Abstract
Data from Antarctic1–3, Greenland4,5 and Devon Island6 ice cores indicate that large increases in the atmospheric aerosol loading occurred during the Last Glacial Maximum (LCM) of about 18,000 yr BP. The aerosol content of the atmosphere is important in the present climate, causing the global mean temperature to be about 2–3 °C cooler than it would be in the absence of aerosols7. Here I use an energy balance climate model to show that plausible increases in the atmospheric aerosol optical depth during the LGM could have caused a further global mean cooling of 2–3 °C, thereby making a significant contribution to the climatic cooling of the LGM.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
De Angelis, M., Barkov, N. I. & Petrov, V. N. Nature 325, 318–321 (1987).
Petit, J. R., Briat, M. & Royer, A. Nature 293, 391–394 (1981).
Royer, A., De Angelis, M. & Petit, J. R. Climat. Change 5, 381–412 (1983).
Thompson, L. G. & Mosley-Thompson, E. Science 212, 812–815 (1981).
Cragin, J. H., Herron, M. M., Langway, C. C. Jr & Klouda, G. in Polar Oceans (ed. Dunbar, M. J.) 617–631 (Arctic Institute of North America, Calgary, 1977).
Fisher, D. A. Quat. Res. 11, 299–305 (1979).
Coakley, J. A., Cess, R. D. & Yurevich, F. B. J. atmos. Sci. 40, 116–138 (1983).
Harvey, L. D. D. J. Clim. (in the press).
Harvey, L. D. D. J. Clim. (in the press).
Harvey, L. D. D. Clim. Change (in the press).
Dickinson, R. E., Meehl, G. A. & Washington, W. M. Climat. Change 10, 241–248 (1987).
Schlesinger, M. E. & Mitchell, J. F. B. Rev. Geophys. 25, 760–798 (1987).
Tanre, D., Geleyn, J. F. & Slingo, J. in Workshop on aerosols and their climatic effects (Williamsberg, Virginia, 1983).
Toon, O. B. & Pollack, J. P. J. appl. Met. 15, 225–246 (1976).
Carlson, T. N. & Benjamin, S. G. J. atmos. Sci. 37, 193–213 (1980).
Potter, G. L. & Cess, R. D. J. geophys. Res. 89, 9521–9526 (1984).
Yiou, F., Raisbeck, G. M., Bourles, D., Lorius, C. & Barkov, N.I. Nature 316, 616–617 (1985).
Jouzel, J. et al. Nature 329, 403–408 (1987).
CLIMAP Project Members Seasonal Reconstruction of the Earth's Surface at the Last Glacial Maximum (Geol. Soc. Amer. Map and Chart Series MC-36, 1981).
Kutzbach, J. E. & Guetter, P. J. J. atmos. Sci. 43, 1726–1759 (1986).
Rind, D. & Peteet, D. Quat. Res. 24, 1–22 (1985).
Joussaume, S., Rasool, & Sadourny, R. Ann. Glaciol. 5, 204–207 (1983).
Shackleton, N. J. & Pisias, N. G. in The Carbon Cycle and Atmospheric CO2 Natural Variations Archean to Present (eds Sundquist, E. T. & Broecker, W. S.) 303–317 (AGU, Washington, 1985).
Barnola, J. M., Raynaud, D., Korotkevich, Y. S. & Lorius, C. Nature 329, 408–414 (1987).
Manabe, S. & Broccoli, A. J. J. atmos. Sci. 42, 2643–2651 (1985).
Denton, G. H., Hughes, T. J. & Karlen, W. Quat. Res. 26, 3–26 (1986).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Harvey, L. Climatic impact of ice-age aerosols. Nature 334, 333–335 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/334333a0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/334333a0
- Springer Nature Limited
This article is cited by
-
Single Particle Extinction and Scattering allows novel optical characterization of aerosols
Journal of Nanoparticle Research (2017)
-
An overview of the studies on black carbon and mineral dust deposition in snow and ice cores in East Asia
Journal of Meteorological Research (2014)
-
Free nanoparticle characterization by optical scattered field analysis: opportunities and perspectives
Journal of Nanoparticle Research (2014)
-
Impact of dust aerosol on glacial-interglacial climate
Advances in Atmospheric Sciences (2013)
-
Ice-free glacial northern Asia due to dust deposition on snow
Climate Dynamics (2006)