PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Arctic climate more vulnerable than thought, maybe linked to Antarctic ice-sheet behavior

First analyses of the longest sediment core ever collected on land in the terrestrial Arctic provide documentation that intense warm intervals, warmer than scientists thought possible, occurred there over the past 2.8 million years

Arctic climate more vulnerable than thought, maybe linked to Antarctic ice-sheet behavior
2012-06-22
(Press-News.org) COLOGNE, Germany; AMHERST, MA, USA; MAGADAN, Russia. -- First analyses of the longest sediment core ever collected on land in the terrestrial Arctic, published this week in Science, provide documentation that intense warm intervals, warmer than scientists thought possible, occurred there over the past 2.8 million years.

Further, these extreme warm periods correspond closely with times when parts of Antarctica were ice-free and also warm, suggesting strong inter-hemispheric climate connectivity. "The polar regions are much more vulnerable to change than we thought before," say the project's Co-Chief scientists Martin Melles of the University of Cologne, Germany, Julie Brigham-Grette of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA, and Pavel Minyuk of Russia's North-East Interdisciplinary Scientific Research Institute in Magadan.

The data reported come from analyzing sediment cores collected in 2009 from under ice-covered Lake El'gygytgyn in the northeast Russian Arctic. "Lake E" was formed 3.6 million years ago when a huge meteorite hit the Earth and blasted out an 11-mile (18 km) wide crater. It has been collecting layers of sediment ever since. Moreover, the meteorite luckily hit one of the few areas in the Arctic not eroded by continental glaciers, leaving the thick sediment record remarkably undisturbed and continuous. Consequently, cores from Lake E reach back in geologic time nearly 30 times farther than Greenland ice cores covering the past 110,000 years.

The sediment cores from Lake El´gygytgyn reflect the climatic and environmental history of the Arctic with great sensitivity. The physical, chemical and biological properties of the sediments match the glacial/interglacial pattern known globally for the ice ages. However, it is conspicuous that some warm phases are exceptional, marked by extraordinary high biological activity in the lake, well above the background of rather regular climate cycles.

In order to quantify the climate differences associated with the variable interglacial intensities, four warm phases were investigated in detail: the two youngest, "normal" interglacials, since 12,000 years and about 125,000 years ago, and two of the "super" interglacials, about 400,000 and about 1.1 million years ago. According to pollen-based climate reconstructions, summer temperatures and annual precipitation during the super interglacials were about 4 to 5 degrees C warmer and about 12 inches (300 mm) wetter than during normal interglacials. The super interglacial climates suggest that it's virtually impossible for the Greenland's ice sheet to have existed in its present form at those times.

Simulations using a state-of-the-art climate model show that the high temperature and precipitation during the super interglacials cannot be explained by Earth´s orbital parameters or variations in atmospheric greenhouse gases alone, which geologists typically see driving the glacial/interglacial pattern during ice ages. This suggests additional climate feedbacks are at work. The scientists suspect the trigger for intense interglacials might be in Antarctica.

Earlier work by the international ANDRILL program discovered recurring intervals when the West Antarctic Ice Sheet melted. The current study shows that some of these events match remarkably well with the super interglacials in the Arctic.

The authors discuss two scenarios for future testing that could explain the associated inter-hemispheric climate coupling. First, reduced glacial ice cover and loss of ice shelves in Antarctica could have limited formation of cold bottom water masses that flow into the north Pacific and well up to the surface, resulting in warmer surface waters, higher temperatures and increased precipitation on nearby land.

Alternatively, disintegration of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet likely led to a significant global sea level rise and allowed more warm surface water to penetrate into the Arctic Ocean through the Bering Strait.

"The exceptional climate warmings in the Arctic and the obvious interhemispheric interdependencies were not known before our studies", the Co-Chief scientists summarize. "The data are of global significance, taking strong indications for an ongoing collapse of ice shelves around the Antarctic Peninsula and margins of the West Antarctica Ice Sheet and its potential acceleration in the near future – in this respect the past could be the key to the future".

