CO<sub>2</sub> and summer insolation as drivers for the Mid-Pleistocene Transition

Scherrenberg, Meike D. W.; Berends, Constantijn J.; van de Wal, Roderik S. W.

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-1061-2025

Articles | Volume 21, issue 6

https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-1061-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Special issue:

Publications by EGU Medallists

https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-1061-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 21, issue 6

Research article

|

24 Jun 2025

Research article |

| 24 Jun 2025

CO₂ and summer insolation as drivers for the Mid-Pleistocene Transition

Meike D. W. Scherrenberg, Constantijn J. Berends, and Roderik S. W. van de Wal

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-1061-2025-supplement

Data sets

1.5-million year ice-sheet model results and model code: Supplement to Scherrenberg et al. (2025) Meike Scherrenberg et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15108443

ETOPO1 1 Arc-Minute Global Relief Model: Procedures C. Amante and B. W. Eakins https://doi.org/10.7289/V5C8276M

IceBridge BedMachine Greenland M. Morlighem et al. https://doi.org/10.5067/5XKQD5Y5V3VN

ESGF MetaGrid Earth System Grid Federation https://esgf-node.ipsl.upmc.fr/search/cmip6-ipsl/

Short summary

Glacial cycle duration changed from 41 000 to 100 000 years during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT), but the cause is still under debate. We simulate the MPT with an ice sheet model forced by prescribed CO₂ and insolation and simple ice–climate interactions. Before the MPT, glacial cycles follow insolation. After the MPT, low CO₂ levels may compensate for warming at insolation maxima, increasing the length of glacial cycles until the North American ice sheet becomes large and thereby unstable.

CO2 and summer insolation as drivers for the Mid-Pleistocene Transition

Supplement

Data sets

CO₂ and summer insolation as drivers for the Mid-Pleistocene Transition