On the Cause of the Mid-Pleistocene Transition

Tijn Berends; Roderik van de Wal; Lucas Lourens; Peter  Köhler

doi:10.1029/2020RG000727

On the Cause of the Mid-Pleistocene Transition

Tijn Berends^*, Roderik van de Wal, Lucas Lourens, Peter Köhler

^*Corresponding author for this work

Alfred Wegener Institute - Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

Abstract

The Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT), where the Pleistocene glacial cycles changed from 41 to ∼100 kyr periodicity, is one of the most intriguing unsolved issues in the field of paleoclimatology. Over the course of over four decades of research, several different physical mechanisms have been proposed to explain the MPT, involving non-linear feedbacks between ice sheets and the global climate, the solid Earth, ocean circulation, and the carbon cycle. Here, we review these different mechanisms, comparing how each of them relates to the others, and to the currently available observational evidence. Based on this discussion, we identify the most important gaps in our current understanding of the MPT. We discuss how new model experiments, which focus on the quantitative differences between the different physical mechanisms, could help fill these gaps. The results of those experiments could help interpret available proxy evidence, as well as new evidence that is expected to become available.

Original language	English
Article number	e2020RG000727
Pages (from-to)	1-20
Number of pages	20
Journal	Reviews of Geophysics
Volume	59
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2020RG000727
Publication status	Published - Jun 2021

Funding

This publication was generated in the frame of Beyond EPICA. The project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 815384 (Oldest Ice Core). It is supported by national partners and funding agencies in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Logistic support is mainly provided by PNRA and IPEV through the Concordia Station system. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the European Union funding agency or other national funding bodies. This is Beyond EPICA publication number 18. This publication was generated in the frame of Beyond EPICA. The project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 815384 (Oldest Ice Core). It is supported by national partners and funding agencies in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Logistic support is mainly provided by PNRA and IPEV through the Concordia Station system. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the European Union funding agency or other national funding bodies. This is Beyond EPICA publication number 18.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1029/2020RG000727Licence: CC BY

2020RG000727Final published version, 1.64 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "On the Cause of the Mid-Pleistocene Transition",

abstract = "The Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT), where the Pleistocene glacial cycles changed from 41 to ∼100 kyr periodicity, is one of the most intriguing unsolved issues in the field of paleoclimatology. Over the course of over four decades of research, several different physical mechanisms have been proposed to explain the MPT, involving non-linear feedbacks between ice sheets and the global climate, the solid Earth, ocean circulation, and the carbon cycle. Here, we review these different mechanisms, comparing how each of them relates to the others, and to the currently available observational evidence. Based on this discussion, we identify the most important gaps in our current understanding of the MPT. We discuss how new model experiments, which focus on the quantitative differences between the different physical mechanisms, could help fill these gaps. The results of those experiments could help interpret available proxy evidence, as well as new evidence that is expected to become available.",

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On the Cause of the Mid-Pleistocene Transition

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

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