INFORMATION:

The international El'gygytgyn Drilling Project was funded by the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP), the U.S. National Science Foundation's Division of Earth Sciences and Office of Polar Programs, the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research, Alfred Wegener Institute, GeoForschungsZentrum-Potsdam, the Russian Academy of Sciences Far East Branch, the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and the Austrian Ministry for Science and Research.

[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Arctic climate more vulnerable than thought, maybe linked to Antarctic ice-sheet behavior

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Abake Assongba Applauds Efforts to Keep Micro-Loan Interest Rates Low

2012-06-22
According to a Wall Street Journal article, Indian government officials have introduced a bill into Parliament that will hand over power to the country's central bank to manage the microfinance sector. This sector is generally charged with lending money to small borrowers. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee introduced the Microfinance Institutions (Development and Regulations) Bill to Parliament so the Reserve Bank of India will set a maximum interest rate that can be charged by micro lenders. Abake Assongba, the founder of the nonprofit organization, Abake's Foundation, ...

SFU scientists engage Science in fisheries debate

2012-06-22
Three Simon Fraser University scientists are engaging in a verbal battle with the federal government over its budget cuts and legislative changes in departments with environmental responsibilities, on a powerful stage. Science, a research journal with more than one million readers worldwide, has just published online (appearing in the June 22 hardcopy issue) a letter to the editor written by the SFU trio. In their letter, Canada's Weakening Aquatic Protection, Brett Favaro, a biology doctoral student, and biology professors John Reynolds and Isabelle Côté criticize ...

Astronomers spy 2 planets in tight quarters as they orbit a distant star

Astronomers spy 2 planets in tight quarters as they orbit a distant star
2012-06-22
A research team led by astronomers at the University of Washington and Harvard University has discovered a bigger version of Earth locked in an orbital tug-of-war with a much larger, Neptune-sized planet as they orbit very close to each other around the same star about 1,200 light years from Earth. The planets occupy nearly the same orbital plane and on their closest approach come within about 1.2 million miles of each other – just five times the Earth-moon distance and about 20 times closer to one another than any two planets in our solar system. But the timing ...

Aaron Beaston Blaakman: Enjoying International Business

2012-06-22
Forbes has outlined five ways for business travelers to make the most out of their itineraries in a recent article by Dorie Clark. Aaron Beaston Blaakman, an international professional whose business has taken him around the world, believes that these tips are great for novice travelers. For veteran travelers, though, he recommends a more personal approach. In her article, Clark details the five ways that she believes travelers can best experience their business assignments without becoming distracted from the purpose of their trip. These include staying in locally ...

Ed Young, Dallas-Based Pastor, Believes Intimacy to be Crucial in Digital Age

2012-06-22
Digital technology is supposed to improve the ease with which individuals communicate. Through electronic mail, text messaging, and instant messaging, people can communicate with other individuals or groups quickly. Although digital technology has achieved its goal of improving the efficiency of communication, it has not necessarily improved the quality of the communication that is conducted. A recent article by the Huffington Post sheds light on the fact that digital communication may very well be ruining intimacy. This is an issue about which Ed Young, Dallas-based pastor, ...

New candidate drug stops cancer cells, regenerates nerve cells

2012-06-22
CINCINNATI –Scientists have developed a small-molecule-inhibiting drug that in early laboratory cell tests stopped breast cancer cells from spreading and also promoted the growth of early nerve cells called neurites. Researchers from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center report their findings online June 21 in Chemistry & Biology. The scientists named their lead drug candidate "Rhosin" and hope future testing shows it to be promising for the treatment of various cancers or nervous system damage. The inhibitor overcomes a number of previous scientific challenges ...

Eating disorder behaviors and weight concerns are common in women over 50

2012-06-22
Eating disorders are commonly seen as an issue faced by teenagers and young women, but a new study reveals that age is no barrier to disordered eating. In women aged 50 and over, 3.5% report binge eating, nearly 8% report purging, and more than 70% are trying to lose weight. The study published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders revealed that 62% of women claimed that their weight or shape negatively impacted on their life. The researchers, led by Dr Cynthia Bulik, Director of the University of North Carolina Eating Disorders Program, reached 1,849 women ...

