Introduction to 'long-term changes in Southern high-latitude ice sheets and climate, the Cenozoic history'

摘要

The Cenozoic evolution of the Antarctic cryo-sphere and fluctuations in its ice sheet cover are considered to be one of the major influences on low-and mid-latitude deep-sea sedimentary records. Long-term Cenozoic trends and short-term climate fluctuations (≤ 40 ka) alike are inferred to have been driven or modulated by changes in Antarctic ice sheet volume (Kennett, 1977; Imbrie and Imbrie, 1980; Zachos et al., 1997, 2001; Shackleton et al., 1999; Lear et al., 2000; Naish et al., 2001). Similarly, changes in sea level elevations at continental margins are also inferred to result from growth and decay in Antarctic ice sheet volume throughout the Cenozoic (Barrett et al., 1987; Haq et al., 1987). Yet, direct records of the Antarctic cryosphere and its ice sheets are sparse at best, and much of the inference remains untested.