Abstract
ICE-CORE reconstructions of atmospheric methane concentrations for the past 220 kyr have revealed large variations associated with different climatic periods1–4. But the phase relationship between climate and methane has been uncertain because of dating uncertainties and the coarse sampling interval of available methane records. Here we present a high-resolution record of atmospheric methane from 40 to 8 kyr ago from the GRIP ice core in Green-land. Our improved resolution and dating allow us to conclude that the large changes in atmospheric methane concentration during the last deglaciation were in phase (±200 years) with the variations in Greenland climate. Our results confirm the previous observation3 that methane increased to Holocene levels when much of the Northern wetlands was still ice-covered, lending support to the suggestion3 that low-latitude wetlands were responsible for the observed changes. We observe oscillations in methane concentration associated with the warm periods (interstadials) that occurred throughout the glacial period5, suggesting that the interstadials were at least hemispheric in their extent. We propose that variations in the hydrological cycle at low latitudes may be responsible for the variations in both methane and Greenland temperature during the interstadials.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Stauffer, B., Lochbronner, E., Oeschger, H. & Schwander, J. Nature 332, 812–814 (1988).
Raynaud, D., Chappellaz, J., Barnola, J. M., Korotkevich, Y. S. & Lorius, C. Nature 333, 655–657 (1988).
Chappellaz, J., Barnola, J. M., Raynaud, D., Korotkevich, Y. S. & Lorius, C. Nature 345, 127–131 (1990).
Jouzel, J. et al. Nature 364, 407–412 (1993).
Johnsen, S. J. et al. Nature 359, 311–313 (1992).
Etheridge, D. M., Pearman, G. I. & Fraser, P. J. Tellus 44B, 282–294 (1992).
Raynaud, D. et al. Science 259, 926–934 (1993).
Raynaud, D. & Chappellaz, J. The Global Cycle of Atmospheric Methane, NATO ARW Ser. (ed. Khalil, M. A. K.) (Springer, Berlin, in the press).
Schwander, J. et al. J. geophys. Res. 98, 2831–2838 (1993).
Barnola, J. M., Pimienta, P., Raynaud, D. & Korotkevich, Y. S. Tellus 43B, 83–90 (1991).
Dansgaard, W. et al. Nature 364, 218–220 (1993).
Martinerie, P., Raynaud, D., Etheridge, D., Barnola, J. M. & Mazaudier, D. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 112, 1–13 (1992).
Peteet, D. et al. Quat. Sci. Rev. (in the press).
Thompson, A. M. Science 256, 1157–1165 (1992).
Nisbet, E. G. J. geophys. Res. 97, 12859–12867 (1992).
Chappellaz, J. A., Fung, I. Y. & Thompson, A. M. Tellus 45B, 228–241 (1993).
Adams, J. M., Faure, H. & Petit-Maire, N. Nature 355, 2l4 (1992).
Legrand, M., De Angelis, M. J. geophys. Res. (submitted).
Street-Perrott, F. A. & Roberts, N. in Variations in the Global Water Budget (eds Street-Perrott, A., Beran, M. & Ratcliffe, R.) 331–345 (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1983).
Street-Perrott, F. A. & Perrott, R. A. Nature 343, 607–612 (1990).
Gasse, F. & Fontes, J. C. in The Last Deglaciation: Absolute and Radiocarbon Chronologies, NATO ASI Ser. 12 (eds Bard, E. & Broecker, W. S.) 295–325 (Springer, Berlin, 1992).
Van Campo, E. & Gasse, F. Quat. Res. 39, 300–313 (1993).
Broecker, W. S. Oceanography 4, 79–89 (1991).
Bond, G. et al. Nature 360, 245–249 (1992).
Duplessy, J. C. et al. Nature 358, 485–488 (1992).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chappellaz, J., Bluniert, T., Raynaud, D. et al. Synchronous changes in atmospheric CH4 and Greenland climate between 40 and 8 kyr BP. Nature 366, 443–445 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1038/366443a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/366443a0
- Springer Nature Limited
This article is cited by
-
An ice–climate oscillatory framework for Dansgaard–Oeschger cycles
Nature Reviews Earth & Environment (2020)
-
Abrupt monsoonal shifts over the precessional cycles documented in Yongxing Cave in China during the antepenultimate glacial period
Environmental Earth Sciences (2018)
-
Ancient ice and the global methane cycle
Nature (2017)
-
Minimal geological methane emissions during the Younger Dryas–Preboreal abrupt warming event
Nature (2017)
-
Errors in greenhouse forcing and soil carbon sequestration estimates in freshwater wetlands: a comment on Mitsch et al. (2013)
Landscape Ecology (2014)