Planetrise

Planetrise
2012-06-22
Few nighttime sights offer more drama than the full Moon rising over the horizon. Now imagine that instead of the Moon, a gas giant planet spanning three times more sky loomed over the molten landscape of a lava world. This alien vista exists in the newly discovered two-planet system of Kepler-36. "These two worlds are having close encounters," said Josh Carter, a Hubble Fellow at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA). "They are the closest to each other of any planetary system we've found," added co-author Eric Agol of the University of Washington. Carter, ...

Protein may be key to psoriasis and wound care

2012-06-22
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder in which skin cells proliferate out of control. For some hard-to-heal wounds, the problem is just the opposite: Restorative skin cells don't grow well or fast enough. In a paper published in the June 21, 2012 issue of Immunity, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine describe a molecule that may lead to new treatments for both problems. An international team of scientists led by principal investigator Richard L. Gallo, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and chief of UC San Diego's Division of Dermatology, ...

Immune system molecule weaves cobweb-like nanonets to snag Salmonella, other intestinal microbes

2012-06-22
A team of researchers led by UC Davis Health System has found that human alpha-defensin 6 (HD6) – a key component of the body's innate defense system – binds to microbial surfaces and forms "nanonets" that surround, entangle and disable microbes, preventing bacteria from attaching to or invading intestinal cells. The research describes an entirely new mechanism of action for defensins, an important group of molecules known to bolster the defenses of circulating white blood cells, protect cellular borders from invasive pathogens and regulate which "friendly" microbes can ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Metabolically active visceral fat linked to aggressive endometrial cancer, new study reveals

Scientists glimpse how enzymes “dance” while they work, and why that’s important

California partnership aided COVID-19 response and health equity, report finds

University of Oklahoma secures $19.9 million for revolutionary radar technology

Study finds restoring order to dividing cancer cells may prevent metastasis

High-accuracy tumor detection with label-free microscopy and neural networks

Wayne State research reveals fetuses exposed to Zika virus have long-term immune challenges

Researchers deconstruct chikungunya outbreaks to improve prediction and vaccine development

Study finds one-year change on CT scans linked to future outcomes in fibrotic lung disease

Discovery of a novel intracellular trafficking pathway in plant cells

New tool helps forecast volcano slope collapses and tsunamis

Molecular coating cleans up noisy quantum light

From Parkinson's to rare diseases, discovered a key switch for cellular health

Tiny sugars in the brain disrupt emotional circuits, fueling depression

Mini-organs reveal how the cervix defends itself

Africa, climate, and food: How to feed a continent without increasing its carbon footprint

Researchers demonstrates substrate design principles for scalable superconducting quantum materials

How better software choices could cut US health care costs

Concussion history in NCAA athletes yields mixed health outcomes

Counting plastic reveals hidden waste and sparks action

Warming oceans may pose a serious threat to American lobsters

Deaths from drug-induced unintentional injury rise across the US

In car crashes with pedestrians, age and zip code may predict extent of traumatic injuries

AI optimizes evacuation, diagnosis, and treatment of wounded soldiers in Ukraine

Mastectomy linked to worsened sexual health, body image after surgery

Drop in credit score after cancer diagnosis linked to increased mortality, study shows

Use of weight loss drugs before bariatric surgery has soared in recent years, study finds

EMS call times in rural areas take at least 20 minutes longer than national average

Rectal bleeding in young adults linked to 8.5 times higher risk of colorectal cancer

Hospital closures disproportionately affect socioeconomically disadvantaged communities

[Press-News.org] Arctic climate more vulnerable than thought, maybe linked to Antarctic ice-sheet behavior
First analyses of the longest sediment core ever collected on land in the terrestrial Arctic provide documentation that intense warm intervals, warmer than scientists thought possible, occurred there over the past 2.8 million years