In our new study, we present a comprehensive analysis of Northern Hemisphere sea ice variability over the past 2.6 million years using a fully coupled transient climate model simulation. We show that orbital changes, greenhouse gases (GHGs), and ice sheets each played distinct roles across different latitudes and time periods. Notably, high-latitude perennial sea ice is most sensitive to axial tilt (obliquity), while mid-latitude seasonal sea ice responds primarily to precession. During the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (0.7–1.2 Ma), sea ice variability exhibits longer 100,000-year cycles due to amplified GHG and ice-sheet feedbacks.
Our results reveal how astronomical and geophysical forcings have governed sea ice evolution—and may continue to do so under future climate change.
Read the full paper here: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55327-2
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