glacial terminations and at the onset of D-O interstadials.

Arctic climate variability prior to 100 years BP 2009

These oscillations correlate with the D-O cycles, showing a close relationship between the deep-ocean circulation and the abrupt climatic changes during the last glaciation.

Arctic climate variability prior to 100 years BP 2009

A study of the ice-rafted material suggests that, coincident with the D-O cooling, ice within the Icelandic ice caps and within or near the Gulf of Saint Lawrence underwent nearly synchronous increases in rates of calving.

Arctic climate variability prior to 100 years BP 2009

Ice core records of the last 740,000 years leave little doubt regarding the role of CO2 and CH4 during the glacial-interglacial Milankovic cycles and Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) ~1470 years-long cycles (Ganopolski and Rahmstorf, 2001) during the last ice age.

The Price of the Earth 2009

It is increasingly apparent that large, globally linked environmental feedbacks were involved in the generation of the large, rapid temperature increases that occurred during glacial termination and the onset of D-O events.

Arctic climate variability prior to 100 years BP 2009

The duration of these ice-rafting cycles varies between 2000 and 3000 years and they closely coincide with the D-O events.

Arctic climate variability prior to 100 years BP 2009

Oxygen isotope measurements from Greenland ice cores demonstrate that a series of rapid warm and cold oscillations, called Dansgaard – Oeschger (D-O) events, punctuated the last glaciation, often taking Greenland and northwestern Europe from a full-glacial climate to conditions about as warm as at present (Fig. 2.15).

Arctic climate variability prior to 100 years BP 2009

According to Lang et al. [42], associated temperature changes may have been as great as 16 ºC. The D-O oscillations are correlated with sea surface temperature variations derived from several North Atlantic deep-sea cores [43].

Arctic climate variability prior to 100 years BP 2009

Dr. Joshua Wurman, part of the D-O - W team -- Doppler on Wheels.

CNN Transcript May 30, 2008 2008

No one knows why D-O events happen, but happen they do.

Rutherford, Mann et al [2005] « Climate Audit 2006