Greenland Ice Sheet Holocene d18O, Temperature, and Surface Elevation Vinther, B.M.; Buchardt, S.L.; Clausen, H.B.; Dahl-Jensen, D.; Johnsen, S.J.; Fisher, D.A.; Koerner, R.M.; Raynaud, D.; Lipenkov, V.; Andersen, K.K.; Blunier, T.; Rasmussen, S.O.; Steffensen, J.P.; Svensson, A.M. Vinther, B.M. Buchardt, S.L. Clausen, H.B. Dahl-Jensen, D. Johnsen, S.J. Fisher, D.A. Koerner, R.M. Raynaud, D. Lipenkov, V. Andersen, K.K. Blunier, T. Rasmussen, S.O. Steffensen, J.P. Svensson, A.M. earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions|ice cores (ice age,null,null,calendar year before present,null,climate reconstructions|ice cores,null,null,N,present defined as 2000 A.D.) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions|ice cores (surface temperature,delta 18O,null,degree Celsius,null,climate reconstructions|ice cores,anomalized,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/ice cores (delta 18O,bulk ice,null,per mil SMOW,null,ice cores,averaged,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions|ice cores (surface temperature,delta 18O,null,degree Celsius,null,climate reconstructions|ice cores,anomalized|smoothed,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/ice cores (delta 18O,bulk ice,null,per mil SMOW,null,ice cores,averaged|corrected,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions|ice cores (ice sheet elevation,null,null,meter,null,climate reconstructions|ice cores,anomalized,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/ice core (GRIP>LATITUDE 72.58>LONGITUDE -37.63) (Dye 3>LATITUDE 65.18>LONGITUDE -43.82) (Camp Century>LATITUDE 77.17>LONGITUDE -61.13) (Agassiz Ice Cap>LATITUDE 80.7>LONGITUDE -73.1) (North GRIP>LATITUDE 75.1>LONGITUDE -42.33) (Renland>LATITUDE 71.27>LONGITUDE -26.73) On entering an era of global warming, the stability of the Greenland ice sheet (GIS) is an important concern, especially in the light of new evidence of rapidly changing flow and melt conditions at the GIS margins. Studying the response of the GIS to past climatic change may help to advance our understanding of GIS dynamics. The previous interpretation of evidence from stable isotopes (d18O) in water from GIS ice cores was that Holocene climate variability on the GIS differed spatially and that a consistent Holocene climate optimum - the unusually warm period from about 9,000 to 6,000 years ago found in many northern latitude palaeoclimate records - did not exist. Here we extract both the Greenland Holocene temperature history and the evolution of GIS surface elevation at four GIS locations. We achieve this by comparing d18O from GIS ice cores with d18O from ice cores from small marginal icecaps. Contrary to the earlier interpretation of d18O evidence from ice cores, our new temperature history reveals a pronounced Holocene climatic optimum in Greenland coinciding with maximum thinning near the GIS margins. Our d18O-based results are corroborated by the air content of ice cores, a proxy for surface elevation. State-of-the-art ice sheet models are generally found to be underestimating the extent and changes in GIS elevation and area; our findings may help to improve the ability of models to reproduce the GIS response to Holocene climate. STUDY NOTES: Oxygen isotope data and uplift correction plus surface temperature reconstruction and elevation calculations for 6 Greenland ice cores over the Holocene. NCDC-Paleoclimatology https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data - Bauer Bruce Investigator : Vinther, B.M. Investigator : Buchardt, S.L. Investigator : Clausen, H.B. Investigator : Dahl-Jensen, D. Investigator : Johnsen, S.J. Investigator : Fisher, D.A. Investigator : Koerner, R.M. Investigator : Raynaud, D. Investigator : Lipenkov, V. Investigator : Andersen, K.K. Investigator : Blunier, T. Investigator : Rasmussen, S.O. Investigator : Steffensen, J.P. Investigator : Svensson, A.M. 2011-04-29 ONLINE Files online, ASCII https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/11148 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/icecore/greenland/vinther2009greenland.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/icecore/greenland/vinther2009greenland.xls https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/icecore/greenland/vinther2009greenland.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/icecore/greenland/vinther2009greenland.xls English https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/11148 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/icecore/greenland/vinther2009greenland.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/icecore/greenland/vinther2009greenland.xls Vinther, B.M., S.L. Buchardt, H.B. Clausen, D. Dahl-Jensen, S.J. Johnsen, D.A. Fisher, R.M. Koerner, D. Raynaud, V. Lipenkov, K.K. Andersen, T. Blunier, S.O. Rasmussen, J.P. Steffensen, and A.M. Svensson. 2009. Holocene thinning of the Greenland ice sheet. Nature, Vol. 461, pp. 385-388, 17 September 2009. doi:10.1038/nature08355 START YEAR: 11700 cal yr BP * END YEAR: -10 cal yr BP -73.1 65.18 -26.73 80.7