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Gas isotopes in ice reveal a vegetated central Greenland during ice sheet invasion
Author(s) -
Souchez R.,
Jouzel J.,
Landais A.,
Chappellaz J.,
Lorrain R.,
Tison J.L.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2006gl028424
Subject(s) - greenland ice sheet , ice core , ice sheet , geology , cryosphere , ice sheet model , ice stream , arctic ice pack , physical geography , oceanography , sea ice , geography
Environmental conditions prevailing during build‐up of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GIS) are not yet established. Here we use results from gas isotopes from basal ice of the GRIP ice core to show that central Greenland was vegetated during invasion by the ice sheet. The δ 13 C CH4 and δ 18 O of O 2 values obtained were never encountered before in ice core studies. Such values are indeed the signature of a significant biological activity.